On December 6, 2018, I shared the post below. This post was one of my first AND is the most read and most shared post to this day. You all shared such warm and caring comments with me, appreciating the specialness of this childhood memory. The past three years have been so very difficult with the pandemic. I got Covid before it was cool (first week of January 2020) and was left with a life-threatening case of pulmonary fibrosis. I missed last Christmas (2021) as I had the omicron strain. Though on supplemental oxygen, I have improved. I’ve gotten stronger, have lost some weight (50+ lbs.) and have periods of creativity again! My Puppy Girls Emma and Gabby keep me company and well loved. And this past weekend, I brought out my Advent Calendar, to remind me of all I have to be grateful for and to appreciate these few weeks of love and peace. For some of you, this is a repeat. For others, this will be your first time. And for all of us, I hope it shines a light on all that can be and/or is good. Love, Lynn
One of my very favorite Christmas memories was of the Advent calendar my Mother made at Home Bureau. It was a wonderful piece of family, of remembering all of the good that the holiday stood for. It was made of a 2′ x 3′ piece of styrofoam, covered in gold felt and had a Christmas tree with a star at top glued onto it. Underneath the tree were two rows of small pockets with numbers on each, where the tree “ornaments” were held. The ornaments came from the small decoration kits, sometimes sold as fundraisers for school events. Over the years, ornaments with special meaning were given to each of us and were exchanged for the original ones. The calendar was always put up shortly after Thanksgiving, ready for December 1st. It was a magical time indeed!!
There were seven of us kids – me as the oldest, my sister and then five brothers. Each night, after dinner was served and dishes washed, dried and put away, one of us would have the honor of pulling out an ornament from the pocket and decide its location on the tree. We went oldest to youngest and knew well ahead of time which night would be our turn to decorate the tree. Should we have company for dinner, then that evening’s draw would be granted to our guest. With so many of us, there was only a couple of turns for each of us. As we all grew older, there were now grandchildren and the Advent calendar went to my sister, to continue the tradition with her family. It was very special when I was a guest, getting a chance to place an ornament.
Some years later, as I was to be married, I really wanted this tradition in our home. Using my favorite block – the log cabin – I fashioned a Chris
tmas tree from sixteen blocks, added the two rows with embroidered numbers below the tree and bought a small decoration kit from a friend’s school aged child. I was a very new quilter, so I added a layer of batting and glued the top to a piece of foam core board. Always fond of angel figurines, I used angel button to top my tree. Over the years, ornaments with special meanings have replaced nearly all of the original ornaments.
The Border Collie key ring is in memory of the original Puppy Girl Heidi, the logo for Puppy Girl Designs. The sewing mouse was given to me to represent my hand stitching. Hallmark has some wonderful miniature ornaments each year – backyard birds and others. This year I splurged and bought both my mini bird but also this sweet puppy/kitty ornament as well – to represent my kids – the Puppy Girls Emma & Gabby and Feline littermates Jackson & Katie. They all snuggle together, it’s sweet to watch.
And so began my own tradition, after dinner each evening, to pause and place that evening’s ornament onto the tree. Then stand back and admire, reflecting on all good in life, no matter how small. Most of all, to remember a favorite family Christmas memory.
