Thanksgiving and Popcorn

my sweet granddaughter

THANKSGIVING AND POPCORN

Thanksgiving is this week and I am so excited!!! I love this time of the year with all its get-togethers, food-eating, and food-preparing. It’s not just excitement about all the “busy things,” no, it’s just that each of those things makes me remember what I’m truly thankful for.

The get-together means that I have family to love and who love me, especially my sweet granddaughter. Last year, she was still getting used to being her with her new family. But this year, she “knows” us—she grins and runs to me when she sees me, she has started bringing books for me to read to her in my office/library, and she even had her pre-school teacher write my name (chest puffing out in pride) on a strip on her “Thankful pumpkin”—in all reality, I probably got a whole strip to myself because nothing else would fit after the teacher printed “Grandmommy.” The pumpkin wasn’t huge, after all. Also, this is the fifth anniversary of my husband’s liver transplant. He’s strong and hearty—well, he’s strong and hearty enough to keep house and do the laundry (seriously, a writer’s got to have time to write, and I am a writer).

The food-eating makes me thankful that God has generously poured out His blessings on us all year long—not only our food, but our home, our marriage, our family, our friends, and so many more blessings. And most especially Jesus and His sacrifice.

The food-preparing means that I’m healthy enough to do the things I love to do. Even though I have RA, diabetes, and a few other thing going on in my body, I can cook (which I love to do), I can write, and I can play with my granddaughter. Being able to do all of those things is due in large part because of the blessing of having wonderful doctors who take care of me.

One thing I’m going to TRY and do again this year is something we had done years ago when my children were younger—tell the story of the three grains of corn. I had read that the Pilgrims had a very hard time in the New World. At one point, their daily ration of food was three grains of corn (now, I don’t know if this is really true, but it led to a way of showing what we are thankful for today). I would put three grains of unpopped popcorn on everyone’s plate and before we ate, I would pass a small dish around and everyone would put their popcorn in, telling three things they were thankful for. I love hearing the things. The kids hated doing it. We finally stopped doing it when the kids BEGGED me to stop making them it. But we have added a new generation to our family, SO-O-O-O, I think it’s time to try it again. After all, our granddaughter needs to be reminded to be thankful and needs to hear what others are thankful for. Do you think it will go over any better this time than last? Who knows, but a mother/grandmommy has to try.

Memory Monday: Halloween Through the Years in Our Family

my son as a gorilla

HALLOWEEN THROUGH THE YEARS IN OUR FAMILY

Growing up, I don’t remember doing a lot for Halloween, but then we lived in the country for a lot of those years. I know that when we did live in town, there was a lot of Trick-or-Treating going. During the early years of our marriage and children, we had lots of kids coming to our door for their treats. But that has changed now. No one comes door-to-door anymore, at least not in our neighborhood. They all go to community activities or church Trunk or Treats. If you aren’t familiar with Trunk or Treat, it’s when the adults gather in the parking lot, decorate the open trunks of their cars, and wait for the little ones—all dressed up, of course—to come by so they can get their treats.

Costumes have changed, too. I have an old black and white picture of my older sister and brother with me. They were wearing scary masks and I was crying (I was only 2 or 3 at the time). Those masks were the thin plastic kind, with a rubber band stapled on each side to hold it on. When the rubber band broke or slipped out from the staples, well, the mask was useless—unless you wanted to hold it up to your face all the time, and who wants to do that. My children dressed up when they were little—usually in “creative” costumes. We never went out and bought full outfits for them. These days, my son buys his own costume. The first one he bought was a gorilla. That’s him pictured above. This year, he got a T-rex inflatable costume which is almost 7-feet tall. He wore that to the church Trunk or Treat and let the little ones hunt for mini-dinosaurs in a portable sandbox (our granddaughter doesn’t know that her sandbox isn’t in our backyard right now).

my son's costume

Speaking of my granddaughter, she went to school as Anna from Frozen. Of course, she was adorable—See how adorable below (naturally, all grandmas think their granddaughters are adorable, no matter what the situation):

she'd rather be playing with cars

What are your memories of Halloween? What was your favorite candy to get? Do little ones still come to your house Trick or Treating?

Memory Monday: Cooking, Mother, and Tempura

My Mother

COOKING, MOTHER, AND TEMPURA

The way my mother cooked and the way I cook are different. There are a few of her recipes that I still make, like Swiss steak and beef stew—although, I have altered both as far as seasonings go, as well as beef enchiladas–which you can only make the right way with Morton’s chili blend. From me, she learned to make rump roast in a way that it is so tender that it falls apart.

But this weekend, my cooking abilities were stretched to almost breaking (at least, for a while). Here is the short version.

Yesterday, we celebrated my son-in-law’s birthday and Father’s Day—my husband’s thirty-fifth and my son-in-law’s first. In our family, the person whose special day we are celebrating gets to choose what we will have for our family dinner. In the past with things being equal (birthday vs Father’s Day), our son-in-law usually got to choose and we often had fried catfish. This year, he decided to pick Papa Murphy’s Pizza (my husband’s favorite), but he also requested tempura vegetables (one of his favorites and something I had tried making recently with a mix I found at Homeland).

I sliced and diced the veggies he requested—green beans, carrots, taro root, asparagus, and daikon radish. All set—right? Wrong! I went back to the store where I got the tempura mix (I only had a half of a box left), and they didn’t have ANY—not even a place on the shelf where it had sold out. I checked other stores, same thing. By the way, this was on Saturday and everyone was coming for Sunday Dinner. So, I got googled “recipes tempura” and got a ton of sites. I started checking them out and decided on a couple that I would try. Sunday while the pizzas were baking, I mixed up the half package and started frying a few of each kind of veggies. By the time, I had finished using the half box of tempura mix, the pizzas were ready. I decided we had enough veggies prepared and closed my laptop without using any of those recipes I had researched so frantically. It turned out that I had fixed plenty. There were even a few leftovers.

I wonder if Mother would ever make tempura veggies if she had ever tried them. Somehow, I think not. They just don’t go with the meat and potato meals that she always seemed to make for her family.

Now, my daughter is a different matter. She makes so many different things. Maybe someday when she takes over doing the special family dinners, she will introduce us to a new set of recipes.

Memory Monday: Father's Day

My Son-in-Law and Granddaughter

FATHER’S DAY

I love the months of May and June because I love Mother’s Day and Father’s Day! I love the family get-togethers and dinners. And I love the presents, especially since I’m the mother now. What can I say—I love getting presents. But more than the presents (well, kinda), it is wonderful to see the next generation getting to share in the celebration—not as children honoring their parents, but as the ones being honored for the role they have taken on as parents. There is no way a child can understand the responsibilities (and worry, fear, joy, and hopes) of a mother or father until he or she becomes one. And only parents who see their children become parents can appreciate what their children are going through as they raise another generation (even though, the grandparents may wonder sometimes about what their children are thinking or doing).

This year is special with my granddaughter here now. I was privileged to share Mother’s Day with my daughter. In the same way, my husband will share Father’s Day with our son-in-law next week.

I want to say something to my father and father-in-law who have already passed on (as well as all the greats and grandfathers who came before them) as well as to my husband and son-in-law (and all those fathers who come after us): Thank you for the care you took to provide for your children, the examples you set, and the love you poured out on your families.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!

Memory Monday (A Little Late): Mini-Family Reunion

My granddaughter and her second cousin

A MINI-FAMILY REUNION

I’m sorry that this blog post is a day late. Several things happened last weekend—Memorial Day holiday, my niece’s wedding, and a family reunion. And it was all wonderful. My siblings and I had not gotten together for over ten years. It was a time of great enjoyment where not only did we get to attend the wedding of my niece (who happened to be the flower girl in my daughter’s wedding thirteen years earlier), but we got to share lots of time talking and sharing memories of the past and dreams of the future.

Since we were all from out of town, we stayed at the same hotel. A niece (sister of the bride) and her family had already checked in when we got there. In fact, we pulled up right behind my brother and his wife, so we got to start visiting as soon as we got there. A little later, a sister arrived and the next morning my daughter and her family got in.

We shared meals, laughter, ideas, and that all-important connection of family that has been apart too long. One of the best things that happened was that my granddaughter was able to meet second cousins. Pictured above is my granddaughter with one of her second cousins, Ari (her father’s name spelled backward). They seemed to hit it off wonderfully.

I can’t wait for the next family reunion when we can again gather, share, and strengthen family bonds.

