Sometimes I ramble.
Okay, I admit it...I ENJOY rambling!
This page is devoted
to my reminiscings, recollections,
and ramblings
from my extraordinarily ordinary life.
days in the life of a
December 1, 2010
DECKING THE HALLS
Yesterday as I pulled out the boxes and boxes and boxes of
Christmas decorations to deck out our house for the holidays,
I was reminded of a much simpler time.
Simpler for me, I guess, since I was just a little child and I didn't
have any of the stresses and responsibilities that come with the
Christmas season. I never wondered if there would be enough
money to go around...there was never any doubt that Santa
would come through with surprises all around when we woke up
very early on Christmas morning.
But I think my parents would agree that Christmas has gotten
a whole lot more complicated since those days.
And as I get my own home prettied up for this special time of
year, I couldn't help but think how times have changed.
Our County Line Christmas decorations all fit into a couple of
worn cardboard boxes, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised
if Mama and Dad will pull out their holiday stuff from those very
same boxes again this year.
The decorations were few and simple, but oh how excited we were to get them out every year! Mama had sewed some red corduroy stockings for us...one for each child, and she and Daddy shared one together. We hung them on the crystal knobs of the built-in dining room buffet, awaiting Santa's visit when he would fill them with walnuts, fruit, and some candy. We had some giant pinecones that we had brought home from a North Carolina visit, and I realize now that they must have been a nice reminder to Mama of her family roots so far away.
We always cleared away Daddy's boxing trophies from their home on the top of the buffet to make room for the best decoration of all. I remember when we bought the plaster nativity set from the dime store in town and how delighted we were to rediscover its wonders every year. As the oldest, I guess I was the most trusted to handle the delicate plaster figures (plus I could reach the top of the buffet!), so for many years I was given the esteemed privilege of setting up the manger scene just so. Over the years the sheep's legs have had to be glued together and a few other repairs made, but it still graces the buffet every Christmas.
Today I have two very nice, expensive nativity sets that I so enjoy putting up in my home, but they don't compare to the thrill of unwrapping those plaster figures each Christmas on the County Line. That little set is a priceless family heirloom!
Some Christmas after Mark was born, somehow or other we
acquired the "fireplace." I don't know if Daddy made it or where
it really came from, but it became a favorite Christmas tradition.
Our County Line home never had a real fireplace, so we pulled
this one out at Christmas time...a place to hang our stockings
and a sure entrance for Santa.
It was made of wood and some scraps of masonite/fake tile stuff
left over from some ancient bathroom project. Each year Mama
would carefully cover it with a brick-designed paper she bought,
wide crepe paper or later (when we were getting all fancy!) some
corrugated paper. It was a tedious job to put it on perfectly
straight and match all the lines...we wanted to be sure it looked
real! (I'm sure it totally fooled anyone who visited...)
The mantel was made of a wooden board and Mama screwed
cup hooks into the front to hold our stockings. We put a piece
of glittery fake snow felt on top and set up Christmas cards or
other holiday odds and ends. I remember a beautiful plastic set
of deer...a buck, doe, and fawn...that often paraded across the
snowy mantel. How festive we were!
That fireplace was a holiday staple in our home until after I left.
While it was sturdy enough for its intended purpose, it couldn't
quite stand up to Mark's rowdiness and I remember he did
topple it over a time or two!
We never put up the Christmas tree until about 2 weeks before Christmas, when we went to Ford's grocery store in
Hagerstown to pick out the perfect tree...which always seemed a lot less perfect when we got it into the house. Dad put it in our rickety stand and squeezed it through the front door, scraping off needles as he went. Then came the
inevitable turning of the tree so the best side was facing the room, which usually took several frustrating attempts. Mama and Daddy put on a couple of strings of colored lights and then we helped add the few real ornaments that we had. Over the years many homemade and school-made ornaments were added to the stash, several of which still find their way onto the tree each year. Mama wasn't one to over-decorate the tree...she loved the natural look and fresh pine smell, and it was a big bonus if there were little pinecones on the branches that would crackle as they opened up in the warmth of the house. The very last thing we always put on was the tinsel, little metallic strings that Dad always insisted must be put on one at a time and not in clumps as us kids were inclined to do.
What wonderful memories of "decking the halls" for our magical County Line Christmases!
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County Line Christmas morning 1967
3-year-old Mark and the "fireplace" 1970
(note the 2 guns in his hands, even then!)
