Christmas is on the way and I have grown used to a quiet one. I remember holidays at home when relatives would come to visit at my mother’s apartment. We would fly in from Georgia, but all of the others lived in Memphis except for my sister.
There would be many desserts that my mother would put on her dryer because her kitchen was small. The table would hold a baked ham and other items.
This was the era of tobacco and my mother smoked heavily, as did other relatives. Being quiet by nature, I was always grateful when everyone left. But then my sister and I had to stuff the stocking and the kids never wanted to go to sleep.
Gone are the days. Rob and I put our gifts to each other on the kitchen table and open them in late afternoon. We are glad that the day is almost over. I will gain weight eating sugary treats and he will go cycling for hours.
You see, Christmas memories are not all bad. We do not smoke or drink or have relatives dropping by. It is just the two of us now.
This blog is a solitary affair as well. Just me talking to you about all sorts of things and you listening. I like it when you reply, as that makes a circle.
Friends made consciously are friends forever and I count you among my friends in spirit.
Others may deck the halls, but all we do is hang a wreath on the door and a red bow on the mail box.
Fa la la la la la la la la la.
Vicki Woodyard
Sounds like wonderful Christmas Memories. I’m glad you have them. Every family get together Ron and I have, the deserts go on my dyer as my kitchen is small too! I thought I was the only one, lol. My parents are long gone as is Ron’s, but I have many fond memories of Christmases past…the kids being little, smoking, drinking with early happy new year toasts and scheduled visits from the local Santa, who invariably had too many prior toasts!
Christmases come and go, no matter their shape or size. The memories remain, no matter their shape or size.
Thank you friend for sharing. And don’t worry too much about a couple holiday sweet treat binges…after all, sugar is one of life’s enjoyments!
Love,
Tami
Rob and I prefer to be alone, being the introverts that we are. I never liked the stress of putting up a tree. Bob, ever genial, would get quite cross when he was wrestling the tree into the stand. The funniest memory of him was when the tree was to fat into the stand. He asked me to get him a sanitary pad. He somehow Rube Goldberg-ed it so that the tree would draw water up through the pad. Don’t ask me how; I have no idea!
That Bob/Christmas tree story is hysterical!! A sanitary pad is a wondrous thing!! Lol. We’ve had some pretty Christmas tress, but I never looked at mine and said to myself; it’s so beautiful, it was totally worth all the work!!! Not!!
Tami
It was so Bob, him being an engineer!
I loved this essay. I, too, have been used to having noisy, crowded Christmas Days at my parents’ house in Columbus. There were Grammas and Grampas, aunts and uncles, cousins, spouses and boy/girlfriends. It was also my birthday and everyone sang while I blushed furiously and blew out the candles on the red cake with green icing or the green cake with red icing, made from scratch by my Mom every year without fail. It was all a blast. Every year I was charged with bringing the cookies because I love to bake. I would make six different kinds, from plain sugar cookies to all kinds of cookies with “fancy” ingredients. I would bring them all in various Tupperware containers that I would put on the hood of my Dad’s car in the attached garage, per my Mom’s orders. The little kids couldn’t get to them and they stayed cool in the unheated garage. Since my Dad died in 2017, we don’t even try to get together anymore. I haven’t seen my brother or sisters in years and I don’t seem to mind. The memories are sweet, but I prefer to be alone now. I can’t imagine tolerating all that noise and confusion today. I’m used to my privacy and silence.
You have the good times in your heart and nothing can bring them back. I have memories of my mother’s crowded apartment reeking of nicotine and people getting tipsy.
Rob and I will get out and drive around looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. That’s it. There will be an awkward gift opening that we do in early evening on
Christmas Day. Soon it will all be over. Thank the Good Lord! Nice to hear from you, Lynda.