The House Without a Christmas Tree, 1973

I remember this special on television quite fondly. It told the story of a young girl's Christmas in 1946 - then some 27 years before. This premired on TV when I was in fifth grade, and my parents had been divorced for a year and a half. My mother and I spent our Christmas's in Marion, staying with my grandfather who was slowly succumbing to Alzheimers - back then we just called it dementia. Fifth grade and sixth grade were hard holidays because my grandfather, who hardly said much of anything would wander off, give things away, or would forget where he had left his money. By Christmas in 1974 the family decided that it was best if he were placed in a nursing facility - it was foul, but its what was available. Those were hard years for all of us. Somehow this CBS holiday special reminds me of those years, now 36 years ago.