Memory Monday: My Mother

My mother

MY MOTHER

As I did in last week’s blog about my mother-in-law, I want to share a couple of my mother’s recipes as we approach Mother’s Day this year. I’m not sure how much Mother enjoyed cooking when her children were growing up as she also milked her cows, made butter, tended her chickens, took care of her large garden, did laundry on an old Sears wringer washing machine (with no dryer—clothes lines all the way), and raised five children. I do know that in her later years she enjoyed cooking, especially coconut cream pies and banana nut bread.

Below are two of her recipes. I don’t know why she called the first one Swiss Steak (I learned years later after looking at cookbooks, that this is not technically Swiss Steak, but it is good). I still make both recipes and always think of my mother when I do.

SWISS STEAK

Round steak, cut into serving sizes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Flour

Oil

Canned condensed tomato soup

Season meat and dredge in flour. Brown steak in hot oil, then put meat to an ovenproof casserole. Drain most of the oil out of the pan. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of flour. Stir. Add tomato soup, diluted with one soup can of water. Bring to a boil, stirring until well mixed. Pour over meat in casserole dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

(Mother made this quite often while I was growing up. There were seven in our family, so she made a large amount of this at a time. Now that I make it for just my husband and myself, I use two cube steaks and a regular-size can of tomato soup. Lately, I have been adding some of the seasoning my son mixed up for smoking brisket instead of salt and pepper. That really adds a great taste to this dish.)

BANANA NUT BREAD

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. soda

1 cup shortening or oil

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk or milk

4 bananas, mashed (1 cup)

1 cup nuts

1 t. vanilla

Mix together all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spray loaf pans with Pam. Divide batter between loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 small loaves or 2 large loaves.

(Mother used one cup of nuts, but I LOVE nuts and add 4 cups of nuts. Also, I usually use about 5-6 bananas—I figure with more nuts, more bananas, but I use the same amount of everything else. Doing it this way, I usually end up with 12 mini-loafs—but how many you get will depend on the size of mini-loaf pans you are using. I have three different sizes.).

What are your favorite family recipes? How have you changed them?

Memory Monday: Easter and Our Family

My son with paper bunny hat and ears

EASTER AND OUR FAMILY

Easter is next Sunday. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of Easter traditions. We went to church every Sunday, so going there for Easter was not anything different—although we often had a new dress, or something like that. I even have some pictures where my sisters and I wore those cute little girl hats. We always ate Sunday dinner together at the table and my mother always had roast or Swiss steak (her version), or fried chicken. I don’t ever remember having an Easter egg hunt at home, or anywhere else, growing up.

Things weren’t much different for my children growing up—church every week, Sunday dinner at the table, and sometimes a new outfit. The biggest different with our children is that we had Easter egg hunts in our back yard. My husband would hide the eggs, the children would find them, then they would hide the eggs and he and I would find them. Sometimes we repeated the whole thing again.

In the picture above, my son is wearing the bunny hat with ears that he got from Sunday School. I think I still have that hat in my craft pattern box. Maybe I’ll make one for my granddaughter.

What traditions do/did you and your family have for Easter? 

Memory Monday: A LOT is Happening in February

My Parents-in-Law

A LOT IS HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY

Valentine’s Day is this week, but my husband and I usually don’t do anything special that day—we save our celebration for our anniversary. But that isn’t to say that there isn’t a lot to celebrate this month. As I have said in another post recently, February 15^th is a very special day in our family—today and in the past. My parents-in-law were married on that day 76 years ago. Sadly, they only had 38 years together.

Two nieces also have their birthdays on February 15^th, and I want to hope they have wonderful birthdays filled with love and happiness.

For our immediate family, we will celebrate our granddaughter’s 3^rd birthday on the 15^th. (Sh-h-h, we’re giving her a sandbox at our house and at her parent’s home, plus a few other presents.) As I think of the wonderful parents-in-law that I have been blessed with, I can’t help but think how much they would have loved and treasured their great-granddaughter.

What special memories do you have of Valentine’s Day? Is there anything special in your family that is celebrated in February?

Memory Monday: A New Year's Poem

My Grandmother

A NEW YEAR’S POEM

I have used the picture of my grandmother before. The more I think about her, the more I wish that I had known her. She married in 1910, but didn’t have her first child until 1917 (my father). How she loved her son. When my dad talked about her, you could hear the love in his voice for her, even though she died when he was only nine years old. From what I know about her, she had a strong faith (as did her parents).

