OLD FASHION CHRISTMAS - STRINGING POPCORN

It's 'Old Fashioned Christmas' day tomorrow over at Jann Olson's blog, Have a Daily Cup.  I thought what is more old fashioned at Christmas than stringing popcorn as a garland for the Christmas tree.

Here is our tree this year with its popcorn garland.

Those of you that have read my blog over the last few years have heard about our tradition of the red balls and the popcorn garland.  For those of you who haven't heard -----

In Christmas 1958, we had been married three months, were still teenagers and poor college students.  We managed to scrape enough money together to buy a tiny tree and one red ball.  We painted the year on the ball, and strung some popcorn for a garland.  Here is a picture of that glorious tree from 57 years ago.

Every year since, we have bought a red ball and painted the year on it and added a popcorn garland.  That's 58 red balls now and a lot of popcorn.  When our kids were growing up, it was a family activity to string the popcorn.  After they left home and before the grand kids were old enough, Bob and I (mostly Bob) continued to string the popcorn.  The grand kids then strung a lot of popcorn with us, but are now teenagers and not around as much.

On the home tour last weekend, one of the most asked questions was about the popcorn.

Here are our secrets -- 

In order to keep the popcorn from crumbling,  string using a very fine (quilting) needle and strong quilting thread.  Keep your thread at about 20 inches long threading in short units, then tying the ends together to make longer garlands.  Try to stick your needle through the puffiest part of the popcorn kernel.  

But, here is our biggest secret of all that we figured out when kid labor was no longer available ----

The garland freezes wonderfully.  I have a big Tupperware container that we twirl the garland in, then stick it in the freezer until next year.  Every few years, it's necessary to replace some or all of it, but that is so much easier than doing the whole thing over each year.  And now you know!

 And ---Try not to eat too much popcorn as you string along.

I'm joining the following:
Common Ground for Christmas Open House Dec. 9th
Have a Daily Cup for Old Fashioned Christmas Dec. 10th
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday (stretching it with my Uncle Sam ornament!!)

A TREE OF TRADITION

I debated about posting about our main Christmas tree this year as some of you have already heard its story.  The tree now basically looks the same year after year with just a couple of new ornaments added.  But, after five Christmases of blogging; I decided that the Christmas tree post has become part of the tradition.

This is how the tradition started -- our first tree in our small apartment in 1958.  We were poor newly-wed college students and paid a couple of dollars for the live tree plus we bought one red ball to paint the year on.  Those red puffs were some net I had, and we strung some popcorn as garland.  

This is what the tree has grown into today.

This is our 55th Christmas as a family -- consequently there are now 55 red balls on the tree, each with the year painted on.  Some of the years have run together in our minds, but the years of new babies, new houses, or memorable trips are refreshed memories as we hang the balls on the tree each year. 

It's seems that everything on the tree has a story -- part of the tradition!  This is one of the Barfy twins.  Yes, there are two of these elves -- one for each hand of a sick 2-year-old on a VERY rough airplane ride.  I'll spare you further details; but, the Barfy boys have been frolicking on our Christmas tree for 42 years now.

The popcorn garland has always been the domain of Bob, the kids, and the grand kids.  I'm the seamstress of the family, but I don't sew popcorn!  Some years we save the popcorn from the previous year by storing it in the freezer.  This year was time for all new popcorn.  Even the grand kids are getting too busy, and no one was around to help Bob this year.  He sat for three days stringing popcorn while watching the History channel!!!  
Bless him!!!

There are a lot of Hallmark ornaments on the tree.  Who would have thought when I bought the first of the series on Nostalgic Houses and Shops 28 years ago, that Hallmark would STILL be enticing me to add to the series each year.  So, O.K. Mr. Hall, enough, already -- can we stop the series now, so our complete set of houses and shops will be finished and worth a million dollars?  Then I can stop thinking about (and participating in) the commercialism of Christmas?

There are so many other ornaments with stories on the tree - handmade gifts from talented friends; reminders from trips; and memories from family.  

I must save some of those stories for a Christmas tree post next year.

Are you growing a tree of tradition at your house?

I'm linking to the following:
The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Monday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday