Christmas Memories

1.)The talking Christmas Tree at Woolworths.(right, Woolworths?)
2.)Hanging stockings on the cardboard fireplace. ( I LOVED that thing.)
3.)Beach Boys, Dean Martin, The Supremes, Brenda Lee, Andy Williams (i think) Robert Goulet, Elvis...all on black,shiny vinyl...those are still my favs.
4.)Silver and gold garland.
5.)Spray snow on the windows.
6.)Not being able to sleep Christmas Eve and can I just say I'm still the same way!!!
7.) Sears' Wishbook...I still have the teddy bear I picked out one year. His yellow ribbon has been replaced with a red bandana and is named Bruce.
8.)Opening a Disney Fairy Tales book. My sister claims this is a false memory because the book is and has always been hers. Mom backs her up. I know they're sooo tricking me.
9.)Welfare sending Santa to our house. He was black, we are not. I was the only child who sat on his lap, thank you very much. I believe we got Toss Across that year. I loved that game.
10.)Listening to "Do you Hear what I Hear" and wondering why they brought silver and gold to and "a child, a child, shivers in the cold"...why not a blanket?
11.) Christmas Night at my grandmother's. Big plastic candles (with "Noel" written on them) that stood on either side of the front door. Lots of cousins, my grandfather's LOUD laugh, french meat pie, a big wooden bowl of mixed nuts still in their shells. My grandmother always spent the entire night in the kitchen.
12.) Mincemeat pie...yum.
13.) Seeing those cookie crumbs on the plate on Christmas morning...oh yes! Santa had been here!
14.)The funky white chain garland with little red velvet sleighs and reindeer and sprigs of plastic mistletoe.
15.)Driving around town looking at Christmas lights.
16.) Christmas caroling. Yes, we really went once or twice. I remember the little book.
17.)Silver Christmas trees...No, we never had one and can you believe these things are back????
18.) Cardboard advent calendars with little Santas Clause shaped chocolates in them.
19.) Frosty, Rudoplh, the Grinch, and of course, Charlie Brown Christmas specials. The thrill I felt if I stumbled across one while changing the channels, and the sinking feeling I had when I went to school and found out I had missed one!
20.) Christmas at grade school...making paper chains and decorating the classroom. Christmas plays. Christmas Choruses where we sang Silent Night and nobody sued the school. Walking down the halls and seeing the words "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Channakuh" on the wall in construction paper letters. Playing dreidel and singing, "Dreidel, dreidel dreidel...I made it out of clay. And when it's dry and ready, than dreidel I shall play."...even though I'm not jewish.
21.) Painting ceramic Christmas ornaments. Mom's ceramic Christmas tree. Mom's ceramic nativity with only 2 wise men. I guess the 3rd went back to get a blanket.
22.) Little Christmas...which I believe is traditionally called Epiphany. But in New England in the 70s and 80s, it was called Little Christmas.