Recently, I came across a poem that was written before she was born. The poem is from a book titled Verses for Christmas and the New Year. And it was written in 1885, and since she was born in the early 1890s, her mother might have even read it to her.

NEW YEAR'S WISHES FOR THE CHILDREN.

Give yourself to Jesus, darling,

   While the Year is new;

Place your hand in His, and let Him

   Lead you safely through.

Then how blest the Year will be,

   Spent in Jesu's company!

I send my love to Someone,

   With wishes kind and true;

I pray to God for Someone,

   I know He hears me, too.

Now don't you guess, my darling,

   That Someone must be you?

I can imagine my grandmother holding my daddy in her lap, snuggling close to her longed-for child and reciting this to him. And that warms my heart.

Memory Monday: Another Multi-Generational Decoration

ANOTHER MULTI-GENERATIONAL DECORATION

Nearly 50 years ago (wow, that is a long time), I worked at K-Mart. At Christmas time that year, they had some music boxes that looked like angels surrounding and playing an organ. I bought one for me, then one each for my mother and mother-in-law. I loved mine and they said they loved theirs (hey, they are family, so what else could these dear ladies say?). Anyway, through the years, these two women passed away and their Christmas decorations have been passed down. I’m not sure if the one that is pictured above was mine or one of theirs. I do know that for two generations, we enjoyed them.

When my children were old enough, they like to play with the one I had. I don’t know how many times we wound it up and listened to it play “Silent Night.” This made three generations that have enjoyed this cute piece of Christmas.

Now my new granddaughter loves it. This makes four generations that have listened to it. I’m not sure if it will last to a fifth generation. If you look closely at the picture, you can see that one of the little angels at the top of the organ has lost its wings, while the other one has lost half of its. The angel “playing” the organ has not only lost its wings too but (and what you can’t see) also its right hand. The bench has been glued at least once and needs to be repaired again. The vases on the sides of the keyboard have lost their greenery and while the candleholders half way up the sides have lost their candles. Also what you can’t see if the left side where the blue plastic panel behind the filigree fell down and is lying under the music mechanism. Still, THE MUSIC FROM THIS MUSIC BOX SOUND GREAT! Most music boxes I’ve owned have become “tinny” after a while. This one is still beautiful sounding after all this time and use.

The other day, my granddaughter pulled it in front of her, placed a finger on either side of the angel on the bench, and “played” the organ as the music box slowly unwound. She loves it.

I will do my best to fix and glue together this piece of our family’s Christmas decorations so my granddaughter can play with it again next year (and several more years after that). Maybe, just maybe, with enough glue, it will last to the fifth generation of our family.

Memory Monday: The Tradition of the Christmas Present Ornaments

THE TRADITION OF THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT ORNAMENTS

When my husband was five years old, he wanted a watch. His parents told him that he had to learn to tell time before they would get him one, so he went to his grandmother and she taught him. At Christmas, he had a package under the tree with a red, loopy ribbon bow on it. As you probably already guessed, the package contained a watch. But there is more to the story—something that affects what my family does today. His mother saved that red, loopy ribbon bow and put it on his “main” Christmas present the next year, and the year after, and the year after, for as long as she lived.

My husband and I dated for two years before we married. During that time, they put a blue package ornament on my present from them and continued to do so as long as my mother-in-law lived.

After her death, my father-in-law gave us their Christmas decorations and he just used the 12-inch ceramic Christmas tree that his mother had given his wife. That red, loopy ribbon bow and the blue package ornament were among the things he gave us. We kept up the tradition of using those package ornaments through the years.

We were married about ten years when our daughter was born. We bought her a Holly Hobby package decoration to keep the tradition going. When our son was born, we got a green and white stick horse for his “main” present.

My husband was five when the red, loopy ribbon bow first appeared on his present, so it has seen about 65 Christmases. We’ve been married for 44 years, so my blue ornament has been used about 45 times. Holly Hobby and the stick horse have been on presents for more than 30 years each. When our daughter married over 10 years ago, we got her husband a snowman for his package decoration. It has been on his packages ever since.

The next generation has come along with our granddaughter. Last year—her first Christmas with us, we got her a pink heart to attach to her present. We will be using it again this year.

Oh, there is one more thing about the present ornaments. We never put names on these presents. Everyone knows by the ornament who gets the present and everyone knows that the present came from us.

