Holiday Memories Open House

[BooksAdmin]

Holiday Memories - Our 2011 Open House!
Stop by and share the Holiday with all the good friends on Senior Learn

We want to hear about your favorite Holiday memory. Hi, come on in, make yourself comfortable and share your memories with us - Welcome to our month long Open House on Dec.1  T'is the season to wax nostalgic about all the Holidays you celebrate this time of year.. Every party needs MUSIC!  Here is a Mix of Christmas songs. "Best Christmas Songs" When you were young was there a Holiday play with music in your school? Do you find yourself humming a particular tune when you are shopping or out walking? Who is your favorite holiday singing artist? What's a party without GOODIES? Let's fill this buffet table with your favorites! What's your best ever Holiday recipe and tell us the story behind it? What are you planning for a Holiday treat this year? Are there special Cookbooks you pull out this time of year? Tell us, do you set a special table or treat yourself to a special Tea or a bottle of Wine? Did you ever send a package to a Service Man or Women for the Holidays or serve in a Soup Kitchen - tell us about it if you have. When you were young did you ever attend a Red Cross Holiday dance for servicemen? Did any of you help out at a hospital during the holidays? What were some of the toys you received? Do you remember a special time with a family member during the holidays?   Was there an Open House you attended when you were young? How about when you were an adult...or was there an office party that you really looked forward to attending? Does your town have a Community Christmas Tree? Have you ever visited the tree in Rockefeller Center?   A Child's Christmas in Wales - Dylan Thomas And what's a gathering of BOOK LOVERS without Books? We all have our seasonal favorite STORIES and POEMS. What are yours?   What seasonal stories do you still plan to read for the first time? Do you remember the Holiday stories you read to your children? Can you remember attending your first Holiday movie in a theater? What about the Nutcracker, is that or singing with a group, Handel's Messiah on your calendar? Did you look forward each year to a special Holiday movie or show on TV?

[jane]

The holiday memories from elementary school I recall was each grade making pictures of wreaths, snowmen, Christmas trees, etc. that were then put in the windows facing the street of the elementary school.  There was also a Christmas tree in the entry way.  I believe there was a musical program, but don't recall any plays, though there may have been.

There are Christmas lights and our lightpoles in the downtown area of the little town we now live in are wrapped in greenery and there are holiday wreaths and snowflakes that are lighted along the streets into town.  The only lighted tree is at the hospital and it's for donations in memory of those who've died. 

Food, of course, is a big part of my memories...my mom and now my sister make carmels, fudge, ChexMix, and very thin cut out sugar cookies(Santa Claus, trees, reindeer, etc.) sprinkled with those little sprinkly things in red and green. YUMMY!!

jane

[BarbStAubrey]

Jane I racked my brains trying to remember Christmas in the classroom - can remember so many things we did at home in preparation but not in school - then it hit me - of course -  it was Advent and I attended a Catholic School.

Almost over night a day or so before Christmas the church was decorated with Fir trees and a Nativity with figures that were about 18 inches to two feet tall - I do remember we sang in Latin Gregorian Chant every day during Mass that was first thing and then we walked in line up the block to school afterwards. Usually we only sang on Sunday.

No matter where we lived when I was growing up we always lived among German people - interesting now that I think of it because both my parents spoke English with no accent - it was my grandparents who floated back and forth between the two languages - all that stopped with the onset of WWII but we still carried on our customs and preparation of food so that Christmas preparation and celebration is remembering home more than community.

I do remember there being a huge tree and neighborhood Open House celebration at the Swedish home and farm for the aged that was down the road from where I lived as a little kid - we were quite friendly with the one couple that took care of the farm which was a couple of acres and fed those in the home as well as they  sometimes just left extra out for the neighbors. But then we all had gardens. Some even had fruit trees and several in the area had a pine tree in their front yard. No lights but lots of wreathes on doors and in windows.

