1943 – Moment in Time celebrates Christmas in wartime England complete with air raids and black out curtains, rationing of food and petro. Sgt. Samuel Dunlap has met a lovely English lass, Mary Barnes of the ATS. Mary has invited Sam for Christmas dinner and offered to pick him up at the air base.
{{ “By the way, what’s in the little package in the boot?”
“Huh? Oh, that, got a Christmas box from back home; thought I’d bring it along. Bound to be something good to eat inside; no sense leaving it behind.”
“Jolly good. Here we go,” Mary said as she put the car in gear and proceeded down the lane again.
They arrived at Mary’s flat without further incident and before the snow began to accumulate measurably. She parked in front of the brick building and hurried to unlock the door as Sam followed her into the cozy warm apartment.
A festive yule log, decorated with sprigs of holly and fresh-cut evergreen boughs, sat in the center of the sideboard flanked by a pair of candles. The clean pine scent filled the room. Mary pulled all the curtains closed, still abiding by blackout regulations, before she lit the candles.
“I made the yule log in hopes I’d see you for Christmas. Couldn’t put up a tree, but at least we have this bit of holiday cheer,” Mary explained.
“Looks very nice and smells good too,” Sam said as he took off his overcoat and hung it on the hook by the door. He secretly patted his jacket pocket, ensuring the small bulge was still there.
“I used my ration coupons for ingredients and cooked a plum pudding as a special treat,” said Mary. }}
