It's Christmas 1962 in the suburban Pennsylvania household of the Bader family, the aftermath of that morning's gift-giving recorded by my grandfather and his trusty Brownie 127.

Despite his relatively modest salary from the Burroughs Corporation, my grandfather did his best to make his children happy each Christmas. That year, my uncles would each receive a set of Lincoln Logs and a generous helping of war toys, including a toy mortar and helmet, plastic grenades, and a toy tank. The younger of the two would also get, as seen at right, a set of toy trucks -- two excavators and a fire truck -- and a toy Dairy Delivery set; the elder brother got a set of Play-Doh and a couple of board games. His daughter -- my mother -- received a Chatty Cathy doll (which she always hated, Barbie being her preferred doll), a set of Play-Doh, and several play tea and homemaking sets.

The disco-ball like Christmas balls seen decorating the tree have served well for decades, and we still use some to decorate trees today. Sadly, my grandfather can no longer join in the Yuletide celebrations, having passed away in 2009. His spirit lives on, though, in the memories of his children and grandchildren, his life having so enriched our own. View full size.