Thursday, December 24, 2020

The Simple Christmas that Wasn't


Here's another ghost sign that I pass often, just off Abbey Road in St. John's Wood. Unlike the one in Kilburn that I wrote about not too long ago, I can't find any information online about this one, which also seems to mention several products and is probably a layered melange of ads from over a period of years. I see Army Club cigarettes at the bottom, for sure, and then some kind of "elastic skin dressing" in the middle. (Moles?) I can't figure out the wording at the top -- it looks like something "SHTRIM."

Echoes of the past!

Speaking of which:


Here's a picture of me, from 1982 or so, wishing you a Merry Christmas! That's my grandmother's house in Hyattsville, Md., where we spent every Christmas season from the late '70s through the '80s. Christmas there was a very subtle affair -- just my mom, my brother, my grandmother and me, and we always put up Grandmother's little artificial tree, and we'd get each other one or two gifts, and that was pretty much that! It was minimalist, which was nice.

But I can't pretend to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, satisfied with a shiny penny and an orange. We usually spent Christmas day with my aunt, uncle and cousins in Virginia, and it was always a madhouse of the more traditional American Christmas variety: mountains of presents, lots of commotion, church and a big dinner which my aunt pulled together with probably inadequate acknowledgement or appreciation. And then, after going back to Florida, my brother and I had another Christmas at my dad's house, which also entailed many more gifts and dinner made by my stepmother. So as much as I like to reflect back on our simple family Christmases, the truth is they weren't all that simple.

I was 16 in that picture. That shirt I'm wearing? My mom bought it one year for my birthday, and I hated it. She was always buying me those stupid plaid flannel shirts from J. C. Penney. Granted, they're what a lot of boys wore in my corner of the South, but they were not my thing at all. I don't even remember that gray sweatshirt/jacket.


Here's my latest street find -- not the onion pot, which we've had for years (and never use for onions), but the felt cat on top. At least, I think it's a cat. Dave thinks it's a mouse. I found it on Finchley Road while walking back from school on Tuesday, and it has now taken up residence on the kitchen windowsill.

I didn't do much of note yesterday. I wrapped Dave's presents (both of them -- our Christmas this year really is simple) and read more of "The Pickwick Papers." I took Olga for a walk but she wasn't interested in going far, so we just ambled around the neighborhood.

I did convince Dave to let me help him clean out and organize his closet. I knew he had clothes in there he didn't wear, and he just bought a bunch of new pants and shirts, so the time was right. He ultimately surprised me by wanting to get rid of a big stack of shirts -- so many, in fact, that his zealousness gave me anxiety. I'm thinking of putting a few of them back!

58 comments:

e said...

Wishing you both a relaxing time...

John Going Gently said...

Look at you with your big hair

Frances said...

I think it is a mouse!( traditional pink ears? ) Enjoy your day tomorrow.
We are just the 2 of us instead of the usual 7 and 3 kids!

Frances said...

PS. Nice to see the sun this morning isn't it? Our patio is almost dry today after weeks of wetness!

Anonymous said...

You really needed a hair stylist but with bare ankles you look quite fashionable. Sixteen hey. You look comfortable, relaxed and well adjusted to yourself. True?

Dave can buy more shirts. Don't miss the opportunity to get rid of 'stuffs'.

Steve Reed said...

Thanks and the same to you, E!

Steve Reed said...

Big is one word for it. Bad is another!

Steve Reed said...

Well, maybe it will be a nice opportunity to have a small celebration. (Trying to make lemonade out of lemons!)

Steve Reed said...

YES! I'd forgotten what it looks like! LOL

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, that hair is kind of awful. I probably didn't even comb it. I was outwardly comfortable, but inwardly I had a lot of questions!

Moving with Mitchell said...

I love that old photo. Regarding your recent find: My immediate thought was "cat" until you said Dave thought it was a mouse. Now I'm not so sure.

Penelope said...

