“What puts you into the Christmas spirit?”

By

Gerry Niskern

Sometimes it’s the scent of something that you haven’t smelled for a while.This year, for me, it was when I peeled a tangerine from the tree in the back yard. Suddenly,I  was transported back to my childhood and memories of my Christmas stocking. The little mesh see thru stocking (my sister had one too) always contained some nuts, ribbon candy and a tangerine. I realized later that the tangerine was the most expensive item in the sock. Back then, none could be found where we lived so I’m sure my parents had to travel to a larger city to buy the exotic fruit that I loved.

While the tangerine put me in the Christmas mood, it saddened me too. What I have always loved most about the season as an adult, was the preparation. The cookie  baking, candy making and most of all, planning the parties. Physically, I am not up to those activities this year, I guess you could say,  I feel like I’ve been “put on the bench”and I hate it!

I decided the only way to compensate for the “out of the game” feeling was to concentrate on the gifts that I could find (with a lot of help from Amazon!) And also remember some past success at gifting.

Do you try to find the best gift ever for someone on your Christmas list? I do.

I can only get excited about Christmas after I start thinking of something as a really special surprise for at least one person. I can’t do it for everyone, but one’s enough to give me the Christmas spirit.

I get into the spirit of the season remembering some other special gifting. My earliest memory was of a tiny ladies lapel pin. It was a glowing lantern with some holly. I wrapped it in an empty Oxydol box to fool my mom. I saved all year for that special gift that cost 25 cents.

My resident historian was quite a harmonica player in his teens and my steady. I saved baby sitting money for months to buy him a large Hohner chromatic harmonica. I was serenaded many evenings for my efforts.

Back in the 50’s after the Russians had launched Sputnik, rockets were all kids in the U. S. could talk about. I found magazine ad for a heavy cardboard put-together-yourself rocket ship. Our kids were the envy of the block. They stood in line to blast off in our rocket ship.

During the “Maverick” years I scoured Phoenix and found 4 matching cowboy hats for our two boys and their two male cousins. Not just any cowboy hat. When you whipped it off your head a secret cowboy pistol popped out, pointed straight at the “outlaw of the day.”

I remember sewing and smocking two matching dresses for my daughter and her little cousin. If you have ever smocked, you know it was truly a gift of love. Some years later I sewed a gold with brown trim Velour shirt for my first little grandson and an exact duplicate one for his daddy.

Another time, in the sixties, I found a six year old niece a “low rise skirt and Poor Boy top” and she exclaimed, “Oh, a Beatles dress!”

Of course, I’ve received my share of special gifts, but the one I loved the most was during the “baby” years of the 50’s. My resident historian brought home a portable dishwasher. It was like being given a maid for Christmas!

Have you found the best gift ever ?