Christmas is getting so close now, the Christmas party at school, exchanging gifts. Singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer at the top of our lungs. Trying to be good, and not really doing all that great at it. The Christmas concert with all the little cherubs fussing, singing, and looking adorable.
The week of Christmas also, brought Christmas Cookies. Mom was not a big cookie baker in those days, so she would go down to Schads bakery and purchase two dozen anglefood cookies (that’s what mom called them…they were round, laced edge, sugary cookies) Then take them home, make green frosting, and give us kids M&Ms and sprinkles to decorate them. My brother always made a tree with his green M&Ms. This was one of the most fun things I can remember doing when we were little.
While we waited anxiously for Grama to come from Iowa. Things were starting to happen. We got to go out and visit George and Dorothy Youkum in Dunlap. I still remember the smell of her cinnamon rolls she had baked for us. We even received a present, it was a vinyl album that was red, and it was the Chipmunk Christmas Album!! Oh boy, I couldn’t hardly wait to hear it. She played it for us and we squealed …me I want a hula hoop. Oh boy!
Grandma had finally arrived and tonight was our Christmas play at the First Christian Church. Everyone was all dressed up in their Christmas best….my dad wore his suit, we didn’t often see that! Mom was our Sunday school teacher. And our part of the evening was to place on the tree the saved nickles that we would later send to missionary’s. We wrapped each nickle with a tree hook, then gold, blue, green, red or silver foil. Then each child would stop up to the Christmas tree and had a little thing to say. Mom prompted me as it was my turn, I went to the tree, said This is my nickle for the nickle tree, to help other children. Then I hung it on the branch, where…it promptly fell off and rolled on the floor. So I chased it down stood up and said “the D*** thing fell off!” My poor mother about fainted, and everyone in the basement was pretty glad I wasn’t theirs!!
I think Miss Nellie Lammon about fainted. Mom made sure she never missed buying pecans from the church. I think she was always making up to Miss Lammon!