One of the best thing about sending out a newsletter is getting to hear from so many of you in return. I’ve enjoyed reading about the special Christmas memories and family traditions shared with me. I hope you will enjoy these I’m sharing forward from Kay and Linda Sue.
Kay shares a couple of stories. First let’s hear how her daughter made her grandfather happy by keeping a tradition going even after she got older.
The first one is about my dad and our daughter. After our daughter was born, it became a tradition that my folks would travel the 40 miles to our home in order to be there when Jenet woke up. Dad started it by going down the hallway to her room after they arrived going “HoHoHo Santa’s been here!” It became such a tradition that as a teenager and not wanting to disappoint her Papaw, but still not wanting photos taken of her all sleepy-headed, she would get up very early to fix her hair and be dressed in something better than pj’s. Then she would crawl back in bed and wait for Papaw to “wake her up.” Both have gone on to their heavenly home now making it a precious memory for us.
A teenager would want to look good in those Christmas photos that are surely a treasure for her mother now. Then Kay also learned a very special tradition about giving from her mother.
The second one is about my mom and me. Mom taught me about sharing the bounty of the kitchen with loved ones and less fortunate – especially during the Christmas holiday. She would bake for days making a wide assortment of fried pies, cakes, cookies, candies and assorted treats like roasted pecans. Then we would put some of each into boxes that we delivered to the elderly, shut-ins, handicapped, disabled and those that had been extra helpful to my folks during the year. Then we would load up and make deliveries. These deliveries were never drop and go but taking time to visit while there. Mom told me that often the visit meant more to them than the boxes and were a blessing to both the recipient and the giver. Mom has gone on to her heavenly home, but I still try to follow her example. Each year, I think I might have to cut back, but who do you cut off the list if you do? Pray that I will always be able to do it because I know mom’s memory is right there with me.
Don’t you know Kay’s mother is smiling down on her as she continues this special tradition. Prayers for you, Kay, as you continue to give that most valuable of gifts at Christmas – your time and love.
Now how about a couple of smiles from Linda Sue? In the newsletter, I shared this picture of my husband and me. Our children gave us a photo shoot for our anniversary. We were to take photos at some of our favorite places on the farm. One place we picked was this gate with the barn behind us. A couple of cows decided to pose with us , and in the newsletter I suggested the cows might be wondering what in the world we were doing. Linda Sue came through with a memory of something her father used to say that fit the picture.
I’m sure the cows WERE wondering why you & Hubby were just standing there. It reminds me of something my father (born 1913) always said: “You may as well be useful as well as ornamental!” He had a great sense of humor.
I guess we missed out on the useful part and were doing our best to be ornamental although the cows would have rather had feed from somebody useful
And then Linda Sue shared a memory that has surely been repeated at many of her family’s Christmas celebrations to bring new smiles. Made me smile and I hope it will you too.
My Christmas thought is a memory of when my grown son, Scott, was in elementary school. There were many family stories of the ‘Olden Days’ growing up as one of six children in Ohio, where Mother was born on Christmas Day, 1906. We always celebrated in a big way, including a birthday cake for Mother. During a kitchen conversation as Mother was sharing a memory, Scott interrupted with quite a reasonable question: “Who’s older, Jesus or Grandma?” Laughter ensued…
Thanks Kay and Linda Sue for sharing your memories from Christmases past as you continue to make new memories of Christmases now. I hope all of you are making new memories and replaying some of those sweet memories from years past. If you didn’t get the newsletter and would like to read it, here’s a link. At least I hope that will work for you. If not, let me know and I’ll send a copy along.
Meanwhile, the giveaway for the choice of one of my books with a Christmas scene, Love Comes Home, These Healing Hills, or Summer of Joy, is open until Saturday at midnight. So, if you leave a comment here, I’ll throw your name into my giveaway drawing hat. If you left a comment on the post Sunday, another comment here will give you another entry. I have a giveaway going in my newsletter too with lots of entrants. Not many entered here in this giveaway chance. So you might have a better chance to win one of those autographed books. You can read more about them on my website.
Do you have any special Christmas memories that make you smile?
I have a few and I’m sure you do too. One of mine that always makes me smile is remembering the fruit punch my aunt let me help make on Christmas Eve. I inherited her punch bowl and the pretty little glass cups that went with it. Somehow those cups made the punch taste extra special. I still make the punch every Christmas using her recipe that wasn’t written down, but told in words to me. The best way. But sometimes my kids drink from plastic cups even though I set out those glass cups too.
Hope you are having a great week before Christmas.
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I have a metal tree that I use to display crochet ornaments for sale. In a hectic move, we threw away our usual Christmas tree. We got moved into our new place a few days before Christmas, but no tree. I was able to find two boxes of ornaments, and decorated the metal display tree. It looked like the tree from Charlie Brown’s Christmas, pre miracle.
Your emails are always so interesting. No wonder I enjoy your books as much as I do.
My mother born in 1919 was named Virgil, after the doctor who delivered her. She was the second of a set of twins, and they had only picked out one girl‘s name so they quickly thought they’d name her after the doctor! Mostly, she went by the name, Virgie. Close friends of ours had a daughter just a few years older than me and we are both in our 70s now. They always loved to tell the story how anytime they sang Silent Night, their young daughter would sing “round yon Virgie, mother and child.” I can never sing or hear the song without changing the words myself!
I’ll be making special Christmas memories this year, as I’m flying to TX this weekend to spend the week with friends!
Thank You for sharing My Special memory was always getting to help my Dad pick out our tree and helping decorate it and being with my Family at that time of year! Merry Christmas to you and Your Family!
On Christmas Eve 2020 we didn’t have our annual extended family get-together because of you-know-what. One of the traditions for our get-togethers is singing Christmas carols. So, that year my parents, siblings, aunt, uncle, and some cousins drove to our relatives’ houses and Christmas caroled to them (in the rain, too)! It was a beautiful and special time, one that I will always be dear to me since several of my great-aunts and great-uncles died the next year. I’m glad we were still able to make that Christmas Eve special for them.
One year I was unexpectedly in the hospital at Christmas. I had my two teen age daughters and their Dad bring all the gifts to the hospital. We had a wonderful time. Unlike other years there was no drama about what one daughter got.
Thanks for sharing sweet memories. Merry Christmas to you and your family.🎄❄️🎅🏻☃️🎁
I think Christmas always brings special memories, but I have a funny one that my kids and I still laugh about–my husband–not so much…
We had a cat named Allie and I was her human. We lost her 2 years ago this month, but she was almost 18 years old, so she was with us a long time and I still miss her. One Christmas many years ago now, she woke me up early. The back story behind this is that when my husband would leave for work, she would always make sure that I was awake to put the chain lock across the door after he would leave. She would nudge me if I fell back to sleep and then when I would get up, she would walk with me to our front door, watch me lock it and then walk with me as I went back to bed. I don’t know how this started but it became a routine. Well, that Christmas my husband had a gift hidden for me next door in his parent’s garage and thought he would sneak out early and get it in the house before I woke…Allie had different plans because she woke me up for our usual morning routine of locking the door. I wasn’t sure where he was, but he was just getting ready to come inside. I was still surprised about the gift of a beautiful curio cabinet and found it funny, but my husband wasn’t as amused that she had ruined the plan he had! 🙂
What lovely stories! Brought smiles to my heart. Thank you, Ann. May you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
So many memories but those from Christmas at my grandparents stands out.