It was on this day in 1958 that Alvin, Simon and Theodore hit #1 with The Chipmunk Song. It became the first Christmas song to hit #1 in America. It remained #1 for four weeks. Christmas had been over for a month and most folks had taken down the lights and decorations, and that song was still hanging in at #1.
Influence for the song stemmed from real life events. The song was written and produced by Ross Bagdasarian (a.k.a. David Seville). Its inspiration came to him from his youngest son, Adam. It seems he had a habit of asking in September if it was Christmas yet. That got Ross thinking. He figured if his son was already asking about the holiday so early, other kids probably were too.
According to songfact.com: The song went through three versions before Bagdasarian’s family gave it the OK. The first version was an instrumental, the second was titled “In A Village Park,” and the third and winner was “The Chipmunk Song.” Bagdasarian came up with the idea for a trio of singing chipmunks after seeing one of those creatures on the road, refusing to move for his car.
Fun Fact: Ross Bagdasarian can be seen playing the piano as a struggling composer in the Alfred Hitchcock movie classic Rear Window starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.
Speeding up his voice was nothing new to David Seville. He had previously recorded two singles using the pitched-up voice technique. The first was “Witch Doctor,” which went to #1 US in April 1958. On that song, the high pitched voice represented the witch doctor, not a chipmunk.
When he decided on having three separate voices for his Chipmunks, Dave took advantage of his record label. The Chipmunks were called Alvin, Simon and Theodore. They were named after Liberty Records president Al Bennett, owner Si Warnoker and the engineer on duty when it was recorded, Ted Keep.
The song would go on to win three Grammy Awards: Best Comedy Performance, Best Recording For Children, and Best Engineered Record – Non-Classical (this one went to engineer Ted Keep, the namesake for Theodore). It was also nominated for Record of the Year.
The Chipmunk Christmas albums were a big part of my childhood. My brother and I always had them playing on our record players. In 2020, I wrote about them and featured one of their songs. You can read that blog here.
As I mentioned in a past blog, the family didn’t get family holiday photos this year. Our schedules and budget did not allow for that. So when my coworker said her husband was playing Santa and that her friend was a photographer, I had to take advantage of this.
As the kids and I parked outside the photo studio, they both asked where the sleigh and reindeer were! I think I said they were on a coffee break. Lol
We were greeted by a large elf. He showed around and then we got photos done. Ella had drawn a picture for him. He was thrilled to get it. My coworker said he brought it home
I loved watching this. Andrew seemed a little unsure at first, but wound up having quite a conversation with him.
Ella never has a problem chatting with people. She talked about her Barbies, the new puppy, and whatever else came into head.
They both really had fun. The photographer got a couple solo shots, too
Santa was a giant compared to those two.
It wasn’t so noticable when he was sitting.
Of course, my kids told Santa that dad probably needed to be on the Naughty List .
Because they told on me, I had to plead my case.
I guess I will find out if my begging worked on Christmas Day!
When my wife decided that we were going to do the Elf on the Shelf thing, I wondered just how difficult it would be. When you see those funny videos of a mom or dad shooting up in bed at 5am saying “The Elf!” and then running to move it, that is not a joke.
There have been plenty of times this year where our Elf, Twinkles, is in the same spot as the day before. The puppy is a good excuse, “She must have been afraid to move because she thought the puppy would get her.” That only works a couple times. I knew I had to do something that would make up for those days of no movement.
So, last week, I told the kids I couldn’t find my phone. I had them looking around for it too. I finally “found” it by my work bag. Before I left for work, I texted the following to my wife’s phone:
“Hey guys. It’s Twinkles. I have your dad’s phone. I didn’t want you to worry about where I was, so I wanted to let you know. It’s our little secret.”
That text came with this:
When they called me before bed, I told them that something weird was happening. My phone kept moving all over the office. Throughout the night I planned on sending pictures one by one. However, it was a busy night, so I sent them all at one time in the morning.
