• Sunday-What'sUP December 18 - 06:06 am

Frequent Pasty Cam contributor Lori Houle recalls her first Christmas:

My sisters dolls are almost as big as I was! Pictures front row L to R are my father, Robert E Houle, Sr., holding my hands (Lori Houle), Jeanne Houle-Peters, Michele Houle Kemppainen, Anne Houle Halgren and Bobby Houle. Back row L to R are June Dolores Koski Houle (passed away on November 28th, 2006), Patricia Houle Doud, George Edward Houle and John Robert Houle (who passed away April 20th 2004)... Thanks for the opportunity to share a great website! I love having the online photo storage

morning

I cant believe we still have this warm weather. I have to admit it sure is easier to do Christmas shopping when there is no snow on the ground. (But it sure would be nice if it DID snow on Christmas!!)

Great photos of Christmases past--have a few similar ones from the same era when I was a kid up in the Copper Country in the 50's & 60's.

Does anyone remember going home from school and waiting by the radio for Santa to read your letter on the air (WHDF, I believe). That was such a big deal to me and I just knew he was the real Santa, as he spoke of his reindeer and elves. It was also fun to hear the letters of kids who lived in your neighborhood or who you went to grade school with. All these years later, I can still hear his jolly voice reading those letters, and wonder now who he was.....

Almost seems more like "Easter" instead of "Christmas" with the wonderful weather we have been having in the winter wonderland! Got to love it!
Christmas is almost up all of us.

In the late forties and early fifties my Dad and the Lake Valley Dairy sponsered Santa on WHDF and I know for a fact that it was really Santa because Mrs. Ollia told me it was and no adult ever lied to a kid about Santa. My letters were read on the air also, didn't get everything I wanted, but did get a BB gun. I have been trying to meet Santa ever since, Precious tells me that if I believe someday I will meet him.

Wow! Julie Gundlach, who was my roommate at Uof M , looks
exactly like the person I knew when she was in her late teens and
early twenties.

HelloLori..so charmings Christmas pictures and also albums - magnificent landscape pictures!!

That is a great picture of my family. Our mother, June D. Koski Houle, is the first person sitting in the back row. She passed away on November 28, 2006. May she rest in peace. I am sitting next to her, and am Patricia Houle Doud, not Doug.
It was a pleasant surprise to see the picture.

Wow! If that is the late Herman Gundlach and family, I'm betting the girl on the left foreground holding the kitten is Gretchen?? One of my cousin Judys best friends. We all ran around together in the 50s. I remember meeting Mr. Gundlach on a few occasions!

Russ: I believe the one holding the kitten is Julie. She sure looks
like a dead ringer for the young adult version I knew and she was
the third of the four girls which seems to fit.

Loved the Houle picture----recognized every one in the photo!!! God Bless June--she was a very sweet lady.

How does one post a picture on the web-site?
Have some I would like to share. The computer stuff is new to me----don't have a clue.

Hello Charlie, Thank you so much for posting my family picture. It is especially dear because of the passing of my mother on Nov. 28th. I am just now home from a 3 week stay caring for my father and trying to heal from the blow of the loss of her from our lives. She was the thread that kept our family tied.
I would like to make a correction, Back row L to R are June Dolores Koski Houle (passed away on November 28th, 2006), Patricia Frances Doud, George Edward Houle and John Robert Houle (who passed away April 20th 2004)... If you can correct the listing fine, if not I understand. I will find strength from the memories of her smile, her tinkling laugh, her lovely Finnish references, and all she taught me with her gently caring, generous ways. She was a beautiful person with so many talents. I will miss her deeply, forever... Thank you, Lori June Dolores Houle...

Lori and Patricia,

We made the corrections on my original remarks, thanks for pointing them out.

Dotsie, or anyone else having difficulty posting a Christmas family photo, feel free to email it to me, chopper@pasty.com and I'll be glad to post it for you :o)

thank you Charlie!

Thanks, too, from me, Charlie.