Christmas Dinner Remembered

Christmas dinner in 1952 as photographed by my mother. I don't remember what we usually ate for Christmas dinner though the incredible Swiss steak for New Year's sticks in my mind. That was unlike anything I've ever seen since. Mother always saw to a beautiful Christmas for me, but she hated the stress it created, especially after she went back to work when I was seven. This was only a little over a year later. My brother was back from Korea where he had served as a young Marine in the war. We were certainly grateful for his return. I think I see the magic still reflected in my youthful eyes.

Blog Caroling: Favorite Christmas Carol

I don't think any one carol is my favorite. I know as a teen I went out caroling with a group but a little later the Kingston Trio recorded an album titled "Last Month of the Year." The songs were folk and gospel songs and that record has ever since been my favorite Christmas music. This year Dick's Hum & Strum group at the senior center did one of the songs in their annual holiday concert. Dick didn't know why he knew the song, but it was "Children Go Where I Send Thee," a song on that album. It is a lively, but beautiful song of African-American origin. I couldn't find an online recording of the Kingston Trio version, but there is a very old one with Gordon Lightfoot.


The words to it (from Wikipedia) are:

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one-by-one
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in the manger
Born, born oh, born in Bethlehem.

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee two-by-two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Lying in the manger
Born, born oh, born in Bethlehem.

Three for the three men riding (or: the Hebrew children)
Four for the four that stood at the door (or: were knocking at the door)
Five for the gospel preachers (or: the five that came back alive)
Six for the six that never got fixed (or: picked)
Seven for the seven that never got to Heaven (originally "the seven that all went to Heaven", probably alluding to Luke 20:27-33)
Eight for the eight that waited (or: stood) at the gate
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine (or: the nine that stood in the line)
Ten for the Ten Commandments
Eleven for the eleven deridersTwelve for the twelve Apostles

I fond recordings of many variations of these lyrics, but that is the beauty of music of the people.

And here is a view of Dick and the guitar and ukulele group on December 1st.

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-template: Dec. Copycat Challenge by Elisa (EHStudios) based on "Crush" by Kym 
-background: Oscraps Collab Family
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Christmas Stockings Remembered

Grocery shopping with my sister today I was reminded of the oranges and/or tangerines (the latter preferred as easy to peel) and assorted nuts that were such a treat in our Christmas stockings. She remembered them just as I do. My husband says his family had the same goodies in their stockings.We are remembering from the 1930s into the 1950s. I think my brother's children got them too. I can't imagine children today thinking those were special enough for a Christmas stocking. Looks like times just keep changing.