Here, Austin goes all out as a community - in Zilker park there is a huge monster size tree created with lights, on a moonlight tower that is as high as a 3 or 4 story building. Congress ave leading up to the Capitol is decorated as is 6th street where all the live music clubs are located.

A new tradition started just a couple of years ago - there is a highway on the west side of town - loop 360 or the official Capitol of Texas Hwy - that north of the river is only a couple of miles till it dead ends into a highway going true north and south - the road goes through our limestone hills making lots of additional cliffs to the ones that were already there near the river - the soil is awful, caliche but the Ceder's love it - actually they are Mexican Juniper but we call them Ceder. Both sides of the highway are covered in thousands of Ceder - large ones and tiny small ones and every size inbetween. During the night families come and one by one the trees are decorated.

It only started about 3 years ago when the city budget was cutting out some of our traditional Holiday lights and decoration - this area was never decorated but now - I noticed on Thanksgiving already there were  maybe 20 trees - Yesterday when I drove there are too many done than can be counted - In the dark cars pulled over and whole families with flashlights on the hillside and cliffs with their sacks and boxes of outdoor garlands, globes, tinsel and unique decoration. During the day the decorations catch the sun and sparkle back so they look for all the world as if they had lights.

[JoanP]

What I remember nostagically - and really miss now - the department stores's animated window displays.  We lived in NJ across the Hudson from New York.  New York had the best, but Newark had its day - until the department stores all moved out to the Malls!  Same thing happened in Washington.  I remember when Woodward Lothrop  (Woodies) closed downtown - the big store stood empty for several years - but each Christmas, the windows were filled with the animated displays from years past.  That's over now.

School - I remember making tree decorations and cards from construction paper too, Jane.  Oooh, and I remember that white paste we used - it was yummy!  Now that's going way back.  I'd forgotten all about that until just now.  I promise not to bring a jar of white paste to our holiday table!    Really can't wait for everyone to get here.

I don't remember the Christmas decorations going out this early.  Like Barbara, we celebrated Advent - advent candles, calendars with little doors to open each day until Christmas, etc.  No, they didn't contain chocolate candy as those my grandchildren have now - ours had a little line from scripture behind each door.
  Never saw a decorated tree in the house until Christmas morning either.  I understood this was a French tradition.

Barbara, I like the idea of new traditions...

[BarbStAubrey]

What we really need is someone who will fill us in on what happens or how they celebrate Hanukkahs - I understand the holiday is coming very soon  in early December -

The little I know is children play with a Dreidel  and there are chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil and a Menorah with  nine candles -  one lite for nine days in a row - But please share with us how Hanukkah is celebrated in your house.

[BarbStAubrey]

Joan we also found a Christmas tree on Christmas morning all lite and decorated - we carried out the same tradition for our children and it was why their stocking was always hung on the foot of their bed.

The stocking always had a tangerine and a large cookie in it along with small hand games to keep them occupied so we could grab an hour's sleep - they were always up the crack of dawn which was only maybe if we were lucky an hour after we crawled into bed.

Growing up in one of the houses there was a summer room - un-heated, but that became the Christmas room - the door was closed the first day of advent with a sheet hung on the inside glass of the door and all the window shades were pulled - at night we could hear the ahum little men on the sewing machine or hammering away - Christmas morning our father lead us to the room where the tree in all its splendor and the gifts were arranged with shades back up allowing the sun to stream into the room again.

[CallieOK]

Marking my place and will be back with some of my memories.

Tonight, I'll be "making a memory" by going to see my granddaughter in her first college musical  production.  She will be singing and dancing as a "Christmas Belle"  in the traditional program titled "Yule Be Swinging".

[jane]

Tonight is our annual city Window Walk.  The various merchants have special window displays tonight...many with people from various groups portraying various characters, depending on the theme for the year.

[salan]

I'm marking my place, too, Callie.
Sally

[nlhome]

I'm also marking my place,
But then, I started thinking about my school memories....
I went to a one-room country school for the first 4 years. At Christmas time we made gifts, quite elaborate gifts, for our parents. One year we used a tool to etch a design on a metal plate, then used steel wool to brush the surface. One year we made a basket out of popsickle sticks. I still have both - my mother saved them for me.

