Looking Back at Christmases Long Ago

O Holy Night.....wow, don't you just love those Shiny Brites? You can still find them around on the auction sites if you are having a yen for them or just feeling nostalgic. I do have the Shiny Brites that once belonged to my parents. They managed to have about seven ornaments left of the twelve that came in the original box. I can't imagine how many my brother, sisters and I broke. When I got married and we had our first tree, we were woefully lacking in decorations. Not having a lot of money back then, we made do with the leftovers my mother gave us. Among the chirstmas ornaments she gave us, was a box of Shiny Brites. I know we used to have about three boxes but heaven only knows what happened to them.Anyway, my husband and I bought garland...(that garish shiny thick stuff that was all the rage back then) and icicles. The real icicles. The one's with lead. Okay so maybe it's not safe anymore but gosh darn it, wasn't it super shiny? And it was heavy and wouldn't fly away from your tree from the slightest breeze.(I have a secret...you can purchase icicles from those auction sites too. The ones with lead) *word of caution: If you have small children or pets I would re-consider buying the old fashioned kind and just stick with a niced beaded garland, twinkling lights and your ornaments.A year after our first Christmas together my husband and I were given some more ornaments from my parents. Mom wanted to stop putting up a tree. She has a small living room and she would get claustraphobia (or so she says). Now she just goes crazy with Santa decorations. Her living room is full of Santa's and Snowmen.My husband and I fell in love with the ornaments my parents gave us and I got a tear in my eye when I opened the box. There they were, the beautiful Jewel Brites. Shaped like a diamond gem, these are a clear plastic and sometimes colored, ornaments housing angels, flowers, Santa, snowmen. They are adorable. Years later, about fourteen years to be exact; I found and purchase Jewel Brites at an antique mall in my hometown. Needless to say I went ga-ga and bought all four boxes for ten dollars apiece. It was a lot of money for ornaments but when something hits your heart cost is not an issue.