Christmas - Memories and Magic

I love Christmas, from religious services to Santa Claus, Nativity scenes to Christmas trees. I love it all. We start decorating our tree the Friday after Thanksgiving, hang the outside lights, and set up the train board under the tree. There's the shopping, driving around the neighborhoods looking at all the homes decorated with lights and the baking...yum! This year I've taken  to woolgathering, more than in recent years, and I thought I would share a couple of my memories.


The earliest Christmas I remember was at age five. It turned out to be the one that made my mother cry. Why you ask? Well, you see, Santa had always left a doll under the tree for me, and, apparently, after seeing the doll, I would play with nothing else. This particular year, the jolly old guy also brought a buggy.When relating the story to me many years later, Mother said she knew, if I had seen the doll first, the morning was over. She told me how she quickly hid the doll behind the tree, then waited to see what I would do. Upon finding the buggy parked there in all its beauty, I promptly took it to my room, found my favorite doll, Janie, and began to play. Mother said she felt so bad that she never hid another thing from us.


Another memory I'd like to share with you, circa 1952, is of the decorated store windows of Neiman-Marcus, Sanger Bros, and A. Harris in downtown Dallas, Texas. We would bundle up in heavy coats, hats and gloves and walk along Elm, Main and Commerce Streets looking at the scenes depicting Santa's workshop, outdoor scenes with elves and furry animals, and cozy living rooms on Christmas morning. One I remember, in particular, depicted Clement Moore's, Twas the Night Before Christmas. The animated mannequins portrayed every aspect of the classic poem, including the dad in his cap, smoking a pipe and watching Santa about to rise up the chimney. It was so magical seen through a child's eyes. I can't help thinking my own children missed something wonderful.

This week I began planning a Christmas time-travel romance. The possibilities are endless; my memories are calling out to me. What could be more fun than creating my favorite kind of romance occurring at my favorite time of year?



I'm wishing wonderful Christmas memories for everyone. Enjoy the season!