Grandpa was trying to get the Christmas lights to work, but the strand was not lighting up. He wiggled the bulbs and looked through glass trying to find one with a broken filament. My job was to carefully hold the spare bulbs and pick a color to replace the faulty bulb when grandpa found it. He finally pulled a bulb out of its base then asked me for one of the replacement bulbs I was holding in my tiny seven-year-old hands. I selected a color and handed it to him, then he carefully threaded the bare wires into the base and pushed it into the empty receptacle. The whole strand flashed then flickered then came to life! He set the strand aside then picked up another and replaced its plug in the outlet where the first strand had been plugged in. This one light up, except for one bulb. I really favored this type of strand where a single bulb could go out but it does not affect the rest of them. This strand was not just superior in this matter, but if you like them, it was the type that used the bulbs that were the same fit as the typical hallway nightlight. I was instructed to go ahead and change out the bulb that did not work, and reminded to never ever stick my finger into the empty socket. Then grandpa let me have the last two swallows of his tall beer can.
Grandpa gave the strands of lights over to my uncles to put up on the tree, then said he needed to go out and get something else. I don’t remember what, but he left alone.
The merriment at the house continued for a while as we decorated and got things ready for Christmas Day tomorrow. Then one of my uncles yelled out “Mom! Santa Clause is at the back door! I looked, and there he indeed was, a little disheveled, a little skinny, and a little loose fitting, but Santa was stood at the patio door with a big black bag over his shoulder, and his beard sagging down slightly. He was quickly invited in!
“Ho! Ho! Ho! I hear there have been some good kids here this year!” All agreed, which is rare in any family, but among the younger ones in this family, there was agreement. So Santa laughed and began handing out presents to everyone. He did not have many in his sack, just one for each of my two uncles and aunt, my mom, and myself. Mom got a small parcel that she opened only to find a note inside telling her that her gift was down the road in her apartment. I got a Star Bird electric spaceship, which made a climbing noise as it was pointed up, and a descending noise when pointed down, and came apart into something like four different smaller spaceships. The biggest laugh was my uncle Russ, who got the big plastic bag Santa was carrying our gifts in, and a dog poop scoop.
Santa left, and not long after, grandpa got back from his errand. It sure was exciting to tell him all about what had happened when he was gone, and how Santa had given Russ the poop-scoop. Santa surely was all knowing! He knew we had a dog-poop problem thanks to the Great Danes my grandparents kept in those days.
When the evening was over, mom and I went back to the apartment and were shocked to find a console stereo had been brought into the living room and fitted under the front window. Now she had a place to play her records and listen to her favorite music on HiFi on either the phonograph, the 8-Track, or AM/FM Stereo!
Santa did come back to my grandparent’s house that night and left gifts for everyone. I don’t remember what else I got, or anyone else. But I do remember how sad it was that Santa came while grandpa was away.
I used to think this was Christmas of 1979, but I have since realized that these events occurred in ’78. We drove to Colorado, and I was installed in school there by Thanksgiving of 1979. We celebrated Christmas of 1980 in the apartment in Westminster, then 1981 onwards in the house in Broomfield. I am quite sure of Christmas of 1977 being performed in a little apartment in Salt Lake City when I went to the school on Redwood Road. Those were the days mom had to leave me alone in the mornings with an alarm set to indicate to me when I was to leave for school each morning. I was six. The Seventies were amazing times.