Christmas 2011 - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

While at the gym last night I noticed on one of the tv's that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was on network television. The show premiered a couple of years before I was born so I've been watching it as long as I remember. As a kid I loved the stopped motion animation, the music, the voice characterizations (especially Burl Ives as the snowman/narrator) and, of course the hokey yet cute story. I still watch this one just about every year.

Advent 2011 - First Sunday

Today was the 1st Sunday of Advent. The first of the four candles of the Advent wreath was lit at church today.

Christmas 2011 - Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive outside Macy's on 34th Street in NYC to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Dale and I watched the parade this morning on NBC.

Christmas 2011 - Mom's Advent Tree

Was over at Mom's today and saw her advent tree. She was very specific that it is an Advent tree and not a Christmas tree.

Christmas 1965 - Mom and Dad's First Christmas Together As a Married Couple

This photo was created using Mom and Dad's wedding photo which was taken ealier in the year.

Christmas 1965

Christmas 1966 - Christmas with the Cousins

My cousin Deb, in the middle, is holding me. Diane is on the left and Danny is on the right. Photos taken at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment above their bakery in Two Harbors.

Christmas 1966 - At Grandpa Lou and Grandma Alice's

Christmas in Two Harbors. Grandma Alice and Grandpa Louie hadn't moved into their house on 6th Avenue yet. When these photos were taken they were living in an apartment above their bakery.

Top photo: Aunt Alice Mae photographs me along with the cousins.

Middle photo: Uncle Dale is on the far left.

Bottom photo: Grandma gets a shot too.

Christmas 1966 - At Grandpa Les and Grandma Jean's

Christmas in Two Harbors.

Top photo: With Uncle Denny.

Middle photos: With Grandma Jean and Grandpa Les

Bottom photo: With Mom, Grandma Jean and Grandpa Les

Christmas 1966 -

Christmas 1967 - Joe with Grandma Jean in Two Harbors

Christmas 1967 - See 'n Say The Farmer Says

From Wikipedia:

"See 'n Say is an educational toy created by the toy company Mattel in 1965 after the success of its talking Chatty Cathy doll."

"In the 1960s, after introducing a line of talking dolls that said different phases when a string protruding form their upper back was pulled, Mattel trademarked the word chatty. Several Mattel pull-string talking dolls and toys were packaged in boxes that read 'A chatty Toy' or 'A Chatty Doll by Mattel'. However, these dolls and toys spoke phrases at randon when their 'chatty ring' was pulled. see 'n Say, introduced in 1965, was the first Mattel talking toy that allowed children to choose the exact phrase they wanted to hear by adjusting a pointer on the toy's face to a particular item and pulling the 'chatty ring.' The Farmer Says See 'n Say made animal sounds when a pointer shaped like a miniature farmer was aimed at pictures of animals on its dial. For example, when pointed at an image of a duck, the phrase 'this is a duck...quack, quack, quack' was heard. Unlike other toys, the original See 'n Says required no batteries. Instead, sound was produced by a simple low-fidelity phonograph record driven by a metal coil wond by pulling the toy's string. The was the same mechanism used in Chatty Cathy dolls."

I loved this toy. I loved pulling the string and being able to pick which sound I wanted to hear.

Christmas 1967 - Joe and Mom

Mom opens presents with me. The Farmer Says toy in the first pictures was one of my favorite presents.

Christmas 1967 - Joe's Wagon

Dad helps me put together my wagon.

Christmas 1967 - Joe and Dad

Dad helps me open presents.

Christmas 1967 - Aunt Linda and Uncle Wally's Visit

Aunt Linda, Uncle Wally and their daughters stopped by for a visit during Christmas of 1967.

Top photo: Aunt Linda gives Uncle Wally (who was being a little stinker) a kiss.

Middle and bottom photos: (Standing from left) Cousin Jeannie holding cousin Beth and cousin Patty holding me. (Sitting) Cousin Lee holds cousin Cathy.

Christmas 1967 - Christmas Tree

My first three Christmases were at the old house. Here I am with our Christmas tree in 1967. Mom made all of the orgami birds that decorate the tree.

Christmas 1967 - Joe's Tricycle

My first set of wheels.

Christmas 1968 - Christmas at Home

Top photo: Our Christmas tree at home in 1968.

Middle: I'm holding my favorite toy, Baby, in front of the tree.

Bottom: In my sporty red coat. At right are the first appearance of the figures that would be part of a larger manger scene.

Christmas 1968 - Christmas at Grandpa Les and Grandma Jean's

Christmas 1968 - Color Wheel

The following is from Wikipedia:

"An aluminum Christmas tree is a type of artificial Christmas tree that was popular in the United States from 1958 until about the mid-1960s. As its name suggests, the tree is made of aluminum, featuring foil needles and illumination from below via a rotating color wheel."

"Aluminum Christmas trees were first manufactured sometime around 1955, remained popular into the 1960s, and were manufactured into the 1970s."

"During the 1960s, the aluminum Christmas tree enjoyed its most popular period of usage. As the mid-1960s passed, the aluminum Christmas tree began to fall out of favor, with many thrown away or relegated to basements and attics. The airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 has been credited with ending the era of the aluminum tree, and by 1967 their time had almost completely passed."

"The aluminum Christmas tree was used as a symbol of the over-commercialization of Christmas in the 1965 Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The program is considered a classic amongst Christmas specials, and its mention of the aluminum tree solidified the tree's legendary status while satirizing it as well. Peanuts character 'Lucy' implored Charlie Brown to get a 'big, shiny aluminum tree...maybe painted pink.' Charlie lamented the commercialization of the true meaning of Christmas, ignored his friends' request, and purchased a small, scrawny natural tree instead."

In the bottom photo I'm standing in front and my cousins Debby, Diane and Danny are standing behind me. Behind all of us is an aluminum tree. The color wheel is at the bottom right.

Christmas 1968 - Christmas at Grandpa Louie and Grandma Alice's

Top photo: I got my own phonograph as a present.

Middle photo: With cousins Diane and Danny.

Bottom photo: With cousins Debby, Diane and Danny. Note the aluminum tree behind us and the color wheel at the bottom right.

December 1969

By December 1969 the family was settled into the new house on Stevens and getting ready for the holidays. (Top photo developed Feb. 1970 but taken in December 1969)