This month my gift to you has been blog posts visit from Christmases past and this is my final edition. This post original published in December 2010. You don’t need to worry about leaving a comment. I hope to bring a little happiness your way, perhaps thinking about your memories of Christmases past.
Nearly every Christmas childhood memories float through my mind. It’s funny, I only remember pieces of the past and sense the way I felt like it was yesterday. I recall my parents’ modest house in a holler in southern West Virginia. I knew that place as “Groundhog Holler”. The only heat we had was a potbelly wood stove in the kitchen. My folks kept the living room closed off during the winter for the most part.
When I think back, I see that tinsel Christmas tree sitting in the corner of a very cold living room with that wild multi-color light wheel gizmo resting on the floor splashing red, blue, yellow, and green across the silver branches fascinated me. I wanted to spend more time in front of it, but it was too cold for comfort. For the longest time, I believed the tree had multi-colored mini-lights strung on it. However, thinking back, I believe I remember that crazy 60s thingy leaving that illusion in my memories. It might have been that same Christmas, my mother snapped a picture of me sitting on the floor in front the tree holding my daddy’s Christmas present on my lap. I don’t know how I even remember that and I was too young to read. I reckon, my mom told me. Then, on Christmas morning waking early to jet into an even more frigid living room to see if Santa left my brother and me something. I don’t remember what I got, but felt a bit envious of my brother’s awesome present – a red wagon chock full of 100s of tiny toys –soldiers, cowboys, horses, tanks, penny candy. It was a child’s dream come true! Maybe the reason I can’t remember what I got was because this present was a joint gift for the two of us and somehow I thought it was only for JC’s but a combined gift makes perfect sense with my parents extremely tight finances. plus JC was only a year old. Why does the mind play tricks on us?
I spent a lot of my time with my grandparents. They also lived in the same holler as my folks, about a quarter of a mile from our house. My grandparents had a small black and white TV set. My parents didn’t have one at that time. Many families in southern West Virginia lived on modest incomes. I never heard anyone complaining. One Christmas season, I basked in the cozy warmth of the season in front of my grandparents old black and white picture set, as it was called, to watch Frosty the Snowman. I loved the part where Jimmy Durante sings that little tune at the opening. It made me giddy, especially on that night because it was actually snowing and snowing hard. There were several inches covering the ground and it was coming down heavily as the programmed aired. I don’t think we walked back home that night. More than likely my grandparents put me in bed with my two aunts and my parents slept…well, I don’t know where, but somewhere else in their house.
Another time when I was older, a flash from my Girl Scout days cross my mind. Our Den Leader, Mrs. Williams, wanted to take the group Christmas caroling. She wanted us to share our joyful tunes with a young boy who lived way down a long holler. He had a brain tumor and was very sick. I don’t remember this young fella’s name, but I remembering thinking, how nice it was to share a little Christmas with a sick little boy. That many years ago many kinds of cancers were terminal with limited treatment options. We all knew this might be his last Christmas with his family. That made me sad, but it felt good to give a little happiness to them.
In the 4th grade, I played an angel in my school’s Christmas play. Those were the days when you could still use the word “Christmas” without offending someone. Living in an area where most were raised in Christian homes recognized the holiday as the day Jesus was born. We all shared freely the enthusiasm of the season. In the small auditorium on that chilly December night, I delivered the line “Fear not, for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy for unto you is born to all man this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” I was proud to be the bearer of good news as a special warmth washed over my entire being. I think the heavenly Father was giving this once little girl a hug.
Over the course of my childhood, I had many wonderful experiences putting up the Christmas tree with my brother, the thrill of opening presents with my family, having a large feast at my grandparents, participating in Christmas plays or singing in the choir in our little rural church, making toys for sick children in the hospital, Santa Claus actually giving us toys, and the list goes on. Those were such simple, innocent times and perhaps some of the most joyous ones for me.
Now, it’s your turn and I hope you’ll join me in playing Thursday Two Questions by leaving your answers in my comments.
