Linnea Travis Miller
from Pennsylvania
I believe my favorite Christmas toy was the plastic accordion I received when I was about six or seven years old. My cousin Tut, who was 5 years older than I was, had always had his accordion with him when the family came down from New Hampshire for our old fashioned Swedish Christmas at Grammy and Grampy's house in Connecticut.
On Christmas Eve, he would always get the accordion out, and we would all sing Christmas carols. Tutty was the oldest of four grandchildren, the only boy, and I really admired him!
Of course, an accordion found its way onto Santa's list one year, although this was one thing that I'm sure, even now, that I shared with NO ONE! I still can't figure out how Santa knew this was what I wanted.
Well, when I was 8 years old, my folks started me in accordion lessons. I got the " real thing "! I took lessons all the way through high school and still take the instrument out periodically for my family. It's still a bit rough on the top, where I would need to rest my chin when I was 8 years old, since it was too long for me.
Accordion playing must be in the family. I have old pictures of my grandparents when they were growing up (circa 1890), and someone ALWAYS had a concertina in them! I'm glad I was able to carry on one of my Swedish family's traditions-- which started for me with a Christmas gift from Santa!
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