Christmas In 1954

I grew up in Iowa from the time I was born until I was in my early twenties. I love to tell stories and today Fran and I went on a road trip with some friends of ours. I started telling stories about the Christmas’s that I could remember. Fran and the other folks added their two cents worth in and we decided that having an orange for Christmas just didn’t hurt us at all. In today’s world there are millions of children that don’t get toys for Christmas. I am sure if they were asked if they would have a choice would they like some fruit or a doll they would choose food especially if they were hungry.

On my tenth Christmas we lived in a very cold and drafty farm house. We were cold not chilly and had a heater in the dining room and the cook stove in the kitchen. The dining room was used as a clothes dryer since the heat stove was in there. Dad would string clothes line for mom to hang her washed clothes to dry in the winter.

On Christmas Eve, Mom would let us hang our stockings on this clothes line. She was a careful mom almost to the point of ruining Christmas magic, by telling us “it was fun to believe in Santa, but you do know a fat man could not get down a chimney and besides we don’t have a chimney.” Then she would tell us stories about St. Nick and how Santa originated. But for a lady that put down Santa she loved Christmas, she just didn’t like not having money for gifts. I was telling my friends that I don’t remember having a Christmas tree at that age. But I do remember that this particular Christmas I had two presents. We were going to church that Christmas Eve. Mom said, “now remember, often good things come in small packages.” I kept navigating to the big package, really not paying attention to her warning. The thing was that we could only open one present before church and then the other one on Christmas morning and could see what was in our socks.

I finally gave in and opened up the small package. It was a Timex watch. Amazing isn’t it, fifty five years ago Timex was in business, however, it did not always tick. My watch didn’t work. I think mom was close to tears. It was ok with me, I was a strange child, I wanted a new book.  I forgot to tell you what was in the big package.Mom had made me the cutest flannel clown pajamas. Not only were they cute, but warm and cuddly in that cold house.
 I didn’t have a wonderful Christmas that year except for the food. My mom was a wonderful cook and an excellent baker. We always had cookies and popcorn balls for Christmas. She made the gooey stuff that made the popcorn balls stick together red and green. Yum.

Christmas morning this very same Christmas there were peanuts and mixed nuts and an orange in the toe of my sock. I used my dad’s sock so I could get more good stuff. It was very good and I do remember sharing my orange maybe with my brother, maybe with my parents. It was big and delicious. Christmas was the only time we ever had oranges. My dad loved oranges and he loved Christmas too. More stories to be told about Christmas past in Christmas present for Christmas future.