Merry Christmas To All My Readers
December 23, 2009
As we relax and enjoy our home for the Christmas Holiday, and trust that all our guests will make it through the winter storm that seems intent on baring down on Madison and the region, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
Over the years one of my favorite Christmas songs has been “Oh Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem”. Many have recorded this old song, but the bluegrass style done by Rhonda Vincent is perhaps my favorite version. Enjoy the music! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
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I really like the star/snowflake decorations. My tree, if we had one, would have all those icicles. I like the stars/snowflakes. Haven’t seen those in stores here.
The reasons that Christmas was important to our family, and to me, lie in the people. You actually went to visit the relations when I was a child. (Also Labor Day, another biggy when my aunt Madeline was alive.) I never remember being able to stay at home and just look at my junk received. We always went to relatives.
Christmas when I was small was always so much fun. Before Madeline started going to Florida. We always went to her 6th Street home and had a lovely meal with all her fine china. Frank and Thelma and girls always were there and later when Gail was married, her son Michael was there. I think Madeline went to Florida before Scott and Linda were born.
On Christmas morning we always opened gifts when Grandmother and Grandpa came to our house. Then we went to theirs. Home again and off to the city. I remember one Christmas my dad seemed so pleased with what he got me. He was not a man for keeping secrets if he’d bought something really neat. Only hint I got was “it’s round and you can sit on it”. Big box, rectangular, in shape. It was a long coat. Really nice as I remember and probably cost a fortune back then.
For Christmas I would hang one of Dad’s stockings for Santa. His were so big. I’d get an orange in the toe and walnuts to shell and some candy and a few trinkets. Really neat stuff as I recall or thought at the time. All gifts were practical, most home made and really nice I thought. After our gifts we’d go to Grammy Rowe’s house and sit in the dining room. Dad had a favorite chair and this chair sits on my porch today. I can still see him in this chair sometimes.
My gifts usually were dolls, clothes and practical things. I always [played alone so could amuse myself with made up stories and such. Used to make a tent out of card table and blanket draped over top in living room for my dolls and me. Did learn to make doll clothes out of scrapes of cloth. Traditions were all the same. Christmas at our house then on to Grandmothers house, back to our house for dinner with grandparents coming to our house. It wasn't until after Grandfather died that I remember Grandmother coming to our house first to see me open presents. Always before they would wait until dinner to come. Grandmother always made us new mittens, even Dad. Sometimes in the afternoon we would go to Frank and Thelma's house just because they were family. Never remember if I got anything but it was nice just to be with family and I didn't mind. Had a few earlier Christmas's at Madeline's. I remember Wendy there and Michael, as they were about the same age. Madeline would play Christmas music for kids and there would be so much food. This was at her house on 6th Street. I don't remember what happened to Grandparents those years. None of the other families were in the area at that time either.
Christmas was the only time of year Dad [Robert] got to see and talk to brothers and sisters. Avis actually used to have everyone there to eat and it was fun to see everyone, really. No one waited for others to come, you just started to eat and as people came, you (if done) gave up your chair for someone else to sit and eat.
Doing Santa when I had a family was fun. I couldn’t sleep waiting for you kids to get up and see what he’d brought. Seems you were always first. James’d sneak down and take Santa, sometimes we’d talk and then Missy would become awake and come down. It was so fun to see the joy in their eyes.
Merry Christmas to you and James!!!
thank you for the greetings, Happy Holidays!