I can remember the Christmases that we had in the 1950s and '60s. It was truly a magical time. The tree, decorations, dinner, holiday TV shows, Christmas movies at the neighborhood theater, and the best of all...the presents on Christmas morning.

My memories are of the cold and snow of northern Ohio. We lived in Akron at the time. We also owned property in Cook Forest, Pennsylvania. About two weeks before Christmas my parents and I would climb into the old '58 Packard and haul dad's open cargo trailer the 151 miles from Akron to Cook Forest. There we would cut down three pine trees (on our property of course). They would be tied into the trailer and hauled back to Akron. There was one for us and one each for my two sisters who were grown with their own homes and families.

Mom got the biggest kick of of decorating. She would pull the boxes from the attic and for a few days would go all over the house putting the stuff up. The tree was a family affair. We all had a hand in that. My dad was the one to add the angel on top when the tree was done. One year, around 1958, I was eight years old and decided I would put the angel on the tree. So, while the folks were in the kitchen at breakfast, I got the angel and climbed the ladder. My parents ran to the living room when they heard a crash and found the tree fallen over and me down on the floor behind it with a fallen ladder. That was the last time I wrestled with an angel.

Since my father was a ruling elder at our church, it was very important to him that the entire family attended Christmas Eve services. And you did NOT say no to dad. So, my sisters and families and us were in attendance for the service.

Unlike many families, we were of the old school and the opening of gifts were on Christmas morning. That was the best time of all. Most years I got everything I had asked for. Plus the grandparents were always good for the clothes. Socks, underwear, ya know!

The whole family showed up on Christmas day and dinner was around 1:00. Mom had worked since the night before cooking and baking. There was no shortage of pies, cakes and cookies. Dad worked at Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron and had several days off between Christmas and New Years. School was closed for two weeks. We always managed to get in, at least, one Christmas movie during the holidays as long as they weren't on at the same time as Bonanza or Gunsmoke. On the Christmas episode of the Rifleman, Old Lucas McCain would always kill a bad guy or two so that was always a good time.

Christmas was the best time of the year. It was always sad to think that many families did not have it as well as we did. But I am sure that their parents made it as good as they could. It was also sad that for those families, there were not much help at that time. The Salvation Army was there and that was a good thing. I remember the kettles and the guys dressed as Santa Claus ringing those bells at the doors of almost every store and street corner. It's really nice to see that some things don't change. They are still out there today. I also remember that mom and dad always had a pocketful of change for those kettles.

This blog is dedicated to all the Santa's, the Salvation Army and the parents who have worked so hard over the years to make their kids as happy as possible on Christmas morning. My hat is off to you all.