Hey everybody!
This is your lucky week, because I, your humble correspondent (sorry O'Reilly), am posting TWICE this week! I was planning to post this two days ago, but Blogger was being fussy, so it deleted my post. I will attempt to remember everything I wrote, but I make no promises!
Sitting here in Starbucks, I am enjoying another Pumpkin Spice Latte. The latte and the joyus holiday, excuse me, CHRISTMAS music (politically correct I ain't!) coming from the overhead speakers take me on a trip back into my memories of Christmases past. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite memories of Christmas, and the hope that I might experience some of them this year.
The feeling of excitement when the first load of firewood arrives at the house (although I always put up a fuss when Dad asks me to help unload it!)...
Grinning like a Cheshire cat when the first fire is lit in the woodburning stove...
Shopping for the perfect Douglas Fir or Scotch Pine with Dad at Mr. Homegrown...
Mom bitching when we bring the tree inside because we're getting needles all over the carpet... (Mom, the carpet is green... it'll blend in!)
Excavating beneath the stairs to retrieve all of the Christmas decorations...
Mom and I spending a Saturday afternoon turning the house into a Norman Rockwell painting...
(I still don't understand why we can't leave the decorations up all year... they look so pretty!)
Waiting with baited breath for Dad to return home from deer hunting in Clermont so we can decorate the tree...
Decorating the tree to the strains of Gene Autry singing all our Christmas favorites...
Dad cussing the tangled extension cords as he wrestles with the bubble lights...
Mom grinning from ear-to-ear as each one of my "baby" ornaments is found and hung...
(Who says Mom's not a packrat?!?)
Dad smiling bigger than I've ever seen when the ornament with the picture of Grace and Len is found...
Feeling the lump in my throat, the tears in my eyes and the pride in my heart as I get to hang my sister Brandi's ornament at the top of the tree...
(Forever my guardian angel...)
Watching our current dog (Rex, Brandy, Frannie and now Delsie) help Dad and I hang the tinsel on the tree...
Seeing the space below the tree grow smaller and smaller as more and more gifts are placed there...
Gathering as many family members as possible to spend the night on Christmas Eve...
Dad's Prime Rib for Christmas Eve dinner...
Christmas carols by the fire...
B&B, coffee and RumpleMintz in chocolate shot glasses as we wait for Santa...
(a new tradition, but a favorite nonetheless)
Christmas morning hangovers!
Racing to the banister to see what Santa left in my stocking...
Heading downstairs with coffee in hand (hangover!) to see what Santa brought me...
Watching Allyson and Dylan pass out the gifts and remembering when it used to be MY job...
Noticing that as I get older, my gifts get fewer... (Or do they?)
Dad's famous Christmas morning breakfast and then a NAP!!
Heading to Durant for the Thoma/Hansen family gathering...
Stopping off at ITC (now the Checkered Flag) to make the next day's pizza dough...
Arriving first at Grandma Chrystol's no matter WHEN we leave our house...
Getting more and more excited as each family member arrives...
Grandma Chrystol in her red sweater with the Christmas lights on it...
Stuffing myself with Grandma's Christmas cookies...
(None will EVER be better than hers!)
Passing out the gifts in Grandma's black and white checkerboard tiled basement...
(Sadly, never to happen again... sigh...)
Returning home to unwind by the tree, watching the lights glow and smiling because I realize how lucky I truly am to have such a wonderful family...
I hope you all enjoyed my trip down memory lane... I know I did. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving.
One more note before I sign off... No matter how much the inconsiderate jerk who's in front of you at the store may upset you, or how much the stupid drivers may tee you off, don't succumb to holiday rage. Remember the spirit of this holiday... and no matter how much the media and corporate America may want to "commercialize" Christmas.. they can't change the spelling! Christmas is, was and always will be a birthday party for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season, and I, for one, will NEVER forget that. I pray that you don't either.
Adios!
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3 comments:
Your list made me remember all the times and traditions that my family has and all that I will be missing this year. This will be my first Christmas away from my family...how I will miss the chinese food on Christmas Eve...the annual viewing of the Griswold Christmas (cause that is my family), playing Scategories and Trivial pursuit til early morning and drinking whatever has been left around. Watching my nephew go around in fasination and try to take down all of grandma's decorations. Spending two weeks with my mom Christmas'ing the house (she LOVES the season). So this year my thoughts will be with them even though I will be far from home and they will be jetting off to a beach...They gave up on snow and cold this year.
Thanks for making remember the sweet times and that even though we are far from our families on the holidays they are always in our hearts.
Love, Lori
Okay, kid, you've made me cry a little now. While we can't keep up all of the traditions, you know we will do as many as possible again this year. I sure do miss your help with decorating the house. Luv ya! MOM
"Grandma's black and white checkerboard tiled basement"
Now THAT takes me back... I loved when you would have us over there for pool parties. I still remember the basement bathroom with the toilet seat made of clear plastic with coins suspended in it.
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