Boy would a picture be great. It is so hard to imagine what it looked like but it must have beautiful and so much hard work. What a great story ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marjorie" <pearldesert@comcast.net> To: <paclearf@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 5:26 PM Subject: Re: [PACLEARF] Cotton Batting on Christmas Trees > That was a beautiful story. > > Marjorie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Reneelwaring@aol.com> > To: <PACLEARF-L@rootsweb.com> > Cc: <PACENTRE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:02 PM > Subject: Re: [PACLEARF] Cotton Batting on Christmas Trees > > >> This story was just passed to me by my Mother. I think it is just a >> wonderful reminisent and thought all of you might enjoy it. I'm hoping >> she doesn't >> mind but we are getting into the season again and I'm hoping this story >> might >> brighten up what for some of us is a dreary time. Mostly the best >> Christmas's >> are the ones long ago, in different times and with people who have passed >> and >> will never come again: >> >> >> Renee I remember a lot about the Christmas display. >> >> What I remember of dad's Christmas trees is from what I was told by my >> Mother, brothers, and the one time Dad set the trees up for me. Dad set >> the display >> up for me one time using one pine tree and one white tree. He then told >> me >> that the next time it was set up it would be up to me to do the work. The >> last >> time the display was set up was in 1954. I set it up using one white, and >> one >> pine tree for my Mother. This was the last Christmas that my Mother was >> alive >> as she passed away October 30,1955. >> >> The preparation for the Christmas display would start in the summer when >> Mother would string small bits of cotton on white thread. These bits >> would be >> spread out in varying spaces that would eventually look like snow. Dad >> would >> prepair two small saplings with strings of blue lights following the >> branches >> with the lights. Possibly a paper hornet's nest and a bird nest on each. >> What >> ever he could find. He then would cut strips of cotton and wrap the >> branches >> covering them and the wireing and what ever he used to attach the nests. >> The light >> bulbs themselves would not be covered. >> >> The Day after Thanksgiving the display work would begin in earnest. Dad >> would >> clear most of the funiture out of the room. Dad would fasten lights >> across >> the celling that would later look like stars in the sky. He would then >> cover the >> walls and celling with white sheets behind and above where he intended to >> place the trees. (There were generally two or three pine trees and two >> white >> trees). Then dad would string white threads across the celing over where >> the trees >> would stand. He would then set the pine trees in place and cover them >> with >> lights and strings of tincle. Next would come some balls on the back of >> the pine >> trees. The white trees were always covered with glass birds. The >> decorating >> would have to start along the back and top of the display. Dad would >> start >> tying the threads that had the cotton bits on them over the trees cuting >> the >> strings of cotton to follow the contor of the trees. He would decorate >> the >> pine >> trees with the balls and icecicles just far enough ahead of where he was >> working >> with the snow thread so he didn't have to worry about knocking them off >> of >> the tree. When he was close to the front of the trees with the decorating >> overhead he would build a town underneath the trees. There was everything >> imaginable >> in the town. In addition to the houses and some small trees there was >> always >> a working train, several skating ponds, (some even with ducks on them), >> snow >> covered roads with cars on them. People walking to stores and the >> skating >> ponds, etc. >> >> The overall display looked like a winter scene with a stary sky and the >> snow >> falling over the trees. The lighted town underneath with it's beautiful >> display. There were people that drove long distances to see the display >> that Dad >> put up each year. >> >> In trying to describe this makes me long to be able to go back to see it >> once >> again. It is just one of those good times that I try to describe for my >> children, and grandchildren but will never be able to create it for them >> to see. My >> brother may possibly have some of the cars that dad used under the trees, >> but >> for the most part dad destroyed the decorations along with many other >> things >> after Mother died. >> >> Leah >> >> >> >> >> >> ************************************** See what's new at >> http://www.aol.com >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> PACLEARF-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PACLEARF-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message