Saturday, December 5, 2009

TIME for another Pink Saturday

I don't remember if I had a cute alarm clock such as this one...............



................but I do remember waking early before any buzzing or bells disturbed my Christmas Eve slumber.

I recall clearly the weight of the white stocking at the foot of the bed. Very early on Christmas morning, while the house was still quiet, I would wiggle my toes until I felt it there........much too large to hang, it was draped across the bed, the weight exciting, the anticipation building. My stocking was a knitted fireman's sock, long, thick, and woolly, given to me by an uncle who had fought fires following WWII bombing raids along the Devon coast. I used that sock for many years, Father Christmas was generous in the simple way that Christmas was in those days.



Money was tight at that time, there were only a few presents tucked in the big stocking, but that was just fine. There were no TV commercials, catalogues and gigantic toy stores displaying so many mass-produced and unnecessary gimmicks and toys. A doll with clothes sewn by Mum, perhaps a tin of watercolor paints, always a book to read.......and one year, when I was very young a big, brown cuddly bear, named Teddy of course. At the toe of the stocking were some unshelled nuts and always the special traditional Christmas orange........a fruit we rarely found in British shops during the year.

Oh what lovely Christmas times we had. Simple, quiet, not really starting until a couple of days before the 25th. No month long rushing about, stressing out and emptying the back account.

Happy Pink Saturday...............thanks to our hostess Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for making us think back and relive those lovely memories. I know I'm going to enjoy reading other bloggers stories today.

36 comments:

  1. so sweet

    Thanks for sharing that bit of sweet memory.
    A blessed Christmas to you and yours

    barbara jean

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  2. Oh, yes...how I yearn for those kind of Christmases again. I remember them, just as you described. No rushing...spending waaay too much money. And, as you said, we didn't decorate until the week of Christmas. We always had a real tree and didn't dare put it up too long because of it getting too dry. Mostly I remember all the good foods my mother made. The Date loaf candy was one of my favorites...and now that I am thinking of it, I need to find a good recipe for it. I have no idea what happened to her recipe.
    Thanks for reminding me of the slow and gentle way we USED to celebrate the birth of our Jesus Christ.
    xo bj

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  3. Fabulous Clock!! Have a great Saturday! Hugs, Janna

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  4. Hi Mary
    We always had an orange and a big delicious apple and those chocolate coins covered in gold foil in our stockings. We never thought the orange or apple were a treat though!
    Looks like we are going to have a dreary weekend here. I was hoping to do some clean up in the yard :(
    Hugs, Rhondi

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  5. It's great to remember the simple things that brought us excitement and joy! Have a great weekend.

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  6. Happy Pink Saturday, dear Mary.

    Thank you for sharing your precious memories of Christmas. It is those sweet memories that have made us into the people we are today.

    We all benefit from the way you see beauty all around you, and you draw us in with your way with words.

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  7. Mary,
    I find myself wanting your version of a simple Christmas forevermore...Just loved the part about wiggling your toes to feel for the stocking. How special that this stocking had such sentimental attachments.

    Thank you for sharing such a sweet memory!
    xo
    Sue

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  8. Fabulous Clock!! Have a great Pink Saturday!

    xoxo

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  9. On this first Saturday of December ♥Jappy Pink Saturday♥. I was away for a while and sure missed running around the blogs arnd seeing all of the goodies everyone was sharing.

    Thanks for the memory...

    It was a blessing for you to make my morning so much fun. Hoping that you and those you care about spend a wonderful weekend making memories that will last a lifetime☺

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  10. What a fabulous memory! I don't think I could have ever fallen asleep if my mother had done that- it would have been so exciting! Happy PS-
    Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge
    Charmed giveaway!

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  11. Thank you for sharing these precious memories! I also remember receiving an orange and nuts in my stocking. My Mother would create beautiful clothes for my dolls and even furniture...she was truly creative!! Adorable pink clock!
    Happy Pink Saturday...love your blog and your chair makeover...spectacular!! Enjoy the rest of your day!! xOxO Nerina :)

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  12. I love that pink clock! so charming.. so is your Christmas memory. Pink Blessings!
    Gwen

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  13. That is a beautiful clock, with character. And not too pink.

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  14. Lovely memory. It is so nice to hear of a simpler time. Merry Christmas to you!

    Christi @ A Southern Life

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  15. Oh Mary... Happy Pink Saturday sweetie...
    I so love this story. It is just beautiful. Whatever happened to the stocking, do you still have it?

    What great memories those are for you to share. I am sure that Jasmin will have many memories to share with her children some day. Generation to generation. You have given Jasmin so many memories of all the places you have been and all the things that you have done together.

    Please tell her hello for me. I think of her so often. I hope she is doing well.

