Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Christmas Traditions

Good Wednesday morning all!  It is sunny and bright in SW Virginia today and we are expecting to be in the low 60's.  This is NOT Christmas weather, but it will be arriving soon and we are not expected to get out of the 30's on Friday!

I love Christmas traditions!  There are just some things that have to be done every year at Christmas or it doesn't feel like Christmas.  One of those things is making sugar cookies!
I use the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie recipe in my Pillsbury cookbook.  They are the best!  I also use royal icing to decorate them with,  They are so much fun to bake and decorate.

These guys did not help much but they supervised.

When I was little, we used to go to my Grandma Scruggs' on Christmas afternoon.  This is a photo of me and my cousins from 1965.  I am in the purple corduroy outfit.  My grandma made mine purple and my cousins Carol and Kay got blue ones.  I loved that outfit and wore it until it was way too small.  As I look it this photo I realize that 4 of my cousins have passed on, way too soon.

How happy I was the year I got a "stereo" for Christmas!  My Dad worked for G.E. for 43 years and all our electronics would come from the employee store.  My mom worked as a seamstress at a mill that made pajamas and the ones that I have on (I am the oldest) were also favorites.  My poor sisters robe is too small.  I hope she got a new one that year!

So much vintage to see in this photo, the year I got my Chrissy doll!  I loved that doll and still have her!  I also see a Spirograph, Lincoln logs, a jewelry box, and a leather purse that had tassels.  I carried that thing forever!  That lamp!!    Poor Dad looks like he didn't get very much sleep. 

He probably didn't!  Another of our traditions was that Grandma and Grandpa would spend the night with us on Christmas Eve on one condition.  Grandpa said he would only stay if I would get up at 5:00 a.m. and make the coffee.  He was only kidding, but I didn't know and and I set my alarm for 5:00 and when it rang, up I jumped and went into the kitchen and started the coffee.  I was 5 years old!  But I knew how the percolator worked. (Don't you miss the sound of coffee perking?)  When Grandpa smelled the coffee he got up and came into the kitchen and I would sit on his lap and he would tell me stories until the others would get up.  This became a tradition every year until I got married, except I got too big to sit on his lap!  That is a memory that I cherish in my heart.  How I miss him...

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Blessings

Linda



9 comments:

Musings from Kim K. said...

Darling pictures. I love the tradition that you shared with your Grandpa. How very special. Percolator coffee is the best coffee. I bet he loved it even more knowing that you made it.

GardenOfDaisies said...

Such happy memories. And remembering with fondness those who have passed on...
I remember thinking that the coffee percolator at my Grandparents house was like a puzzle, with all the little pieces that had to stack together on the inside of the pot. :-)
Love all your sugar cookies... those make me think of a sister in law who is no longer with us... she made those for all the family gatherings.
Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas!

craftyles said...

Awww, I love your vintage pic's and stories. The one about your Grandfather is so special. Is there anything cuter than a plate of frosted sugar cookies? Love them!

Anonymous said...

Sweet pics! I wish I would have known one of my grampas. What a blessing for you to have known yours. I did make sugar cookies with my siblings every year though and I also had a Chrissy doll. :)

Erica of Golden Egg Vintage said...

Such a sweet story about your Grandpa, and I loved looking at your vintagey Christmas pictures!
Happy Holidays,
Erica :)

retrorevival.biz said...

Such a sweet post, and the pictures are priceless!

~Cindy

My Vintage Mending said...

Just made a batch of these for church yesterday...our favorite...Happy Holidays Renee

Laura said...

I love the vintage pictures they are sweet! Thank you for sharing your story and there is nothing like fresh percolated coffee :)

Shybiker said...

What a lovely blog you have. And these pictures from 1965 are adorable. Because we're close in age (I'm 3 years older), they look very similar to my old family photos. Same furniture, clothes and decorations. Happy New Year.