Look Up In The Attic!

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-03-02 AT 10:25AM (CST)[/font][p]My wife decorates the house for Christmas as soon as I clean up my mess on Thanksgiving afternoon. This year she added a child's antique wood/metal sleigh and a very, very old two foot high, aluminum, bottle brush tree with rotating colored light fixture that had never been out of the box (very tacky but 50's art). She placed these things on top of an antique ice-box/refrigerator that stands in the corner. Together these three very old items sorta invoke Christmas past - maybe even before my time. This morning at 4 o'clock I went up in the attic, dug around and found the fire truck I gave my son when he was 3 and the rocking horse I made my daughter when she was 4, lugged them downstairs, washed and polished them up and when I took them in the den, it was like a time machine taking me back some years. I 'parked' the truck up on top of the chest beside the sleigh and put the rocking horse beside the fireplace. We have two large tree, the smaller one on a turntable. This one has every ornament the children made or were given through childhood and grade school and the annual Hallmark ones their grandmother has continued to give them each year. The larger tree includes the ornaments I made for my mother as a kid. Another tree in a hallway has nothing but the annual ornaments from the White House going back 25 years. If I get tired of all this nostalgia this month, I can go sit out back under the bottle tree that will surely have some sort of lights on it. This weekend when you have some spare time, look around your attic or your 'junk room' and dig out some old Christmas memories and put them where they'll be seen this month. Here's a rule though: Don't worry about what people will say; they're gonna talk about you anyway. Another rule: If you can start the practice now and it's not too late at your house, don't throw anything that belongs to your kids or that they made. Box and label it and you'll never be sorry. Now, what are you going to look for?

Comments

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  • Speaking of memories, when I was in Kindergarden I made a paper gingerbread man ornament. I brought it home to my mom and she hung it on the tree and has hung it on the christmas tree ever since. It is a little worse for wear, and a little nibbled on from the squirrels in the attic but I can go to my mothers and bet that it will be hung there. Its funny, I never thought about it before but my nephew made me an ornament when he was in kindergarden as well and you know, I hang that on my tree every year as well. I don't have to look for these, as I know that they have been packed away lovingly year after year and will be brought out again every year when the christmas tree arrives. These are my fond christmas memories. Merry Christmas all.
  • I have Christmas ornaments that my children had made when they were in kindergarden. My youngest is 12 and oldest is 21. I love Christmas time. It brings back alot of good memories for our family. I feel very fortunate and am very thankful.

    I hope every one has a wonderful Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year.

  • Thanks to Don and all of you who have contributed to Christmas Memories. I just want to add that the ultimate is to put all the 'kindergarten' and precious memories pieces on the tree while telling your grandchildren the stories that you told your children as they were growing up. My children are now 43 and 34 and the stories about the pieces that they made in kindergarten have been told year after year to my grandson who is now 16, and now to my grandaughter who is 5. The 16 year old has to many activities now to be interested in helping Grammy decorate the tree but the 5 year old gets more into it every year. And they get to where they tell me the stories of each piece. Oh, yes, now we also have baby rattles and little Christmas plastic baby bottles from the grandchildren on the tree from their babyhood. PRECIOUS MEMORIES!

    As for the grandmother who is celebrating Christmas elsewhere this year, my mom is also but I still have so many beautiful ceramic Christmas pieces that she made me. I remember the year I said, Mama, please don't make me any more Christmas ceramic pieces, I'm running out of room...don't I wish she was here to make me more? You bet!

    Don, I love the title you gave the piece you wrote that started it all...Everyone have a blessed Christmas season!
  • Ornaments must be a favorite. My wife has had a custom of either making or buying a special ornament each year, one for each of the kids. They are all marked with the name and the year in which it arrived. They go on the tree as the primary decoration, except that there are so many of them now that the kids, age 21 and 19 decide which ones go up and which ones go back in the box.
  • My Husband and I enjoyed decorating our tree and we tell the same stories every year about the ornaments. This year we are adding ornaments and memories for our babies first Christmas.

