Saturday, December 05, 2009

My first Christmas



Me.
December 1966
My very first Christmas.  I was 2 months old.
I'm still pretty much that pale and washed out and I still love to stare at Christmas trees.
(you can click on the photos to enlarge them)



That's my Mom.
She was 21 years old in this photo.
If she were to put tinsel on a tree again, she would hold it exactly as she is in the photo.
Only one to three strands per branch and the tinsel must hang straight.
It was important to that the tinsel hung straight.
She no longer places tinsel on the tree.
 
This is the finished tree.  My Father is holding a football... I mean me.   I'm not sure what happened to the color in this photograph.  I tried to fix it, but I don't have enough mad photoshop skills yet.

This was the base housing at K.I.Sawyer Air Force base in Marquette, MI.



I always have to laugh a little bit when I think that I was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I'm a yooper.  There is a yooper dialect, but I didn't take that with me.  I was four when we left and moved down below to Lansing, MI.

I found this little Yooper creation story on the Finding refuge in you blog. It's a hoot!

In da beginning dere was nuttin, see
Den on da first day God created da U.P., eh?
On da second day He created da partridge, da deer, da bear, da fish, an da ducks ya know
On da third day He said, “Let dere be YOOPERS to roam da U.P.”
On da fourth day He created da udder world down below and on da fifth day He said,” Let dere be TROLLS to live in da world down below.”
On da sixth day He created ‘DA BRIDGE’ so da TROLLS would have a way to get to Heaven, see.
God saw it was good and on da seventh day He went huntin!!

Yoopers are those that live in the U.P.
Trolls are those that live below the bridge.
Fudgies are those that live or travel to Mackinac Island.

I didn't realize this would turn into Michigan trivia, but that happens whenever I talk about my early childhood.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Hi Ann in the U.P.!!! 

9 comments:

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Those pictures are so sweet. My dad took hours putting tinsel on the tree just like that, one at a time. It did look beautiful. I use to put it on my tree 38 years ago!
Love the lingo!

Keetha Broyles said...

Oh Kirby!!! Our Korie was only 1 month old on Christmas Day and we put HER little seat under the tree, and we put a big bow on her head and said she was our Christmas Present - - - now look at you - - - your parents did the SAME thing with you!!

Kristin - The Goat said...

Just Breathe - The lingo is funny.

Keetha - My sister's baby, Scarlett, will be just a few days over two months old - I'm wondering if she likes sitting under the tree, too! Korie was a present, I can tell :)

When they are small enough they just sit there and can't grab the ornaments -it makes sense lol

Judy said...

Loved the pictures. I also love Da Yoopers.

Signed: A Life Long Troll

Grammy said...

That is such a treasure to have those photos. And to be able to compare to how she is today with the tinsel.
I enjoyed your story.
Take care.

Sweatheart said...

I love your pictures. I used to hang tinsel just like that. First Christmas after marriage Steve threw it on the tree and I picked it all off and fired him. Beautiful parents you little yooper you. We saw Jeff Daniels, "Escanaba in Da Moonlight", a play.

Ann in the UP said...

Oh, my! I'm so sorry to disappoint, but I don't speak in the native dialect quite that broadly at least. Though I do subscribe to that version of Creation. I have lived in Troll-land, Minnesota, and Virginia and have lost my accent. I can pass for a native Ontarian though.

I had a baby born December 14th, and I had a lot of sympathy for Mary that Christmas!

Lucy and Ethel said...

Thanks for stopping by the Suite! Because of that, I knew to come here, and I'm glad I did. What a fun blog! And congratulations on your 900th post. Wow.

Love the first Christmas pics! I was born at McChord AFB in Tacoma, so we're kindred spirits. Sorta. Of course, I was born a L-O-N-G time before you :)

Again, thanks for stopping by the Suite! Hope you come back.

Lucy

Anonymous said...

I'm catching up on all my reading .. I loved them all the past week or so that I've missed. I have to say when I was reading this, I kept expecting the story how your dad was always "next" on the list to deport. Merry Christmas!