[color=red] Someone had a wonderful Christmas, once upon a time...[/color]

[electrolux~137]

 


 


 


<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium; color: #006600; background-color: #ffffff;">Look under the tree to the right!</span>


 


<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: medium; color: #006600; background-color: #ffffff;">Also, how many can identify the black squarish-shaped thing in the foreground just to the right of the butt of the air rifle? ("I can! I can!!")</span>

 

[tolivac]

The gun shown appears to be a pump action shotgun.the squarish box thing is the transformer-power supply for a Lionell electric train-locomotive and tender car just in front of the transformer.also like the johson outboard motor just to the left of the muzzle of the shotgun-shotgun-motor-must be the favorite gifts from the Misses for her duck hunter husband-electric train for the kid(s).Vacuum cleaner for her!Good Christmas for that family!!!

 

[tolivac]

Lest we not forget the sled leaning on the wall for all except maybe the Misses to ride that snowy Christmas day!!

 

[kenkart]

Shotgun!

Is a Model 1897 Winchester 12 gauge, And the outboard is either a 3 or 5 horsepower Johnson Sea Horse, of early postwar vintage!

 

[brandon_w_t]

Those were the days when on christmas morning you left your brand new shot gun with the kids toys to go have some coffee or breakfast.


LOL

If you saw a picture today with a gun sitting like that, you would have CPS at your door!


anyone else in love with that tree?

 

[electrolux~137]

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Mmm, I assumed the gun was an air rifle. I'm not one who knows much about guns, mind you. </span>

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">We had a Lionel train set when I was a kid and it had that exact variable-speed transformer. We had a huge box of stuff, at least a couple dozen cars of various types including three different engines and a caboose; along with </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">little people, </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">scenery, landscaping, buildings, bridges, tunnels, and enough metal track and switches to easily fill a 12x12-ft area in the basement. We had a couple of street barricades that would automatically glide down across the street when the train was coming near.
</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;"> One of the engine cars had a train whistle that you could activate with a red button on the transformer, and it could also emit smoke: There was a small vial of some sort of drops you'd instill into the smoke stack.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Every so often on rainy days or quiet Sunday afternoons we'd set it all up and play with it for hours. Fun, fun, fun. </span>

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Mama told me many years ago that they donated the train set to the church for their rummage sale. I wonder what all that stuff would be worth to toy train collectors today.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Just wondering, can anyone identify the year of this photo by the outboard motor? It could have been anywhere from 1949 to 1954 based on the Electrolux.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Yes, this was a lovely Christmas for some lucky family, and don't you just know the housewife was thrilled to receive that Model XXX!</span>


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">
</span>

 

[kenkart]

Left your shotgun!

Yeah, and it was also the time when your kids minded and wouldnt have touched that gun for anything!! Because the parents would have busted your ass!!

 

[kenkart]

Donald..

Wants the tree, C-7 lights, lead icicles, and war time ornaments!

 

[xraytech]

I just love the look of Chrstmas trees of the time, I think it is the heavyamount of icesicles that gives it that special look

 

[electrolux~137]

 


 


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">I have uploaded a very large format version of this photo for those who may want to blow this photo up and really examine the details. It's a good-sized file, about 19mb, so it will take a little time to download. But it is really interesting to zoom in on all the presents and get a close look at them!</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Copy the URL below and paste it into a new web browser window. After the photo loads, you can right-click on it to save to your hard drive.
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">http://www.1377731.com/0000000137/christmaslux.xxx1.jpg
</span>

 

[air-waycharlie]

Hans,
If I had touched that gun, one of the parents would have used it on me.......................
 
They just did the usual beatings and look how great I turned out(?)
 
Charlie

 

[Real1]

Not....

trying to be PC here, but....

Sure, really cool gifts for the males in the house, but think about it...a vacuum cleaner for your Xmas if you were the mom, or an oven, frier, toaster etc? Not very original there and lest we forget, roles were extremely UN-flexible in those *good ol' days*. Most of us have fond memories of Xmas back then if we are old enough to remember, but let's not brag about any sort of equality. I personally remember a lot of pain from the post WWII era and being forced to fit in. Things were very B&W, quite literally. "The usual beatings"....?? I'm glad most of us family patriarchs have evolved past that.;-)

Kevin

 

[air-waycharlie]

Kevin,
I use humor to cover a lot of unsavory and painful things from my past. I am a couple of years older than you. I agree with your comments above.

