![]() “She grew up in a house with a white picket fence and a happy family until World War II came along,” says Margaret. Margaret recalls how her mother, Jeri Johnston, said her childhood was cheerful, but only briefly. “Decorating a tree with our family ornaments always reminds me of her generosity.” “My mom didn’t have a lot growing up, so she always made sure our holidays-especially Christmas-were special with the little things she did for us or gave to us,” says Margaret. However, for Carlin residents Margaret Johnston and Rene Curry, their decades-old childhood Christmas ornaments are priceless and would never be sold. Vintage Christmas tree ornaments can fetch high prices at auctions where collectors covet them. I remember it well! Every single year, one of my “decorating” duties as a child was to pull out the green ceramic Christmas tree, and set about installing what seemed to be an endless amount of colored plastic bulbs.DecemThese Carlin residents may have different stories, but they share an appreciation for all things Christmas Margaret Johnston says decorating for Christmas reminds her of generosity and how her mother always made sure the holidays were special. Wow! Ceramic Christmas TreesĪnd on top of the other side of the stereo there was always a classic ceramic Christmas tree. Yep, the kind of stereos that were a piece of furniture – and had a record player and an 8-track player. Who didn’t have the Christmas snow globe that when shaken, erupted in a big snowstorm falling over some Christmas scene inside of the glass.Īlthough the globes still exist today, I can’t ever quite find the “real” heavy glass one that I remember was placed on top of our stereo entertainment center each and every Christmas. Or if you were really lucky, maybe your’s had some type of treat behind each door! The old countdown calendars where you open up a little cardboard door every day to reveal a photo. It didn’t take us long during our trip down memory lane to remember the Christmas calendars. Probably a wise idea! Pull Tab Christmas Calendars ![]() Thinking back, it was probably because our parents didn’t want us playing around the tree and toppling it over. We always had a train that we got out at Christmas every year, but we never put our train around the tree. And it right around that time that folks began putting them around their trees. Toy trains became popular in the early 1900’s. The old train around the tree is still a classic Christmas decoration. Who wants to put a tree skirt or blanket at the bottom of the tree when you can have a train circling below! There was something so big and colorful about them, and I loved the big individual screw in sockets that made them feel like regular light bulbs.Īnd yes, the best part was that if one light went out, they really all did go out! We both still remember getting the job of screwing in bulb after bulb trying to find the one that was out! The Train Around The TreeĪlthough no-one really knows for sure how it started, this classic holiday tradition still exists today in many households. But call us old-fashioned, we still remember fondly the over-sized Christmas bulb strands from yesteryear. Yes, LED lights are incredibly safe, energy efficient and bright. Of course, lighted garland strands have now taken the place of the chore of icicle decorating. ![]() The other thing about icicles, I remember finding them everywhere for months on end well after Christmas. And of course, getting the familiar “that is not how they are supposed to go on” reprimand from our mom. I, however, remember my brother and I getting bored with the decorating chore and simply throwing huge chunks on the tree. The idea was to put them a few at a time on the tree to let it shimmer. They came in big packs of long strands, and were used to make “icicles” on the tree. Remember the individual tinsel? It would take forever to put on – and forever to take off!
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