Friday, December 11, 2009

Christmas memories...

As I was decorating the Christmas tree the other day...all by myself...I thought back to Christmas's of long ago...


...behind these doors. There was a time when I had help in trimming the tree...and a lot of eclectic ornaments to hang from the branches.

They boys never cared that much about the whole thing...but Heidi loved to help...and never wanted to miss out. She made rules...way back then. Rule #1 was that no decorating happened until the Christmas music was playing. I am reminded of her rule every year as I lug out the boxes...and make sure to abide by it...still! One year she decided that our decorations belonged to some other era...and we went to Country Gardens on a Sunday afternoon to seek out a 'new look'. Here's the funny thing...the 'new look' is now very old...and it's still working for me! She's not here to tell me otherwise.

We've been buying our tree at the same Christmas tree farm for as long as I can remember. We had a bit of an unpleasant experience one year...but were assured the problem would not happen again. There's nothing quite like the smell of a fresh evergreens in the home...unless of course the evergreen tree was grown right next to the fans from a hog farm. Let's just say...it didn't smell all that pleasant in our home that Christmas. We still buy our trees at at the same place...just make sure to do a sniff test before we make our choice.

Then there was the Cabbage Patch Christmas...when every child wanted one and there weren't enough to go around. Though Heidi never quit hoping...and praying...we had informed her that she would not be getting a Cabbage Patch doll for Christmas since we had tried in vain and always came up empty. About two days before Christmas, hubby was picking up something at the hardware store...when the customer ahead of him returned a Cabbage patch doll. He was at the right place at the right time! He grabbed it...and I could not believe my eyes when he came home with the coveted Christmas doll. He...who never shops...hit the jackpot! There was much happiness on Christmas morning...and Jill Mavis (as her birth certificate stated) is still a part of this household. Ah...the memories.

Then there were all the years when the kids got sweaters knit by Grandma. Kris and Jeremy loved their wise owl sweaters...and when they outgrew them...passed them along to the younger cousins. The sweaters are long gone...but the memories are sweet.

It's been a few decades since we celebrated Christmas at a farm out in Rosedale...

...but they were good times. That's the thing about memories...they can never be taken away. Treasure the old memories...and make new ones with those you love this Christmas season.

Have a wonderful weekend...

16 comments:

  1. My life has certainly been enriched by my visits to this blog. Memories came flooding back to me as I read the Cabbage Patch doll saga. We have our own story...my daughter and me, and I am sure you would find her version of the story quite a bit more fascinating than mine. But, we both treasure our memories and hold them dear in our hearts.

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  2. What a lovely trip down memory lane that was.
    Is it something about girls?....our Lillypad also made rules for tree decorating,right down to which special decoration was to be put up by her and which by her big brother...'rules' that have stuck!

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  3. Oh what fun. I really enjoyed reading your Christmas memories. Sheesh I had forgotten that Cabbage Patch year! All three of my kids have one ...boys included. Those owl sweaters and hats are the bomb!! I wouldn't mind one now :0)
    Oh my a tree that smells like the hog farm...yikes!
    Enjoy making new memories this year Judy!

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  4. Oh Judy I smiled at your wonderful stories.
    Oh dear..did you at least hang up 'barnyard animal ornaments' that 'smelly' Christmas?? lol
    Those knitted sweaters are right back in style..

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  5. Your memories bring back a flood of my own - not all that dissimilar. Our Cabbage Patch dolls were found in Houston BC, as we were there with my family for that particular Christmas - hit the jackpot, too considering there were none to be had in the Valley. Trees and tree farms, decorating, Christmas music, knitted sweaters from Grandma - now I know I'm really home from the tropics and so much more in the Christmas mood. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Oh I loved tripping down memory lane with you this year. What lovely times you had. I too am putting up the Christmas tree this year alone. Maybe we could invite P.T. over. Megan can always use a bit of a break.

    I loved the comment "He who never shops." I have one of those too :)

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  7. Oh I love the memory posts. Blogging is such a gift isn't it? I love the pictures of your years ago. I never had to search for a cabbage patch doll ..I almost asked for one myself. . but refrained.

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  8. What a lovely walk down memory lane. Since I only have sons I never had to hunt down a Cabbage Patch doll, but I do remember my sister-in-law trying to sell some at a garage sale a few years ago and nobody was interested. Funny how times change. The picture of your boys in grandma's hand knit sweaters is so sweet.
    I know I shouldn't, but I couldn't help laughing at the smelly Christmas tree memory.

    You have a way with words, Judy and I always enjoy reading your posts.

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  9. I loved that your daughter had her own independent mind and shopped for some other ornaments. I remember something like that happening here...
    I loved those little sweaters and hats...Oh to make those again..
    It's fun to bring back those wonderful lasting memories.

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  10. Ah what wonderful memories.
    Hopefully you'll make more happy memories from this Christmas. :-)

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  11. What lovely memories you ahve shared with us.

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  12. Oh Judy...we have so muchy in common! The Cabbage Patch capers (my sil drove half a state to get to a loading dock when a last minute shipment arrived) and the gramma knit matching sweaters...which I still have, and my children hated. Can't wait to see another generations hating the sweaters some day.

    (Thick wool sweaters to be forced to wear for Grandma in warm San Diego: You'd hate them too.)

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  13. Wonderful memories! I love those wool sweaters, and the cabbage patch doll brings back memories of Christmas, 1984. My friend Mary P. was going out to hunt for a doll for her daughter and asked, if she was successful, should she bring one back for my daughter too? I said yes, and she came back with a red haired one, just like Heidi's doll. We had a very happy girl that Christmas.

    Isn't it interesting that we always look back so fondly on the old pictures and memories........I keep thinking that today will be "the good old days" of tomorrow, so we should savour all the memories we're making!

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  14. That STILL goes down as possibly the best christmas ever. I will never ever forget opening that heart stopping gift. I hope that one day I can give that "perfect" gift to magdelyn.

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  15. I will NEVER forget that glorious moment of recieving my cabbage patch kid! Thank you for posting Heidi receiving hers..that is really neat to see. :)

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  16. Thanks for sharing some of your treasured memories of Christmas past. Really enjoyed viewing the photos of those earlier Christmas moments(loved those owl sweaters).

    I got a chuckle out of Heidi's rules...we do love our tradations don't we, as kids I remember my sister and I had them too!

    Great Post!

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