Twinkles sure did have some fun …
Hanging out on the IV pole with my equipment Napping in one of the empty patient roomsMaking a mess in the shredderTrying to steal my co-worker Amy’s popMaking one of the front desk staff’s stocking her ownChilling in the employee freezerProbably my favorite of the night. Copying her butt on the copier!
These pictures were popping up in text messages as my wife and I were talking on the phone. Ella was in the car waiting to go into school. With each picture she would crack up . She was loving every minute of it. When my wife picked up Andrew from school, she showed him. He came in to wake me up for work and said, “Dad! Did you know Twinkles was at your work!?’
What was really funny was that two of my co-workers said, “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have brought mine in from home too! They could have had a real party. Maybe next year…
To this day, my best friend Jeff and I will leave each other voice mail messages with a variety of wacky noises and such. For years, we’ve been channeling our inner “Charlie Callas.” That has gotten us both in trouble on occasion (especially with substitute teachers).
Charlie Callas was one of a kind. The thing about Charlie is I don’t know that there is a way to accurately describe what he does. Sure, he tells jokes, but they are punctuated and enhanced by sounds and noises that can make a bad joke funnier than it is.
Charlie was born on this day in 1927. He fought in the US Army during World War II and spent much of his service in Germany. Prior to becoming a comedian, he was a musician.
Originally a drummer, he played with Tommy Dorsey, Claude Thornhill and Buddy Rich. When he wasn’t playing, he was always clowning around and would drive the band members crazy on the bus as they traveled. So much so, they suggested he should be a comedian. “He was just messing around with the guys and it worked, I guess” his son Mark said. Charlie was a natural comic, and it wasn’t long before he gave up drumming for stand-up routines. He dropped a vowel from his legal name, Callias, when he took to the stage in his first television appearance in 1963 on the “Hollywood Palace” variety show. (source IMDB)
In 1967, he appeared on The Merv Griffin Show. Jerry Lewis was on that same show. Charlie had Jerry in hysterics. He laughed so much that he told Merv that he had to use Charlie in his upcoming film “The Big Mouth”. Charlie appeared as Rex. Some of his vocalizations can be heard in scenes from the movie.
Charlie and Jerry had a long friendship and you could count on Charlie helping out on Jerry’s MDA Telethon.
He also made many appearances on the Dean Martin Roasts.
One of Charlie’s funniest jokes, which was done many times on talk shows was about two guys hunting…
His Girlie Magazine joke on the Tonight Show
Charlie Drumming
Charlie made appearances in many of Mel Brooks’ films. Here he is in High Anxiety:
Callas’s only known dramatic role was that of a restaurant owner, Malcolm Argos, in the 1970s show Switch.
Charlie made millions of people laugh. He passed away in January of 2011.
Tony Belmont, executive director of the National Comedy Hall of Fame said of Callas upon his death: “There were two things he did that made his career. He could think very fast on his feet, and he had an unbelievable number of sounds that he made with his voice. He would tell a joke about two guys hunting. If you or I told it, the joke wasn’t so funny. But Charlie made it hysterical by sticking in these sounds; so you would hear the gun cocking, the duck flying overhead, the explosion of the shotgun, and then the duck falling and screaming all the way to the ground.”
It was on this day in 1843 that Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol was first published. The first run of 6000 copies was sold out by that Christmas Eve.
I have read A Christmas Carol every year since 1982. It got me to thinking about the life lessons one can glean from the story. I read somewhere that Ebenezer Scrooge could be a good example of how one should never live as well as the way one must live. He teaches us lessons through both his selfish life as well as his redeemed life.
Bob Welch, a journalist and teacher is the author of “52 Lessons From a Christmas Carol.” He tells us exactly why the story works so well: “Beyond entertaining us, Dickens wanted to make us uncomfortable, because it’s only after we get a touch uneasy with ourselves that we open ourselves to change.”
After reading the story, the reader sees that Scrooge is able to defeat a lifetime of selfishness and the worship of money to become a new man with an entirely new outlook on life. He learns how to be patient, kind and generous.
