The tree was up, the presents were wrapped, the food was prepared, and our little family was ready to enjoy another Christmas celebration. As a two year old, I’m sure that I really began to enjoy Christmas effective this year and also began to understand that by gingerly ripping off the wrapping paper on these boxes, I would find toys to distract and delight me…for minutes at a time! As you can see in the photo at right, there was certainly no shortage of toys under the tree to contribute to the spoilage of this two-year old.
Christmas Eve fell on Monday in 1973. Like the previous two years, we spent the evening with my Dad’s side of the family at Arline and Carl’s house. In attendance were Grandma & Oscar, Carl &Arline, Harold, John & Pat, Bill & Dottie and Lora and Robby, Joe & Hazel, and my parents and me. Here among other gifts, I received a wooden Fisher-Price Farm Animals puzzle and a yellow See n’ Say (The Farmer Says… edition). Both of these gifts survived many years of my childhood.
Mom, Dottie, Lora, Hazel (hidden), and Joe
Hazel and Joe compare gifts while Harold opens his
Oscar and Grandma Range
Carl sits at the bar and receives a hefty package
Opening up the See ‘n Say. That string would be pulled thousands of times over the years. I bought Ashleigh a similar version for one of her first Christmases.
I ended up with several of these nice wooden puzzles over the next couple of years
Some Christmas silliness
That evening we went back to our new home on Echo Hill in Beavercreek, where we would enjoy our first Christmas in that house. Mom and Dad exchanged their gifts with each other that night. I had most likely conked out on the way home so they were probably able to do this in private. They then went through the charade of placing the gifts under the tree so that I could wake up to the array of gifts from Santa Claus on Christmas morning.
Back home, Mom opens up a decorative glass vessel, which lingered around for decades
I certainly hauled in the loot that Christmas. Back in the 1970’s, kids like us just didn’t get toys throughout the year very often, so my parents always made sure to make Christmas count. Almost every toy that I can remember having can be traced back to Christmases or my birthdays. I kept these toys throughout much of my childhood, but sadly they gradually were all handed down to my sister, cousins, or became victims of the ten-cent bin at our garage sales.
So for this Christmas, I hit the jackpot with such items as my rocking horse, my blue metal Jet Sweep pedal car, the Fisher-Price Family Play Farm (with accompanying silo), the Mattel Preschool Motor Putt-Putt Railroad, an Animal Outdoors book (with a lenticular 3D image on the cover), and of course my Snoopy electric toothbrush. With the exception of the railroad set, I remember all of these gifts very well.
I have many memories of this rocking horse…which can be found here
A classic pose among the loot – with lots of familiar toys and my favorite Nativity set. I’m actually surprised I’m not ignoring the toys to play with that.
Quite a lucrative morning…but there would be more…
Lora and Robby admire my Christmas stash
Arline, Grandma Range, Bill, Robby, and Dottie – presumably on Christmas day
After opening up our gifts in the morning, it appears that Grandma, Arline & Carl, and Bill & Dottie and their kids came over for a visit. Presumedly the pictures of them by the Christmas trees were in fact taken on Christmas Day. But what is certain is that we all got ready and went over to Grandma and Grandpa Murphy’s house for the traditional Murphy family gathering that afternoon. This holiday party was also being held in a new location, as my Grandparents had made the move from their house on Cunnington Lane to Kruss Avenue at some point during 1973.
Grandma and Grandpa decked out the basement in their new home with Christmas decorations and we held the bulk of the celebration down there. I vaguely remember a couple of our Christmases being held in the basement, but it wasn’t long before we moved them up to the living room. Naturally the gatherings at that time were minscule when compared to the number of people in the same family today. The new addition to this celebration was Debby, the fourth of the Murphy grandchildren, who had been born on April 21 that year.
I can’t recognize most of the gifts that I got at Grandma and Grandpa Murphy’s house, other than a duplicate red metal tractor, the likes of which I had just received for my second birthday (seen here). This one appears that it may have been a larger model.
Cathy and Lori wait for Grandpa to find some gifts for them. I am surrounded by more loot and go to town ripping them open.
The familiar poles of the Kruss basement as the family gathers around to exchage gifts
For well over 30 years of my life, Grandpa always played Santa. Note the visible ‘Happy New Year’ decoration, which can also be seen in the 1967 Christmas photos seen here
Another tractor…and some weird doggie-in-a-car gift that I don’t recall at all
My family, Christmas 1973
The Super 8 home movies that Dad took throughout the two days of Christmas gatherings were the most extensive of any of the holidays. I proudly present over four minutes of holiday footage form Christmas 1973 in the video capture below.
1974 coming up next…
Hey Brad, The home movies are a very nice addition to your blog. Now we can see you “in action” as well as viewing the photos. Looking forward to other movies.
Bill
January 10th, 2009
I agree with Bill! The home movies bring the Terrible Cat to a whole new level! Despite being fully loaded, it seemed to pause intermittently when viewing them, but who cares? It’s worth it to see Brad & Co. in action!
Peter
January 10th, 2009
The ‘Christmas of 1973’ post is as good as you said it would be. I love the ‘Super 8’ footage and wish I had some of my own from the early years. I had the same spring supported rocking horse and spent many happy hours trotting along on it. One could bounce up and down on it, or rock front to back. The springs would occasionally break and could send a person flying off. My Dad spent a great deal of time fixing it. I also had the train that I believe was wound up by twisting the smokestack. The barn set and SEE ‘n SAY were also toys we owned. I remember that if the string was gently pulled a second time on the SEE ‘n SAY at the correct time, a pig could say MOOOOOO! The newer ones with the levers don’t offer that avenue of pleasure.
We, too, only received toys at Christmas and Birthdays. It made them all the more special. Most of our (unbroken)toys were liquidated at yard sales for mere pocket change.
Dave Chasteen
January 11th, 2009
I showed Adam your Christmas video. He said, “Brad’s opening presents,” and “my choo choo train, too.” He really liked the train you received!
Denise
January 13th, 2009