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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #14

Quilt by TQS member Books53. Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

My grandma would make a winter town under the Christmas Tree. It would be on the screened in porch that had a dutch door. We wouldn't be allowed on the porch until Christmas morning. She would open the top part of that dutch door that last week so we could peek over the bottom half to see if there were any presents yet. Of course there wouldn't be presents because "Santa hasn't come to visit yet." Magically on Christmas morning there were presents and all of the little buildings of the town would have lights on in their windows. She would say that the elves lived there and they were celebrating Christmas with their families too. Pati Shambaugh from Columbus, OH.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #13

Photo by TQS member McCQuilter - Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

Going to the Christmas tree lot with my father is one of my favorite memories...we always searched for the perfect tree - and of course, my brother and I rarely agreed on which one that was! My father worked (in the 60's) at a large open air mall - and they were the first to have the tiny Christmas lights that we're used to now. (Somehow we managed to have several strings of those lights at our house too.) One year after we got home with the "perfect" tree and put it in the stand it was discovered that a major branch of the tree was broken, not quite through, but enough to sag and ruin the symetry of the tree' silhouette. Necessity being the mother of invention - we found green thread and "sewed" that branch right back up. It was one of the most beautiful trees we ever had and if that branch was the first to dry out and turn a little brown - didn't matter to us! Phyllis Coppolino from Atlanta, GA.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #12

Photo by TQS member lacefairy- Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

JUSTIN SHARES A STORY!
As a child of the 60's, we too had one of those of hideous aluminum Christmas Trees. Being a child though, I never thought it hideous, I thought it gorgeous; especially, when the rotating 4-color light wheel would project it's majesty on the tree. I would go into the "formal" living room where our tree lived, and would lie on the couch for hours watching the lights change on that aluminum tree and watch the reflections and shadows on the wall. It was mesmerizing as child to watch and get excited about the gifts all propped-up under that fake tree! Although I don't want of those now in my home, that memory brings back warm thoughts of my family from long ago!. Justin Shults from La Veta, CO.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #11

Quilt by TQS member CMOELLERS - Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

While in my early teens living in MI., we had an area in our back yard that was lower than the rest of the yard. It was like this all the way down through my neighbors yards as well.) When it rained the water would stay there and freeze and we had an instant ice rink. I learned to ice skate on this rink and play hockey. Sometimes if there were not too many sticks sticking out of the ice we could skate down through the neighbors back yards. We would also make a bon fire and drink hot chocolate while we skated. I loved ice skating and I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world being able to skate in my own back yard. Joan VanReese from Belleville, MI.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #10

Holiday photo by Sewisew - Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

We bought our artificial tree for $29 20 years ago. Every year, Samantha tries to talk us into getting a new bigger tree. And every year Josh says he likes the old tree, it's sorta like Charlie Brown's. I don't think it's THAT bad. But it's our tacky Christmas tree and I like it, so we keep it. Robbie Joy Eklow from Third Lake, IL.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #9

Photo by TQS member daisyleigh- Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

In my small town of Ashland, OR Santa arrives the day after Thanksgiving during the Festival of Lights. Main Street is closed to traffic and we stand bundled for the cold to await a parade of magical lanaterns, caroling, reindeer and other holiday surprises, Finally Santa arrives and goes to the balcony of Alex's restaurant and a count down begins. At the magical moment a switch is flipped and the whole downtown of Ashland is filled with twinkling lights to begin another fantastic small town Christmas. I am grateful for all my family, friends and loved ones that I get to share this day and many others throughout the year with in my small town. Katie Gomez from Ashland, OR.

Purchase Ricky's New Christmas CD here.

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #8

Quilt by TQS member ritzy - Share your holiday quilts or holiday photos HERE.