Welch’s book gives 52 lessons, here are 7:
1. Learning begins with listening. Once Scrooge understands the Spirits have his best interests at heart, he willingly lets them lead. “Spirit,” he tells the Ghost of Christmas Present, “conduct me where you will.” When we listen, we learn. When we learn, we have the potential to grow and change.
2. Humility enhances vision. Scrooge feels sorrow at past memories. He feels remorse for having treated people badly. In short, he humbles himself and pledges to do better.
3. Regret leads to renewal. Regret is not meant to be wallowed in, but regret is the rocket booster on a space shuttle that allows the craft to soar to new heights, then detaches from it and falls helplessly into the Atlantic Ocean.
4. There’s joy in starting over. On Christmas morning, Scrooge reminds us that starting over washes us in newness and gives us the energy we need to figure out difficult things.
5. We must be present to win. On Christmas morn, one of the first things Scrooge does after realizing he’s been given a second chance at life is to fling open his window. He moves from self to the world at large. He notices life around him instead of only himself.
6. Seeking forgiveness is a strength, not a weakness. Actions often say we’re sorry more than words. For example, the born-again Scrooge makes a financial pledge to one of the two solicitors for the poor whom Ebenezer all but threw out of his office the previous day. Scrooge was saying, in essence: I am sorry for being so stingy my entire life. That wasn’t easy. But it affirmed that Scrooge’s turnaround is real stuff. Humbly admitting wrongs and seeking forgiveness is a sign of strength that allows for renewal and moving forward.
7. It’s never too late to change. Nobody would have bet a pound on Scrooge turning his life around, but nobody is beyond change if they pursue it and invest in it. As someone once said, the best time to plant a tree was 50 years ago, but the second best time is now. It’s a lesson that Ebenezer Scrooge teaches us well every Christmas. Scrooge’s journey proves that anyone, no matter how hardened, can undergo profound change and embrace a better way of life.
Other Lessons one can take away from A Christmas Carol:
Actions Have Consequences: We must remember that every choice, good or bad, impacts others and shapes your own future, creating a legacy of either connection or regret. How often do we wonder about “what might have been?” That leads to the next point-
Live in the Present: I need to remind myself of this often. Being consumed by the past or future will make you miss the beauty and opportunities of today. That being said, it’s crucial to be present and engage with the world.
Your Past Doesn’t Define Your Future: Learn from your mistakes, but don’t let them paralyze you. Remember that you can choose to build a different future starting now.
Beware of Ignorance & Greed: Selfishness and obsession with money will blind you to the real meaning of life and lead to isolation, as shown by the lonely future Scrooge faces. Don’t let greed consume you.
Notice Others’ Burdens: Treat everyone with empathy, as you never know the struggles they face, much like the Cratchit family’s hardships.
Kindness and Generosity Win: Giving to others and showing compassion enriches the giver as much as the receiver, leading to true happiness, not wealth. In essence, this is the old saying, “It is better to give than to receive.”
One summary of the story states: A Christmas Carol teaches that it’s never too late to change, emphasizing redemption through kindness, generosity, and compassion, revealing that bitterness and greed blind us to true joy, while investing in people and living in the present, not just for the future, brings lasting happiness, reminding us that our actions have consequences and that we forge our own chains of regret or liberation.
Another reminds us that: In essence, the story is a powerful reminder that a rich life comes from love, connection, and generosity, not material wealth, and that a second chance at life is always available if you open your heart.
I have been a sleep technologist since 2013. In all those years, I have never been so moved by a patient’s kind gesture – until yesterday. I walked into the tech room and found a tall green gift bag on the counter, It had a sticky note on it that read, “Keith – from your patient from last night.”
I admit I was confused. Why would a patient who lived some miles away drive all the way back to our lab to drop off something for me?
Now let me enlighten you to the events of that evening. I only had one patient, a four year old girl. Any child who is under five is usually a one on one patient. Depending on the child, they can really be a handful.
