Christmas trees

In the time I was growing up everyone did not have Christmas trees and fancy wrapped packages. My mother used plain brown sacks and they were laid on any chair you were assigned. My chair was my desk chair, My sister Helen had a child's rocking chair, You generally got essentials like underwear and socks and a doll. Our church had a Christmas performance and a rich family gave trees to decorate the church and you could have one. We would take it home and decorate it. It stood in the middle of the front room under the chandelier so we could plug in lights. The lights did not last long and when one burned out the string went out, My job was the lights. The day after Christmas my mother took it down, I leave them up until New Years Day. One year we had two blue trees left over from my sister Ethel's Sorority dance. When my brother had a girl friend he later married she wrapped gifts in blue tissue paper that were beautiful. You hated to open them. They were so pretty. We generally got a new doll and underwear. Once I got a new bike. I think Helen got to ride Ethel's. It wore out by the time I could ride. At school I think we drew names and you had to buy something under twenty five cents which meant the dime store. New dresses were only at Easter and I was 12 before I got one that was not worn by older sisters. I use to like one they had and hoped it did not wear out before I got it but at 12 I had a new one at Easter that cost $1.98 at J C Penny's. We always had our own shoes you did not inherit them. I use to hope that certain dresses would not wear out. I loved Christmas. We exchanged gifts with cousins and one aunt always made us pajamas if she got our name. The same aunt also got books from the state library since her husband was attorney general of Kansas. She did not like to waste money at Christmas unless for her three sons. I loved Christmas as I still do.