I too, was forced to fit in and when I didn't, in grade school, junior high and senior high, the results were bad. To this day, I don't remember any of those years. I really only remember my youth after I had left the tyranny of my parent's home.

Sadly, for my parents, especially my father, he did not have to the capacity to love and father his children. For reasons not known completely to me, I was the target of much of his wrath. This is all in the past and I have found forgiveness for both mother and father.

I am glad I did not father children as I think, "the sins of the father are visited on children". It took many years to let a lot of the past go.

There were no, "good old days", for me and my siblings. Christmas was always a nightmare and to this day I do nothing to observe or celebrate--it is too much of painful reminder of the past.

All that said, again, I agree with your post and now you may have some understanding of mine. I'm a longtime poster here and my longtime friends are familiar with me.

Be of good cheer,
Charlie

 

[westingman123]

Hey Charlie!

"I have always had to rely on the kindness of strangers." We do Christmas up big here in St. Louis, if you'd like a slice of normal sometime. It makes me feel sad that you endured what you did--but you've ABSOLUTELY overcome. As for the vacuum for Christmas, I'm quite certain the lady of the house was thrilled. I remember Mama got a Hoover blender for Christmas one year and she was over the moon. Oh, for those simpler times.

Keith

P.S. "Oh, if I just wasn't a lady what wouldn't I say to that Belle Watling?"

 

[Real1]

No....

aspersions cast you way Charlie, of course; I had no way of knowing about your past. Mine was similarly painful and had parents that didn't talk to me the last ten yrs or so of their bitter lives. This has caused me a sort of purgatory where I can't hate them, but can't grieve for them either. I did father two beautiful sons and when I had to make painful/important decisions with them, I deliberately did exactly the opposite of what my own father had done-it always seem to work. So...."the sins of the father are visited on children" only applies if you let it.

True that the cycle of abuse tends to follow through families, but we always have the ability to choose better for our own children.

Kevin

 

[air-waycharlie]

Kevin,
Thanks for sharing part of your life with us. To expound a bit--I did not see or speak to my parents for almost the last 20 years of their lives. I did not attend the funeral of either one and have no issues with that at all. They had died for me long ago. Actually, I felt relieved when they were both gone. They could never hurt me in anyway, shape or form again.

Many years ago I sought help to move on. I really became a better person when I forgave them their transgressions. I grew to feel sorry for them and still do to this day. They were almost objects of pity. I don't know what happened to them in their youth--but, something did. By their own choosing they never got to know their 3 youngest children, myself included. And, in my opinion, those 3 are the special ones out of the 5. Interesting how life plays itself out. At this stage, (6 decades on the planet!), I have nothing but gratitude in my heart and life.

Your sons are fortunate. I know I would NOT have been a good father. It is a good thing some come out of a bad situation and still have kids! Otherwise there would be no future for so many.

Again, I thank you for being so open. Say hello to the boys for me.

Charlie

PS-Thanks Keith for the offer! I'll keep it in mind. Hey, many have endured far worse. I consider myself quite blessed.

 

[Real1]

Yes....

Charlie, many have endured far worse. The boy, now man, in the book "A Boy Named It" for one. When mental illness, drugs & alcohol and/or desperation meet parenthood; often a tornado mates with a hurricane.

I've been truly blessed as well and work with young adults in all my spare time. I only wished that all the energy of my youth hadn't been wasted in running away from family problems and more directed towards helping others. Oh well....I'm still a 'work in progress'. And I love vacuums...go figure.;-)

Kevin

 

[air-waycharlie]

Kevin,
If you love vacuums and help younger people...............well, it doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks for your exchanges here. You should come to a convention someday and get to meet all us. There are close friends of mine that I refer to as, "damaged goods", but I love them dearly.

We all walked through fire and survived and have had damn good lives! You can choose to be a victom or be like butter and rise above it. We opted to be butttery!

Charlie

 

[floor-a-matic]

I sure LOVE that retro look! That'll be what I'll be putting up this Christmas!