When I went to get my patient from the waiting room, I could tell she was a bit anxious. As we walked to her room, I tried to put her at ease by telling her that she’d be getting a lot of stickers put on her and a rainbow pony tail (the EEG wires are multicolored). When she entered the room, she put her Bluey blanket on the bed with her teddy bear.
I stepped out while her mom did the paperwork and when it looked like they were ready, I went in to begin hooking her up for the study. As I always do, I got down on my knees and pinky promised that there would be “no hurts or shots” tonight. I showed her the wires and let her touch them to see that they didn’t hurt. I let her touch the cleaner, the past, and tape that I would be using. This is so helpful in getting them on your side.
She had Bluey pajamas on and as I put the equipment on I asked her about the cartoon. Who was her favorite character? I would tell her who mine was. I asked if she was ready for Christmas, she nodded. I told her that she was exactly one day older than my son, which made her smile. It was simple conversation – no different than I would do for any other pediatric patient.
There are a couple pieces of equipment that all kids hate. There is a cannula that goes in the nose and a sticker that sits under the nose. They both are there to monitor breathing. It took a bit of sweet talking, but she did allow me to put them on after a bit. Once she was hooked up, I plugged everything in and left the room to let her sleep.
When I went to wake her up in the morning, I dabbed all the tape with adhesive remover so the tape would not hurt when I pulled it off. I then got the rest of the equipment off her, gave her mom a towel and washcloth to help clean her up before she left.
Her mom thanked me for making the study less stressful for her daughter. I told her I was glad to do it. I handed my patient some Bluey stickers and explained follow up stuff before wishing them Happy Holidays and safe travels back home. They had left the building by the time I went back to the room to see if they needed anything.
Now this is a pretty normal night for me. I didn’t feel as though I did anything different than I would for someone else. So to see this bag when I walked in really had me wondering what it was all about.
When I looked inside the bag, there were a couple metal cars and a couple small monster trucks. This confused me more. It was then that I noticed the card inside.
“I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the exceptional care and kindness you showed my daughter during her sleep study. From the very beginning you went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable, safe and supported. As a parent it is incredibly meaningful to see someone treat your child with such genuine compassion. It is clear that you are truly in the right field. Please accept this small token of appreciation for your and your son as a thank you from our hearts.”
I cannot even begin to tell you how this wonderful note took my breath away. It brought tears to my eyes as I read these words of thanks and praise. I’m not sure why it hit me the way it did. As I said, I don’t think I did anything different than I would for someone else. I was simply doing my job.
I guess you don’t really know the impact that you make on a person. I am so glad to have made the night an easy one for them. I am happy to know that I passed along a smile to such a sweet and kind family. I plan on sitting down and writing a thank you card/letter to send their way. I hope that I can find the right words to express my gratitude and explain just how much their words meant to me.
In a world that is filled with hatred, despair, and anger, it warms my heart to know that there are still people in this world that make it a better place with love and kindness.
Due to a schedule conflict this year, we were unable to get family pictures for Christmas. Some coworkers and I were talking about Christmas pictures when one of them told me that her husband was playing Santa. A friend of hers has a photography studio and she was doing pictures with Santa for only $25.
After talking with my wife, we decided to have the kids go there and get their picture taken with Santa. Her friend took a lot of pictures and from your session, you get 5 photos. This sounded perfect, as I needed it to be quick. Our kids don’t stay put for long!
I snuck this one on my phone as they set up for their shoot. I can’t wait to see how the rest came out.
The studio was in one of the smaller towns about 30 minutes away from us. It was a bit chilly and after our pictures were done, we decided to walk over to this little store that had baked goods and coffee. The kids got hot chocolate and I grabbed a coffee. There was a patio with a fire table outside and the kids wanted to drink their hot chocolate there.
It was so funny because as we were sitting there outside, my coworker pulled up to the stoplight right across from us. We both looked at each other for a second before we realized who we were looking at and laughed.
