Quelques memoires de Noel

While searching for my old passport (see previous blog), I found an old scrapbook that I had made many years ago. When I was a child I received a camera one year for Christmas, and did what any one does with their new camera, take lots of pictures. Looking at these pictures brought back many memories, memories of family and life in the 50's which I hold very dear. For Christmas this year I want to give the gift of memories, as I share these pictures. Some of you will find the scenes very familiar, some of you might chuckle seeing what us old folks were like back in the day, and for others it may jog your own memories of Christmas past. Whatever your response, I hope it is enjoyable.

This is me and my Grandpa Farmer the year I got the camera. The doll I am holding will someday be a blog for my granddaughters who love the "American Girl " dolls. (My Grandpa spoiled us terribly that year. He arrived at the train station with a huge trunk of presents.)
My brothers, Dave and Ro, in their new cowboy outfits, just the thing for the young fella lookin' to wrangle a few cows. They got their inspiration from watching all those cowboys shows on the old black and white television.

Here are my parents, my brothers, and my Grandpa posing for my new camera. I think I centered them quite well.

Christmas can be tiring for the older generation, so I took a picture of my Grandpa taking a nap.

Nothing like a good meal on Christmas day. My Mom continued this tradition for years. She's a great cook.

My brothers and my Grandpa have to catch up on a little television, probably one of those cowboy shows.

My brother Ro, opening presents. Christmas sure does make a mess sometimes.

Apparently for the next Christmas, I was able to use some color film. My brothers are still wanting cowboy gifts for Christmas. My Mom might have made the shirts.

Ro and I sitting by the tree, waiting for Santa.

Yes, our stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

The picture below was not from my camera. Rollie took this one for me. Every year at Christmas time my mother would make beautiful sugar cookies that looked like Santa Claus. They were a lot of work. It took time to paint the cookies with egg whites to make the colored sugar stick, to frosting them just right, make their eyes out of raisins, and beards covered with coconut. I continued to make these cookies sometimes for my children when they were young, as they were so much a part of my childhood. ( I think that one year my mother made enough cookies for the entire Junior Sunday School.) I made a few for the photo so everyone can enjoy them in a non-caloric way.

Thanks for letting me share with you my visit to Christmas past. Rollie and I want to wish everyone we hold dear a very Merry Christmas, wishing you the peace of Christ in your hearts.

JOYEUX NOEL!