And we put on a Christmas program every year. We would practice in our school, and then a day or so before the program we would all walk the mile (yes, it really is a mile, I still travel in the area) to the general store and go upstairs to decorate and rehearse for the program, which was held up there at night, after farm chores were done. We sang, had skits and I remember one year memorizing a poem to recite in front of the audience of parents and neighbors, and I'm sure I mumbled it into my chest so that no one could hear it. Something like "one bright and shiny Christmas, long ages years ago....." I had to be all of 7 at the time.

[CubFan]

Greetings -

Had a wonderful new Christmas memory on Tuesday as my daughters and I  attended the Boston Pops Christmas concert at a local performing arts center. For many years we viewed the concert on TV but this was the first time we were able to attend a live concert. Seldom does the Boston Pops Orchestra come to Wisconsin. We will treasure this night for years to come. Unbelievable experience.

Mary

[Steph]

 Oh marking and remembering.. My very very favorite carol when I was young.. WAS.. We, Three Kings of Orient Are.. I wanted to be a king so much when I was little. The church always had a Christmas pagent for Christmas Eve.. Being Blond and Blue eyed, i was always the Angel, but I coveted being a King.. Oh me.. The memories of that one.. When I was four, I had fallen off a bike the week before Christmas and when the angel turned around on Christmas eve, this little Angel had the biggest black eye, you ever saw.. The Congregation was ovecome with laughs and then the little angel glared at all.. Oh well, never said I was a good angel.

[nlhome]

Mary, where was the performance? That would have been wonderful to attend, I'm sure.

A few years ago I attended the Christmas performace of Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Madison. I loved it - would probably not go again, because it is loud and the light show would be difficult for some people - I'd have to go with some of my very younger friends.

[Babi]

What a wonderful story, BARB, about the hillside decoration of the
junipers. I would love to see it. Do you think you could get a photo
for us?
  Right  now I can only think of one or two distinct Christmas memories. I'll
get around to them later, hopefully with some more.  I think my favorite
Christmas song must be "Do You Hear What I Hear?".  Close on that one is
"Mary's Boy Child".
   We moved around so much when I was growing up; the Christmases tend to blur.  The only consistent thing was the presence of family..aunts, uncles and cousins.  As it happened, one family, living in the Valley, had six children.
The other three, living in the Houston area, had six between them, so the six
here and the six there drew names for Christmas presents. It worked out
beautifully.

[Fran]

Hi, I'm marking my place also, Sally. Enjoyed reading all of the above and seeing some

familiar names!  Fran

[LarryHanna]

I have some wonderful memories from Christmas during my growing up years.  We always had Christmas Eve with my dad's parents which consisted of a big meal and then opening presents.  Then on Christmas morning we couldn't wait to get up to see what Santa had brought us.  The presents were laid out under the tree, one side for my sister and one for me.  I pretended I believed in Santa long after I knew how those presents got there.  We continued that practice with our children.  We would have a stocking with a piece of fruit, usually an orange, and a few small other things.  We usually got three to five different things.  

I also remember our one room school putting on a Christmas program for our parents and it was a big community event.  

[BarbStAubrey]

How much fun to come in to this party and read the posts - Steph precious, love it, shades of the book The Christmas Angles. Larry I can feel the excitment reminding us of our own Christmas under the tree, Babi now that is the stuff of movies - a house full of kids for Christmas, Fran so good to see your post, Oh my how fortunate both of you, nlhome and Mary - the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Yep, Loud and folks use them for their outdoor home light show - close the windows, get the dog into the closet, put on the ear plugs       and then the Boston Pops oh oh oh, you have set off a spark, I will just have to stream into my house this YouTube of BP Christmas but nothing like hearing the live sound, wonderful. Sally see you later, Jane was the Window Walk fun? Did you see something that you must buy? Callie are you still aglow after seeing your grand-daughter in her FIRST college production? JoanP ah the windows - I often wish there was a TV special each year with a camera filming for us so we could all enjoy the action windows - or maybe they are no more - Three years ago my daughter took her two boys, then 15 and 18 to NY to see Christmas over a long weekend - they still are excited talking about the experience. Jane a bag of memories, a Tree at School, a special Tree at the hospital, Christmas made by students in the schoolhouse windows, cookies, candies ah just what we dream of for the holidays.

