Decking the Halls and That Sort of Thing

When GamerDude was a kid, the Christmas decorating season didn't start until just after Thanksgiving. In this episode, he talks about the thrill that kids felt at the start of that season, and talks about the "traditional" family decorations his parents put out each year.  He talks about the green floodlight his dad shone on the porch each holiday, and the gigantic Christmas star he built. He remembers his parents' "rigid Santa," his mother's "N O E L" letters, and the candle-powered bell chime his mother loved.  He remembers his father's fondness for ceramic Christmas trees, and how many he found stored away after his father was gone.  He talks about how his family ALWAYS had a live Christmas tree, and how the size of the tree shrunk year after year.  And, he tells the story of the ill-fated indoor snow-maker for the Christmas tree that made one appearance in his family's house and then, mysteriously, disappeared forever.