20th Dec - Nostalgia week for Lucky Snapping 2013

Having shown you a little in my last post about Christmas and talked about my famous 'Delia' roulade where I have been known to make at least 6 for family and friends yearly (yes one got made last week for Jo's birthday and family Christmas meal but the only one this year!!)

I am going to talk about Christmas' past and cheat and use my Journal Your Christmas albums that I have done in past years. I have photographed some pictures off the pages!

I told you in the last post about Christmas in Austria. Found these photos in my JYC album from Austria

so now I will reminisce about past Christmas'

Childhood Christmas'
There were no Christmas photos when I was a child. Every year my parents and I travelled  from the south coast toYorkshire to stay with my Nana and Auntie for the Christmas holidays (my Dad was a teacher)  I remember a trunk with clothes and presents being sent in advance as we travelled by train, we didn't have a car in the 50's. There would be several family parties with huge high suppers and then lots of games and laughter as all the cousins and Uncles and Aunties met for these gatherings  (I suppose this was our annual holiday!!)
Christmas in 1979
The saddest Christmas was 1978. I had become a single parent and it was the first Christmas on my own with two young children. Both my parents were dead and I was an only child no other relations. I felt that I needed to make Christmas as special as possible for the children.

Thinking back over Christmases of the past I think my best and most memorable times for me have always been when I was a child and then when my children were younger or when family members were all together
Here are 2 occasions

Tom on the L was about 6 yrs (he is now 18yrs!) we had also had the parents of my DIL (DearD is no longer alive) and Mark too. Jo lived in Ashford that year

Here the boys are older and we also had Jo,Amie and Lewis with DIL in the photo I think about 8 yrs ago.
This page from a JYC says "Our Christmas Traditions are now changing. We are having to adapt to our Children's own new traditions."

• Decorations and Lights are put up earlier in Dec since I retired
• DIL has introduced Santa's sack and Table presents
• Some of the family have no presents under the tree before Christmas morning cos of young children
• Some of the family do not open presents until after lunch :(  My tradition was to open them in dressing gowns whilst eating warm buttered toast in front of a roaring fire

This page had some interesting thoughts for us all!

And now a bit of nostalgia over my Christmas music I play in the kitchen while prepping Christmas foods (though not this year!!) I am missing all the cooking I usually do!!

This was my page for Dec 21st We always visit Battle as it is Peter's son's birthday. We will be going tomorrow!

 Who remembers the Smurfs? Cannot play this cassette any more :(

Some of my favourite songs

Thank you Kathi for doing this nostalgia week's challenge each month. I would like to think that the blogging this year will be a diary for future family to read and keep. Who knows!!

Now I am off to finish off my challenge for Christmas week!!