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515 Bash Court
Champaign, Illinois
December 23, 1959

Dear folks:

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I don't imagine this will reach you by the day, but we will give it a try.

We have just opened your box. That way we will have one Christmas thinking of you and another with the other set of people. Our little tree is a balsam fir about four feet tall sitting on the round black table in an aluminum bucket. Last Sunday we had 7 people over, really too many since all didn't know each other very well, and were most of us making tree decorations. We had our milk bottle top scrap (it sounds awful but is just right, picture will follow) ornaments from last year, and Joan Cederstrand both made and instructed us in the construction of Japanese folded paper animals, and I made a couple of decorations out of straws like those on display at the Lithuanian exhibit at the international fair, also some straw and bead chains.

So the scene is Christmasy. Now we can thank you for the exceedingly generous gifts you gave us. I can see that that first pay check you were waiting for did arrive before Christmas! It really comes in handy. Also, Mother, you seem to have succeeded in outwitting Jelleffs with the purse bargain. I am going to save it until we begin our travels; it is the right size for that. The summer dress is very nice and silky. Jack will speak about his gifts.

Decorations:
[[4 images]]
straw
milk cap scrap -- aluminum foil
flying bird
owl
both paper folding

Transcription Notes:
[[image: drawings of handmade Christmas ornaments described above]]