Christmas Memories - 4

In those early days, there was little money to shop for ornaments but they came slowly, some as gifts from relatives and some through advertising. Somewhere on my tree is a crystal Energizer Bunny that I must have gotten in a package of batteries.  

Chris found one of the mice in Disney's Cinderella in a McDonald's Happy Meal. The mouse has been on the tree ever since. We didn't eat out very much in those days. A trip to McDonald's was a big treat. 

As soon as he had a job delivering newspapers for the Appleton Post-Crescent, he began to think about things he could get me.  His first Christmas present was this little train made of tin. He found it on sale (my boy!) at the local drugstore.  It was a nice addition. 

We were beginning to have a real tree but at this point I was still adding paper ornaments and stringing popcorn to fill in the empty spaces. But the collection on my memory tree was growing. When I look at that little train I remember the cold winter days when he went out with his bag of newspapers, day after day, year after year.  

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Last night I "boysat" with my grandson.  We played video games, watched movies, read, and best of all, played his new piano.  Evan has only had lessons for three months but he is progressing quickly.  We were able to do a duet together.  I haven't played a piano in at least two years but we muddled through. He has a recital in another week. This proud grandmother will be there.

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Bettyann Moore concludes her story "Queen of Acapulco" at http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com/2013/12/queen-of-acapulco-part-ii.html  Betty is growing in her storytelling. In some ways, it reminds me of  Nobel Laureate Alice Munro's short stories. I've been reading them lately for inspiration.