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Friday, December 21, 2012

Christmas past

Posting thisfor the Sepia Saturday coverage...and to share some thoughts and pictures from my earlier life.  Can't post a picture of Christmas in the future anyway.  So lets enjoy the past.



In 1953 our tree was real (it may have been about the time artificial trees came out, but not for us)  I loved the colored lights (all different colors, big bulbs) and the tinsel which was strung carefully, one by one.
My gifts are on the right...and I don't know what the boxes contain, but there's definitely an orange in my stocking (lying next to my Betsy McCall doll).  I remember Betsy McCall paper dolls which I'd cut out of McCall's magazine.  The real doll was a disappointment, but I don't remember why, the capricious nature of a young girl of 11.  I did learn how to play a simple form of dominoes (right there in front).

This was taken a month before Christmas, our apartment is on the second floor, reached by the porch to the right.  I remember how snow was beautiful for about an hour in St. Louis in 1953, then the coal dust settled on it, making it all grey.  We had to be quick to enjoy playing in it.  Of course it was nice to have a coal furnace to keep us warm.  Our Texas blood (and probably clothes) made us cold easily.


The best place to sled was Art Museum Hill, though there was a lake at the bottom, and we always were scared we'd tumble into it at the end of the long hill.  My Dad was the pusher to get us going, I don't think he tried to ride down with us.  But he may have come and rescued us and pulled the sleigh back up the hill (probably).

This is my Sepia Saturday contribution for the next couple of weeks...they will be back next year!  Add your own link to the fun, if you wish, follow the instructions on their blog!  And enjoy looking at the interesting historical blogs that are linked there!




11 comments:

  1. What a great house in St. Louis! And the tree is good, too, with all the presents underneath. Dominoes? Boy, I remember getting those, too - and loving it! What would today's kids think?

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  2. Today the games all seem to be on computers but we still have sets of dominoes to play some highly competitive games.
    Enjoy the holidays.

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  3. I didn't have Betsy McCall but I surely loved the paperdolls. I enjoyed reading about your Christmas and winter in St. Louis. Merry Christmas to you!

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  4. Love the old photos and yes you may use my reflection photo as your personal wallpaper. Enjoy.

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  5. I am very sure that in 1953 our tree was lit with real candles. Obviously that was not without danger so there was also this big bucket of water nearby. It wouldn't surprise me if electric bulbs weren't on sale yet in Holland then.
    Enjoy your holidays, Barbara.

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  6. I am struck by how many of these old photos of trees and family vignettes look so similar and familiar. Your house also looks like something right out of my hometown. Of course, I live only about 70 miles away in southern Illinois. Happy Holidays!

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  7. That tree looks very similar to another 1953 tree that was posted. My family's tree must have looked like that too, but I don't have a photo of it.

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  8. Yes your tree looks exactly like mine posted this week. Taken in 1953. Love the photo of the house with snow.
    QMM

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  9. Fantastic photos to have in your album. Great memories.

    Happy Christmas

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  10. Another fine example of the mysterious power of snapshots to record invisible memories. Merry Christmas!

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  11. These are really fun! I like that your dolls were not wrapped; so you could know for sure that Santa had brought you exactly what you asked for.

    Merry Christmas!

    Kathy M.

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