We don’t want to talk about how long ago! A highlight of my childhood was getting to walk from our house to my great aunt’s two city blocks away.
Times were different. Mother would stand on the porch and Aunt Sadie would meet me on the corner of her block. An incredible amount of freedom for a 5 year old child. (the earliest I remember going by myself)
Entering Aunt Sadie’s home was like Alice entering Wonderland. Especially when she was decorating for Christmas. Her big dining room table would hold boxes of glittering baubles, chains of garlands, wreathes for the doors and windows.
Before the twilight set in, she and I would have things placed here and there to her satisfaction and celebrate in the kitchen with some cookies and a cup of tea.
Then the last project of the day. From a thin little box, came a plastic tree, we had to slide the pieces together and place it in the plastic base. I was handed a bag of gum colored drops while she tidied the dining table and set out the red runner.
Careful to make sure the gumdrops were distributed well, never two of the same color together, I worked doing my childish best.
It never mattered in the long run, Aunt Sadie always encouraged and applauded the finished tree, placing it in the center of the festive dining room table.
As we began the walk to her corner on my way home I was always given a bag of Jelly beans and one of gum drops to share at home with my four siblings – except the black ones. Those were always my dad’s.