[BarbStAubrey]

After a dram or two of Bushmills or maybe you prefer a Jameson the tongue and imagination is loose enough for this bit of fun...

The Fairies
          ~ by William Allingham

Up the airy mountain
    Down the rushy glen,
We dare n't go a-hunting,
    For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
    Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
    And white owl's feather.
Down along the rocky shore
    Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
    Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
    Of the black mountain-lake,
With frogs for their watch-dogs,
    All night awake.

High on the hill-top
    The old King sits;
He is now so old and gray
    He's nigh lost his wits.
With a bridge of white mist
    Columbkill he crosses,
On his stately journeys
    From Slieveleague to Rosses;
Or going up with music,
    On cold starry nights,
To sup with the Queen,
    Of the gay Northern Lights.

They stole little Bridget
    For seven years long;
When she came down again
    Her friends were all gone.
They took her lightly back
    Between the night and morrow;
They thought she was fast asleep,
    But she was dead with sorrow.
They have kept her ever since
    Deep within the lake,
On a bed of flag leaves,
    Watching till she wake.

By the craggy hill-side,
    Through the mosses bare,
They have planted thorn trees
    For pleasure here and there.
Is any man so daring
    As dig them up in spite?
He shall find the thornies set
    In his bed at night.

Up the airy mountain
    Down the rushy glen,
We dare n't go a-hunting,
    For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
    Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
    And white owl's feather.

[CallieOK]

The house I grew up in was a few miles outside the city limits of my small hometown.  Our tree was always cut from the woods at the back of our property - as was fresh mistletoe to be hung over the doorways.
I don't remember a specific day or time for the tree to be put up - but I do remember that it was taken down the week after Christmas and cut into small pieces.  Then, on New Year's Eve, my parents and I "sent it back to Santa" by burning the pieces in the fireplace

Christmas Eve began with Oyster Stew at my Grandmother's house "in town". Then, it was off to our small Presbyterian church that had been decorated with cuttings of evergreen and holly from various yards - plus a big lighted tree at the front.  After a program given by the children, Santa appeared and distributed net socks containing an orange, some nuts and that red/green/white sticky Christmas candy plus a small gift for each child.
Two stories about children in the congregation came down through the years.  One was about a boy who declared, "That's not Santa.  That's Mr ......  I recognize his shoes."
The other involved me!  The daughter of my mother's good friend and I had "met" in the church nursery when we were 3 months old.  The Christmas we were a year old, our mothers let us toddle down after the church program to look at the Christmas tree .  All of a sudden, Santa burst through the double swinging doors yelling, "MERRRRRY   CHRISTMAS!"    In unison, Barbara and I began to howl - and the story is that our mothers nearly knocked each other over getting down the aisle to pick us up and comfort us.

75 Christmases later, we are still good friends and still have a chuckle about our first "performance" at a church Christmas Eve service.

[Steph]

 Oh Callie, I loved the Santa story. It made me remember that my younger son did not enjoy Santa.. He regarded the big fat man in red with deep dark suspicion.. We tried to convince him that Santa would listen to your wishes, but he would have none of it.. Consequently I have zero pictures of him with Santa.. But I do remember that solemn little face scowling from afar..
The church I grew up in was very old fashioned German.. No Santa.. Treese only came up for Christmas eve service.. Red Ribbons, red apples and white candles.. Now the fire marshall would set up a howl, but that was our Christmas eve Service. It was very beautiful,, first the pageant and then carols.. Oh me, that was a lovely memory. Later in Viet nam, I parted with that church and became a quaker, but always remember the lovely Christmas eve.

