When I was a little girl, all we had was a Christmas tree. Nothing else. Not even a wreath on the door. Later on, I wanted more. You know me. And Mother encouraged me.One year, blue and silver must have been in style because I remember that she and I changed out our multicolored lights and baubles to all blue and silver. I’m pretty sure Daddy just didn’t get it. His participation in Christmas decorating consisted of bringing home a tree and nailing a little cross of one-by-fours to the bottom to make it stand up.

We always had lots of magazines in the house. One year, “Better Homes and Gardens” started publishing a special holiday edition called “Christmas Ideas.” It cost a lot. $1.00 the first year and soon it went up to $1.25. This was very extravagant, but Mother indulged me. />/Users/jeanurbanski/Desktop/il_794xN.4313659802_qpz3.jpg

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After that, the house was pretty much a mess with candle wax melting in a coffee can on the stove and flour paste sticking paper cutouts together.

I particularly remember making a big candle and when whipping up wax in the mixer until it was fluffy and covering the candle with it. It was supposed to look like snow.

Saw this year’s issue in Freddy’s the other day. I didn’t buy it. It is $12.00. I am not that extravagant.



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