Later that day, a package arrived at the house. My wife had ordered a coffee table. She asked if I would put it together for her. Andrew and I worked together and assembled it. It was a fairly easy job and Andrew loves to help. It didn’t take long for Mabel to make herself at home with it.
Billy was born outside of Houston, Texas. Music was a part of his life right from the start. His father was an orchestra leader and concert pianist.
When he was five, his mom took him to see Elvis Presley. Two years later, his dad took him to see BB King. Can you imagine the influence those two shows had on him?
In the late 60’s he formed the band Moving Sidewalks. In 1969, he formed ZZ Top by snagging two guys from the band American Blues (Dusty Hill and Frank Beard). They played together for a couple of years and they mastered their “sound,” a sort of bluesy Rock before recording their first album in 1971.
In 2015, he set off on a solo career with the album “Perfectamundo.” He followed that in 2018 with “The Big Bad Blues.” In 2021 he released his third album, “Hardware.”. He has also collaborated with artists like BB King, Jeff Beck, Brooks and Dunn, Kid Rock, and Sammy Hagar.
For Tune Tuesday, I could have picked from so many great ZZ Top songs. However, with Christmas right around the corner, how about a Christmas song from him?
Dig this. Here is Jingle Bell Blues. I just stumbled on it and I thought it was cool!!
I have featured this film before, but for a different reason. The last time was the anniversary of Glenn Miller’s Chattanooga Choo Choo becoming the first gold record. Today is for a much sadder anniversary.
It was on this day in 1944 that Glenn Miller’s plane disappeared somewhere over the English Channel. The incident remains an unsolved mystery. No wreckage was ever found. There are a few theories about what happened including bad weather causing the carburetor to freeze up, a fire on board, and even some sort of espionage.
In the film, Jimmy Stewart portrays Miller. It covers his early days in the music business in 1929 through his disappearance on this day in 1944.
Moonlight Serenade was released as an instrumental in May of 1939. It is often referred to as the song that first introduced the “Miller Sound.” What made his music unique is that many of his songs, including Moonlight Serenade, have a clarinet lead. Often times, the melody in most big bands would be done by the trumpet or trombone.
The song would become Miller’s signature song. Lyrics were added to the instrumental that were composed by Mitchell Parish.
In 2004, a jazz critic named Gary Giddins told the New Yorker, “Miller exuded little warmth on or off the bandstand, but once the band struck up its theme, audiences were done for: throats clutched, eyes softened. Can any other record match ‘Moonlight Serenade’ for its ability to induce a Pavlovian slobber in so many for so long?”
*The majority of this blog was written in 2019 and has been updated with additional photos and stories.
(2025) The kids were watching some Mickey Mouse holiday special on Disney+ recently. I cannot recall the name of the song, but some of the lyrics are a perfect lead in to this blog:
“Every time I see a Christmas tree Something lights up inside of me My heart is filled with electricity There’s reason to cheer Christmas is nearly herе“
Radio stations across the country will often begin playing all Christmas music after Thanksgiving. The adult contemporary station I worked at always did. Of course, Sirius XM’s Christmas music channels also start popping up around the same time or earlier.
(2019) One song always really sticks out to me each Christmas, mainly because it really isn’t a Christmas song – Linus & Lucy (AKA the Charlie Brown theme) from the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun song that immediately makes be think of Charlie Brown and the gang, but it is a song that is used in basically every Charlie Brown special. Personally, the soundtrack to the Charlie Brown Christmas special is one of my favorites.
O Tannenbaum is the instrumental that kicks off the album. Many know the song as simply “Oh Christmas Tree”. (In case you were wondering, a tannenbaum is a fir tree). It’s one of my favorite versions of the song. I had the chance to hear it over the weekend and it got me to thinking about the Christmas Tree. I recently had the chance to go through a bunch of family pictures and I was surprised at how many of them included the Christmas tree. This blog is sort of a “pictorial” blog featuring some of those pictures.