[Babi]

 The posts about Christmas performances reminded me that as soon as
my elder daughter was old enough, I began taking her to see "The Nutcracker
Suite" annually for the holidays.  Later,  my younger daughter joined us.
It was a lovely time, and a custom that the eldest, Sally, took up with her
own daughter years later.

[CubFan]

Greetings -

   One childhood memory that I was able to carry forward was having homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. It was one time of the year my mother made homemade bread & cinnamon rolls.  I did the same for my family.
    I have been able to build on the tradition with my grandsons. From the time Nathan was 6 months old & our daycare/work/school schedules allowed us the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving to make cinnamon rolls, decorate my house & put up the trees with the Nutcracker video playing in the background.    Over the years he took over making of the cinnamon rolls & for the past 9 years has been teaching his cousin the processes while I now sit back and watch. They both take home cinnamon rolls to be kept in the freezer and heated up for their families Christmas morning. The boys also put up & decorate the family room tree. Nathan is now 22 and doesn’t think 10 year old Jarod is ready to be on his own yet so I guess I can plan him helping or another year.
   Not to be left out, Jarod’s younger sister helps each year make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving & decorate the living room & it’s tree.

nlhome - the Boston Pops were in Appleton. I live half an hour south, and my girls half an hour north so we were able to meet in the middle for the concert.  I saw the Trans-Siberian orchestra in Green Bay a few years ago. Impressive, but the Boston Pops is more my style.

Mary

[JoanP]

I just love reading of Christmas's Past.  Do you get the feeling that things were so much simpler back then - and BETTER?

Mary, would it be giving away a family secret to share the recipe for the cinnamon rolls with us?  I love the idea of freezing ahead of time - there's never enough time as the days go by...

Steph, I was one of the tall ones in elementary school...never got one of the KINGS'  role though - but did have a speaking part as one of the shepherds.  I don't think you would have been happy with those costumes.   You mentioned German and no Santa - I'm wondering if Father Christmas made an appearance?

Babi - last year my then 8 year old granddaughter danced in the Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet.  Not a big role of course, (she was a snowflake) - the competition for this opportunity was fierce.  She will never ever forget the experience though.  She tried to talk to the Russians, but they would not respond to her.  Not sure if it was the language barrier, or if they didn't want to be bothered with the star-struck little girl.

Did any of you celebrate St. Nicholas on Dec. 6?

[CallieOK]

JoanP, what a thrill for your granddaughter!  That sort of experience can inspire a career!

I took my oldest granddaughter to "The Nutcracker" the Christmas before her third birthday. Her mother said she wouldn't stay for the entire thing - but Ellen sat still as a mouse on my lap through the entire performance.  When the snow began falling onstage, she whispered, "Gammy, where are the ah- ah -ahs?"  I had to think a minute before pointing out the live choral group at one side of the stage. We went every year until she began dancing various roles in her dance studio's production - eventually becoming The Dew Drop Fairy each year.
That granddaughter is now a Music Theater major and the one I saw in the college production a few nights ago.  Of course, she's back at the beginning as a Freshman; it will be interesting to see how she progresses at this level.

[mabel1015j]

One of the significant changes of my lifetime is that we got oranges and walnuts in our stockings - something we didn't have year-round and was therefore special. I pointed this out to my students because that didn't make sense to them. Why would anyone want to get oranges and nuts in their stockings? That, having oranges all year round, changed so gradually that i almost didn't realize it myself until i was buying them for my kids.

My aunt made the best date/nut roll cookies only at Christmas. I've never had any as good as hers.

Our present family has the tradition of going to Christmas Eve Service, my DH has a wonderful baritone/bass voice and has sung in the choir for forty years and children and grandchildren have all listened to hear Daddy/Poppop's voice. We open presents at our house after service accompanied by finger foods like shrimp, cheeses, veggies and mulled cider.

