Christmas, First Memorable One and 1971

The first Christmas I can remember was in Tacoma, Washington when I was five years old. I can't remember the first four. I was an only child. Dad was in the Air Force and we lived in a trailer court. It was fun to sing Christmas songs at school and I was an angel in a Christmas Pageant. I learned Christmas was celebrated because it was Jesus' Birthday. I loved Jesus and still do.

Mom put up an artificial silver tree and she had a rotating gadget that shined yellow, pink, blue, orange and green on the tree. The ornaments were round and were in a variety of colors. There were big colored lights, garland and tinsel. It was a nice tree for that time period.

My mother's family was in Indiana and so was Dad's. Christmas was just my parents and me. Mom took me over to the neighbors on Christmas Eve night who were a nice elderly couple. Tilly and Jill were their names. Tilly baked sugar cookies and played Pat Boone Christmas music.I am sure they bought me a gift but I can't remember what it was. Mom and I went home and the Christmas tree had presents under it. They weren't there when Mom and I had left. Dad said Santa stopped by and left them. I didn't hear the sleigh bells. I had missed out on seeing Santa and his reindeer.The milk and cookies were gone. Santa must have liked them.

I opened my gifts. I got a Betsy Wetsy doll and some clothes for her. I got a Chatty Cathy doll dressed in a blue dress. I pulled the ring on the back of her neck and she talked to me. I fell in love with her. The next present was a Barbie doll with blonde hair in a pony tail. She was wearing a black and white bathing suit and her own sunglasses. She was The1960 one. {She has one finger missing. Grandma's cat chewed it off!}. Mom had made a few dresses for her and I found them in the next package that I unwrapped. I couldn't wait to play with her I looked behind the Christmas tree and there was a Doll House made out of tin. It was red and painted. It looked like the outside of a house. The rooms consisted of: bedrooms, a living room, library, garage, kitchen, bathroom and family room. It also had an outdoor patio. It was a nice Doll House. I still have it. I got some Barbie colorforms. These were stickers that were vinyl and peeled off. You dressed Barbie and she had accessories. They were colorful and cute. My last present was a toy iron and a ironing board. I ironed Barbie's clothes and Betsy Wetsy's doll clothes until 1:00 AM. Mom told me I could iron tomorrow so I went to bed.

The next morning when I got up, we called Grandma, Mom's mother. She had bought me the Betsy Wetsy doll but I didn't know that. She had also sent me some new clothes to wear.Mom didn't wrap them so they didn't count as Christmas gifts. I talked to Grandma and Grandpa on the phone.. The neighbors had given us candy and cookies. Mom had made fudge for everyone who lived in the trailer court. The next day I saw my friends. We played with my dolls and the one girl had got a new doll for Christmas and some stuffed animals. An older girl, Debbie who was fourteen who was a friend of mine bought over her make up kit she had got for Christmas. Mom said I couldn't wear make up. I was too young. Mom did let Debbie paint my nails red. The neighbor boys were playing with their toy cars and trucks they had got for Christmas. Stevie who was my age bought over his new Huckleberry Hound coloring book and we colored together.

This is the first Christmas that I remember. I have had many memorable ones since. I have a modern day Doll House that looks Victorian and I still collect dolls. My mother buys me clothes for my American Girl dolls. I collect Barbie dolls from "Twilight", "Dynasty", celebrity ones and reproduced Vintage Barbie dolls. Thank you for reading about my first Christmas. Hope you have a bright and memorable Christmas.

Christmas 1971


Dad was in the Air Force all through my school years. He made three trips to Viet Nam and when he went to Viet Nam, my mother and I stayed at my grandparents home. When Dad wasn't in Viet Nam, we were stationed in Arizona, Washington State, Tennessee, Washington, DC, Maryland and Arkansas. I loved having Christmas with my grandparents in Indiana. My uncle and aunt lived next door and my younger annoying cousin but Christmas was fun. With my parents, I got nice gifts and Mom made a good meal but it was lonely. My friends were with their families. I was an only child. I liked being an only child but I got lonely at times. In 1971, I was almost sixteen. Christmas was a week away. I loved Christmas so it would be alright. We lived on the Air Force Base at Little Rock, Arkansas. I missed Indiana the most this time of year.

Five days before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and there were my grandparents! Grandma was holding Fluffy, their cat! I had loved that cat since I was ten years old. Fluffy slept with me when I spent every summer at my grandparents. Fluffy never forgot me. She loved me. I hugged my grandparents and Fluffy. She was a calico cat and very beautiful. Fluffy was nervous about being in a strange place. She hid under the Christmas tree. Dad came home and was surprised as much as Mom and I were that my grandparents were there visiting. Dad always liked Fluffy so that wasn't a problem. Fluffy warmed up to being at our house two days later. Fluffy slept with me and we were both content.

My Birthday is December 21. Four days before Christmas. Lucky me. No mention of my Birthday on December 21. I was sixteen now. I figured my parents and grandparents would do a double celebration. on Christmas. My grandma had pit on lipstick and changed her dress. I asked her why.
She smiled and said that she wanted to see how the lipstick would match the dress. I got a surprise. My best friend Debbie, her parents and brother Joey came over. They were an Italian family. Debbie was a year older then me. Joey was fifteen years old. They came bearing gifts and a cake with a cat on it. They hugged me and Joey kissed me. When we moved to Arkansas, a few months before, I thought I would have a crush on Joey but he was more like a brother. They bought me: a make-up bib, purple night gown set, cat cloth calendar, Skinny Dip cologne and a nice heart necklace. My parents bought me cologne, an opal bracelet and a smile pillow. My grandparents gave me money and a nice red sweater. This was a nice Birthday. Fluffy hid in my room.

At Christmas, we had a nice turkey dinner with the Italian family and my grandparents. Mom and I bought my grandpa pearl earrings, a purse she wanted that she seen when we had went out shopping and we bought grandpa overalls, western books and chocolate candy. He loved to read and he was a farmer. Grandpa secretly wrote stories but never shared them. He was a quiet man.

The holidays went by too quickly. Dad and Mom took Grandma and Grandpa to see the military planes and we got to go inside one. Dad was a Flight Engineer. When my grandparents left, there were tears and I gave Fluffy double hugs. I missed her sleeping with me. They had ben there two weeks. My grandparents are gone now and so is Fluffy. I have had a lot of Christmases but this is one I will always treasure. Christmas . I love it. It is my favorite holiday.