As I looked through the pictures, it was fun to see the various decorations and the toys under the tree. Bear with me, as some of the years I am guessing on …
The above picture is of my dad in 1951. He would be 5 here. As I look at this picture, I see a little of me, my brother, and my oldest son in my dad.
The above picture is my mom. Just a guess, but this is probably from 1953 or 1954, as she looks 5-6 years old here. I think it is cute that she seems to be in pajamas and wearing dress shoes. Tinsel seemed to be really big in the 50’s! There’s quite a bit on this tree. I wonder what that “Little Painter” set is worth today….
The above picture is my dad, home on leave from Vietnam. The date is 1967. I really have no idea what that tree is made of. Eventually, my grandma had a ceramic tree that my mom made that stood about as high as the one in the photo. That would sit proudly in the same spot in the front window. This one looks … fluffy, and seems to have a strand of lights on it. Anyway, there are other pictures of my dad with both his mom and his dad next to this tree, too.
My folks told me that the local paper used to put names and addresses of servicemen who were overseas in the paper for people to send letters. Both of my parents were from the same city and my mom sent my dad letters. That is basically how they met and eventually marry. With those letters, occasional pictures were sent back and forth.
I think the above picture is one my mom sent to my dad. I am not 100% sure. I am not sure because I don’t know where this was taken. It would seem to me that this would be a picture that she would send to my dad overseas. There are some things that really jump out at me in the picture. Note the “sunbust” clock on the wall – I know my grandma had one of those. Also, note the cool Hi-Fi with the ceramic cat on it. This was a record player and radio. It probably also played 8 track tapes and stored records. I know my dad, and my grandpa each had one of them.
I know for a fact that this was taken at my grandma’s house. I know this because of the fireplace and the huge wooden fork and spoon on the wall behind the TV. In my lifetime, I don’t recall my grandparents ever putting a tree on the TV, so I am guessing this is before I came around.
One thing that really caught my eye is the “paper rack” between the fireplace and the TV. It seems like everyone in my family had one. After you finished reading the newspaper, you’d put it in the rack. Magazines would sometimes go there, too. When it got too full, they’d pull out a paper grocery bag and put everything in it to go out to the garbage.
I was born in May of 1970. I was 7 months old for my first Christmas. I am thankful that my folks took lots of pictures. A few of my favorites all come from 1970, all for different reasons.
The above picture is my and my great-grandpa. He passed away shortly after this. It is the only picture I have of him and I.
I am not 100%, but I believe this picture was taken in my mom and dad’s apartment. My dad can correct me if I am wrong. I remember that stuffed Bugs Bunny to my right very well.
I am pretty sure that this is at my grandma and grandpa’s house. What I love about this picture is a little foreshadowing. One of my favorite sports to participate in is bowling. I love that I am propped up next to a balling ball bag in this picture.
This is absolutely one of my favorite pictures of my mom and me. It was taken at my grandparents house, probably Christmas Eve. I love this picture so much, because it reminds me of another … which I will share in a few pictures.
The above is obviously from the same year. This time, I am with mom and dad. My grandma always kept her house hot, so mom took off her vest. Dad, who is ALWAYS hot, must not have felt it was too warm, because his is still on here.
One more from the same year (and you won’t have to look at that brown bowling ball bag anymore!), here is my and my grandpa. I always loved this picture of us. I was his first grandchild, and you can see just how happy he is here.
These are my mom’s parents – Grandma and Grandpa D. The date on the picture says 1970, but another scan from my brother says 1967. Not really sure. It could easily be 1970, though. It is one of my favorites of them. The tree is in the corner where my grandpa’s recliner used to always be.
The date on the above picture is October of 72, which means I am 1 here. This is at Grandma D’s house. That is my Aunt Jodi holding the bear. She is 5 years older than me. Note in the background, another Hi-Fi. My grandpa used to have big band records that I used to listen to with headphones.
