What is the best Christmas gift you ever received? Which is the most nostalgic? Which ones do you remember from your childhood?
This is one of the first gifts that I remember receiving – a marionette of Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring, from the Howdy-Doody Show.
The best gift I ever received was a new car (1985 Pontiac Grand Am).
The most nostalgic gifts I remember aren’t ones that I received, but gifts that my new husband and I made for our friends and family the first Christmas we were married. We had very little money, so it was both challenging and fun. Friends of ours were just as broke, and got their “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree from the neighborhood lot for a couple of bucks. We all chipped in to make the decorations. Lots of fun!
Best of all, just a few weeks after Christmas, we were blessed by the birth of our daughter. A never forgotten and best gift ever!
1959 is still the Christmas I remember the most. I do believe it is the year that I grew up some & learned the true meaning of Christmas.
The summer of 59 we had moved to Texas so we could be closer to family.
My widowed mother had just finally gotten a job about 3 months prior.. However, just after Thanksgiving someone had slashed 2 of her tires & money was tight. Oh how I wanted a Toodles doll for Christmas, but knew it was impossible.
On Christmas morning we all awoke to presents under the tree which were mostly clothes. However, I got a special gift–my toodles doll.. Before the day was over out I realized that my mother didn’t have/get a winter coat like the rest of us. Upon asking I was told that she forfeited it for my doll.
The next day with my older sister I returned the doll & got my mother her much needed winter coat. So I guess you could say my best gift was learning about the gift of giving…
If you are curious you can see a description and picture of it at this site.
https://www.dollreference.com/american_character_dolls.html
LikeLiked by 6 people
That’s a lovely story. It brought tears to my eyes. Reminds me a bit of the story by O. Henry – The Gift Of The Magi.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I remember it not being that easy, but I do feel my mom didn’t wanted me to enjoy another childhood Christmas for a 10 year old. My brother was about 4 years older & sister and another 2 years older than that..
LikeLike
Wow Stella–Howdy Doody Show–you sure are bringing back some old memories
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yeah – first program I remember seeing on the first TV we had was “You Asked For It” hosted by Art Baker. Other early one was “I Married Joan”, which I thought was neat as my mother’s name was Joan.
I can remember, pre-TV set and as a pre-schooler, sitting at the kitchen table and eating lunch while listening to the soaps. Young Doctor Malone, Guiding Light, One Mans Family…
Then at night we had Gangbusters, The FBI in Peace and War, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, The Whistler….all on radio, all requiring close attention and imagination.
I really do love the FX now, wouldn’t trade them, but as a kid radio was THE thing. I can remember seeing some of my old radio programs on the TV, seeing characters I’d listened to and formed an image of for the first time and thinking: “That’s not what they look like!”.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I only have antenna & some streaming, so my favorite is ME TV that has a lot of the 50s & 60s TV.
LikeLike
We have 500 channels of satellite TV and most of them are garbage.We spend most of our time on channels we could get with an antenna if we didn’t live in an area where we need satellite to get antenna channels.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Finding a lot of neat free channels on Roku too…only need internet..
LikeLiked by 1 person
So do we…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tubi is free and has a Christmas movie that I really liked “Christmas for a Dollar”. Tubi has many other shows & movies too.
TCD has some good documentaries too. Was a good one on the gypsies and Hitler..
LikeLike
Problem is we’re stuck with using our cell phones as hot spots, aside from satellite that’s all we got. Se had HughesNet for a few years but the service was…less than satisfactory…and the hot spot is cheaper while being more reliable.
LikeLike
oh no boy you are in the boonies…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like I said, 18 miles from the closest Walmart, 6 miles from a gas station and most of our neighbors have no familiarity with Starbucks.
LikeLike
2 miles from closest mini mart but can’t walk it since it almost straight down hill to it & I’d never make it back up LOL. nearest gas is about 4 or 5.
10 miles from Walmart…but only 45 miles from city that has main stations with antennas. Since I’m on top of a hill so far an indoor antenna works. City also has a mall and some other good stores.
I found a nice small rural area that I can escape the crazy world but then be in civilization in less that 40 mins.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ahhhh….only 10 miles to a Walmart, so you’re in the suburbs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One year when I was about 11 I asked for & got a chemistry set. Messed with it for months making the formulas, but never cared for it. Liked baking cookies & cakes better, so it went out with the trash eventually. Chemistry either way.
LikeLiked by 4 people
My favorite Christmas was when I placed my 2 week old infant daughter under the tree for photos. She was all we had under that little tree, and the photos are precious. She’s been the best daughter any Mom could have! Every Christmas since, anything about the baby Jesus makes me burst out in tears. I’m a soggy mess.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Do believe I enjoyed the lean Christmases better, then the ones where I had the money to go overboard & often did.
LikeLiked by 2 people
this kind of fits here look at the gift a 5th grader was to get Trump
LikeLiked by 3 people
I LOVE it!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thought it was so really kewl..
LikeLiked by 3 people
This kid would give his best friend a PS4. That is awesome.
Not many kids would do that, even for their best friend. Because screw them! It’s a PS4, and it’s MINE!
We’re talking one out of a million, here. This kid is selfless.
(No, I didn’t miss the point. I just like displaying my aspergers every so often.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Someone any parent would be proud to say “That’s my kid” 😉
LikeLike