My dad took this photo of me as he was trying out a new Polaroid camera in a shop in Memphis on one of our many Christmas shopping trips. The little dress I have on was a blue velveteen dress that my mother had made.Glo started it so now I challenge everyone that reads this to try to think of special Christmas memories and write about them between now and Christmas.
One thing I remember in particular that was a tradition was for my parents to take my two older brothers and I for a day of shopping and then to Goldsmiths Department Store to see the "Enchanted Forest." I'm sure they outgrew the "forest" after a few years, but I think I returned to see the magical moving nutcrackers and elves for years. Of course, the big payoff was getting to see the REAL Santa at the very end and give him your wish list. He WAS the real one, not just a helper. I'm sure of that. 
It was always fun shopping together because my parents would shuffle us off separately to shop for our siblings. So many secrets! I loved it then and I still LOVE the secrets!!! Loaded down with packages, we would leave Sears, where we did much of our shopping in downtown Memphis, and pass by the popcorn vendor. My dad would always buy a huge box of freshly popped popcorn for us to have on the trip home. I even remember what the box looked like!
It was always fun shopping together because my parents would shuffle us off separately to shop for our siblings. So many secrets! I loved it then and I still LOVE the secrets!!! Loaded down with packages, we would leave Sears, where we did much of our shopping in downtown Memphis, and pass by the popcorn vendor. My dad would always buy a huge box of freshly popped popcorn for us to have on the trip home. I even remember what the box looked like!
On the way home, in the days before seatbelts of course, my brothers would usually fight over who was taking up more room in the back seat. I was privileged, or spoiled as my brothers would choose to call it, and got to sit up front with my parents. Mom would usually scoot over next to Dad and I would lay down in the seat. I remember that I always had tights on because it was winter and I loved the feeling of taking my shoes off and running my stocking feet over the cold windows in the car door. That probably felt good to a little girl that had been walking quickly to keep up with big people all day! That would usually be my last thoughts as I would go to sleep, dreaming of the enchanted forest and all of the magical characters I had seen there and the Christmas music that I had heard while walking through the trees. I'm sure someone carried me in after we arrived home and tucked me into bed because I never remember that part of the story.
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