Well, the big day has finally arrived! Not a minute too soon, either. Today was a nice day here in New England. We had a little bit of snow, so technically it was a "White Christmas", even though much of it was melted by noontime. I tried to make truffles last night, but they didn't come out right-the mixture didn't solidify. But it will make a nice sauce for ice cream!
Anyway, I promised earlier in the week I'd discuss Christmas memories. My most prominent memory is how big the Christmas tree was, because I was so small. In those days, we had an artificial tree. I guess it wasn't really that tall, maybe six feet. Naturally, I remember the feeling of Christmas morning, and running downstairs to open the presents. My mom had already been up for a couple of hours, and the turkey was already in the oven. It seems like it took longer for turkeys to cook in those days, too!
I never truly believed in Santa Claus, though I tried to convince myself he was real. I remember watching all those wonderful Claymation Christmas specials, especially Rudolph. I think it's neat all those programs are still on today, even though I haven't watched them in years.
I elaborated on how wonderful it was with my grandparents and uncle visiting, so I won't repeat it here except to say it was a true special occasion, which made Christmas special. If you're interested, my post "NOW it's time for Christmas!" can be accessed on this site.
It seems like I always got what I wanted. I can remember one year when I was having a crisis waiting for Christmas and opening the presents, and I got to open one before Christmas eve. It was a box of crayons, which every kid loves. When the crayons are new and sharp, there's nothing like it. I just remember being jealous when my sister got hers, and mine were already worn down!
My most coveted toy was Lite Brite. I'm sure if you try you can remember the commercial. I was so excited to get that gift! I hope I didn't drive my parents crazy asking for it. It's in the cellar somewhere, I wonder if it still works? Another year I wanted that hand-held game "Blip". I got that one too, my parents were always so generous and I hope I wasn't too demanding or greedy. I always got nice clothes, books, candy, stuffed animals, art supplies, etc.
Did you get to open a present on Christmas eve? We always did, and I think it was the only way to keep us sane until Christmas morning. I'm ashamed to admit that I was shallow enough to be obsessed with the gifts, but I was. Seeing all those beautifully wrapped presents under the tree for what seemed like weeks sure drove me crazy!
One thing I love about Christmas is revisiting the ornaments and decorations. We have some that my Dad had on his trees growing up, and then there are ornaments you make that have the year on them. My mom used to do ceramics, and we have dozens ornaments she made and painted. They're beautiful. It's fun to reminisce and decorate the tree.
I'll leave now, let's see if I can find a clip of Rudolph, and maybe the Lite-Brite ad from the 70's. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment