“Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance – each beautiful, unique and too soon gone.”
If Mother Nature voiced criticisms about her own creations, she’d said today is just blah. It is a cold, windless, grey day. Right now it is 36˚, close to the predicted high of 39˚. I am going nowhere. I’m staying right here and finishing my trees and the house. Yesterday I hauled up some decorations. Today my back screamed, “No more! No more!” but I’ll just grit my teeth, gently though, and finish.
My dance card is empty this week. I figure I’ll start baking toward the end of the week. I also have to wrap the gifts which didn’t have to be mailed right away.
My mother always teased us about our gifts. She’d say, “Just wait until you see what I just bought. You’ll love it.” She was always right. My mother was the best gift giver. She chose perfect presents. I try to do the same which is why I shop all year. A hurried spree at Christmas just won’t do.
My friend Peg gave me the best gift which she told me to open now. When I did, all Christmas memories of that house on Washington Ave. came rushing out of my memory drawers. In the picture window we had a white plastic candelabra with five candles all with orange bulbs. You probably knew that already as I’ve talked about it before because that memory is so strong. Just the other day my sister and I were laughing about the hot bulbs in the candelabra which had no on and off switch so the bulbs had to be screwed off. We used to lick our fingers before we turned off the bulbs. Well, Peg sent me a candelabra of three plastic candles with orange bulbs. It came in the original box, a bit worn, but still perfect. I can hardly wait until tonight when I get to turn them on, and even better, when I have to lick my fingers to turn them off.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
December 16, 2019 at 3:55 pm
My Mother always had the over whelming urge to tell us how much our gift cost…”let me tell you”…was usually in the sentence but I am not sure that she ever gave us a specific amount. I think there was an intent to establish a threshold of generosity or something like that. In general household finances were tight so it was unlikely that it was gonna be a gang buster. I do know that the two bikes she bought one year were paid for on the HP via the Littlewoods catalogue.
In the very very early years Mark next door and I both received an American Jeep pedal car – that led to endless games of “Wiggly Toggly” on the incline on the court. Nope, I dont know the derivative of wiggly toggly but we still laugh about it 60 years later.
December 16, 2019 at 6:33 pm
My Dear Hedley,
We were spared being told in some abstract way the price of what we got. My mother kept a Christmas club every year so she’d have money for presents. I don’t remember ever being disappointed.
My nephews had pedal cars and racing down the hill was daily entertainment.
December 16, 2019 at 6:41 pm
I doubled my Christmas decoration today, two light chains instead of one. I’m proud of me. Seven more days to add some straw stars, no reason to hurry 🙂
December 16, 2019 at 7:03 pm
Birgit,
I have caught up with yesterday. Everything I brought up is somewhere as a decoration. Now I have to start today, and it is getting late. That’s okay, there is still time.
Doubling your decorations, awesome!
December 17, 2019 at 8:00 am
You can use a cotton cloth for hot lightbulbs, but maybe finger-licking is more fun?
December 17, 2019 at 11:31 am
Rowen,
I like the lick the fingers method. It reminds me of my childhood, and I think it hits that sweet spot in my memories.