The above picture was taken at our old house on Brandywine. I am about 4 here and my brother is probably just 2. The thing that stands out in this picture is the ornaments on the tree. See those diamond crocheted things? Yeah, my mom made them. She had many hobbies and this particular year, she was crocheting everything! I remember a maroon vest that she made for me. At any rate, those ornaments were two squares, with a piece of an egg carton in the middle, and a tail hanging down. I am sure she made these for many people. I remember seeing them on other family members Christmas trees.
A year later, same house, and same ornaments! You can see them a little better in this picture. I am probably 5 here, while my brother is 3. This would be the last Christmas at this house, as we moved the following year. A couple things (besides the ornaments) stand out in the picture. First, there is the organ I used to play, and mentioned in a past blog about my music lessons. Next, I remember those Ernie and Big Bird stuffed animals! Then there is that picture above the organ – it’s two horses. I think everyone in my family had that picture. Maybe a family member painted it? Finally, and this should get my wife’s OCD going, note that I am wearing the pants from one pair of PJs and the shirt from another in this picture! Good Lord!!!
The picture above has to be from 1977. My grandma bought us each a set of Star Wars figures that year. I think there were like 20 issued the first year. I remember my grandma having trouble finding the Jawa figures. This picture would have been Christmas morning, and we had gotten the figures the night before at grandma’s. If I remember right, we had the big Han Solo and Jawa dolls (pictured here) and Boba Fett and Princess Leia.
What I love most about this picture is that my mom is in it wearing this yellow robe. I have written about her yellow robe in previous blogs. She wore this thing SO much that it was stained and had tears and holes in it. She loved this robe. Eventually we bought her a new one for Christmas one year and she wore that. We assumed that she threw this one away, but after she passed away, we found it in the back of the closet! I have a “memory bear” made out of this robe.
The above has to be from 1978. If you can look past my brother’s golf pants and my wacky shirt, you will see a Tie Fighter and X-Wing Fighter. You can see the tree set up on the TV, but cannot really see the amazing display on my grandma’s mantel. Every year, she put up angels, Santa, reindeer, trees, snow and more. There was one piece that always stood out – a little mouse that was in a flower arrangement that I sent her when she was in the hospital. She put that up every year!
It obviously took my folks awhile to develop film! This is from Christmas of 78, and was not developed until August of 79! First, I love how skinny I am in this picture! Second, I remember having the sliding wooden doors that covered the doorwall. I have to chuckle because of the bowling trophy and chalice sitting on top of the door frame.
I also remember the bad paneling in the living room! I can see the Polaroid camera on the TV, the candy jar, and the glass candle sticks that my mom had. I wish I could make out more of the presents under the tree, but I remember really wanting this game. I also remember that star on the tree. It was made of hard plastic and the ends were very sharp! So sharp in fact, that it could probably be used as a weapon.
The above picture is of my dad’s folks, my Grandma and Grandpa P. This was in 1979 – I remember that was the year that everyone was taking Polaroids! At family gatherings, everyone took pictures and wrote their last name on the bottom, so they knew what pictures belonged to what family! A couple things I notice right away: The tree topper, I never understood just what the hell it was! It wasn’t a star, it was just this spaceship shaped thing that lit up! I remember the musical angels on the wall. They moved from room to room as I recall.
Then there is my Grandma’s beehive hair. She wore it this way for SO long! I also notice the pack of cigarettes in my grandpa’s pocket – you could bet they were either Lucky Strikes or Pall Malls. It looks like he is wearing a bracelet in this picture. I don’t remember him wearing one, but he did here. Just love this picture!!
The above is from 1980. This is my brother and me, with my cousins Arin and Melissa. This is at my Grandma and Grandpa D’s. A couple thoughts on this one – I am holding the very cool Coleco Head to Head Baseball game which I loved. I do not remember that bear I am holding! This is probably the year that my grandpa bought me my cribbage board, too! What is sad about this picture, is knowing that my grandpa would pass away in less than a year after this picture was taken.