    Please stop by and read my post today. Happy Pink Saturday.

    Country hugs...Sherry

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  16. Happy Pink Saturday Mary! What a wonderful memory you've shared. I can just imagine the feeling of waking up with the stocking on your bed.

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  17. The orange and nuts in the toe of the stocking - that is one of my fond memories as well, and one that passed along by stuffing my childen'a stockings in the very same way.

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  18. Happy Pink Saturday, I love your post today, to remember a time when treasures were popcorn, oranges, cloves, cider. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. Mary, It seems that all of our holiday memories centered around time spent with family and friends. I am beginning to see a pattern in all of the posts that I am reading. Simple, special things bring the warmest memories.
    Susan

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  20. Mary, your remembrance of Christmas is so very sweet. Thank you for sharing it with us. The clock is wonderful but upstaged a bit by your lovely story. Have a wonderful day.

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  21. Thank you Mary, for once more tickling my memories.
    As I mentioned before, I too was born in England and money was scarce during and after the war. My father made wooden toys for the boys and mother made dresses for a rag doll with a crock head.
    We too always had an orange, nuts and a book and a kalaidascope. How I loved twirling that to see all the pretty patterns.
    Mother made Christmas puddings with silver sixpences in the middle. They were wrapped up in white cloths to boil. It was with earnest we dug down into our puddings to find the coveted threepenny piece..never mind if we swallowed one or broke a tooth, it was the ultimate prize!! :)
    The night before Christmas, mother would wrap my hair in white rags to make wringlets, so both the puddings and I went to bed in splendour!
    We had real candles on the tiny Christmas tree, which held paper baskets with gumdrops inside. These baskets purchased at the end of the spindly arms which had a red pip.
    Making the paper chain trimmings was always a joy and purchasing the shiny coloured paper was the heralding of Christmas. How much the children of today miss with all the commercialism. I would not swap my childhood for anything.
    Meg

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  22. Happy Pink Saturday. Times were certainly simpler.

    Carol

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  23. Thank you for sharing your sweetness with us today!
    xo Tami

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  24. Oh the memories of a quieter and gentler time and those are what Christmas is all about. Thanks for sharing, Mollye

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  25. Stockings were always the best part of Christmas Morning! :)

    ~Liz

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  26. Thank you for the wonderful comment Meg - I can't find a way to write you as you don't seem to have a blog.

    Oh yes, glueing paper chains to hang from the center light to the corners of the room. Seems we all did the same things in England - steamed puds with sixpences, and I'm sure Christmas cake with a thick layer of marzipan and icing, mince pies and a nice wedge of Stilton!! Crackers to pull after the Queen's speech, wearing the silly paper hats, and yes, lighting those REAL candles on the tree - wasn't that daft!!!!?

    A very happy Christmas to you and yours. Let's keep our memories close always, they are our heritage.
    Mary.

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  27. Mary,

    That's exactly the kind of Christmas I am longing for. I have partially written a post about the same subject, and will post it in a day or two.

    We never had Christmas stockings (or a mantel either) but I have lovely memories of other gifts. Kristen's stocking was too heavy to hang, too. It was laid across the coffee table to find in the morning.

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  28. Yes, those quieter, simpler Christmases were much more enjoyable and meaningful. I can remember several like that, even here in the USA...my parents never had much money and with 5 children, things had to be simple!

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  29. Mary, I TOTALLY love that pink clock. Wowza! Can you say, sweet! :) I miss the quieter, simple Christmases as well...where all the family was around, whether good or bad times. At least for one day, all was forgotten.

    Beautiful post!

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  30. Your post today brought back forgotten memories. My sister & I didn't have stockings, instead a big white pillowcase was hung on the foot of the bed. Oh the joy of seeing it on Christmas morning with interesting lumps & bumps to investigate.
    Remember 5 Boys Chocolate??
    Maggie

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  31. Mary, like all the rest I love that pink clock! Little things can bring back so many special memories!
    Take Care!
    Ulrike

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  32. I also remember Happy days at Christmas when I was young. We didn't have much either, but we always had a nice Christmas.
    Nancy

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  33. Hello Mary; I really enjoyed reading your post.. I remember well those past Christmas's when I was young.. what a shame things are not like that now,,, so simple and such excitement of the day, I love the Pink clock, so pretty.. have a great week.

    Hugs;
    Alaura

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  34. I've been away from my computer so late getting around to visit for Pink Saturday. Your post is so heartwarming. I, too, shared about my childhood Christmas stocking and how simple Christmas was then. Thanks for sharing this lovely memory. Too bad that things can't stay as simple as fruit and nuts to bring smiles and joy to a child's Christmas. ~ Sarah

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