C by the Sea

Christmas... a few years ago

My mother used all of these pictures in our family's Christmas cards. The holly card she made, the others were either placed into a card that had a frame for pictures or were printed out as the card, just like people do today. Nothing new in the world! ;)

 

Connie, 1949

(My mother always fixed my hair up like this with a bow or fancy barrette. How about those footie pajamas? Pink, no doubt.)

Jay and Connie, 1950 

(The handwriting in white is my mother's. Didn't she have beautiful handwriting? And, I would love to still have that stroller. How cool!)

Jimmy, Jay and Connie, 1955 

(My mother always decorated everything so beautifully. My dress was dark green velvet with a rhinestone buckle.)

Jimmy, Connie and Jay, 1958

(We were all wearing red jackets, of course. And, notice my awesome wool plaid pants! On the back of this card my mother wrote about "that cute new Christmas song by 'The Chipmunks' that the kids are singing all the time.")  

Toyko, Japan circa 1953

This was taken when my father was stationed in Japan with the Air Force. (I'm sure he took the picture. He was a great photographer and loved to take pictures). Don't my brothers (Jimmy is the little one, about 2 years old and Jay is the one with the guns and holster, about 3 years old) and I (about 5 years old) look like we came right out of the movie "A Christmas Story"? And, look at my mother. She's out in the snow in a dress! And, she's wearing her everyday makeup and jewelry. Times sure have changed, haven't they? 

A couple more "summers past"

One from a bit more distant past...

The Bath and Tennis Club, Westhampton Beach, about 1956/57

And another from the even more distant past...

Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, 1949

My brothers

                                        Jimmy, Jay and Connie

                                                    1953

This picture was taken in the backyard of my paternal grandparents, George and Lucy Graham (Nana and Pappy) in Bethesda MD.  My brothers had on matching seersucker suits (which I still have). I remember how very badly I wanted those shoes I am wearing -- I thought it was so neat the way you could wrap the laces around your leg in all different ways. If I remember correctly, we are all wearing red shoes.  My mother had all three of us in less than 3 years. She always said she loved those years!

(Thanks to Planet Mancuso for issuing the "Brothers Challenge"!)

 

A glimpse of a Christmas past

Christmas 1960. This was the year we lived in Greensboro, North Carolina. I was 12 years old -- the age of my granddaughter, Leah.  We were pretty cool to have the latest in Christmas trees that year -- an aluminum tree. You couldn't put regular lights on the tree, so there was a spotlight that sat on the floor to shine on the tree. The spotlight had a revolving plastic disc over it that was divided into quarters. Each quarter was a different color -- red, yellow, blue and green -- so the tree changed color as the disc revolved. Quite pretty -- but the following year we went back to the traditional evergreen tree with the big lights. But, either way, my childhood memories of Christmas are of a wonderful time filled with excitement and love. And that is my wish for you. A Christmas filled with excitement and love, family and friends and the making of many warm and wonderful memories. But, most importantly, a Christmas where the realization of the miracle of Jesus' birth dwells within your heart both on this day and joyously throughout the year. God bless us, everyone.