tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post9155110970553526226..comments2024-03-29T06:18:44.326-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: All I Want for Christmas is...Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-63866479184374816102019-12-14T10:16:19.719-05:002019-12-14T10:16:19.719-05:00Rhys, your story reminds me of the year I desperat...Rhys, your story reminds me of the year I desperately wanted a tape recorder. I talked about it for months and my Dad made sure I got one. Oh, the songs I recorded from the radio!! As the years pass, it reminds me of Dad's liveSaxladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05583281885682505950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76025377533111901132019-12-13T21:41:50.220-05:002019-12-13T21:41:50.220-05:00For me it was a book "Lassie and the Mystery ...For me it was a book "Lassie and the Mystery of Blueberry Bog". I was in Woolworths with my Dad right before Christmas and while he was shopping he left me in the book department in the basement to browse. When he came back to get me I was avidly reading the book and disappointed to leave. As we reached the top of the stairs to the main floor my Dad abruptly stopped and told me he thought he had left something downstairs. He had me wait and being a child, I thought nothing about it (until later). On Christmas morning we were all done opening presents and my Dad disappeared into the kitchen and came back into the living room with the book that he had kept hidden in the cabinet over the stove. The book that I so wanted! One month after Christmas he had a massive heart attack at home and did not survive. I was 11 years old. I am now 73 and still have and treasure that book. Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07205438757823915023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57584208828994734392019-12-13T19:47:43.500-05:002019-12-13T19:47:43.500-05:00Wow, what wonderful stories. My magical Christmase...Wow, what wonderful stories. My magical Christmases were when I was very young and my great grandfather still alive. He lived in upstate New York and would take the kids to Christmas Eve services in a horse drawn sleigh. Somehow there was always a shooting star to be seen and he would tell us that was Pere Noel. We believed.Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29091302704231210282019-12-13T18:33:10.423-05:002019-12-13T18:33:10.423-05:00JRW 12.13.19
I am so moved by all the wonderful s...JRW 12.13.19<br /><br />I am so moved by all the wonderful stories and many kindnesses. The gift that came to mind was one I received on the Christmas after my 12th birthday. My first pair of nylons, real 15 denier nylons. The sort that needed a garter belt. No, not stating the obvious here. I sat hardly daring to move. Such a feeling. Now transistors; my father built my first radio before transistors were on the market. It was small maybe 6"x 4", only got a couple of stations but I would lie in the dark listening to Top of the Pops. A few years later my mum and I smuggled s couple of transistors in our bags returning home fromAfrica. Much cheaper there. Christmas gifts for my brother and sister who were thrilled. <br />Now I chose carefully for teen grandsons and always include a book. Books are my fav gift along with a big bottle of Badabas pine for the wonderful scent it adds to my bath. Celia Wakefieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14880208621796600180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45765985575662799502019-12-13T18:00:05.145-05:002019-12-13T18:00:05.145-05:00My brother actually gave me a box full of coal as ...My brother actually gave me a box full of coal as a kid. We had a coal furnace then. Lucky for him, he got me another present, too. He bought me a Fury plastic horse when we were kids, and Greeting Card Factory which I use to make cards on the computer as an adult. Now I exchange gift cards with my friends because we all have a lot of stuff so prefer to pick our own gifts. <br /><br />When I was little, my grandmothers and great-aunt used to fuss that we didn't need to buy them anything. Mom never said anything to Dad's relatives but she told HER mother that the kids wanted to get you something so just say "thank you". And Grandma did for the rest of her life. Kids should learn to give as well as receive.Sally from PAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649707016754971847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78261887168855399172019-12-13T16:22:43.355-05:002019-12-13T16:22:43.355-05:00My favorite memory was/is my mother reading 'T...My favorite memory was/is my mother reading 'Twas the Night before Christmas every year to me and my brother and then to my hooligans. It was just lovely and thrilling and magical.Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13589365995413467367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75501072850474071452019-12-13T14:59:13.986-05:002019-12-13T14:59:13.986-05:00My favorite Christmas gift as a child was a doll b...My favorite Christmas gift as a child was a doll bed my father had made in his wood shop. My mother made sheets and coverlets for it. Such a surprise!