One of these days, we will have to pass down these package decorations to the next generation. I have every faith that our children will keep the tradition going.

Memory Monday: Our Christmas Tree

3 generations around the Christmas tree in 1982

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE

It is that time of the year!!! I love the last two months of the year. And this year is even better. First of all, by Thanksgiving weekend, I already had all my Christmas shopping done. Then the day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I got out the tree and the decorations. I spent the afternoon putting on the ornaments. Now, this is my favorite part of my favorite time of the year. I have never been one to want a themed tree—like snowflakes or teddy bears—or one that was color-coordinated—like silver and blue or gold and red. No, my trees have always been memory ones.

I didn’t really plan it that way. It’s just the way it happened and I liked it, so I continued doing it. Both sets of our parents always had lights and tinsel garlands on their tree. I can’t remember if they gave us any of those, but I do know that we couldn’t afford to buy ornaments—I was a college student and my husband had only a part-time job. We didn’t have the internet at that time, so I tried to figure out what we could do to decorate a tree. Months before Christmas, I figured out that we could save the shells from the eggs we used for breakfast and use them for ornaments. I would poke holes in the end of each egg and blow the egg yolks and whites out into a bowl. I almost blew my eardrums out doing this because I didn’t know until much later that I should have inserted a skewer and broken up the yolk before I tried to blow it out that little hole at the end. Still, I saved about four dozen intact shells. My husband and I dyed the shells with Easter egg dye the night of the only night launch by NASA. We used those egg ornaments for several years, then slowly started to replace them. Still, they were special, and for the last 44 years, we have had at least one eggshell ornament on our Christmas tree each year.

Later as my husband’s grandmother and parents passed down some of their ornaments, our trees became memory Christmas tree with each of those ornaments hanging on our tree. Then, our children made ornaments in school that we just had to add to our tree. A great-aunt and her daughter sent our children some very special ornaments that still hang on our tree. I made some ceramic ornaments, among several other homemade ones, when I was in my “crafty stage.” When our daughter married and moved out, she took a few of her ornaments and a couple of our egg ones, as well.

When our son was in grade school, he saw one of those Hallmark ads about getting a special ornament each year. He asked if we could do that, too. For those, we tried to select things that were important to him each year—like Boy Scouts, computers, and cats. A couple of years ago, he moved into a new apartment and I passed on his special ornaments, but I also gave him a couple of our egg ornaments.

This year, we are starting a new group of memory ornaments on our tree. As I have said before, our daughter and her husband are adopting a two-year-old girl. I have already started her ornament collection, dating the back of each one. This year’s ornament is a see-through snowman because she loves “nowmen.” And Grandmommy has to get her little darling what she wants.

Throwback Thursday: Veteran's Day

This week's Old and Unknown Picture:

To all our veterans on this Veterans’ Day, thank you for your service.

Feel free to leave Veteran's Day thoughts in the comments below.

Memory Monday: My Father-in-Law

My father-in-law acting silly

MY FATHER-IN-LAW

As Father’s Day approaches, I want to honor a very special man who was in my life too short a time—my father-in-law. He was a wonderful man who loved his wife and son. They only had one child because after she gave birth to their son, the doctor told them that any future births would have to be by C-section because my mother-in-law was too small to go through that again. When he heard that, he said they wouldn’t have any more because he didn’t want her to have that surgery (you have to remember this was in the 1940s). She told my father-in-law that she wanted to give him a daughter. He hugged her and said that when their son married, they would have their daughter. I became that daughter, even before my husband and I married.

After my mother-in-law passed away with cancer, he moved closer to us. Shortly after that, I changed from calling by his first name to “Dad.” (I had always called my father “Daddy” so it just seemed right.) Through the years, we shared a lot of great times together. I learned to sit on his left side when we played the game of 42, or he would outbid me just for the sake of outbidding me which he knew would cause me to give him one of “those” looks. We also had a number of contests concerning losing weight—and he won all of those. I think his secret to winning was what my mother-in-law prepared his meals while I had to do all the cooking at my house (and we all know that the cook has to “taste” everything before sitting down to dinner). One of my sweetest memories was when they would come to visit and he would get out my guitar (which I never learned to play, but he did), tune it up, and play while I sang with my mother-in-law.

