Pluggers by Rick McKee for December 20, 2022

Yes, Frosty was born during Bing Crosby’s Dreaming of a White Christmas back in 1944.

Just like the songs, pluggers want the same Christmas decorations year after year.

The Rankin/Bass Productions film of Frosty is fifty-three years old.

When I was a year old my mom had me sitting on a blanket out in the yard with my toys laid out in front of me with her camera at the ready. When I reached for a toy she snapped the pic. Still have the pic and camera and the toy I reached for, a plastic lighted Santa Claus that still works. This was back in the 50’s. Both parents are gone now but I’m grateful for the magic of Christmas they passed on to us.

The decorations help one to remember the good times !

My Mother-in-Law is a Christmas fanatic. She hauls out the decorations that she has accumulated over 60-plus years. All the animated figures with sound effects are doing their thing. And dozens of photographs are a must! She lives for the Christmas family celebrations.

When my son was two years old, she wanted photos of him opening each of his presents. He was happy enough opening each one and enjoying it right then; but she would snatch it out of his hands and want a photo with the next present. He was confused, and started to cry. The situation was funny and sad at the same time.

My in-laws have enough family photos that a stack of them would reach practically to the moon. And a lot of them in recent years are digital, and printed out multiple times in different sizes. When my in-laws are gone, what will happen to those photos? Who will curate them?

Those hand-me-down ornaments are the best with the memories that may be attached and many are collectible and worth money if that’s your bag!

Best kind of ornaments are vintage,I remember growing up we had real glass bubble lights!!!

Wife and I are down to a one small box of Christmas decorations that were her mothers. A couple minutes to set up, and a couple minutes to take down and put away ’til next year. Just have to remember to take out the batteries.

All of my decorations are in a box in the garage that hasn’t been opened for 30 years.

Based on pose and expression, Frosty’s age is likely obvious because he reeks with age, rot, and mildew

That would be a Frosty from 1982 – that’s barely yesterday!!!! The “vintage” ornaments we used to have on our tree were from the 40’s!!!

I have entire collection of homemade tree ornaments made by my grandmother. All in pristine condition, carefully wrapped. There are enough to decorate and entire tree. They produce a very ‘vintage’ tree, as well.

I’ve got one ornament on my tree inherited from my mom. It doesn’t work because it was designed to use the heat from xmas tree light to make it spin. I still put it on the tree as a remembrance.

Only?…..

We have a snow village that was probably from the late 40s or 50s. It was designed to have one of the old ‘large’ Christmas tree bulbs in each building. It would take a long time to set up — hiding the light strands under a cotton blanket and making sure the houses didn’t tip over. It came with some fir trees, a couple of benches and figures — a couple of families, a minister, policeman, and some carolers. We used a small mirror for a pond. Most of the figures are long gone and of course modern lights don’t ‘fit’ but, until the grandkids were grown and dispersed, we set it out.

Actually, Gene Autry first sang “Frosty the Snowman” in 1950. The television short came out in 1969

My family has a 2-3’ lighted plastic snowman that belonged to my grandfather. I took it with me when I moved to Phoenix, then San Diego, and finally to South Carolina. At that point, my parents drove it to my brother’s home in Boston, where it is put out every Christmas. It must be 60 years old by now.

And he still looks great :-)

Mid Century Modern!!

We have a plastic Santa (about 18 inches tall) that was husband’s when he was little. His sister took or threw out everything from their parents house when their mom moved in with her. I am Jewish so have nothing for Christmas from when I was young.

Were sitting and talking with some members of our reenactment unit several years ago and the conversation turned to people celebrating Christmas as they did when they were young. I then realized why we (me) overdecorate inside our house – my memories of Christmas are every Christmas movie I have ever seen and the excessive decoration in same.

This year decorating is a mess due to husband’s small “big TV” he decided we needed it as no longer go to movies due to Covid (from Nov 1973 to start of Covid went at least weekly to the movies short of deep snow or illness). We thought we figured out all the problems due to same.

Main tree has to be in back of living room not front, no big deal right? We used to wheel a large wooden chest box that husband made to do so (front drops down instead of top lifting as used to store DVDs) into our dining room to make room for the tree) as it is now under the TV So we figured that we would move the coffee table at the back of the room to dining room instead – that worked. We did not take into account that in the front of room tree had two “fronts”- into room and into entryway. Ornaments a mess on tree this year with many fewer showing on front.

Also we normally put battery candle lights in front windows – can’t put in living room as can’t get to same, so no more candle lights as too unbalanced without that one.

Still have dining room tree (all Colonial Williamsburg member ornaments), studio tree (all items made by us – others on main tree) and my teddy bear Christmas village to decorate. Plus standing around decorations.

Will be volunteering in 18th century repro clothes at candlelight event at local restoration village before Christmas, so it will be hard to finish all in time.