<br /><br />As I got older, I started making Christmas presents myself. I can still remember staying up past 3 am to get the final beads sewn onto a cat-sized stuffed dragon I made for my sister. I still love getting just the perfect present for someone, and watching their face light up on Christmas morning. <br /><br />Rhys, the thought of your family attending "Phantom" in full formal regalia is just priceless. I'll bet they loved it, and so did the people in the audience around them. Gigi Norwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00495357787099352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-41538354091150887052019-12-13T14:21:12.436-05:002019-12-13T14:21:12.436-05:00Gulp. There's a mint condition doll with buggy...Gulp. There's a mint condition doll with buggy on Ebay .... PK the Bookeemonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03478996122841311684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74176691215549504962019-12-13T14:14:23.411-05:002019-12-13T14:14:23.411-05:00My favorite gift as a kid was a kid's drum kit...My favorite gift as a kid was a kid's drum kit - I was grade school age and very much wanted to learn to play drums (sadly, it was the 70s and 4th grade band put me on the bells all the time because I was the only girl in percussion). I don't actually remember PLAYING it so maybe I didn't torture my parents that much. I also remember an older cousin (Bryan) that Christmas Day putting a stick through the bass. <br /><br />My favorite *memory* of Christmas gifts is that we would get a book of our each Christmas. We hit the library hard a lot so we weren't deprived but it was nice to have our very own. When small, it was a new Old Mother West Wind book (different animals had their own books). Older, it was a new Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book (I preferred the Hardy Boys.)<br /><br />I have no memory of this (in my defense), but there's a family story that when I was very little (2-3-ish?) I apparently really really REALLY wanted a doll called Baby Go Bye Bye. I didn't get one. I sobbed, saying "Santa doesn't love me." (So they say). Somehow my dad went out and found one that day. I loved that doll for many years. PK the Bookeemonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03478996122841311684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3600203909659765272019-12-13T14:00:51.970-05:002019-12-13T14:00:51.970-05:00Rhys, the transistor radio at the bottom of your s...Rhys, the transistor radio at the bottom of your stocking is such a great Christmas story. I don't have anything like that I remember. But, growing up with three siblings, Christmas was always exciting, and then when my older siblings got married and had children, the tons of presents under the tree and a full-to-bursting house made Christmas a fun and eventful time. And, when I moved away after getting married and had my two children, I had the best time fixing Santa under the tree and the stockings. It's a bit quiet these days, but my husband and I go to my daughter's on Christmas Day for our family meal, and I get to give the granddaughters presents and be with them and all the rest of the family. So, it looks like being with family is the best thing about Christmas for me.<br /><br />Books have long been my favorite gifts to receive. I have a memory that stands out from a Christmas when I was probably ten or under, and my mother calling from my father's real estate office downtown to talk to me about what books I might want for Christmas. For some reason that memory has stood out, as I was so happy to sit at the little telephone table we had (and I now use as my nightstand) and talk to my mother about books. And, snow. It seems we always had snow on Christmas, and I recall looking out the big picture window (anyone remember those?) in the early morning light, which was still half dark, at the snow and the lighted Christmas tree and presents in front and feeling that the world was magical. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56099754621895739242019-12-13T14:00:18.420-05:002019-12-13T14:00:18.420-05:00My husband bought me an ironing board one of our f...My husband bought me an ironing board one of our first Christmasses. He's never lived that down!Authorrhysbowen@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844065473614874365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-19540391432702319072019-12-13T13:43:01.063-05:002019-12-13T13:43:01.063-05:00Julia, what a wonderful gift from you mother! I g...Julia, what a wonderful gift from you mother! I give myself a bag of books at Christmas now, have done so for quite a few years. Even though I know what's in the bag, it's fun taking each book out and looking at it anew. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75742461901485954562019-12-13T13:02:45.622-05:002019-12-13T13:02:45.622-05:00Hank, that's a great story!Hank, that's a great story! Bibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18648032427962643692019-12-13T13:01:37.015-05:002019-12-13T13:01:37.015-05:00So many wonderful stories, Rhys! You once mention...So many wonderful stories, Rhys! You once mentioned getting an orange for Christmas in England. I loved reading all about Christmas memories in the comments.<br /><br />For me, I barely remember the Christmas presents (I think I got books, clothes and toys?) . My favorite Christmas traditions growing up was going to the Dickens' Christmas Faire with my family and one year my Mom, who is an English teacher, took her class of 15 year olds with us to the Dickens' Christmas Faire. We would go to the Nutcracker Ballet every Christmas. I remember ice skating at Iceland skating rink during the Christmas season. The rink closed several years ago. One year we visited my Grandfather for Christmas, which was an hour away by plane. I remember the beautiful Christmas tree and the wonderful Christmas goodies, Again, I do not remember the gifts. Now I remember the more recent gifts like the 12 Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen and many wonderful books.<br /><br />Just realized that I was always home with my family for Christmas. I feel fortunate to be able to do that. <br /><br />DianaBibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59855432075654407242019-12-13T12:49:08.386-05:002019-12-13T12:49:08.386-05:00Hallie,
It's so funny that you didn't lik...Hallie,<br /><br />It's so funny that you didn't like books as Christmas gifts. And I loved A Room of Her Own when I was 18 and at university. Bibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42051545691029938852019-12-13T12:40:26.204-05:002019-12-13T12:40:26.204-05:00When I was in high school my big brother gave me a...When I was in high school my big brother gave me a paperback of The Hobbit. That started my Middle Earth adventures.Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4552739610939766052019-12-13T12:37:30.129-05:002019-12-13T12:37:30.129-05:00Julia,
Books are wonderful Christmas gifts. Thi...Julia, <br /><br />Books are wonderful Christmas gifts. This year I bought copies of books about climate change written by Greta Thunberg and I plan to give them as Christmas gifts.<br /><br />DianaBibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91032866111305258222019-12-13T12:20:07.163-05:002019-12-13T12:20:07.163-05:00The best gift I every recieved as a kid (same for ...The best gift I every recieved as a kid (same for my twin sister) was a Ginny doll, her white trunk (twin's was red), and six outfits. All the girls wanted Ginny that year! Since the girl across the street got a Ginny also we all played together all year.<br /><br />One of the best gifts I ever gave was the Christmas I bought all the women in the family Crayons and coloring books as a joke. They all were thrilled.<br /><br />We also do crazy things in our family. One year daughter-in-law got socks from everyone. Another year, Hubby got hair combs because he mention he lost is tail comb. I got Phillips head screw drivers, a dozen and half of them, because I didn't have one in my tool box. This year we bought daughter Ziploc freezer bags as her joke gift. Have to decide if I will tell the rest of the same. Not sure where she will store boxes and boxes of Ziploc bags...LOLPat Marinellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26473089116735629912019-12-13T12:14:22.424-05:002019-12-13T12:14:22.424-05:00WOnderful!WOnderful!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-33426635519786254712019-12-13T12:13:36.002-05:002019-12-13T12:13:36.002-05:00Oh,that is SO perfect!Oh,that is SO perfect!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55254372575768262432019-12-13T12:12:47.592-05:002019-12-13T12:12:47.592-05:00And....wonderful.And....wonderful.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-28398879503523344892019-12-13T12:12:27.506-05:002019-12-13T12:12:27.506-05:00Perfect!Perfect!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43612630537948344032019-12-13T12:11:48.141-05:002019-12-13T12:11:48.141-05:00That is adorable, and SO sweet!That is adorable, and SO sweet!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-12478329173586745672019-12-13T12:11:26.416-05:002019-12-13T12:11:26.416-05:00My fave? Hmm. Many many years ago, when I was mayb...My fave? Hmm. Many many years ago, when I was maybe 14? My stepfather, a lawyer, gave me a contact for four hair-cuts, all very legally perfect and in legalese, and signed by Santa Clause. It was adorable, and even cuter because he was not very affectionate.But later,I realized, that it was <br /> self-preservation, and trying to make sure his Beatle-crazy step=daughter stopped cutting her own hair in a Sassoon.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83196645004998409172019-12-13T12:03:32.535-05:002019-12-13T12:03:32.535-05:00Oh gosh dare I admit it... I hated getting books. ...Oh gosh dare I admit it... I hated getting books. A Room of One’s Own for a 15-year old? Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.com