A Christmas Night to Remember

On a mild December evening with an enormous supermoon lighting our way, 

Ron and I took our little dog, Roxy, for a walk in our neighborhood.  

The houses on our street glittered and created a festive holiday feeling. 

As we enjoyed the Christmas lights, we shared our childhood Christmas memories.

Ron and I both remembered the family piling into the car 

to drive to the "ritzy" part of town to view the lights, 

oohing and ahhing as if they were fireworks. 

Compared to the intricate displays today, they probably weren't all that amazing 

but to us, they were magical.

Today we keep our lights pretty simple with a string of twinkly lights on our fence. 

I also remembered the arrival of our Christmas tree every Christmas Eve. 

It was a family tradition to wait until the night before Christmas to decorate our tree. 

Dad would drive down to the corner gas station and buy a tree. 

Then, pushing and pulling it through our front door, we'd set it in its metal holder, 

turning it this way and that until it looked its best or at least straight.

Ron said he remembered how the tree lot smelled. 

Growing up in Oklahoma where there weren't any pine trees, 

he thought the smell of fresh pine was different and wonderful.

He also mentioned those Christmas novelty songs they played on the radio. 

I remember them too especially that Chipmunk song (Alvin!) that they played over and over, 

no doubt driving our poor parents crazy. 

Do you remember those strings of different-colored lights 

when if one light went out, the whole string died?

And carefully placing each individual aluminum icicle on the tree? 

Time consuming but definitely worth it.

After the tree was decorated, Mom would sing Silent Night in her clear deep voice 

and my sister and I would go upstairs to bed while Mom and Dad 

brought our presents out from their hiding places to put under the tree. 

It was hard to go to sleep when we kept hearing noises that sounded like reindeer on our roof.

Here's a picture of me (left) and my sister with Santa in the 1950s
about to give him our wish lists.
I never did get that pony!

Christmas morning we waited impatiently for our grandparents to arrive so we could tear open 

the wrapping paper on our presents. I remember a slinky, play dough, and a battery-operated bear 

that drank a bottle of Pepsi. (I see those in antique stores now!) 

Santa always brought my sister and me matching PJs. 

Ron loved his model airplane kits, Lincoln Logs and little soldiers.

Seems Christmas then was more simple and less stressful than it is today. 

It was about family and tradition and cherished small town memories that we still hold dear.

I'd love to hear about your treasured childhood Christmas memories.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

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