Everyday until Christmas, I am going to try to post a picture from a past family Christmas. 

Christmas Eve 1949

You can’t tell this picture is from Christmas, but it is from Christmas Eve 1949.  I have to laugh at my mother’s face.  She made this face when when she didn’t like something.  So was use to seeing it.  In 1969 when I saw Lily Tomlin on Laughin playing Ernestine the telephone operator, I told my mother she reminded me of her.  My mother was insulted, but I meant it as compliment.  Click link to take a look at Lilly Tomlin as Ernestine and compare the faces.  This picture was taken in our apartment and was probably the first time my mother hosted Christmas Eve.  Our family tradition was we had Christmas Eve at our house, and opened our gifts after a visit from Santa. On Christmas Day we went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner.  Sitting next to my mom on the sofa is her cousin Pat.  She is holding a doll, that I probably received for Christmas that night.  I called it my Tommy doll.  I don’t know if that was the name from the manufacturer or something we came up with.  It is interesting that it is a boy doll.  At that time most dolls were girls.  I remember the doll, but don’t remember playing with it very often. My mother wrote on the back of the picture, “Two beauties — Xmas 1949”.