However this year we decided that none of us need anything, so rather than just buying presents for the sake of buying, we're going to do no buying  of presents, but we're going to go to the Poconos and spend a weekend together at a family resort, just enjoy each other. Everyone is so busy, we don't get to do that often.

[Aberlaine]

I'm just marking my place.  I leave for a two-week vacation tomorrow morning.  But when I return, I'll be happy to share my Chanukah traditions with all of you.  Barb, it begins on the evening of December 20th (all Jewish holidays begin the evening before - at sundown.)  And thank you so much for that beautiful menorah.  Just breathtaking!

I'll be back around the 18th to read about all your cherished traditions and memories and I'll do the same with mine.

Nancy

[nlhome]

Mary, we'll be having our New Year's Eve in Oshkosh this year.

[Johann Mc]

Marcie, thanks for the e-mail inviting us to visit.  I still miss the Greek class that we had in the old Senior Net before the teacher passed away unexpectedly.

I especially remember learning to sing alto to the Christmas carols in a sixth and seventh grade glee club in 1945 and '46.  We would visit various places in the community and sing.  I ended up teaching public school music in two elementary schools here in Myrtle Beach from 1959 to 1961 and the last Christmas program I did with my 6th and 7th grade chorus at Christmas in 1960 was a reading of the Christmas story interspersed with carols that corresponded to the verses.  We would not even be able to do that these days.

My Chrismas decorating will be pared down some this year since I had back surgery for spinal stenosis and a fusion of two vertebrae in early October.  I am recovering really well but am not allowed to bend over or climb up on things yet.  Haven't been spending a lot of time on the computer because it puts stress on the lower vertebrae that were operated on if I sit more than about 30 minutes at a time.  

I am the Power of Attorney for my 90 y/o sister who is in a nursing facility here so visiting her and paying her bills, etc. also limits the amount of time I have to spend in the forums but I remember so many of the people here.

Sending all of you warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas season and a blessed New Year!  Shalom!

[BarbStAubrey]

Johann Mc so glad you stopped in and updated us to your life - sounds like it is a challenge just now but we are so glad to hear from you - You also had a childhood experience that led to your adult vocation - sounds like Callie's grand-daughter is having a similar experience that comes from sitting on Grandma Callie's lap while being swept away by a Nutcracker performance - and now Babi's daughter continues the tradition gifted to her by Babi when she was a child - the Nutcracker is in many of our memories - lovely lovely - something so special and wondrous about music and story telling this time of year.

Nancy have the best of times and we will be looking forward to your post later in the month - appears you may be our guru on celebrating Chanukah - thanks for the proper spelling. Mabel you remind us how different life was for us - the markets had seasonal food - amazing to me how few children know where food comes from - even my own Grands when they were little here in Austin were shocked to realize peaches GREW on a TREE - and in Grama's backyard. Your Family's decision for a Christmas holiday sound delightful - I am imagining the low chuckles and chatting during walks in the woods and the tinkle of glass around a table for dinner.

Homemade cinnamon rolls - ah I can smell them baking - what kind of bread did your mother make Mary? Did you follow the tradition and make holiday bread? I'm with JoanP on that one - the recipe please, pretty please?

OK everybody New Year's in OshKosh     now that would be an unexpected Open House wouldn't it nlhome - but oh how much fun if were even possible...

[BarbStAubrey]

We are having the biggest gift of nature that any of us in Austin could imagine - it is raining and raining and raining and may rain all weekend - a nice soft soaking warm rain - ambrosia, pearls from the sky, diamonds on leaf stems, bubbles on purple sage, sparkly rhinestones on mounds of Rosemary, luster on banks or wild marjoram, silver fog surrounding grazing deer - any accolade you can imagine - the creeks all over town are actually running with tinkling water spilling over rocks and soaking the banks allowing frogs to come out that had buried themselves deep last Spring.

