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| Ian's snowman |
Christmases past. Little snippets of memories, some memories of pictures, like John and me coloring sitting on the floor, a giant paper doll next to me, under the Christmas tree. Skip was there too, if I can remember. My mom and dad organized pictures, it's probably there. I remember they used to have a "Christmas" album but in later years, they were Album 1 and 2 etc. I haven't looked at them much since my mom died, since I took the albums home since she was going through the albums and throwing away pictures. THAT memory was horrifying, a giant sign saying, DEMENTIA.... but it was more than that, it was being somewhere with nothing to do, nothing to think about... and then, there's the guilty thoughts, I should have done more, the I shouldashoulda that does no good.
Can't find it right now, the whole Album 1 seems to be missing. It might be in a box still. Hope mom didn't throw it out. The second album memories start when I was in high school, and when my brother got married. Hope I find the first one.
Anyway. Back to Christmas memories. We didn't "do" the Santa thing. My parents believed that it would be lying to us, to pretend. We had a Nativity scene, and we would put it out a little at a time, and add Jesus on Christmas Eve. The wise men would stay on the other end of the mantle until January 6th, Epiphany, when the arrival of the Wise Men is commemorated.
When I was in high school, my family did a little vignette for a Christmas program, and I played Santa Claus. Ma and Pa were in their bed. I don't remember if John was there. It was fun.
Some years, we had lots of people around. Usually my cousins and my Aunt Hazel. Sometimes more. Christmas Eve was a traditional dinner with oyster stew, and frozen fruit salad. I was always told it was a New England tradition, and that's where The Family came from. It seems like it was a tradition in many places. Here's an interesting little article
Rambling memories. My father often brought people home. I don't really know how my mom felt about it, but she seemed to be a good sport about it. I wasn't always, since I really didn't like sharing my holidays with people I didn't know! But looking back, it wasn't so bad, and we brought some compassion and cheer to people who otherwise may not have had anyone. Later, after I got married, we invited people over for Thanksgiving who didn't have any family around; that lasted a few years until we had kids.
I just found a box of ornaments, and for some reason, many of them say "Olivia" on them. I think that way back when, we got ornaments for each child, but I don't think they ever got them. Another project.
I feel like I will never get everything done that I want to get done. Such positive thinking...
My favorite Christmas Eve memory was somewhere in the seventies. I was at my parents' house, I don't remember if I was married yet, or anything other than this little bit of a memory. My dad started singing "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" and flipped on the floodlights outside and turned off the lights inside. It was snowing, big white fluffy flakes. We all sat there in awe for a minute but then started singing along. Funny, that's all I remember, other than thanking God for the timing of the snow. It is such a warm memory.
Another snow memory was looking out the window around 11 pm one night and seeing it was snowing hard but no wind. I woke up the kids, and bundled them up and we played in the snow. I don't know if anyone remembers, but I do.
Enough rambling. I put a few more ornaments on the tree, and packed the rest in the box. I put out Ian's snowman, and a couple other unbreakable snowmen, but not the glass and ceramic ones, because of a certain cat.
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