Merry Christmas to you and Dave and Olga. I hope Santa is good to you.

Debby said...

I lived in the Gaithersburg/Rockville area for a few years. Probably 15 years ago, we were in the area and went back to show the children where they used to live. The traffic! Oh my goodness how did I ever deal with that traffic?

Your closet story? Made me laugh. My husband sounds a lot like Dave. Except when I pulled stuff out of the closet that he didn't wear, he had a fit. The sweater? His SISTER gave him that. Those platform shoes? They still fit. The out of style pants? He LIKED them...so much so that he was going to wear them to church next Sunday. At that point, I just quietly put everything back in the closet. He was happy. Once again, he totally forgot about the outdated clothes. There was no danger of him wearing them. They hang there still.
In any case, Merry Christmas to you and Dave.

Mary said...

Moleskin is a type of bandage or dressing. Soft flannel material one side and backed with a sticky pad. You can cut to size. Good for placing on areas you don't want blisters like the back of your heels or other areas where your shoes might rub. Can buy with varying degrees of thickness/padding. V. expensive these days.

Hope you and Dave have a safe and cozy Christmas.



Bob said...

I believe I once owned that same shirt; what is it with mothers and plaid shirts?

Have a Merry Merry and a Happy Happy.

Ms. Moon said...

I was going to basically say what Mary did which is that the sign may have been about moleskin.
Steve- you were adorable! Well, you are adorable. But you are so right about that shirt. First of all- brown. Secondly- ummm...no. But you were rocking it as best you could and it sort of blends in with the beiges in the chair.
Yesterday when the Lily-kids were here we were talking about how they got presents from Lauren's parents (SO MANY) and will get presents from Lily and Lauren and from Jason and their other grandmother and from us and their uncle and aunts and it's all so much!
Well, Christmas is for children, right?
Have a merry Christmas, Steve. A small, lovely, cozy Christmas. Good wishes to you and to Dave.

Leslie LaCaruba said...

Merry Christmas Steve, Dave, and Olga, from South Carolina. I love reading your blog--love your wit and sense of irony.

Sharon said...

I love the Christmas photo! It's fun to remember how our Christmas traditions have transformed over the years. Have a wonderful Christmas holiday!

Anonymous said...

Love seeing that old photo of the very cute young you at Christmas. Perfect for this holiday season!

Linda Sue said...

Adorable- no matter what you say! I had that very same shirt i think. Happy 2021, looking forward to a much better year! Love to you all, give Olga a special ear scritch from us, and a hug for you and Dave. Your new street find fits so well! meant to be, a gift from the Odd God.

Steve Reed said...

I know -- I'm not either! It does have little rodent eyes.

Steve Reed said...

Same to you, Penelope!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, we're basically in the same boat! Ha!

Red said...

Nice memory of Christmas in your youth. Merry Christmas to you and Dave.

Steve Reed said...

Oh, moleskin! I didn't even think of that! Isn't it used for book covering too, or is that something different? I've heard of moleskin notebooks.

Steve Reed said...

I guess they just don't have to think about them much. Plaid is plaid.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I am very beige-on-beige, aren't I? I'm not so sure about the adorable part. Children with multiple parent and grandparent figures definitely benefit hugely from Christmas!

Steve Reed said...

Thank you, Leslie! And same to you! I'm glad I seem witty and not just crabby. LOL

Steve Reed said...

Same to you, Sharon! Christmas is all about memories, isn't it?

Steve Reed said...

A photo-flashback is always fun!

Steve Reed said...

Yes, the New Year MUST get better. It simply must.

Steve Reed said...

Same to you and the Micro-Manager! :)

Sarah said...

No let them go! The cat is a good find. Always fun to see people in younger photos. You look very cheerful in that one!

Ellen D. said...

Nice photo of the younger you - love your curly, wavy hair!
Merry Christmas to you and Dave and Olga!

Margaret said...