What is your favorite Christmas memory as a kid?
And, what is your second fondest Christmas memory?
I hope you enjoyed blog posts from Vintage Christmases Past this month. The holidays will wind down soon with the ushering in of the new year. Don’t let the love, peace on earth, and good will toward others end. The world needs this more than ever.
Please join me on January 1st for the first Battle of the Bands installment of 2023 this Sunday. Have a wonderful day, dear friends! X💋X💋, Cathy
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Hi Cathy. I will be here tomorrow for the first battle of the bans for the new year. I wanted to say thank you for being part of my blogging world and to wish you and your family the very best for 2023. I feel like solme good things will happen this year. Hugs and much love. N
Beautiful Christmas time memories, Cathy! In my childhood home, there was a large picture window in the front part of our house. And that is where we put up our Christmas tree so all could see. I remember taking forever to decorate the tree so it would be perfect. 💞
I am smiling as i think about your wonderful Christmas memories. My favorite was the year i got my kitchen set, a real wooden set of sink/counter, fridge, oven/stove top, and storage counter, just the right size for a little girl.
My second best would be any and all holidays when my children were very little.
I so remember those silver trees with the color light wheel.
Nice learning about your past. Thanks for sharing. I have all good memories of my family up until I was 10 when my parents separated, and my sister got married ( she was 8 yrs older).
Hi, Cathy!
I got your email. Thanks for patiently waiting for me to show up today, dear friend. Our trip to the airport and back turned out to be a prolonged ordeal. As you recall, Mrs. Shady’s brother was flying down from Atlanta, but his flight was delayed due to mechanical problems. Eventually, they made all of the passengers get off the plane and put them on a different one. Unfortunately his luggage was left on the plane that needed to be repaired on the tarmac. He arrived in Tampa late, and then we needed to wait an additional hour for the flight to arrive that had his suitcase on it. In addition, the traffic was heavy on the way to the airport and back. We just returned a short while ago, having been awake and on the go go go since 5 am. I am exhausted!
I enjoyed reading your post first published at Christmas in 2010. That was years before you and I met in blogland. Some of my memories are similar to yours. I was born in the country, a very rural area, and didn’t move to the suburbs until I was about to start school. Like your family, mine had a silver aluminum tree in the front picture window with a color wheel shining on it. It was beautiful and captured my imagination. My folks were far from rich, and I didn’t get as much for Christmas as some of the other kids in my neighborhood. One kid up the block got a motorized go-kart one year, and drove it past my house over and over again as if to taunt me. Like you, I was raised sensibly and was content to receive less. Like you, I well remember cold rooms all winter long, as people conserved energy. As Eric Burdon sang, “The rooms were so much colder then” – lyrics from The Animals hit song “When I Was Young,” Like you, I sang in the church children’s choir and participated in Christmas plays and programs.
I look forward to your first band battle of 2023 and hope my winning streak will continue. Thank you again for your unwavering friendship and support for the better part of ten years, Cathy. I wish you and your entire family many blessings in the coming year. God bless!
Stopping in to wish you the very best 2023.
I don’t have a lot of fond memories of my childhood. I lived in a war zone. I was so happy to leave at 16 and learned how to survive by working hard. I made sure my son didn’t have the same kind of life. I’ve even more happy about that.
Have a fabulous day and a very Happy New Year, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥
Hi Cathy. My favorite Christmas memory as a kid is going to church with the entire family. The church always looked so warm and festive with undecorated fir trees, candles, and the manager with baby Jesus. I know, kids aren’t supposed to like going to church. But as I remember it now, it was when our entire family was together and restful and inspired.
My second favorite Christmas memory is of course opening presents on Christmas Eve. Though I had nine brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad always managed to have lots of presents under the tree and we had so much fun. Dad would sit by the tree and hand out gifts as if he were Santa himself. What joy!