Glorious rain - not enough to make a difference in the lakes that are - get this - 45 feet below the lowest level that is marked on the dams and overpasses. For the lakes to begin to fill we really need a huge downpour in West Texas where the Colorado starts its journey to the Gulf. But Santa, Father Christmas, St. Nikolos, St.Nickolas, Nisse's, Tomte's, Claus, Black Peter, Père Fouettard, Kris Kringle, Sinterklaas, Yule Goat, Jack Frost, Saint Basil, la Befana, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Father Frost all put together could not be more welcome than Mother Nature blessing us with Rain falling from the sky.

[BarbStAubrey]

Hahaha here we go - remember I shared how folks just decorate the Ceder trees on Loop 360 and someone asked for a photo - well better yet - the whole story is here on YouTube a repeat from our local news with a reporter on the scene...

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/austin-holiday-tradition-returns-to-loop-360/1v7qtryyh

[kidsal]

Prior to Christmas the place to go was down the wide staircase into the basement of the hardware store.  Toys were displayed along the walls and in the center was a large train set.  I was always led to the girl’s side where the dolls were displayed.  I always moved to the other side attracted by the erector sets and Lincoln logs.  Of course on Christmas day it was a Shirley Temple doll.  By the end of January the hair had been ripped from her head and the clothes removed.  I have a picture of my cousin Bonny and I in front of a doll carriage stripped down to its frame.
The best present was given to me by a next door neighbor when I was seven years old.   It took me about a week to read “Little Women.”   Jo was my favorite!

[BarbStAubrey]

aha I see your not sleeping either Callie - one of those nights - thank goodness tomorrow is Sunday although, I have tons to do - need to start packing so I can send everything Fed Ex rather than take it on the plane with me.

You too entranced by Lincoln Logs and Erecter sets - even the trains were fun - the dolls were OK but not like building something -

I too got a large Shirley Temple doll - but Callie frankly she was so beautiful I could not stop looking at her - I really hardly played with her but kept her just so - I really thought she was that beautiful with her tightly pleated dress and ribbon around her wrist -

Oh my - Little Women - ah and of course it had to be Jo didn't it - she was the active one and not so goody two shoes. - sounds like you have a delicious memory of being a kid and reading a book that was a gift - back then we didn't get many books - I bet your gifts were inclined to be things you needed like a new tooth brush or new socks or undies or a new set of Pjs and then one or two toy type gifts. 

[Steph]

books.. yes a Christmas book was a family tradition for all of us and by late afternoon, we were all deep in our new book. It was a shock to have an eight year younger brother, who hated to read.. The whole family was not quite sure how to handle that one. To this day, my favorite presents are books or gift certificates for books.. Jo.. was my heroine and led my father on a trek to find all of Alcotts books for me.. Little men wasnt as good, but I loved it.The Professor seemed right for Jo..Oh,, a good many of my best memories hinge around reading and favorite books.

[MaryPage]

When I was a child, I could not understand why the old people in the family seemed to get sad around Christmas time.  Now I understand.  It was such a time for family and the fireplace and the stockings hung there and being together.  Now I look back and every single one of those faces is gone from this life and I feel a deep sadness.

My youngest Christmases were magical.  I never saw the tree until Christmas morning.  It was always a large one and full of a multitude of every color of light.  The ornaments were from Germany and there were loads of them.  Presents galore.  What Santa brought was not wrapped.  What came from family members was.  I always thought Christmas morning was the most beautiful sight in this world.

My favorite was my stocking.  It was a great joy.  Yes, there was always a tangerine in there;  I thought it was just tradition, as we had plenty of fruit all the time.  In the toe of my stocking was my favorite thing in this whole wide world, and after I had children and grandchildren of my own, I used to make them for them.  A "Surprise Ball."  Do you remember surprise balls?  Did you have them at Christmas?  I stopped making them by the time my grandchildren were out of grade school.