In the little village of Sheldon, Illinois, every year the mayor and village board, and Mr.Liebenow (who owned the big garage at the end of Main Street.) They would invite Santa Claus to come. Of course, all the kids in town were there. I still picture Santa arriving in a horse drawn sleigh. They drove it right into the garage where all the children were waiting in antiscipation. We were out of the cold. Santa and his helpers passed out stockings of candy,apples, oranges, and nuts. What a delight for all the children. We would sit on Santa's lap and tell him what we wanted for Christmas. We usually received a coloring book and crayons too, and then we would walk around the corner to the movie theater where we were treated to a free Christmas Movie. Oh, What wonderful memories. Thanks for letting us bring them alive again. - Joan Sweeney from Sheldon, IL

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #7

Quilt by TQS Member MaryRinWI - Share your holiday quilts with us HERE!

I remember one Christmas growing up that was my favorite! I was ~ 7 years old, and my little brothers were 6 and 3. My parents pulled the family together during the autumn months and told us that it would be a "special" Christmas and each of us would be working with one of my parents and making each others very special Christmas presents that year.

Over the next couple months, I worked with my Mom and made my brother Matt a magician's black hat. (He was an aspiring magician at 5 years old!!!) The hat had secret pockets inside and was made with an empty gallon container that had once held ice cream, a sturdy cardboard brim and all covered in black polyester.

Both of my brothers worked with my Dad and made me a two story doll house - ALL handmade, cut from wood, including a stairway to the second floor, a Christmas bulb coming out of the ceiling for lighting in each room, a carved fireplace in the living room, and even pictures on the walls. I so enjoyed the process of making the gift for my brother, and that doll house was my favorite gift of all time. And the ANTICIPATION over those fall months knowing what I was making for my brother and wondering what was in store for me. WOW!

It wasn't until decades later that my parents told us that money was so tight that year, that they were not sure how the bills could be paid if they did not take "drastic measures".....and that's why is was a "homemade" Christmas...... What an incredible gift that year of financial hardship was..... it gave me my favorite Christmas memories! - Mary Kay Runyan from St. Paul, MN

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #6

Show and Tell Quilt by DestinDeb

In Septermber of 1990, within a year of a total house fire, we moved halfway across the country, throughly confusing our 3 and 6 year old children.

Then came the capper, their father was to report for Desert Storm (the first) and would need to leave on Christmas day! He and I conspired to move 'Christmas' forward just a bit. After decorating the tree and putting the family gifts under it, we went out for the evening.

It was cold, much colder than southern Louisiana here in Tennessee, BUT the lights at Opryland Hotel winked more the clearer. And we wandered inside amid the animated scenes and the dancing fountains and the huge tree filled atriums all decorated for the holidays, We ended near midnight with cocoa and pastries from a little shop, and then back out into the cold and drove home. When our daughter turned on the llights at home, SANTA had been there!!

The next day the kids and I drove north to visit my Mom, while Mike headed south to join his New Orleans Reserve unit. We have visited the magical atriums every year since, and still marvel at the sights. And still remember that first desperate 'early' Christmas.

PS. when the kids suspected just 'who' Santa 'was' we would invite 'those' friends to join us in the pilgrimage and SANTA still came!

PPS. Last year, Mike died during the summer, and we did not go out to see the lights. Instead we went to see, listen/feel to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The kids are now 23 and 26. But I still felt the lure of the lights. Karen from Madison, TN

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Twenty-Five Days of Heartwarming Memories #5

Photo image by AuntSewsie

The most wonderful Christmas tree of all times was at my grandmother's. It was magical and magnificent. Especially to a 5 year old. I remember well how it would magically appear on Christmas eve, bedecked with straw stars, shiny balls and candles all aglow. We had to wait until we heard the tinkling of a bell to let us know that the Christmas angel had finished and we could go into the room.

The packages are were nice, the bowl of freshly made cookies were wonderful (I can still taste my grandmother's butter cookies to this day), but the tree was what it was all about. It sparkled with metal tinsel cared for gingerly so that it would last for years, candle light filled the room and my grandmother's angels rested on the breakfront. I now have my grandmother's angels, a gift from my mother right before she died. So the memories become real this special time of year. - Marlis from Lubbock, TX