by Carol (McColloch) Pulliam-Mueller
(Editor’s Note: I asked Mrs. Carol Pulliam-Mueller – a personal friend who has enjoyed a few more Yuletides than most of us – to share some of her memories about Christmases of old.)
Every Christmas Daddy took us kids in his pickup to the woods to cut a tree. (Those woods where we cut our trees are now a subdivision full of houses.) I remember one year we chose a pine tree instead of our normal cedar because we especially liked the smell. When we got it home Mom tied some of the branches into place to help cover its bare places.
We did not have lights on our Christmas tree – we did not even have electricity. We made ornaments from Daddy’s shiny paper from his cigarette packages as well as some other homemade decorations. We even had a few bought decorations.
When I was really young (during World War II) the sugar was rationed so we could not make homemade Christmas candy. But my grandmother made some candy using mashed potatoes and peanut butter. It was very good.
We looked at the Sears Christmas catalog over and over every day.
At church we performed a Christmas play showing the birth of Jesus. We had a big, decorated Christmas tree. They handed out gifts to all us children. They also gave us a bag of nuts, an apple, an orange and some store-bought hard candy.
Our family was a big family, and we didn’t have much worldly things. But that didn’t matter so much, for we were loved and felt safe.
I’m so thankful for being raised in a Christian home and having a happy childhood.
This year may we be mindful that these are “the good ol’ days” we and our children will one day reflect back on fondly. That fondness will not be because of the material things we have, but from time and experiences with family and friends, and from remembering that Jesus is still the reason for the season.
