There is nothing like a little Lawrence Welk show two days before Christmas to bring back lots of childhood memories. From the decorated trees to the little ones singing......whew......it takes you right back to 1960. Look at all the pretty clothes. That was a time when if you were on television, you dressed up. I would venture to say that there is not one tattoo on any of those people.....at least not visible; no nose rings, no caps on backward.......just a wonderful time. A time when people actually took pride in their appearance. And you could actually understand the lyrics to each song.
Tonight we went to visit my mother's sister, 97 year old Aunt Geneva. Oh, she was in rare form tonight talking about how good she had been and that Santa was coming. She went on to tell us the time when she first learned about Santa. Her story and in her words:
"That was the time when we lived in one-half of the house and Grandma and Grandpa Hobbs lived in the other. Daddy was working at the Prague Ford garage. We were loading the wagon (back in those days we didn't have a car, just a wagon and team) to go to the school Christmas tree. Back in those days, they took our gifts to the Christmas tree at the school. Santa came there. Grandma had us girls hang our stockings (I will never forget those black stockings) before we left because Santa Claus would come while we were gone. Grandma needed me to run back to the house for something and there I saw those stockings and there was something in them. Well, I knew that I sure didn't see no Santa. I knew that Santa wasn't going to come and us still there. I knew then what was up. I am sure Momma told me not to tell the others. I got an aluminum knife, fork, and spoon."
I may have written about the time I found out about Santa. If I did, sorry, I am going to write about it again. I was in the second grade. Our house had a walk through closet between the kids' bedroom and mom and dad's room (and all of us kids slept in one room, baby in mom and dad's room). That Christmas Eve I heard rumbling and rustling and my curiosity was really peaked. I couldn't stay in bed one minute longer.......Santa was about. Quietly, I moved those clothes aside and I got an up close and personal look at the goings on. There to my surprise (well, maybe not because at 7 years old, you begin to question a lot of things) was mom and dad displaying all those gifts. Disappointed? Not really. I felt kind of privileged to be in on the secret. That next day we were at Grandma Thompson's so I had to tell my much more savvy cousin my discovery. Guess what? She already knew. That same day I finally got enough nerve to tell Daddy what I had discovered. To my surprise he was cool with it, but he told me it was our secret and you know what, I never breathed a word to any of the others.
Aren't you glad that kids still believe in Santa? Ninety years ago, Santa came to Aunt Geneva. This year my grandsons, 5 and 8, will have a visit from Santa. Their stockings will be out and whether it is a black stocking (like Aunt Geneva's and mom's), or one of Daddy's socks (like mine was), or handmade with sequins (like my own children had), or a stocking purchased from a store (like my grandson's), Santa will find his way.
Merry Christmas everyone. My God's bless you and your family.
I love you.
Who knew that Grandpa Thompson worked for the Prague Ford garage? I will have to ask her more about that. Now for a little Andy Williams.............
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