The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care....

December 16, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

I've heard it said that this is a typical division of labor- Sandy does the heavy lifting, as it were, while dreamy-eyed Gary ponders the existence of Santa, and, having satisfied that requirement, checks on his progress. In the post-World War II decade of plenty, this slice-of-life makes a fine tableau of what those service members were fighting for less than ten years before- home and hearth and a consumerism to counter the lean years leading up to the war.  I am nothing, if not all things Christmas.  You're welcome.