Thursday, December 08, 2011

Christmas 1941 - Merry Christmas!

My first Christmas
December 1941
Bakersfield, California
Then I moved to Bellflower, Long Beach, Oakdale, San Francisco,
and on to other places.


The tray on the stroller had a string of beads
and there were round holes in the metal that I played with.
One of my earliest memories.

Click on these photos to enlarge.

My father's mother,
Grandma Newman and me.
She came out to see me from Minnesota.
Wish I could remember her.

I grew up in a time
when it was a good thing, a desired thing
to wish people
Merry Christmas.

The greeting meant that we wished people
the joy of the season
with their friends and family.

Things are way too complicated now-a-days.
And "Happy Holidays" just sounds empty
if not altogether wrong.

So...
Meaning no offense to anyone
I'm wishing you a very
Merry Christmas
and
A Happy New Year!

I plead age.
I'm too old and have no inclination or desire to change.


December Quotes
My Favorite Quotations On Giving

~~~

8 - For somehow, not only at Christmas, but all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others is the joy
that comes back to you.
~ John Greenleaf Whittier

7 - Whatever you think the world is withholding from you,
you are withholding from the world.
Whatever you think people are withholding from you
-- praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on
-- give it to them.
You cannot receive what you don't give.
Outflow determines inflow.
~ Eckhart Tolle

6 - The most satisfying thing in life
is to have been able to give a large part of oneself to others.
~ Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

5 - What we gave, we have;
What we spent we had;
What we left, we lost.
~ Tyron Edwards

4 - We make a living by what we get.
we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

3 - What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. P.D.James

2. - May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive,
which is wrapped in thoughtfulness,
and tied with love. L.O.Baird

1. - We should give as we would receive, cheerfully,
quickly, and without hesitation;
for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. ~Seneca

4 comments:

GrannyAnnie said...

Thank you so much for sharing this. I really enjoyed this post! Merry Christmas ... Happy Holidays - I was only going to use Merry Christmas this year, but I ended up including them both, to cover everything this time of year. I find it very sad that people are afraid to wish others Merry Christmas. I think it is as important as ever to sincerely wish it. I certainly won't leave it out.
I remember those strollers! My babysitter had one. Oh, how I loved to play with it and push the babies around in it! Those were good, sturdy, long-lasting strollers! And that's a beautiful tree, which I notice is up out of your reach. Today's Christmas trees are too commercialized and not old-fashioned warm enough. Thanks again for sharing, I enjoyed!

diane b said...

I agree with you. What is wrong with sticking to our traditions. Merry Christmas.

LindaG said...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! :-D ♥

Michaele said...

I just love the old photos!