Some of my most magical memories are around the way my mom decorated for Christmas. The season would start by visiting the Christmas Tree lots where mom searched for the perfect tree for the perfect price. Sometimes it would take a few lots in frosty conditions, but she always picked out the most beautiful tree with the best scent. The tree would be trimmed, and set up in the house undecorated for at least 24 hours, so that it would open up fully. Mom and Grandma made most of the ornaments on her tree. Mom painted wood trains, dolls and nutcrackers and made quilted Christmas balls. Grandma and mom painted ceramic Christmas mice in moons, wreaths and candle sticks. Grandma’s string snowflakes rolled in glass snow added to the collection. Later, my sister made Christmas angels of ribbon and lace. An old pink star (had to of been bought in the 60s) donned the top of our tree each year…that was dad’s job as he was the tallest and could reach. Always colored lights and never blinking.
The mantle (on the wall, not over a fireplace) held Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, again hand made by mom, and the ceramic acrobatic snowmen dolled up in glass to sparkle like a fresh snow glitters in the sun. It was the only time she lit the silver candles. On Christmas Eve, our stockings would be hung from that mantle. All of our stockings were the same ones year after year. Mine didn’t have my name on it. It was red with the white collar and three angel stickers placed right on the white puff. Amazing that those stickers remained for eighteen years!
Mom would have me help wrap gifts that were for my sister or my dad. She would put pieces of tape along our table, she would make the cuts and folds and tell me where to place the tape.
Now, Christmas morning was the only time I was allowed to jump into bed with my sister and call out to our parents for permission to get up. Dad always had to “Check” on things before we were allowed to see.
Adding to our wonderment, the tree was always lit up revealing the treasures laid out for us. Santa only brought the big gift and filled our stockings. He didn’t wrap for added Santa effect.
One year, I went back to my room and there was a beautiful Christmas dress laid on my bed. It wasn’t there when I got up, but mom insisted that Santa must have still been in the house and left it there for me…and my sister had one on her bed too! Sneaky Santa!
Some of my favorite gifts from Santa were a family pinball machine, an Atari System, an electric child size organ, Alphie, Speak’n Spell, Moppet’s Doll House, A Cabbage Patch Kid named Ola and when I got older a rainbow comforter for my bed.
The old Christmas record played Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Sam Cook’s renditions of the timeless classics. They remain some of my favorites and take me back to the days when I wasn’t the Santa and didn’t have to do the shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking or making the traditions.
Magically, my mom made it to Christmas 1995. That year I decorated the tree because she was too sick to, but we listened to that old record together and had a fun conversation as I placed the sweet old handmade ornaments on the tree. That night was such a gift because the next day she wasn’t herself and didn’t even know it was Christmas.
My sister and I divided up the hand made ornaments and I have the old 1960s Pink Star. I haven’t used those ornaments in a couple of years, but I’m so glad that I have them. I used to proudly boast that every ornament on my tree was made by my grandma, mom and sister. I plan on passing them down to my daughter when she grows up and has a family of her own…and maybe add something to the collection that I make. That might take a little magic too!
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