Retro Christmas Pics: Part 1




My first Christmas, 1973.  How about that good lookin' tree behind me?  My dad would take our beautiful trees into the garage and flock them.  Flock....them.  Then they were decorated from top to bottom with solid gold ornaments.  The best thing about my parents' divorce?  No more flocked trees or gold balls.



Jump ahead about four years.  My favorite things about this picture:  the fact that my dad is wearing a cowboy hat (if you know my dad, you know that this isn't normal), my dog Chevis, my OU stocking cap and white boots, and that there was actually enough snow in Oklahoma to make a snowman that big.  This picture reminds me that there was actually a point in my life when my dad was really into being...my dad. 



Not sure where this was taken or the exact year, but I have just one question for my mother: what the hell was up with that collar?  And why do I look so much like a boy?



 And there it is again.  The damn white and gold tree.  At least it sort of matched our lovely couch.  Don't I look happy?



Christmas Day dinner at my grandparents, 1983.  This picture was taken right before my grandmother told us all to go to hell and yelled at my grandfather that she wanted a divorce all because my cousin said she was too full to eat desert.  No, unfortunately I'm not kidding.  I'll save that story for another time.  Sometimes Christmas isn't always so Merry.

part 2 to come soon!



6 comments :

Anonymous said...

You look so much like Bentley in the Green shirt picture....wow!
I know the 1983 story...tragic what happens when you mix old people, alcohol with christmas eve...

Anonymous said...

Keep it real girlfriend :) Love it. I'm going to bust out my old Christmas pics tonight. I'm pretty sure I've got some zingers! But, nothing that compares to that Liberace-white-and-gold-tree. Ohmygawd. lol.

Bill and Jenn said...

Stephenie, I kid you not... Bill's grandmother in Florida has THAT. EXACT. SAME. COUCH. We are headed there next week to celebrate her 90th birthday-- Maybe I'll take a picture of it for you so you can reminisce about those gorgeous flocked trees with gold ornaments! :)

And for the record, when I was a kid I DREAMED of having a flocked tree-- it looked like SO MUCH FUN! But my parents never went for the idea. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh, well I was there for all but one of those pictures, (Christmas going to hell, with new wife in pic.). And by the way both of my kids say I made them look like boys too. I think we just dressed in a much simpler way.

The good thing Stephanie, is that you can now look back with more distance and perspective, and enjoy the family of choice you have today!
Aunt Ann, still after all these years! :)

Rita said...

OMG! Merry Christmas! I *also* come from a long line of Crazy.

Let the Season of Dysfunction begin!

(now where'd I put my Xanax?)

Kidding!

Dawn said...

I know I shouldn't laugh, but I almost spit my pop when I read that last paragraph. I must hear that story.

We had the white flocked tree as well. I'm not sure we did the gold ornaments though. Our couch was similar.

Oh, and that white coat with the rainbow - I think I may have had that. Or wanted to have it. Ha!

Loved seeing your pictures.

Girl, I grew up with some major disfunctionality as well.