This advent visit with my
grandmother, Ina Dobson (1870-1957) is not a chronological history but rather a
sharing of some of my favorite Christmas passages from her writings and those
of other family members. 
In the ‘30s – and probably before –
Ina hosted Christmas parties for family and friends, doing her best to stretch
her limited resources so that they could “all be children and have a lot of fun
out of it.” But – in the course of a lifetime, things do change. By the ‘40s,
Grandpa Jack was ailing, their children all lived away, and the world was at
war. In 1946, Grandpa Jack died. I mention it because we all face these kinds
of changes from time to time, but perhaps we can take encouragement from Ina’s
“chronicle” of the Christmas of ’46. 
I meant to come to Portland (OR) for
Christmas, then got word to stay put till I heard further [due to the illness
of family members], so I settled down to writing letters and cards, and planned
to spend Christmas at June’s. Then I got a telegram to come on to Portland as
soon as possible.
[Arriving at Lynn’s,] I rested that
day and Lynn went out and got a nice little tree, just right for size and
shape, and for only 25 cents, much to our surprise. Next day was fine and sunny
and we went down town to do our last shopping. The shops were beautiful with
all sorts of gay and clever Christmas displays. The markets were a dream of
luscious foods, and I wished for Dickens to describe them for me; turkeys, geese,
ducks, fat chickens, beef roasts and cuts of all kinds, hams, bacon, pork
roasts and chops, cranberries as big as cherries, bags and baskets of nuts (the
biggest walnuts and filberts I ever saw), jars of mincemeat, pies, cakes, and
cookies of every sort, baskets filled with the finest fruits, and all wrapped
in colored cellophane. I kept falling behind to admire things, while Lynn went
blithely on her way among the happy people.
3 comments:
The city must have seemed so alive compared to quiet farm life. How old was Jack when he died and how old would Ina have been that year?
I love the cards. It is a tragedy that this art form is disappearing!
Jack was 82 or 83 when he died in 1946. Ina was born Nov. 7, 1870, so she had turned 76. Yes, this Christmas was probably very different from any she had ever known, but she seems to have enjoyed it.
I found I could increase my supply of vintage cards through Etsy sellers. Trouble is, I can't remember which I've already posted. Oh well.
If you can't remember, there's a good chance the rest of us can't either! Sometimes I'll see one that looks familiar and assume it's one that was from your personal stash.
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