My Trails into the Past

Christmas music is my favorite part of the Christmas Season.  I always remember Christmas records being played on the stereo at home as we trimmed the tree and Christmas music played on the radio from Christmas eve through Christmas Day.  At school we sang Christmas songs, though I don't remember any exact titles.  In 7th and 8th grade, I was in Girls & Boys Chorus and we once went to Rossmoor (the local senior community) and sang Christmas songs.  One of the songs I remember singing was "O Come, All Ye Faithful" because we sang a verse or two in Latin.  So I guess we sang both religious and secular songs in those days. I had fond memories of one particular record by Burl Ives that had "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on it.  My work partner found the record for me on eBay and it is very nice to now listen to it again at Christmas.  My daughters took piano lessons and played Christmas songs through the New Year. My favorite Christmas songs are (n...

Lisa with daughters, Elizabeth (age 8) & Margaret (age 6), 1997 When scanning photos for the Christmas Cookies post, I found this photo taken of my daughters and me with matching Holiday dresses.  I'm pretty sure I ordered them from a catalog, though I don't remember which one.  In order to get the most out of the dresses, we wore them everywhere we could: a Christmas party at my friend, Beth; church on Christmas eve, and then to my parents on Christmas Day.  The girls might have worn them to school on the final day before winter break. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past

I have fond memories of Christmas Cookies, both baking and eating!  My mother always had us make sugar cookies we rolled out onto the large kitchen table and cut using the many different shapes.  I was very fond of the tree, Santa & sleigh, and star shapes.  Once baked, we then decorated them with colored frosting and sprinkles.  I remember the old silver and gold sprinkles made with traces of real metal! When I had children, we cut cookies at our kitchen table, too.  I collected many different cookie cutters and my daughters enjoyed rolling, cutting, and frosting the cookies.  The photos here show my daughters with friends at a friend's house having a Christmas Cookie party. Elizabeth, Mike, Aaron & Margaret Adam & Margaret As you can see, there was always lots of flour around--on the table, in their clothes, and hair!  But they had such a wonderful time creating their masterpieces--each cookie carefully deco...