I used to go to this huge church that thought the Children’s Christmas Program was a Broadway production. We’d try out in July and start practicing by the first of August. One of my friends, Kelly, could sing like an angel, but couldn’t act to save her life. I could act, but my singing was not getting me to Broadway. So, we’d split the lead role. I’d take all of the speaking lines and Kelly would sing.
Then, Kelly’s father got this idea to have someone write the perfect musical for us. A two-humped camel that was the main character telling the Christmas story from “her” point of view. Kelly and I had a blast! And it made sharing the part a heck of a lot easier since it was a two person part. Ah, childhood memories.
I have so many wonderful Christmas memories, I was stymied for a moment about how to pick a favorite, but then I thought, if I was told I was going to loose all of these memories but two, which would be the most important?
Decorating the Christmas Tree with my grandmother is definitely a treasured memory. Gram, who would now be over 100 years old, had decorations she considered antique! She had delicate porcelain bells, a fragile porcelain nativity, and pewter candle holders (for real candles) that clipped on the tree — of course we never lit the candles!
My other treasured memory is the Christmas Eve candlelight church service my Aunt, Grandmother, & cousins attended every year. It was wonderful and I loved it as much for the togetherness with my family as beauty of the service.
1) My favorite Christmas memory was to get new clothes, even if it was just pass down clothes from older siblings.
2) The second favorite memory for me was the meal after midnight mass.
@quilly & Judy again…what is it y’all visiting together. LOL. Your Christmas memories are fond ones, I sense. Moments like these are treasured forevery in your hearts and your memories stirred some forgotten ones of my own. God bless!
I used to love acting in the Christmas play at our church. It was great fun and the tree was so pretty. It was huge with these funny little decorations with bubbling colored water. Christmas had a magic quality.
My second favorite one was when I found out at the last minute I was approved for military leave and got to go home for Christmas. I was so homesick!
@Amanda…you and Kelly sound like a wonderful duo. I know that had to be a hoot. Don’t you just love reliving childhood memories? Now, the little actress has grown up to be an excellent writer. Keep up the good work. I can’t wait to see you books in print!
I used to go to this huge church that thought the Children’s Christmas Program was a Broadway production. We’d try out in July and start practicing by the first of August. One of my friends, Kelly, could sing like an angel, but couldn’t act to save her life. I could act, but my singing was not getting me to Broadway. So, we’d split the lead role. I’d take all of the speaking lines and Kelly would sing.
Then, Kelly’s father got this idea to have someone write the perfect musical for us. A two-humped camel that was the main character telling the Christmas story from “her” point of view. Kelly and I had a blast! And it made sharing the part a heck of a lot easier since it was a two person part. Ah, childhood memories.
I have so many wonderful Christmas memories, I was stymied for a moment about how to pick a favorite, but then I thought, if I was told I was going to loose all of these memories but two, which would be the most important?
Decorating the Christmas Tree with my grandmother is definitely a treasured memory. Gram, who would now be over 100 years old, had decorations she considered antique! She had delicate porcelain bells, a fragile porcelain nativity, and pewter candle holders (for real candles) that clipped on the tree — of course we never lit the candles!
My other treasured memory is the Christmas Eve candlelight church service my Aunt, Grandmother, & cousins attended every year. It was wonderful and I loved it as much for the togetherness with my family as beauty of the service.
@Margaret…what beautiful memories. Christmas was one of my favorite times to go to church, too, as a kid. It’s a season of celebrating Christ’s birth, what better place to be, right?
Hi Cathy. My favorite Christmas memory as a kid is going to church with the entire family. The church always looked so warm and festive with undecorated fir trees, candles, and the manager with baby Jesus. I know, kids aren’t supposed to like going to church. But as I remember it now, it was when our entire family was together and restful and inspired.
My second favorite Christmas memory is of course opening presents on Christmas Eve. Though I had nine brothers and sisters, Mom and Dad always managed to have lots of presents under the tree and we had so much fun. Dad would sit by the tree and hand out gifts as if he were Santa himself. What joy!