While wrapping we came across a large piece of cardboard, the kind you used to get when you bought a new men's shirt. It reminded me of an old Christmas decoration we haven't made for years. We used to find an unframed mirror, put it on a similar piece of cardboard, and glue cotton balls to the cardboard around the perimeter of the mirror. This was supposed to represent a snow-banked pond, I think. (Hey, I was a kid!)
Other things we used to do: leave cookies and milk out for Santa and place a flour-covered piece of wax paper out for Santa's boot to step on (this was counted as evidence of his existence in pre-CSI days). After we got cats we may have stopped the milk glass trick.
This doesn't include the "family" tree we still put up, which has some ornaments dating back 75 years. Nor does it include the crêche we still display, complete with straw and wooden nativity figures. That was hand-built by my father circa 1956.
Anybody else keep the old stuff?
Posted by Linkmeister at December 20, 2004 04:11 PMI wish I had old ornaments to put on the tree. My Mom threw everything out when the city used eminent domain to obtain her home... :^{
Could you please publish a photo of the creche your Dad made??
I would treasure that, Linky.....
My nativity set is the one my parents had for their first Christmas together (1964). My mom bought it for about $3 at Kress. One of the sheep has a toothpick instead of a leg because my older sister banged it on the hardwood floor the year she was 6 months old.
My mom brought it to me the year I had my son since he was the first grandchild. My sister's son was born three months later, and she's still hacked about not getting the nativity. Oh well!
Posted by: Skatemom at December 22, 2004 11:43 AMMy mum has all of the old family ornaments (back to the 1940s). She always puts up a beautiful tree.
And yes, photos of the creche are required!
Posted by: deborah at December 22, 2004 06:21 PMRe photos, see post below. It's gonna take some magic to take indoor photos, but we'll see.
Skatemom, I still have my baby rocking chair from when I was two; I lent it to my sister when her kids were little, but I have it back now. ;)
Posted by: Linkmeister at December 22, 2004 09:05 PM