Disclaimer:

Many stories herein are subject to the faulty, and sometimes creative, memory of the blog owner and should not be taken as factual, although the names and events are real! Kind of.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Did you ever play Santa?



Here is a picture of Grandpa Keltch playing Santa.  I'm not sure if it is at church or school.  It appears he has some makeup on or has gotten a bad snowburn! 

Notice the giant Cedar Christmas Tree behind him. Did you have a traditional tree when you were growing up?  We had a real one sometimes at our house.  I remember when we bought a live tree to be planted later a few times.  Sadly, those didn't live and then they sometimes got mowed off by one of us during the summer, We also  had one of those 'bottle brush' artificial trees.  For a few years we would go 'over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house' to cut down a red cedar tree.  It's hard to choose a Christmas Tree outside, have you noticed?  They all look so small.  Till you bring them in the house and they don't fit in the regular corner!  Then Dad has to take it back outside and cut a few more inches (or feet!) off the bottom or even the top to allow the tree to fit in the living room.   

My grandparents always had one of those with the big outdoor lights on it.  I don't even recall that there were that many ornaments compared to what I have on my tree.  It is a very prickly and scented tree!  If you have one in your house, the smell greets you at the door!  Even though Cedar makes my allergies act up, the scent brings back childhood memories of Christmas at Grandmas. 

Anxious kids were all underfoot.  Someone was always shooing us down into the scarey basement with the hanging floor furnace that threatened your head.  It was musty and mildewy but we could scream and yell to our hearts content.  And Grandma had a box of books that I loved to dig through and read! 

We were so excited when at last we were called up to unwrap presents.  We usually only got two apiece--one from our grandparents and one from the cousin name drawing.  But with so many kids, it seemed like a mountain of presents were under the tree and it took forever to hand them all out! 

When all the gifts were unwrapped, it was time for another piece of pie before everyone loaded up their cars and headed home through the cold dark night.  

Tune in tomorrow for another Christmas memory from me!  (Maybe, if I get it typed:)

4 comments:

Keetha Broyles said...

I just played Santa, or Mrs. Santa Leopard, on Friday - - - I THINK you saw it on my blog!

For some reason I'm not getting the e-mail alerts about your comments on my blog. If I've missed any and not responded to you adequately - - - - PLEASE forgive. I LOVE you and Merry Christmas!

Marilyn said...

I still love a real tree and the smell of them. Because of so many allergies, we no longer can do them. Loved the story.

Janean said...

Dawn, just found your blog! What a sweet photo...maybe he had put makeup on for "rosy cheeks and nose?" The scent of those old trees FRESHLY cut and not sprayed to death with pesticides....wonderful. Thanks for sharing this piece of your history. Merry Christmas!

Andi said...

Okay. I'm trying not to panic, but I have lost a vital piece to my gift from the heart. I am tearing the house apart trying to find it. The entire family swears it was on the kitchen counter last night, and EVERYONE denies moving it. It is irreplaceable. Crud. This is not going as planned at all.

On the bright side, loved your post

One Last Thought.......

Pleasant words are a honeycomb;
sweet to the soul and healing to the body.
Proverbs 16:
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