The first Christmas after I graduated from college, living in my own house, gainfully employed and married to my first husband, also gainfully employed, I thought it was time to be a grown up and have people over to my house for a change. Judging from my pictures and Mother’s from that day, I’m not sure exactly what hostessing meant to me, beyond providing a table (and my extra chairs being lawn chairs).
Looking at the table, I may have opened the cranberry sauce and put it in that dish, which is mine, and the china, crystal, and tumblers are mine, but there’s no way I ever baked that turkey, and those serving dishes are not mine, so I’m thinking whatever vegetables were in them were brought by my mother. That’s Mother, Daddy, me, Terri, Daniel, and First Husband sitting around the table. David’s taking the photo. I see Daddy already put some dressing on his plate before we could get the photos taken. My sister is looking down on us from her graduation picture behind Terri. I recognize some of the books on the shelf: Summer of ’42, Jaws, Valley of the Dolls, The Thorn Birds. That must have been my popular fiction shelf. The literary stuff is elsewhere. I also spy Mr. Santa Claus–that was the year he and Mrs. Claus were given to me by Lynne’s sister.
I think I made the mashed potatoes–which Daniel has already spooned onto his plate. Like grandfather, like grandson. But once again, judging by the serving dishes, Mother made macaroni and cheese, ambrosia, gravy, and the dressing. Yep, I really labored over preparing that meal, didn’t I?
My first Christmas tree as a true grown-up. Up on a table so Hamlet and Brutus wouldn’t pull off any ornaments. I still put those same candy canes on my trees now. Where are the presents? No idea. Probably on top of the piano to keep the dogs out. It does seem as if I might have made a little more effort to cover up that tree stand, doesn’t it? I LOVE that little TV in the corner. Even if I’m not actually thirty-five, at least you can see that we already had TV when I was twenty-two. AND IT WAS COLOR, so hush. Still have that painting that’s on the wall. Still have that basket that’s under the table. It used to have magazines in it. Now it’s the wastebasket in the guest room.
By comparison, in a house the next town over, here’s Lynne’s Christmas tree. With actual presents under the tree, the way it should be.
My first TV as an adult was of similar size but not color. It would take us a few more years to advance to color. It is fun to look back at pictures of the “early” years and see how much things have changed and, at the same time, see how much things have stayed the same.
Can you imagine watching TV on one of those tiny screens now? WAIT. I practically watch everything on my computer monitor, come to think of it. But the color is extraordinary and the picture’s crystal clear–without those rabbit ear antennas!
Although you were ahead of the times and had a colour tv – it’s so small by today’s standards! It’s funny how quickly one gets used to new things.
Definitely! Though color TV actually came along long before this one. I’m not THAT old!