Christmas Past

Thank you for your kind comments on my blog posts while I was away recovering from oral surgery last week. Things are progressing in a very normal way. Last evening I was able to eat a 'soft' meal without having a plastic guard over my upper teeth to protect the roof of my mouth that was affected by part of the surgery. I will spare you the details!  Even though I have chewing limitations for a few more days I was able to venture out to eat something a bit more interesting than the same-old-boring soft foods.  My pain level was less than the surgeon predicted although I did have some 'happy' pain meds for the first few days.  It's amazing how much I craved things that were forbidden during this initial healing process!  And every advertisement on television was food! Food and holiday goodies galore.  But I survived and probably am a bit healthier for it.

Two weeks ago I traveled a few hours from our home to visit my dear cousin on the southern Oregon Coast. Just me! Time away while I sweetheart tended the home fires and was here for my dear, little mother. My cousin and I have always been very close - like very close sisters. We usually gather and collect things to give to each other when we get together and this time was no different. She had gathered some magazines she knew I would enjoy and I took a few well-loved magazines to her. One of the magazines she gave me was a real treasure! Just what I needed to kick off the Christmas season. It was inspiration on each page - a December nineteen-sixty-six Family Circle magazine. The art on the front cover always makes me smile when I look at it.

Every page is filled with memories of Christmas Past and things once thought so 'cool'. I could have ordered the 'Troll Cookie Cutter' for fifty cents to make a cookie tray like this one.

My home was built just three years after this magazine was published and - if I wanted to decorate my home in vintage mid-century style - I could make one of these to hang from my chandelier in the dining room.  Of course I could decorate my table like this, too!

But, since I'm not inclined to do that, I think I'll just keep dreaming of a much more simple Christmas this year.

Oh, wait - there's no time to dream! I've got work to do!  I have to get busy and decorate and finish plans for the big day that's only thirteen days away!  Time to stop thinking of Christmas Past and get ready for Christmas Present!!!