Advent Calendar ~ Holiday Parties ~

As a child, I don't recall mom having holiday parties. I do know that we would have close friends over for a traditional turkey dinner and opening our gifts Christmas Eve, but not what you would call a party. Mom knows how to entertain too, she would have a full on dinner, and everything would look beautiful from her German tablecloths with Christmas china to the Christmas tree and decorations thru-out the house ~ I do remember that.

Mom did say that after I left home she would always have holiday parties at her apartment complex, thanks mom you wait till I leave!

My husbands employer would hold quite lavish Christmas Balls. We wouldn't attend every year but every few years we would get formally dressed up ~ hubby in a tux and all! I always enjoyed just sitting back observing and people watching! This particular group would always be interesting with lots of stuff going on!

My (former) employer always had their Christmas parties in January and always held at the same restaurant: The Butcher Shop. We would rent the back room, the food was excellent. I chuckled when reading Amy's post over at We Tree and her description of her husbands employer, "There was a ton of dysfunction in that place" was an exact description of our Christmas parties! I too would sit back and observe at all the drama unfold in amazement. Come Monday morning, several would just stay in their offices and be very busy! Thank you Amy for giving me the perfect description, I was searching for the words!

As for parties here in our home, we really don't have any. Our culdesac does get together almost every year. We each bring a dish to share. Sometimes if it's not too cold, we will bring chairs and set up tables right out in the street with a big fire pit in the middle. If it's too chilly, we will meet at one of the neighbors home. We just attended one two houses over last Sunday and it was nice to chat and catch up with everyone instead of just waving as we all back out of our driveways in the morning! We have a tight neighborhood and it really is more like a big family.

Christmas Eve, all three girls come over with our grand kids and we open gifts. It's easier this way because they are all grown and have their own families and traditions now and Christmas Day is their time to do that. For dinner I will make a big pot of chili, making it casual and simple.

Advent Calendar 2009

Advent Calendar ~ Santa Claus~

Santa Claus....in our home, it was St. Nicholas. To be honest I have very little memories of Santa Claus. That I recall, I did not write a letter to him at the North Pole, nor did I get one from him.

I do know that at a very early age, intuitively I knew that Santa was not real! Especially when you would see one in every shopping mall. Knowing this, I never said a word to my friends or other children at school, I didn't want them to know that I knew and also I didn't want to ruin it for them.

Growing up it was just mom and I. She worked alot of hours so that we had a good life. Mom always made Christmas special and I know she worked very hard to make sure that I had a Christmas to remember and several gifts ~ she was my Santa and I am forever grateful to her. For me, it was not about the gifts, it was about being with family.

With my daughter and my grandchildren, Santa is alive and well and we all believe!

Advent Calendar 2009

Advent Calendar ~ Day 5 ~ Outside Lights

The beginning of Christmas lites ~

In 1882, an associate of Thomas Edison, electrically lit a Christmas tree for the first time.

In 1903, the first set of lights for a Christmas tree were offered to the public by General Electric.

In 1906, about the first time figural Christmas lights were introduced to the United States, imported from Austria and Germany.

In 1910, General Electric begins to change the shape of their Christmas lamps from traditional pear shape to perfectly round.

A full timeline (1800 ~ 1970) and history of Christmas lights are available at this great site.

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I don't have alot of memories of my stepfather putting up outdoor Christmas lites, my memories mainly consist of interior decorating. I know he did put lites up, I just don't remember seeing him actually doing it.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

As a child and well into the 70's, I remember the sort of lites that were used: a C 7 or C 9 lamp, the NOMAS or MAZDAS famous bubble lites in bright colors. These would be the ones that my stepfather put up as well as others in our neighborhood. Kids use to steal them because they would pop when thrown on the ground!

I know that these lites were also used on Christmas trees as well, in fact, my father-in-law still has a set of these lites that he uses on the tree every year! He is very old fashion and loves his lites. Each time I see them, it's a flashback in time! Christmas lites have certainly come a long way.

Currently and reluctantly, my husband does put our outdoor lights up. He waits until the last minute too! We use the icicle lites and they really do look pretty. Our neighbors put up their lites so our cul-de-sac is very well lit.

Each year, we take a drive with our grand kids to a neighborhood known as Jingle Bell Hill in El Cajon that goes all out! It is absolutely beautiful. In Chula Vista we use to have Candy Cane Lane, now replaced with Christmas Circle. I do love outdoor Christmas lites, this year, I am bugging hubby to put ours up earlier than usual. I of course always have my Christmas wreath on the front door.

Advent Calendar 2009