    Have a Merry Christmas!
  • My parents had one of those silver trees in the early 60's. When I got married in th late 70"s, I took 3 boxes of the pretty pink balls that they used to decorate it with. I still use them every year. I also have several decorations that my son & daughter made in elementary school - they're 23 and 21 now. And every year they say "Don't hang that on the tree - it's so ugly.........stupid.......old", but every year beforwe I hang them on the tree, I tell them the story about each one. I truly believe that deep down inside, they enjoy that tradition as much as I do.
  • And the beauty of it is, after you're long gone, they will hang those same old 'ugly, stupid' balls on their tree and recall your stories about them and they'll tell the same stories!
  • My grandma passed away this past February at the age of 89. Among some of the items I have from her, there are numerous Christmas decorations (ornaments from Germany that my great-grandma got in 1910 or so; decorations from the 30's when she and grandpa got married and set up their first house, etc).

    I have yet to make the pilgrimage to the attic to bring down the Xmas decorations, but I know when we set up the tree this year I am going to be crying, smiling and laughing at the wonderful memories. For each year grandma told me the stories associated with each and every item. And my 18 yr old daughter talks about the future when she "inherits" these ornaments and has them hanging on HER tree. It's wonderful to see the transfer of memories from generation to generation.

    Gee.... I am really in the mood now; I may have to start the decorating tonight!
  • My mother still reserves a special place on the front of the tree for the "bell" I made out of a styrofoam cup and glitter in kindergarten... 35 years ago!


  • Went through a divorce 12 years ago and somehow, I ended up without any of the Christmas decorations - save some homemade ornaments. So my three sons (yeah yeah yeah, I've already heard all the sitcom jokes) and I set about filling the tree with old, to be tossed away balls from mom (grandma), and more school ornaments than I can now put on the tree. The boys who live away, now 24 and 26, come into the house every year looking for the clothespin reindeer and sugar cones with their names on them. The 19 year old who still lives home is staring at the already put up tree, and keeps asking when we're going to decorate. He's ready! Merry Christmas all!
  • Speaking of Grandma's, my mother lives with us and gets to hang some exquisite crochet snowflakes that she made when she was much younger. There won't be too many years left, I suppose, she is 97.
  • Enjoy her every day. I wish I had my mom for this one more season. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year --- ALL OF YOU!!!

    Jean
  • Don D,

    Well you have really outdone yourself here. I was just talking with a co-worker yesterday about the fact that we are longing for the holiday mood but just haven't found it yet. It is so easy to get caught up in the tasks and forget what matters.

    I lost my grandmother this year. I am not only missing her for the usual reasons, but was overwhelmed last night by the thought of removing her from our list of holiday cards and gifts. I almost sent one anyway but there is a new family living in her home and I didn't want to have it returned marked "deceased."

    This year I will lovingly unwrap the little clay gingerbread man she made for my first Christmas. On the back it has my name and the year of my birth in her handwriting. I've always treasured it, but her loss draws those feelings into relief.

    I will add the ornament to our tree which will already have our "foundation ornaments," -- 21 silver ornaments my other grandmother collected for me each year beginning with the year of my birth and then gave to me as a group on my 22nd birthday.

    They both got sick of my mushy notes of thanks for having such a special reminder of how fortunate I am to be loved, but the grandmother who is alive is going to have to deal with another one this year.

    Thank you Don D. I'm overwhelmed as I type, and owe you a warm smile one day when you need one. I don't know a better way to find the "holiday mood."

