I hear Vienna is beautiful at Christmas…

“You must see Vienna at Christmastime” my friend Eva said. She was right, the city is absolutely beautiful. And their holiday lights are magnificent. There are chandeliers! Tree lights are shaped like hearts!

One evening we had dinner at a friend’s apartment. Eva introduced me to an acquaintance who laughed, hau, hau, hau, exclaiming ‘Gretchen!!? hau, hau, hau! “Ziss is not a name for an adult, ziss is a name for a child!” hau, hau, hau!' As she puffed on her cigarette. Apparently my name means ‘little Margaret’. Talk about lost in translation!

Here is ‘little Margaret’ Ca 1963 and my brother Peter. I don’t remember being three months old but I do recall my mother’s enthusiasm for Christmas and her loving the tradition of photographing us kids (only two out of four shown here) at Christmastime. She'd laugh and reminisce how we all misbehaved during these family holiday photo shoots yet year after year she made every effort to take photos that portrayed us as perfect sweet little angels, the pastor’s kids. Hau hau hau! She laughed because the photos told one story, the truth was another.

What traditions do you have for the holidays?

Where will you take your holiday photos, In front of the fireplace? That’s ours, and my sweet perfect little angel, Coco.