Dad bringing grandma to stay for a week. My sister and I fought over who got to share her room with grandma. (I am sure grandma would have rathered had her own room and had my sister and I share a bed.) She would have a grocery bag (paper) full of presents. It seemed like soooo many. I remember the complete wardrobes she made for our dolls one year.

It's so long ago, it's probably an amalgamation of all my California memories. Anyway... I was 6 and it was going to be my sister's 2nd birthday. At that time, we lived in Montery, CA. We were going back to Tennessee to visit mom's family. Before we left, we'd gone north to cut our own tree at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. As we drove up the rocky coast, we passed fields and fields of crops, orchards, vineyards. Stopping for lunch, likely Phil's fishmarket (as I remember the Mosslanding Power Plant stacks), in Mosslanding that had three inch thick crab sandwiches served, oddly enough, on white bread. Which, at that point, I only liked white bread (too bad, since I lived in the best sourdough country there is), which made it perfectly delicious! We got french fried artichoke hearts for the road and nibbled on them on all the way to the tree place. I don't remember picking it out or how it traveled back home, but I do remember watching in awe as they shot it down the {{gwi:203505}} that puts a net around it (now, I know it is a tree baler). That was totally righteous dude! Mom always liked to use those big tree lights, all different colors and we'd sit on the couch with all the lights off, Christmas music (Ray Coniff singers, Johnny Mathis) playing, the fire crackling, every night. I was sad to leave it all behind, but we were getting on a plane and it was only the second time I could remember doing it.

The blue lights of the landing runway in Nashville were like a Christmas tree on the ground, and I felt like there was a red carpet being laid out for us. Gran and Stan had a funny Christmas tree. Mom called it the {{gwi:203506}}. It was white with only red ornaments. I liked it too. Susie got a doll as tall as she was! And we lost a shoe before we went back home. GranMrs made us all our bell ornaments. There were knitted and jingle bell in the middle. I don't remember too much about the presents, but I do remember that it was my first time to ever see real snow. Before, I'd only live in Maryland when I was a baby, but then Hawaii and California. I hated that Mark threw snowballs at my head, but other than that it was enjoyable.

I remember the dark night and the lights on the Bay water as we drove home after touching down. When we arrived, daddy, who was overseas, had sent us a huge box wrapped in brown paper and the packages inside were so neatly wrapped in newspaper. I couldn't tell you for a million dollars what was in those packages, but that it was there waiting on us, Christmas was longer than I'd expected it, and it felt like a comfy hug over the miles.

It was 1956. I spent Christmas onboard a passenger ship somewhere in the Pacific near the international dateline and we were having engine problems and not moving.... and the seas were angry. I was too young to understand 'losing a day' when the line was crossed, and was afraid Santa would pass us by entirely.

He didn't, and showed up onboard. I got a battery operated toy washing machine. And we had a magnificent Christmas meal in the ship's dining hall. (well I enjoyed it anyway) the ship was lurching and heaving in the horrid weather and most folks had their heads buried in a barf bag instead. Our father picked us up when we landed in Yokohama, Japan and we celebrated in our own little house there again when we arrived.

calliope , I had pretty much the same experience with a violent sea crossing the "international dateline". It was in January, so we were more worried about missing neptune than santa.But someone has connected Santa and Neptune.

Here is a link that might be useful: Santa and Neptune

I was six or seven and desperately wanted the soft, cuddly doll that looked like a baby in a "snuggly". It had a zipper in the back where one's pajamas could be kept. After all presents had been opened, I was upset b/c I hadn't gotten it. I asked my Mother if Santa had forgotten something for me. She gasped and said, "Yes, I think he did!" She hurried from the room and when she returned had the doll in her hand. "Look", she said, "he was in such a hurry he even forgot to wrap it." I was so glad to get it, I didn't care!

"Look", she said, "he was in such a hurry he even forgot to wrap it."

Bless her!

One Christmas when everybody was either out of town or mad at each other, I went to a Waffle House & had bacon & eggs & hash browns & coffee.

took my newspaper & read it & worked the puzzles.

During a lull, one of the waitresses took the coffee pot around to re-fill everyone's cup.

She stopped at the jukebox (only Waffle House I ever knew of that had a jukebox!) & put in a quarter & played Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman".

She sashayed/danced through the coffee shop singing along & filling up those coffee cups.

It was a nice Christmas.

Sis had a tree up this year and Gran's ornament was front and center. Gran died a year ago December 6th. Guess Sus misses her too.