    Jessica



  • [font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-05-02 AT 09:17AM (CST)[/font][p]Some of the comments from you guys made me think to take a closer look at our 'main tree' again. There they are: the two little white/yellow plastic horns that I can remember both of them sucking on when they were 2. The collection of tiny dolls dressed in other cultures' clothing. The football helmet hand painted in school colors. A 3 inch plastic doll stroller that might have cost 20 cents. The little plastic horse with a cowboy who tries to fall off when the tree rotates. Her picture in a tiny, cheap locket that her mom used to wear on her collar. His first tiny Tonka truck. A glass angel that I pretend represents me (ha) knowing it represents them. Who says 'time travel' is impossible?
  • Thanks for starting this Don. I think it has put a lot of us in the Christmas Spirit and down memory lane.
  • Well, how am I going to work now..I have to go re-do my make-up. Unfortuneately, I do not have ornaments from childhood; holidays were stressful at my house. There are no grandparents and my parents are gone too. I vowed when I had children that their Christmas memories would always be good ones. My girls are 7 and 10 and I too, have gotten each of them their own ornament each year. And Christmas is fun and unstressful at our house; I think my girls will have good memories of the holidays. So far, so good.
  • My wife goes crazy at Christmas!! We have 5 trees, approximately 150 ceramic houses in 'villages', candles all over, and every piece of linen, towel, etc, etc, is seasonal. I'm, personally, the original Scrooge, but try to tolerate all this as well as possible. And, I'll admit that our house is beautiful this time of year. We, too, have ornaments from our children now in their (should I say this?) 30's and 40's, but I'll have to admit that my favorites are ones which my mother-in-law handed down to my wife, plus a dozen ornaments which my mother gave me a few years ago, which I had purchased as a 12 year old for her. That year had been a difficult one for my family and those were the only ornaments we had on our tree, along with some tinsel. Santa was travelling light that year, but he did manage to find our house, and its probably my most memorable Christmas.
    Boy, times have been good for my family lately and I'm thankful!!
    Happy Holidays
  • I must report that "Goofy's" head has come off. While I hunted for the super glue, the wife tried to remember which year the McDonald's happy meals had "Goofy" in them. Not to worry, he's back on the tree. It would be sinful to have a funeral for one of these characters.
  • Finally got an attic of my own last November 20th. Moved with my husband and step-daughter into a nice '20s bungalow. Imagine me, a grandmother of four -
    getting a house. America is truly the land of opportunity. The attic is empty now, but I am sure we will fill it up as the years go by.

    Have a Merry Christmas!

    Chari
  • The attic >is empty now, but I am sure we will fill it up as the years go by.
    >
    Congratulations! Cut out that quote and tape it up in the attic to remind yourself that you have a goal of filling it up within a couple of years. Then laugh at yourself as you fill it up within 10 months. And another idea. Take a picture of your empty attic and run a paper clip through the photo and hang it on your tree. This will give you a smile for years to come.

  • Boy...all these things bring back memories.

    I remember the silver trees with the revolving lights on them. Guess it was the 70's ' cause who remembers the '60's?

    I remember how my brother who died in 1984 loved Christmas and we always bring out a picture of him at Xmas to remind us that he is still with us in spirit.

    I remember how my in-laws loved Christmas. My father in law would sit in the living room for hours watching the beautifully decorated tree rotate slowly as it played Xmas carols. My mother in law made some beautifully beaded ornaments with Austrian crystals. I inherited these and have many great memories hanging them on my tree. I find little ornaments that she had for many, many years that are almost distintegrated,but I can't bear to throw them away.

    I also have a pink net Xmas tree with silver balls on it that my father in law brought my mother in law on their first Christmas together. He brought it all the way from Chicago to North Carolina.

    I still have my parents, although my father is aging very fast and may not be with us much longer. My mother is a powerhorse that keeps us all together. I call her "Weezie" after Heloise because she is always in the kitchen.

    Anyway....just a few of my memories. I will put the little red Xmas collars on my two best buds - my Yorkie pups and go to Grandma's House for Xmas!

    Cheers and best of the holidays to you ALL!


  • I must say that I LOVE putting up my Christmas tree. Last year my then boyfriend now husband said that we needed to start a tradition of buying a dated ornament every year. Well this year since we're married (1 month today) we had to buy 3. Our tree is lovely with these ornaments which I know our children will get to hear stories about along with the crocheted snowflakes my grandmother made and the ones that I made for my grandparents as a child. This just seems to make them come home for Christmas.
    In all of the hussle and bussle I think that we sometimes forget to stop and think about the important things. Thanks Don for helping us all to remember.
    Susan
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