18 December 2010

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories: Christmas Stockings

Christmas stockings have always been a favorite of mine. I loved getting the huge oranges in mine as a child. We didn't have a fireplace or a staircase so they were always pinned to the back of one couch.

Once I was married I made stockings for me, my husband, and as they were born, for our three children. We didn't have a fireplace in either of our homes but in the second home we had a beautiful wooden staircase with the old fashioned spindles where the stockings "were hung with care." I really miss that special place in our 1907 house for the stockings.

Now I just do stockings for the four grandchildren. If they are not with me on Christmas morning I call them
and tell them Santa filled them to overflowing. The get their stockings later that day or whenever we next get together. My youngest three live out of town and we sometimes celebrate early but I save the stockings for Christmas morning.

I love that phrase about good things coming in small packages. When I was married my husband and I always put special items in each other's stockings. Often I would received meaningful charms for my charm bracelet.

As my grandchildren get older and have their own children, it will be stockings for the new crop of little ones. However, that is not in the near future. So, this year on Christmas Eve after the three youngest grandchildren are safely asleep in my bedroom I will fill the set of stockings I have for them at my house. The oldest granddaughter will just have to stop and get hers later that day.

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