The Night Before Christmas:

This week, I am a bit late for Sepia Saturday, but I hope that you will enjoy this post even so.  I chose to combine some Christmas memories and the Little Golden Book, "The Night Before Christmas".

It is fun to see when Mom got these pictures developed.  It looks as if it took a couple of months to recover from Christmas to afford the developing costs!

 

 This is me, on my very first Christmas.  I must not have liked the flash in my eyes.

My first tricycle.  My Grandma T. is on the couch, and Dad is beside me.

Mom said that this is my second Christmas, and I look about 2, but I think it was my third.
It says, "Chistmas at Nanny's house with Boo-Boo.  2nd Christmas.

Let's skip to when I was 9 and we had a Christmas gift exchange at school.   I received this book from my friend Suzy, and by the looks of it, I never wanted to let it go.  Mom gave it back to me last year.  I love coming from a family of savers!
 

This is what I wrote on the inside cover:

Name: Kathy Johnson
From:  Suzy Hamrick (?)
Dec. 22, 1967

"In memory of a Christmas present in forth grade.  I am 9  years old.  I hope not to lose this book.  If so, I don't want it tore."

"Coments:  Thank you Suzy fore this book." 
 

One two, skip a few.  Here we were on West Quinalt (two years later), where we lived from second grade until spring vacation of fifth grade.  Nice velvet dress, Miss Kathy!  I love seeing the house in the background.  Notice the kitchen table and chairs, the laundry basket, the swivel chair and the ashtray on the end table.  Too much fun:

Me, Angie, Little Bro holding our dog Bambi and Julie.

That was also the year that we got The Big Snow (1969) that brought the Willamette Valley to it's knees.  It happened in January, and the Christmas lights were still up outside.  The snow was about 4' deep, and the lights cast a pretty glow outside mine and Julie's bedroom window.

Me, Little Bro and Bambi

If you came here for the scanned copy of the 1950 Little Golden Book, "The Night Before Christmas" here it is.  I liked the illustrations better in this book, there is a lot more action and detail.  You can click on any picture for a better view.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody!

~ Kathy M.

So, there you are, my friends.  If you enjoyed this story, please visit my Sepia Saturday friends by "CLICKING HERE" to find other neat photos and stories.  To read more about my family and other stories featuring old photos, memories and more, please look for this picture of me and my dad on the left-hand sidebar and read whatever else catches your fancy.  Thanks so much for visiting!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.