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I suppose I could have selected any year for a visit down Christmas Lane, but I opted for 1963. It's both monumental and memorable for historical reasons, but it also happens to be the year I was born (September).

The above advertisement was on page 2A of the December 17 edition of The Farmville Herald that year; it was one of the many items Grays Drug Store had on special that week. The store, located on North Main Street (with a phone EX 2-3145)-encouraged shoppers to “Wrap up your gift list.” In addition to the childrens books, one could also buy a Kodak Brownie Fiesta camera kit for $9.95, a nine-inch plush squirrel with plastic eyes and a pom pom nose for $1.99, a Satin Finish dry skin bath set for $3.75, or a two and a half pound bag of Heller's “Lucky Mix” of Holiday Sweets for 98 cents.

Flipping through the yellowed pages of the 1963 newspapers offers a wonderful travel through time.

Three children were born at Southside Hospital-all on December 14, a boy and two girls. There were 72 hospital patients the morning of December 16; The Herald proceeded to list not only the births, but also those admitted and discharged.

Yes, things have changed.

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a battle wagon, a tiger joe, and some nuts, apples, an oranges.

Be good to other boys and girls. -Cartersville Child

As I thumb through the pages, the Farmville of 1963 isn't quite the Farmville I remember growing up. There was a Spotless store at 316 North Main Street where one could buy a four foot aluminum tree for $4.44, Longwood Jewelers at 216 North Main Street (they had a nice watch sale going on), and Newberrys Co., where there was a nice one-day sale on $6 tricycles.

And then there's Kilkare, which provided laundry service: Christmas Dinners Require YOUR BEST TABLE LINEN Properly Washed and Ironed! IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED OUR HAND FINISHED SERVICE, GIVE US A TRIAL…WE ARE SURE THAT YOU WILL BE PLEASED WITH OUR WORK AND OUR PRICE. TALK TO YOUR ROUTEMAN OR CALL.

I have some vague recollections of the signs for the company, located on Plank Road just across the bridge into Cumberland, but I don't recall any uniformed man ever coming to the door to pick up the laundry.

Yet, there are familiar memories, too-full page ads for W.A. Price Company (where you could buy a consolette television in a beautiful wood cabinet for only $159, with trade). It, too, was located just across the Cumberland Bridge. A front page story in the December 17 edition detailed a break-in of the business. “Approximately half of the 32 television sets, record-players and appliances stolen during a daring break-in at W. A. Price Company retail store here Thursday night or early Friday have been recovered in Norfolk.”

Smitty Brothers Electric Company was also a good place to stop for electronic gadgetry. Located just across from the Prince Edward Courthouse, it was chock full of interesting things. Their December 17 ad featured a West Bend Corn Popper for $4.99.

Home microwaves had to wait.

There were other memories, too-Leggett's Department Store, with an ad that lauded: “Yes, the three floors of Leggett's, 'Your Home of Better Values,' are brimming with…'The Magic of Christmas.' Gifts for all ages-everyone on your list.”

Archdale dress shirts went for $2.99 and $3.99; Old Spice gift sets were $1 and up.

And Bob's Supermarket, though gone but alive in my memories, had smoked picnics for 29 cents a pound.

And don't forget the S&H Green Stamps.

Fun stuff.

Though I'm often caught up in living deadline to deadline, looking back through those yellowed papers is a visual reminder that that which is in print is about as close to something lasting forever as anything can be.

So Merry Christmas 1963.

Merry Christmas 2012.

Merry Christmas 2063.