Here in the PacNW we wear a lot of plaid. One Christmas both my daughters and I were wearing plaid which made for a funny "Plaid Nation" photo opp. It's good to go through closets and cupboards, but by the time we do so, it's tempting to go too far. I let things slide and then go nuts organizing and get rid of things I need. Happy Christmas to you!

Allison said...

The notebooks are Moleskine - with an e.
Merry Christmas to you and Dave.

Catalyst said...

Wow, just look at all that hair. What happened to it, anyway? And the shoes with no socks. Very Florida! Before I wrote this I read all the comments, looking for snark from YP. Not here so I beat him to it!

Catalyst said...

Oh, I forgot - Merry Christmas to the three of you in Merry Olde England!

Edna B said...

Merry Christmas from me and Pogo.

Fresca said...

Gosh, I got a flash of Hugh Grant in you at sixteen. I mean in a GOOD way.

Merry Christmas you to, Dave, and Olga!

ellen abbott said...

I wrote several long posts about christmas at my house growing up but many years ago before any of my current readers or commenters. maybe I'll do a post that links back if anyone is interested. as for plaid flannel shirts, I have only one. it's urple western style with pearl snaps. Marc, however has several and wears one every day when it's cold.

I should clean out my closet. have lots of clothes I never wear anymore. well, not lots. I don't have lots of clothes. it would always astound me to go in rich people's houses and their giant closets full of clothes. if they wore something different every day it would take years to get through them all.

Angelicastar said...

Merry Christmas to you, Dave and Olga. I didn't do the Turkey and dressing but I did do a BBQ. It's cold and the wind is blowing. It was hard but I did make it happen. (lol) We will be back to 72 degrees by Saturday. Steve, I have a great feeling about 2012. Trumpie is doing it up before he leave office. He is pardon all his crooked friends. Even Jarod Kushner Father. I didn't know he was a tax crook but if we did things like that it would stay on our record for a life time. They should do something about all the pardons he is doing. We will be okay soon. Enjoy the New Year and let's breath again. Love you three.

Angelicastar said...

I meant 2021. I went back 9 years. No wonder I was smiling. (laughing hard)

Michael said...

I hope you and Dave have a great Christmas. That's a great picture of you. You have a nice smile in the photo.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

The face on your onion pot sums up how the whole world has felt about COVID-19 this year. Happy Christmas to you, Dave and Madam Olga.

Janie Junebug said...

The elastic dressing would be moleskin. I think it's a mouse. I understand how you felt about the shirts your mother gave you. My mom used to buy the most awful clothes for me. Merry Christmas.

Love,
Janie

Steve Reed said...

I'm always very smiley in pictures.

Steve Reed said...

My hair was very wavy. It was frustrating to deal with when I was young, but of course it's entirely gone now, so I never should have complained!

Steve Reed said...

I suppose the answer is to not let things accumulate, but that's hard, isn't it?!

Steve Reed said...

So the wraps are moleskin and the notebooks are moleskine? Is it the same stuff?

Steve Reed said...

I never wore socks when I was young -- I always wore topsiders (or docksiders, as some people call them) and socks were a fashion faux pas with those shoes!

Steve Reed said...

Merry Christmas, Edna!

Steve Reed said...

Well, no one's ever said THAT before -- but thank you! :)

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, you should link back to them! I'd love to read them.

Steve Reed said...

Merry Christmas, Angelicastar! Just keep repeating that to yourself: "We will be okay soon." I'm glad you got some BBQ. That seems like a very Texas thing to do!

Steve Reed said...

Thanks and same to you! Here's hoping the coming year of teaching gets more back to normal!

Steve Reed said...

It's true -- that onion pot pretty much says it all, doesn't it?! We have a celery jar in the same style that has a crazy smile. Here's hoping 2021 will look more like the celery jar.

Steve Reed said...

I wonder if the brand was just "Mole" or "Moles," because I don't see room for the "skin" part on the sign. When I first read this I thought you were saying the bandages were made from mice -- YIKES! LOL