Christmas in Curryville was special. Every home put up decorations inside and out. Dad took us kids with him to the woods and we gathered beautiful, dark green moss. We put the moss under the tree as the setting for the train track. We also gathered trailing pine which was the setting for the lights around our front porch.

Each year we went to Gables in Altoona. We were given money to buy gifts for each other. One year I saw a huge display of beautiful wreaths. If I bought one, I would not have enough money for other presents. I felt very clever when I decided to get a wreath and then put a...