ADVENT DAY 17: LIFE CHANGES

When we got back to Idaho, we lived at 510 Brown. I decorated the windows inside with balls and bows and we had the two lighted trees as usual. The big tree was the largest we could get into the house. Our children got new beds that year. Yes, and there were presents from everyone.

Then we moved to Headquarters where our tradition continued. There was a "bull cook" who took a special interest in the children. He helped decorate the tree and put pictures, paper dolls, and anything else he could pick up around the house on the tree. [The photo to the left was taken in Headquarters. Back row left to right: Grandpa C. O. Portfors, F. A. (Uncle Porkie) Portfors, Harriet Walrath, and Grandma Nina Mae Portfors. Standing in front are Joni, Nina, and Charles Walrath. The photo to the right is essentially the same except that Mother replaces Harriet.]

We moved back to Orofino in 1945 without our husband and father. He died in a logging accident four days after we bought our present home at 534 Brown Avenue.

The Christmas went on and that was the beginning of the collection of decorations and ornaments. Mother Walrath shared her ornaments with us and gave us more every year.

We had two mantels now so hung the stockings again and [eventually] I crocheted granny square covers for them. Finally stockings were hung at both mantles.

[I was interested to read that Mother and Fairly were apparently unaware of the standard American tradition of hanging up one's stocking for Santa's visit until they moved to the South. After all, Clement Moore wrote "The Night Before Christmas" in 1822. Apparently, though, stockings had not been hung in either the Portfors or the Walrath home. But Mother readily adopted that tradition and it became one of her favorites. Her stockings were fairly large, and as she said, she made them of white sheeting. When she made the granny square stockings, she lined them with the old white stockings. I believe the picture to the right was taken the first year we had the granny square stockings -- 1977. I helped Mother by making the stockings for my family, but somehow I forgot Mike's, so I hung up a pair of nylons for Santa's visit. You can see it there beside the fireplace tools. The baby stocking with the lamb was for Milo who was due Christmas Day but didn't appear until December 30. No matter -- everyone was happy to give him "baby's first Christmas gifts" all over again in 1978. KW]