It was embarrassing to see that it has almost been 3 years since the last post.  That is hardly what a blog is supposed to be about and I am going to try and be better.  I mean, I don't even have to do much to be better - that is pretty obvious.  But I am going to give it a better effort for sure.

  Today is December 24th, Christmas Eve and I think it would be fitting to talk about what Christmas Eve meant living on the prairies in Saskatchewan.  Although we were not an affluent family, we always had clothes and food.  So in that context, we definitely were well off.  One of the things that was really a hit around Christmas time was Japanese oranges.  Or as we called them, Christmas oranges.  They came out about the 15th of November and we were usually able to purchase them until January.  They were sweet, very easy to peel and tasted absolutely delicious.  There was no doubt that us kids loved them.  We would search the house looking for these oranges, as they had to be hid and rationed, otherwise they would be gone in a day or two.  They came in 8 pound wooden crates, and each orange was wrapped in green tissue like paper to prevent bruising on the travel over.  A hammer and or screwdriver was needed to remove the top and gain access to the delicious treats inside.  I personally scoured the house looking for them, usually finding them under a bed or buried in a closet.  I was really good at removing the top, pulling a few out and replacing it as neat as can be.  There was the odd time when Dad would say - I swear they reduce the amount of the oranges every year...

I don't think Christmas has changed that much as far as gifts are concerned, because it was a time to get new clothes.  But kids that are young really aren't interested in clothes, they want toys.  Every year, we would get the wish book.  Everyone knows what the wish book was.  Eaton's specialized catalogue at Christmas time that showcased all the gifts a person could ever want for.  In a way, it was an evil magazine that taunted the kids, showing fun and elaborate toys that one could never ever receive.  Fancy remote control train sets, 10 foot toboggans, race car sets, and for the really privileged, remote controlled cars that you could actually sit in!!

I was very happy to receive skates, hockey stick and equipment.  A fast sled or toboggan was great.  Those were things that created enjoyment, and kept us healthy.