Please Join us for Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas Project!

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

The twelve days of Christmas project.

Each day the UNCLE Christmas tree posts in section7mfu
and we'd like all the cousins to come visit and  share a memory of
Christmas' past as a comment, and leave it as a present under the tree.

There's nothing like our treasured memories, they're gifts
that will be with us always!

Give someone a smile with one of your favorite personal
memories, anectotes, or stories, songs...anything from your
Christmas Past, OR even what you're looking forward to this year!

Time to get into the Spirit of Christmas.

Comments

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

We put thd decorations up this morning, it's a family tradition not to put them upuntil 4th in advent.

Strings of lights have become much simpler since LEDs took over, no broken bulbs to change before putting them on the tree. We only use the glass baubles from my childhood now there aren't any children to worry about, though the tinsel can't be much more than 10 or 15 years old.

One new thing is the Christmas wreath on the front door, and that's only new in that I make one every year from the holly and ivy in the garden.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Oh I remember those old lights very much, and my dad insisting he put them up by himself. A man of the house thing I guess.

I remember from a previous post that you make your wreath every year from the garden. What a great tradition, as well as waiting until after the 4th wk of Advent. It seems the holiday is so rushed now days with shops putting up decorations and merchandise when Halloween isn't even past.

Are you going to post a photo of the wreath?

Thanks for sharing this with us. A great gift to put under the tree!

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

The wreath photo went up yesterday on my advent countdown.

For those who haven't seen thd countdown you can find all the posts so far here (http://reapermum.livejournal.com/tag/advent%202016).

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Will go check the friends feed. I was busy with the Canteen party and lost track of most of the day! Time flies when you're busy being silly. :D

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to admit that my memory sort of fades in and out concerning the years gone by... way gone actually. As a kid I waited for the packages to arrive from Brownsville, all wrapped in tissue paper and sent from my Mammaw, Aunt Margaret, and Uncle Neil. Living in California without any relatives close enough for even a day trip meant something like a wrapped package was an important event for feeling connected to the ones back here. After Mammaw passed away the packages did as well, the kids were older and no one felt the need to continue on with that practice. I understand now, but Christmas wasn't the same without the crinkle of tissue wrapped packages flecked with little foil stars.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Christmas can certainly bring a mixed bag of memories, but happy and sad. I miss the Christmas gift giving even though my cousins are here, we no longer exchange...but that's another story.

I know there's no little foil stars but when your box arrives, there'll be tissue to crinkle. And so creating a new memory for you my friend.

So glad you finally made it to the Christmas tree project, and thanks for sharing with us!

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Other than talking about some of the toys I remember getting at Christmas; I would always get a card from my paternal grandmother (she'd send it as my grandfather was literally a skinflint...and not a very nice man) My dad and his brother were born between 1918-1920, so they experienced the Great Depression and unfortunately a father who drank too much. My dad was born in a tenement in Harlem in NYC. They never could afford a home of their own, and eventually lived in rental bungalows around a small Long Island town along the shore.

One Christmas my grandfather came home, and like a raving drunken lunatic he smashed all the windows in their little house, that my dad always said was called "Dashby Court."

There were never any rows in my home while growing up, as my dad was determined to have a peaceful home life, and we did. He made sure there would never be another 'Dashby Court' in his life.

Anyway, back to Grandma. Every Christmas me and my 2 brothers would each get a card from her containing a five dollar bill. They stopped coming when she passed away. My mom told me stories of my grandmother having to walk around town to pay bills as my grandfather wouldn't give her money for bus fare.

Thinking about now it after the fact, I'm sure my grandma saved her pennies throughout the year to make sure she could send the three of us our little gifts. She was a wonderful woman, who wore a charm bracelet with dingling charms in the shapes of all her eight grandchildren on it. You could hear her coming. She'd always say nest c pas, and tout suit, though I don't think she spoke French. She was a wonderful woman, who deserved better. I miss her still, though she died in the 60's.

[threecee.livejournal.com]

One of my memories is how much fun my dad always had setting up the Christmas yard. It usually went on a special 2-part platform that had a hole for the tree in the center. If the tree wasn't tall enough, it went on some kind of booster under the platform. I don't remember the mechanics (probably because I was never allowed to peek under the brick-patterned drape). I was allowed to help design the tracks for the train (the big c.1930 type) and the farms, towns, and other scenery with the tiny houses, people and animals. It was mostly Dad though, creating mirror skating ponds and cotton snow. He also made a lot of the houses and things from kits during the year. He got a lot of fun out of it and kept it up on a much smaller scale until he was in his late 70's.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Wow that sounds incredible and a lot of work Do you have a photo of it that you could possibly post?

Thanks so much for sharing this memory with us!

[threecee.livejournal.com]

Sorry, no scanner. Should probably select a few of the old photos to digitize.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I don't have a scanner. I have an iPad mini and take photos with that and then email them to myself so I can move to my computer laptop. I need to clear out some old ones, as there's only so much space.

I don't have a smart phone, and probably never will.

[threecee.livejournal.com]

Yep, I'm a bit short on tech too, my only "camera" is my Kindle Fire and the lens is on the same side as the screen. Very difficult to take any photos except selfies.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

That's what I like about the iPad mini, you can reverse the camera, still it needs really good light source for a clear picture.

With yours you have to aim well, I'm sure.