A Vintage Christmas Again

Do we all get lost in the fast pace of life? Do we loose all traditions as we get older?

As I opened the box with the self-lit three foot tall pink Christmas tree last night, I realized this just isn't right. Somewhere through the years, this Holiday-crazy lady lost her spirit. Was it when the last child went off to college? Was it the middle child convincing me a pink tree was "cool" last year? Or did I just get lazy. It was always fun decorating the yard and the house. The packing it all up after Christmas is the chore.

I would go all out every holiday, but Christmas the most. Every room had its own decorations, theme and a Christmas tree. The kitchen tree was decorated with vintage miniature cookie cutters, rolling pins, aprons and tiny pot holders. The dining room featured my vintage nutcrackers everywhere as well as nutcracker ornaments on the treein that room. Not even the bathroom escaped me, a tiny tree on a shelf was trimmed with woodland critters in Santa hats, as well as towels, rug and even door knob covers. The children each did their own rooms, complete with lights and a tree.

The living room was my favorite. We'd pick the tallest, fattest pine, put the top down on the car to get it home and the festivities began. Tradition was sipping hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music by Striesand, Elvis and Aaron Neville among our favorites as we decorated the tree.

Stories would flow from each of us as we hung every ornament. When the kids were young, we had started a tradition of making ornaments for everyone in the family. As the kids grew, the ornaments got more intricate with their skills. There were years of hand painted plaster and wood. Macaroni angels, cellophane candy canes, pipe cleaner reindeer, and even sugar egg dioramas. Everyone had one they made for themselves as well as gifts to other family members each year.

As we gifted these ornaments, friends and relatives followed our tradition and each of us always got dated ornaments back, special to each person's interest or hobby. A vacation to Hawaii? we didn't buy tacky souvenirs, but each came home with an ornament. A trip, a visit to a museum, or a tourist sight? Yes, another ornament for our collection. I even have several that were gifts from my customers through the years, also very special to me.

When each child grew up, left home and went on their own, so did their totes of their personal ornaments. At Christmas, I can expect a phone call from each as they decorate their own tree, with memories of each ornament, and sentimental reminiscing of the events or stories behind the ornaments and the laughs at some of the more "primitive" ones, knowing how precious they are now. We're not decorating the tree together anymore, but its just as nice to hear them and knowing they are still enjoying their precious ornaments and the sentiments.

Ironically, most of the ornaments now are classified "vintage" since they are at least 20 years old; 30 years old for my son's collection. So many memories through all the years.

Today was the day they called. We reminisced, laughed and shared happy memories of the relatives now deceased they have these little treasures from that are extra special now as they decorated their tree. My son now has a son, and he not only shares the stories of each ornament with is child, they too have started a tradition of crafting ornaments for everyone. The tradition continues with yet another generation.

As I hung up the phone, and turned to look at the pink tree, still in its box, I realized its time to go back to our traditions. The entire house doesn't have to be decorated, but at least I can get my great aunt's now thirty year old quilted tree skirt and the ornaments out the children made for me, put the top down on my little car and go get a real tree again. I'll put on the Christmas cd's, make some hot chocolate and enjoy decorating the tree with vintage family memories.

The pink tree? I'll drop it off at a chairty tomorrow and maybe a little girl who loves pink will appreciate it..

"The Candy Store"

I'm sure we have all done it... looked at something and suddenly were overcome with waves of nostalgia. Memories long forgotten, suddenly overwhelming us.

That's exactly what happened to me.

What triggered it? Candy boxes of all things. Old,soiled candy boxes from the 1960's.
Almond Joy, Three Muskateers, Mars bars, Milk Shake and Baby Ruth. Memories came flooding back. You see, as a child, my grandfather owned a little "candy store" in Detroit. It was heaven! The store was right in a residential area, and the only store within blocks.

The building was two story. Grandma and Grandpa lived upstairs, an aunt and uncle lived in the small apartment behind the store. The store iteself faced the street, which encompassed the front and wrapped a corner. There even was a garden in the backyard, where we enjoyed tomatoes and berries all summer long.

From the early 1940s to the late 1960s Grandma and Grandpa owned the store. It wasn't a "candy store" of course, but that's what the children called it. In times way before "supermarkets," the store had an old fashioned meat counter and deli, grandpa would butcher the meat himself and wrap it in brown paper. They carried fresh milk, delivered daily in bottles as well as any soda pop you could imagine and a small line of basic groceries,canned goods and snacks.

Neighbors would come daily and select their meat for dinner that night. There were three wide long steps in a curve to the entrance of the store, and there was always someone sitting on the "stoop" drinking a Nehi and visiting with a neighbor.


Grandma manned the long counter and the cash register while Grandpa tended the meat counter. There were shelves stocked to the ceiling, but Gram had a long pole with little clamps on the end that would grab the item down for her.


My favorite section of the store was the long glass enclosed candy counter! Everything you could imagine, the entire top shelf were items for only a penny. Rolled licorice records. malted milk balls, smartees, jaw breakers, Mary Jane's, squirrels, tootsie rolls, suckers,candy dots on long strips of paper, bazooka bubble gum and my favorite ~ Teaberry gum.

Gram would stand patiently while the local children would take forever deciding what all they wanted with their pennies or a whole nickel, then gram would put all their favorites in a tiny brown paper sack.

And chocolate bars! So many different kinds! Since it was OUR grandparents store, we could have our choice of candy. Allowed only one candy bar a day, but any kind we wanted.

Oh how we all loved spending the night at Grandma's house! We'd "sweep" the store, or take out trash and be rewarded with a chocolate bar or extra treat. I'm sure we weren't much help, but were treated just the same. We'd also be allowed "pop", chips or ice cream during the sleep-overs.

A fun custom back then among children was to yell "dibbies" when anyone had anything. That meant if another child yelled dibbie as we came out of the store, we had to yell "no dibbie" first; or share our item. Most time we shared..lol.. and often we'd sit on the stoop and alternate licks of our ice cream or share a bag of chips with the other kids.

On Saturdays, Grandpa would go to the "warehouse" to get his weekly order of items for the store. Since it was near our house, he would always stop by on his way back.

Grandpa would arrive in his big Buick and open the trunk. We would run outside the minute we saw him pull up, knowing the trunk would be full. There would be boxes and boxes of candy. He would have every candy bar imaginable! We were each allowed a treat, and would select a candy bar.

I always chose my favorite, the "Milk Shake" bar.. it was a whipped chocolate malted milk inside, caramel and covered in milk chocolate, similar to today's Milky Way; but a richer malt chocolate.

I had completely forgotten the Milk Shake.. the candy bar has long been discontinued. Discovering the boxes brought back all the the memories and the fun times with my grandparents. Of course I bought the three of my favorites the shop owner had, and each time I go in my kitchen, I smile as I notice them and fondly remember my grandparents and the happy years in their "candy store".



My mother and I outside Grandpa's store, circa 1952