Christmas-1954

The weeks before Christmas were really busy for us both, and I often noticed my Mother and Irvin whispering together, so I thought o.k., He is probably trying to find out what I want for Christmas or something like that...well, in those days, it seems like everyone bought things that people really needed, like clothes, etc...(to go back , a bit), when I was a child, I always wanted a pretty "Baby Doll", as we called them, ..as my friend, Donnie always got one every year...I would shamelessly sneak and find my present, and unwrap it enought to be able to see if I had finally got that "pretty baby doll", I think my Mother thought I was too old, even at the age or 7 or 8 to have a doll, well, I always got PJ's , as we girls called them, houseshoes, and then one year a PJ , doll...now this was a fuzzy , soft  , pink pillow like with a zipper on it , with a dolls head on it, to hold my PJ's was my Christmas present...this one year, I didn't try to find out what my present was, thinking, o.k., maybe I will get my Doll...of course, Donnie got a beautiful doll, with "hair", really "uptown" in those days...we would always get together after opening our gifts..now , her family opened theirs , Christmas mornings, and my family Christmas Eve...so after Breakfast, we would meet at one of our houses to compare our presents.. I know this sounds sad, ..but , times were different then, and most everyone had to do the best they could...now, Donnie's Mother  , as I said before worked, and her Father also worked at the "Ship Yard" . , her Mother didn't work but , during the war, but had managed to put money back, and even having 4 Children, she went "all out" on Christmas..and she was almost "Child like" during the holidays, enjoying them so much....I know I am going on and on about this doll thing, but to this day, I love Dolls..       O.K., back to Christmas 1954, It was a exciting time for me , and the days just flew by, and we enjoyed driving around "looking at the Christmas Lights", and every year, downtown was always lit up so beautifully..the Foley's window always had a Beautiful  Tree, and a different scene put out each year...people would come into downtown Houston from miles around, just to walk around downtown, and look in the store display windows at Christmas...My Father always cut down our tree..and up until I was almost grown, we always had a pine tree...after, Irvin and I married, we bought a cedar tree, (a LARGE tree)...well, in 54, my Daddy cut down a larger tree than usual for us..he would go up toward East Texas to cut our tree, and Mother and I went with him, the last 2 or 3 years that I was at home, I didn't go, ..He and Mother went, I usually had other things I wanted to do or places to go...Irvin and I decorated the tree together that year at my parents home..I was at a loss to what to get him for Christmas, and finally decided on a jacket...now, as I think back, I don't really know why I didn't get something more "exciting", but thought that would be "useful" for him..I had no idea what size he wore...he was and still is a slim, trim, man..and my Brother being slim also, I got the dumb idea, that I would ask him to meet me downtown at one of the Men's stores and try on a jacket and help me pick out one for Irvin on our lunch hour..now , he worked at one of the buildings downtown, as a Draftsman...my Brother was at least 6 ft tall, long arms..and he and Irvin were built up completely different...a jacket that fit my Brother, was in NO way going to fit , Irvin...I was 23 years old, but very dumb about buying Men's clothes, as I think back now, that WAS a dumb thing ...anyway, I bought a tan(even the color was drab) jacket, and remember , thinking , "What a good gift", this will keep him warm, he will like this..I don't think , I would have liked it...it is strang how you think, when you are young....well, Christmas Eve finally came, and Irvin came over early that evening, we had supper, helped with the dishes, and got our coffee, or they got theirs, and I got my coke, and went into the living room to open our gifts...I had bought my Mother a 'Shawl", very popular that year, and my Daddy, (I try to remember, but some reason, it won't come back to me", but am sure, it was something I thought would be "useful", also, I try to remember if my Brother and Mary Frances, and Frances Gail were there, and I think they were, because, everyone seemed to be acting what I thought was "Strange", well, all the gifts were opened, and  everyone was trying on and thanking each other., and Mother , said, "OH, I think there is something in a box, up in the tree", It was hidden well, in the tree, and i was told to get it, well, by that time, It struck me!, I was SO excited, and opened that box, and there was MY RING!, The best Christmas Present, I have EVER got!...It was BEAUTIFUL!, and I remember that night, laying in bed, with my hand up in the air, looking at my ring almost all night..I think after we settled down, Daddy got his egg nog out, and we all drank some...A Special Night...