Christmas Memories

For Pink Saturday we’re supposed to write about a childhood memory.     My dad worked most nights and we always had our “tree” on Christmas eve.  We didn’t get a ton of gifts like kids today – usually a tea set or such, a doll, and of course pj’s or clothes!  So my memories are those of seeing the spectacular sights in my hometown, McAllen.  I think the population was about 10,000 back then, if that.  The thing I’d get most excited about was when the town started decorating for Christmas.

The reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh on top of  the fire station looked like these.  I can almost hear their little tinkling bells as they rocked back and forth.  If we were good my mom would take us to see them and  then we’d go wave at my dad (a projectionist at the theater) and he would open his window above the marquee  and wave down at us.

This is where I think we went to see Santa but

 

this is where I did all my shopping!  I think I’d get about three dollars - a Huge amount of $$$$$$!!!

My childhood memories are all Old McAllen.  The Christmas decorations on Main St were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.  Strung across the street with a big wreath in the middle of each swag they lined Main St and were a sight to behold.  My favorite post I’ve ever done is the one I wrote last year so if you really want to know my memories I’ll repost them.  Thanks, Beverly, for the prompt!

````````````````````

Written September 18, 2008

I ran across this postcard online while looking for something else the other night.

So I sent it to my three best yaya friends and said......

I saw this and got so homesick - well homesick for this McAllen. I could go see my Dad or shop at Anthonys and send my money upstairs through the tube - maybe buy a Miss Pat dress at the Advance shop. If I could go back I'd also go to Woolworths and buy every Millinery flower and plastic santa in the store. What would you guys do?

This is what I got back.

From LaVerne:

Well, I would go to Jones and Jones for a chicken salad sandwich and POTATO SALAD, which I loved...they ran it through a ricer not a dicer and it was different from any I have ever had...I would take rubbings of the beautiful stone full of fossil shells on that old building ...I might treat myself to hand blended powder at the make-up counter...they kept powder formulas on file and made each to order... I would go down to Valley Merc and stand at the very corner where you could do the mirror magic acrobatics in the glass reflection...I would go into Anthony’s to smell it to check my scent recall...I can still “picture smell” the oil-sawdust they cleaned the floors with...I think it smelled like Murphy’s Oil Soap...I would certainly hit the dime stores...Woolworth, McClellans, there was one more downtown that I don’t remember the name...and then head out to Winn’s...(I came across something with an old Winn’s price tag the other day and I just got the biggest lump in my throat),,,I would buy velvet leaves, flower bunches, and cards of buttons
I’d get a cherry Coke at the downtown City Drug and some time head for Forgy’s cafe where you could get a grilled hot dog and a root beer from a real wooden barrel ...I would go to Mr. De la Cross’s Cafe at Hoover’s Paradise for a slice of Chocolate Pie, the likes of which I have never had again...I would go in late Feb or early March when the citrus was blooming and the whole Valley smelled like the Garden of Eden...O.K., now I’m good and era-homesick for the hometown of my memories...Back to reality and today’s task which is to take Mother back to her apartment at Argent Court and get her settled. Thanks for the diversion...LaVerne who had an 18 or 19” waist back in the day

From Barbara:

I would tell my mom that I was going to walk to the Palace and get my 25 cents to get in...then I would take my 25 cents and sneak over to the Queen and get in for 20 cents and use the nickel to buy popcorn and a coke. I would make sure that I had a napkin to put on the back of the seat so I didn't get ringworms.I would go buy cheese enchiladas at the White Kitchen. I would go swimming at the Casa...I think that might have been the last time I went swimming. I would go ride the escalator at Anthony's right after my money went up the tube. I would go to Sears and buy candy in the center of the store...my most of my memories involves eating....while I'm at it I would go to Jones and Jones for an Apple Dumpling with ice cream on top. I would go to Puryears and get that hugely, fabulous, gay guy to measure my foot and buy some shoes. I am really tired and I am going to go back to sleep...way to much memory lane for now....Before I go to bed I will go down one more lane and go to the Palms drive-in to see a movie or maybe the Buckhorn to see the wild animals and play on the swings or even to the Cactus to smell the stinky bathroom. Goodnight sweetheart well it's time to go..da-da-de-dada.....goodnight sweetheart well I hate to go....I hate to leave you but I really must go....Goodnight sweetheart Goodnight, Barbara(I just wrote this whole note without glasses not because I was on memory lane and I didn't wear glasses then but because I'm tooooo lazy to go get some.)

From Judy:

I too-o have memories of the same things. Mom would drop us off on the side of the Palace and we would run in and usually step in gum or maybe sit in it because someone dropped it from the balcony. But it was ok because it just happened every time so it was part of the experience. Then, we would go to Harry's and drop off a pair of shoes to be repaired because Barbara bought so many shoes from the flame at Puryears that I had to wear her old ones! If it was a Saturday we might go down to A and W and get a root beer float!! Can't you just taste the foam on top?? Their hamburgers weren't bad either. Or, on a summer afternoon we would go with the Waugh's to play miniature golf and eat watermelon, and I don't even like watermelon, but I guess I did then. Probably overdosed one day. These are a few of my favorite things...memories from the corners of my mind...yesterday, all my troubles seem so far away!!!  Need I go on. Judy

What a gift to have lifetime friends with long ago memories to share. So what are some of your memories. Indulge me and yourself - share some!

xoxo Nancy

del.icio.us Tags: Christmas Memories,Vintage McAllen,Pink Saturday