The Terrible Catsafterme

The first Christmas that would be spend in our new house on Winterset Drive came about on Monday, December 25, 1978. As I recall, the transition was seamless. I had had some wonderful, warm holiday celebrations at our house on Echo Hill – but I think I was just as happy in our new digs and would remain so for the 15 Christmases after this one. This was the only Christmas during which we opened our new presents on the hideous family room carpet that came with the house. We’d be replacing it shortly after the first of the year. But I digress…

The holiday season started as early as Saturday, December 16, with a ‘Lunch with Santa.’ I can only assume that this something that we found out about through school, and I went along begrudgingly on behalf of my two-year old sister, who both believed in Santa and was most likely scared to death of him.

The next day came the traditional Christmas party at Eagles, the fraternal organization that my Grandparents were a big part of. Between my Mom and me we took an inordinate amount of photos of the event (which inexplicably included Hawaiian dancers). From the photos, I gather that the wrapped boys’ gift that I received was a nice art set, complete with paints. But what I really recall was the color-by-numbers Bee Gees poster and marker set that I got as a bonus gift. I was very familiar with the Bee Gees and their music, as Saturday Night Fever had gained momentum of the course of the past year. More on why I’ll never forget this poster momentarily.

Part of the afternoon’s Christmas entertainment…Hawaiian dancers

Santa Claus makes his entrance, guided by the Missus

Grandpa, Grandma, and Darlene all play a role in distributing the gifts

Denise does the sidewards lean, indicating that she wants nothing to do with this freak

Denise continues her struggle

I receive my gift – a nice art set

Having not believed in Santa for several years, this is the last time that I would really cooperate for the photo op

The warm-up photo of Denise, gingerly holding her Holly Hobbie doll, under the Eagles Christmas tree

A miraculously good photo of two-year old Denise

Pretty Darlene at the Eagles party

On Monday the 18th, Mom sent a Christmas gift along with me for the gift exchange. From the 1978 “Old Cars” calendar notations, it looks as though my last day of school prior to the holiday wasn’t until that Thursday, which was probably the day we held our gift exchange and First Grade Christmas party. (Incidentally, I was also off school on Friday, December 8, for some reason).

We (or at least some of us) also attended a Christmas party on Tuesday the 19th, although I don’t know which party it was – possibly my Dad’s company party. There was no notation made for the Beavercreek Church of the Brethren Family Christmas Celebration, but we usually went to that also. On Saturday the 23rd, Bev had the birthday party for my cousin Susie. Poor little thing’s Christmas Eve birthday almost always guaranteed that she’d have to be worked in around the holidays.

Christmas Eve came on Sunday. Needless to say, I was bouncing off of the walls all day, constantly asking when Bill & Dottie and the gang was going to be arriving. None of the pictures that I have reveal who was actually in attendance that night, but you can bet that Grandma & Oscar, Bill & Dottie and Lora and Robby, Carl and Arline, and Harold were all there. I’m not sure if Joe & Hazel were there or not. If so, it was our last Christmas with them, as Joe passed away the following year.

When the time came to open the gifts, I got the traditional gifts from my folks (the bulk of the gifts came from ‘Santa Claus’ the next morning). This year I got the huge Marx Guns of Navarone mountain playset. (Incidentally, in 2011, this toy is now selling for about $175). I had hand-picked this item from the Sears catalog (the arrival of which – for about five consecutive years for me – signalled the start of the Christmas countdown and gave Denise and I the opportunity to go through and pick out what we wanted that year). I had also requested the second gift that I got that night – an early version of a Doodle-Track car. That is, and battery-powered vehicle that would follow the line drawn by a crayon on an erasable board. Very cool idea, but didn’t work all that well. Denise got, among other things, her set of Bristle Blocks.

Denise is ready for our first Christmas Eve gathring at the Winterset house

The only photo of one of our Christmas Eve guests, the debonair Robby

Denise begins to dig in, next to what are presumably Harold’s knees. Note the infamous Bee Gees poster in the background.

Dad assists Denise with one of her gifts…

…and she is consumed in the highly addictive world of Bristle Blocks

A fabulous shot of me with the Navarone Mountain – and even more importantly, the entertainment shelf with our advanced sound system and Christmas decorations. In 2011, that shelf is currently in my basement.

I give the Doodle-Track van a spin

That night I slept poorly. I’d have to say that for some reason I was more excited about this Christmas than ever before. So much so, in fact, that at about 3am, I got up to go check out the gifts that had been scattered under the tree for Denise and me. After giving them the thorough once-over, I grabbed that blasted Bee Gees poster and sat at our tacky orange bar and began coloring. After about twenty minutes of this, Mom heard me up and sleepily came into the dining room and asked me what on earth I thought I was doing. I thought that she would just accept the fact that I couldn’t sleep, but noooooo! She made me go back to bed. I can’t recall if I ever fell asleep or not.

Eventually the morning came. Denise was mildly more interested in opening gifts than she had been the year before. And I was ripping threw them in a flurry of jubilation and greed. A lighted coin viewer here, a metal detector there, a rolled-up sled, some crayons, a Stretch Monster (akin to the old Stretch Armstrong dolls, and best of all, my very own Pachinko machine – albeit a plastic one. My parents had noted how enamored I was by the one that I had incessantly played during our summer trip to visit Louise and Carroll. That’s about all I can recall (or at least all I can identify in the photos). Denise’s haul was equally impressive and included a doll hi-chair, a Mickey Mouse bank, a Hasbro Mickey Mouse Castle, and a big orange slide. That giant orange slide lingered around our house for what seemed like many years.

Mom in her robe assists Denise in opening her doll hi-chair

I wonder what was in here 

Denise gets dressed for the day and we begin our afternoon of play

Denise mounts the giant orange slide

I remember specifically that this year, I asked my Mom how much they spent on us for Christmas and she told us $100. That was quite a bit back then, and although we were spoiled, by today’s standards of burying children with gifts, it doesn’t look as if we got all that much. But kids happier than us on Christmas, you’ll never find.

On Christmas Day, we were back at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Kruss, after a one-year hiatus. There is a Lego set in the photo of me with all my loot and I believe that I received that at this gathering. At this point we were still holding the bulk of the celebration down in the basement. There would only be one more year down there and then they would move the Christmas tree up to their living room. I think I miss that house more than just about any place on earth.

Grandma and Grandpa Murphy distribute the gifts

Eager grandchildren Debbie, Chris, and Lori await their turn

Darlene, Bev, Mom, Diana, Grandma, Grandpa, and Jim assemble for a family portrait. The metal detector and Stretch Monster that I brought along with me, await play

Denise creeps into the family portrait – much as her twin daughter would do 31 year later

All the cousins up to that point. Considering we’re all looking in another direction, I’m sure that there must be a better version of this. In the back row: Cathy, Danny, Lori, me, Debbie (hidden), Chris. Up front: Susie, Denise, and Ben getting assistance from me

Christmas is over and all I’m left with is a ton of great loot – as seen in this invaluable photo

Life will continue as the decade begins its descent…in 1979…

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 at 6:53 am and is filed under 1970's - Late, Christmas, Family Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.