[MaryPage]

I cannot think of Christmas without thinking of books.  They were always my favorite gift.  When I was in second grade, Aunt MaryEula and Uncle Bill gave me my very own bookcase for Christmas.  It is made of maple and has 4 shelves in it.  Not very wide, it holds about 20 books per shelf.  It comes up to my shoulders now, but seemed very tall when I was seven.  It has gone EVERYwhere with me, all of these many long years.  I have many more and much larger bookcases now, but this is the wonder of Christmas that has always been all mine and mine alone!  And for all of these years I have blessed my aunt and uncle for their understanding of my need.

[CallieOK]

Barb,  I'm not the one who liked the erector sets and Lincoln Logs - but I still have the matched set of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women", "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys" that I received when I was 7 or 8.

I also have the autographed copy of "Once On Esplanade", what would now be called a "Young Adult" novel, by Frances Parkinson Keys that my beloved Aunt gave me one year when she had been in New Orleans and FPK was doing a book signing. Later on, I loved FPK's "adult" books.

However, I've never quite forgiven my mother for giving away a lot of my childhood books when I went to college.  Somehow, one of the Nancy Drew books "escaped" but, even though the entire set of Bobbsey Twin books went to a dear younger friend, I would have preferred the gift to have just been a 'permanent loan'.   

[Babi]

Oh, JOAN, how wonderful that your little granddaughter got to dance
with the Moscow ballet! What a wonderful memory for both of you.
 My daughter loved dancing and took lessons for several years, but she
was not destined for a career there. She still enjoys watching dancing
of all kinds; follows all the competitive dancing shows on TV.

 JEAN, my mother made a date-nut roll candy. So rich and delicious.
Once I had a home of my own, I made it each Christmas for a while. Not
everyone liked dates, tho', and I eventually dropped it from the menu.
After all, I certainly didn't need the calories.

 BARB, your description of the rain is simply beautiful. You really
must save that; it's poetry in prose. And thank you for that video. I'm
the one who asked for a picture of the trees..and got a bonus. Wasn't
that little elf in red and green adorable?!

 KIDSAL, I totally understand. I always found dolls boring. Happily,
I could always count on receiving a book on any gift-giving occasion.
 MARYPAGE, what is a 'surprise ball', please. I haven't heard of that,
but there were so many ways you could play with a ball.

[mabel1015j]

If most of us liked Lincoln Logs and didn't spend much time playing w/dolls, how does the stereotype persist that those are the toys girls donot/do like? We can't be that unigue as a group. My dgt never played w/ dolls.

Barb - what a wonderful tribute to rain. I like rain for all the reasons you mention, a nice soft, tinkling rain is lovely to my way of thinking, even if i have to go out in it. We, who've seldom had serious droughts, take rain/water for granted.

We may have some snow in the middle of next week. Of course, in the Poconos there will be "people-made" snow and the children and grandchildren can go tubing. So we grandparents will get the joy of bundling them up and then unbundling and standing by w/ hot chocolate and hot soup, something we don't get to do when everyone is home in their own houses. 

[MaryPage]

Oh, a Surprise Ball is not a ball.  Not one for playing with.

You take a package of RED crepe paper and a package of Green crepe paper and slice them into one to one and a half inch strips.

You buy lots and lots of appropriate tiny things.  Small children, for instance, get a red Jacks size ball to begin the ball.  For a teen ager, you might start with a pair of earrings in a cotton ball.  A child with a doll house is the most fun to buy for.

With a bowl full of these small gifts you have purchased for the past year, you begin a ball.  Much like a knitting wool ball.  You wrap the crepe paper around until your gift is hidden, and then you plant one on the side of the ball and wrap that, then another gift on the other side of the ball, and you wrap that, and on and on and on until there are dozens of little gifts inside.  You alternate the red and green crepe paper when you need a new strip.  When the ball is about tennis ball size or a little smaller, you put a Christmas sticker on it to seal it and put it in the toe of the stocking it is meant for.

Unwinding your Surprise Ball is the greatest fun!  You ooh and aah over each treasure as you unwind and it falls out.  You have a mountain of red and green strips of crepe paper!  You have had the Joy of another Christmas!