Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Ghosts of Christmas Past

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Today is cookie making day for the girls and I. So, while we create enormous amounts of delicious and hugely fattening goodies that will immediately be transferred to my butt, thighs and abdomen (but I'm smiling while it happens), here are a few memories of Christmas from my youth.
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  • My earliest Xmas memory was the year (circa 1963) I received my Tammy doll (instead of the Barbie I'd asked for which my Mom thought was too racy for a little girl). I loved Tammy dearly, and we had many years of happy play in her house at the bottom of my wardrobe.


  • I remember a few years of transister radios and Nancy Drew books .... and many, many nights hiding under the covers with a flashlight, my earplugs and my latest book.


  • I remember the Xmas my older brother built my excited anticipation daily by telling me about the wonderful gift he had for me under the tree. In the early hours of Xmas morning, I snuck out of bed by myself & without even looking at what Santa had brought, I found his gift, opened it ..... and discovered it was a potato! I was broken hearted! I crawled back to bed and cried and cried. .......... I remember sneaking back out to the tree, finding my gift to him, opening it ..... and eating every Turtle in the box (all 6 of them)! I then rewrapped his gift and went back to bed and cried some more. ..... But only after I'd washed off all the evidence, of course!


  • I remember my Nanny always gave us flannel pyjamas, homemade mittens and our own individual little bags of candy --- every year! And I remember the year she made my dream come true and bought me a flannel nightie instead! Tres chic!


  • I remember the Christmas dinner table. Few of the dishes matched, and not everyone could have a knife. But there'd be Mommy and Daddy, 4 sibblings and me, and my Nanny and Poppy ..... my Mom's wonderful turkey and savory bread pudding ..... tube-shaped cranberry jelly ..... and my Nanny's gorgeous Xmas pudding with caramel sauce.


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So many happy childhood Christmas memories!



How about you. Do you have some favorites that come to mind automatically when you think of the Christmas' of your youth?



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12 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

Loved hearing about all your Christmas memories. Hey... I thought I was the only one to take the transistor radio, flashlight and latest book under the covers. LOL I remember Tammy dolls too. My favorite part of the holiday was our stockings. My brother and I would sneak into the living room, take them down and head back to bed. We got to open whatever was inside before my parents got up. Take care. ENJOY the rest of the week. Take care.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You have some wonderful memories of Christmases past. I think we all do as it is such a special time of year. Have fun with your cookie baking today!

Janet said...

I, too, had that transistor radio!! Early iPods ;)

Loved walking down memory lane with you - sad for you with the potato and the brother (did he get his gift that morning?).

Have fun with the cookie making - mmmmmm, cookies!

DearHelenHartman said...

Too many memories to describe, what a wonderful time to have been a kid. I had a Tammy too - same reason. Mom thought Barbies were just tacky. Loved your Christmas memories. Merry Christmas and hope Santa doesn't bring you a potato!

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Oh baby, did that transistor radio ever bring back the memories!!!

My Grandma Dow bought all of us one, one year for Christmas and let me tell ya it went everywhere with me.

I got the racy Barbies...'Just sayin'!!! I probably would of benefited gettin' the Tammy Doll.

I can see ya eatin' the chocolate outta the gift and rerappin' it. It's sooo somethin' I'd do.

God bless and have a great day sweetie!!! :o)

Pamela Gordon said...

I loved hearing your Christmas memories, especially the one of your brother's gift! I really laughed out loud. :) I rememeber our Christmas socks were hand knitted grey wool and always had an orange in the toe plus a barley toy candy and a toy. I had a Tammy doll too, probably for the same reason and I had a Mitzi doll (cheaper than Barbie no doubt). Have a wonderful Christmas!

Sweet Tea said...

Great story about your brother. A potato??!!! LOL!!
You showed him!! LOL

Judy said...

Do you remember what your brother said about opening an empty turtle box??? would love to have seen his face...too bad about the potato though, but brother's are like that sometimes...

Red said...

It seems that Christmas through the eyes of a kid is much more vivid. Your memories prompt me to dig out some of the rust and remember things that happened in my life.

myinnerchick.com said...

Such beautiful memories. I love that the dishes did not match! There is something quite endearing about that.
Christmas Pudding? You must be a Brit?! X

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

No, not a Brit; a Newfoundlander. But we Newfies still adhere to quite a few British ways -- pudding included.

Tammy's in Love said...

I still have my Tammy doll along with her ski outfit and tennis togs! I loved reading your story about family memories of Christmas past.

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