The holiday season always has a way of slowing me down just enough to notice the memories hiding in plain sight. This year especially, I’ve found myself feeling sentimental—wrapped up in the small moments that make this season meaningful.
Living and working in downtown Casper has given me a front-row seat to tradition, change, chaos, and joy. These are a few of the moments that have shaped this Christmas season for me.
Wrapping Gifts, Then and Now
One of my earliest Christmas memories is wrapping gifts at Fashion Crossroads with my dad when I was in elementary school. The sounds are still so vivid—the tear of wrapping paper, scissors slicing clean lines, tape snapping off the dispenser, and the whirring of our old bow maker.
By sixth grade, I was an expert wrapper. My dad taught me sharp creases and tight corners. He handled the big coat boxes while I mastered the shirt boxes. We worked side by side at a table I still use today—so old that it’s wrapped in paper to keep the surface smooth.
As I wrap gifts at that same table now, I sometimes wonder how we ever shared it. But we did. And every December, those memories come rushing back.
Pipe Bombs and Power Outages
Last week was one for the books in downtown Casper.
Carter and I were driving home from celebrating our daughter’s 21st birthday when I got a text asking why police and fire trucks were blocking off the street in front of our store and loft. My heart immediately jumped to the worst—our family, our home, and our business are all tied to that block.
It turned out someone had reported a pipe bomb in the crosswalk. Thankfully, it was harmless, but not before my staff locked doors and waited for the bomb squad to clear the scene.
A few days later, we lost power—twice. No lights, no computers, no phones. Rumors flew about outages stretching into neighboring states.
It was chaotic, stressful, and somehow… very downtown Casper.
The Griswold (I Mean Braxton) Family Christmas Tree
We bought our Christmas tree from Galles Greenhouse this year—because shopping small matters, and because their trees are always fresher and last longer.
I came home from work Tuesday to find the biggest tree we’ve ever had. Somehow, my husband and our daughter carried it up 39 steps to our third-floor loft. I still don’t know how.
Yes, I’ll be vacuuming pine needles from every stair. But when it’s lit up during the downtown Christmas parade next weekend, it will be worth it. Our Griswold—sorry—Braxton family tree feels right at home overlooking a downtown glowing with lights.
Dickens Village and the Stories We Keep
Every year, I put out my Dickens Village—hand-painted porcelain buildings lit from within, inspired by A Christmas Carol. My mom surprised me with my first pieces when I was a freshman in high school, then added one every year after.
I never imagined then that I’d go on to earn a Master’s degree in English with a focus on Victorian literature. Dickens became a lifelong favorite.
Those early pieces are retired now, but the tradition remains—set to Christmas music or The Muppet Christmas Carol, my favorite adaptation. My hope is that this village will always be part of my children’s Christmas, too.
Books, Books, and More Books
This is what happens when two English majors meet in graduate school and get married. You end up with a wall of books.
The idea was romantic—until we carried box after box up 39 stairs six years ago. Around box fifteen, I told Carter we were never moving again.
Yet, the books keep coming. Carter teaches English at NCHS. I run a book club. I still prefer printed pages to digital screens.
Right now, I’m reading A Passage to India. Next up? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Already bought. Already shelved.
Someday, our kids will have to decide what to do with this library.
Canadian Christmas Cake
This year, we almost skipped making my mom’s traditional Canadian Christmas cakes—until our daughter insisted Christmas wouldn’t feel right without them.
So we made them together. Fruit soaked in rum. Butter creamed with sugar. Batter folded by hand. Four loaf pans lined with care.
The cakes are now wrapped tightly and resting, waiting until February when they’ll be ready. One will head back to college with Maria, carrying a little piece of Canadian Christmas with it.
Why These Stories Matter
So much has changed in Casper over the years. Malls and outdoor shopping centers came and went. Shopping habits shifted. But the heart of downtown Casper remains.
Fashion Crossroads is still here. Toy Town. Lou Taubert. Donnell’s. New businesses and restaurants alongside old favorites.
When I walk downtown under the Christmas lights, it doesn’t take much to picture myself holding my dad’s hand in the bustle of holiday shoppers.
Some things are worth holding onto.