Jumping many years ahead now for the above picture. Remember the picture of my mom and me by the tree from earlier? It reminds me of this picture. This is my mom and my oldest son, Dante’. This may not have been her last Christmas, I think Dante is 2 here. She loved him so much and I see the same joy in her smile here as I do in the picture of her holding me.
The above picture is about a year or so before my divorce. It’s my sons, Dante’ and Dimitri. I just love this picture because these two guys (no matter how much they may fight) really love each other. This was such a spontaneous picture and it remains one of my favorites of the boys!
The above picture is from Christmas Eve (2018) morning. Christmas Eve was always bigger than Christmas on my dad’s side of the family. The fact that I get the boys every Christmas Eve Morning to open up gifts is so special to me. I cannot wait until they can celebrate it with their sister (which would happen in February of 2020). They are going to be such great brothers to her.
The above picture is from 2018 (on the right) and 2017 (on the left). When we first got Moe (left) he got up in the tree! When Maizey came along in 2018, the fact that she was almost in the same exact spot as Moe the year before made me laugh. So I put together this comparison picture. It still makes me laugh!!
This picture (along with the song I mentioned earlier) was the reason for this blog. As I mentioned, so many favorite pictures involve the Christmas tree. I took this picture of Sam just the other night. It was her idea. The silhouette of her baby bump against the lights of the Christmas tree is just beautiful!! I posted it on Facebook (she did, too) and I mention how I cannot stop looking at it!
The reason is that it brings about so many feelings: Feelings of love for my beautiful wife. Feelings of joy and nostalgia – because it is Christmastime and the Christmas Tree. Feelings of excitement and anticipation – because the baby will be here soon. Feelings of happiness – because the picture brings a smile to my face every time I see it.
In the years ahead, I hope that more and more wonderful pictures will be captured near the Christmas tree … so I can reflect on them, too!
(2025)
Above are the boys in 2019. Dante’ would be graduating in June. Ella would be making her debut in about 2 months. I can see the ornament we got that year from Bronners. It is the cup of Hot chocolate with 5 marshmallows. Each marshmallow has our names on it – for the 5th one, it says “Baby P.”
Christmas in 2020 was strange because we were still technically in the middle of the pandemic. I was glad that everyone was well enough to be together on Christmas Eve. Ella’s first Christmas was extra special to me because with her being so young, it brought back a renewed love and excitement for the Christmas magic experienced by her.
Christmas of 2021 was fun because Ella was finally at a point where she was aware or presents and wanted to open them. It was Andrew’s first Christmas, and he was just a little over 2 months old. What I love about the above photo is her reaction to the presents under the tree. It has that “How did all these presents get here?” feel to it.
My wife almost always has the tree up Thanksgiving weekend. In 2022, Andrew was a little over a year old and he was curious about everything. Both kids were helping me that year. I was sure to give Andrew the honor of placing the tree topper that year.
I’m pretty sure that the kids had us up super early on Christmas morning of 2023. They both were excited that morning. The Barbie Castle and train table were huge hits. This photo reminds me of having to put them together into the wee hours of the morning. I just love their matching pajamas. I have to chuckle about the “cage” around the bottom of the tree to keep them and the cat away from the tree.
Last year, Christmas Eve. I love that Andrew and Ella are wearing Bluey pajamas. Bluey was a big show for them. Andrew was happy that they finally got to hold Twinkles, their elf, before he went back to the North Pole.
The boys were over earlier in the day. We always tried to get a picture in front of the tree every year. By last year, they’d grown so much that you can barely see the tree in the back. You can, however, see the snowman’s hat from the top of the tree – it makes Dante’ look like he is wearing it.
Surprisingly, I haven’t taken any picture of the kids by the tree this year. I’ll have to be sure to make that happen. I know we are trying to figure out when the boys will be able to get us all together.
The Christmas tree. It will forever be connected to warm feelings and memories for me. So that lyric I quoted earlier … it really expresses the truth:
“Every time I see a Christmas tree Something lights up inside of me My heart is filled with electricity There’s reason to cheer Christmas is nearly herе“
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 