But, I think the most wonderful thing about my father-in-law was how he took on the role of grandfather to our two children. His love for them was so deep and sure and constant. I just wished that he had lived long enough to see them reach adulthood, to see how they are living and loving, working and having fun. He was always so proud of them.

And with my granddaughter here now, I know that I will be better grandparent because of the example he was. Thank you, DAD.

Memory Monday: Summer Family Holiday Get-Togethers and How They Will Change

My husband and I and our daughter, who now is about to be a mother herself

OUR SUMMER FAMILY HOLIDAY GET-TOGETHERS AND HOW THEY’RE GOING TO CHANGE

Today is Memorial Day—a day to remember those who have died fighting for our country. Memorial Day was first known as Decoration Day when people decorated the graves of the fallen soldiers from the Civil War.  It is also one of the non-birthday/Mother’s Days/Father Days summer days all my children sometimes come to my house for lunch (the other days being Independence Day and Memorial Day—you know, the holidays in the summer when everyone is off work and school is out).
We always have the same thing—sort of a tradition. The menu is hot dogs, chips, and some kind of carbonated drinks. Sometimes, I’ll add baked beans or fruit or anything else I feel like making—usually some kind of dessert. This year it is individual strawberry shortcakes.
Afterwards, we will sit around and watch TV, play some kind of game, or just talk. But this will be the last of the “usual” summer holidays for us. Wednesday, our first grandchild is scheduled to “arrive.” YEAH!!! YEAH!!! YEAH!!!This two-year old granddaughter will change every holiday from here on out.  A new generation—maybe, new traditions. Maybe, next year, we’ll have something different for those summer holiday get-togethers. I just have to wait and see what my new granddaughter likes (can you say this grandma is going to be wrapped around those little fingers?)

Memory Monday: The New Year Poem

My grandfather during the Civil War

THE NEW YEAR

As some of you know, I “reprint” a historical magazine dated 1865. It is filled with chapters of books, articles, and recipes from that time period.

Last month while I was researching for my magazine, I found a poem in The Family Christian Almanac from 1864. My grandfather was a soldier during the Civil War (1862-65), and I wonder if his first wife (my grandmother was his second wife—she was born in 1862) sent him this poem while he as far away from her. Maybe she read this poem to their children.

I would like to share it with you as the New Year begins.

THE NEW YEAR

I know not what shall befall me,

God hangs a mist o'er my eyes;

For each step in my onward path

He makes new scenes to rise,
And every joy he sends me

Comes as a sweet surprise.

I see not a step before me,

As I tread on another year,

But the past is still in God's keeping,

The future his mercy shall clear,
And what looks dark in the distance

May brighten as I draw near.

For perhaps the dreaded future

Has less bitter than I think;
The Lord may sweeten the waters

Before I stoop to drink;

Or if Marah must be Marah,

He will stand beside its brink.

It may be he has, waiting

For the coming of my feet,

Some gift of such rare value,

Some joy so strangely sweet,

That my lips shall only tremble

With the thanks they cannot speak.

Oh, restful, blissful ignorance!

'T is blessed not to know;

It keeps me still in those arms

Which will not let me go,

And hushes my soul to rest

In the bosom that loved me so!

So I go on—not knowing;

I would not, if I might,

Rather walking with God in the dark

Than going alone in the light;
Rather walking with Christ by faith

Than walking alone by sight.

My heart shrinks back from trials

Which the future may disclose,

Yet I never had a sorrow

But what the dear Lord chose;

So I send the coming tears back

With the whispered word—"He knows."

I don’t know who wrote this poem, but I really like it. I hope you will also.

Memory Monday: Christmas Traditions in Our Family

My daughter and me (on her second Christmas)

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN OUR FAMILY

Through the years, there have been lots of different traditions involving Christmas. With my husband’s family, they always had a big Christmas Eve party get-together. It would go something like this—my husband (as a little boy) had to get all dressed up and then wait until his grandfather finished his job at the grocery store, cleaned up (in a suit, no less), and came over with my husband’s grandmother. Then my husband had to wait (oh, so patiently, I’m sure) while his grandfather ate supper. Next, there were the family pictures to be taken—you know where each person has his or her picture taken, then there are the couples, then the couples with their children, then the grandparents with their grandchildren, and on and on. When that was done, the presents were distributed, usually by the grandchildren, and everyone sat around the room, and one by one each person opened a present. Once everyone had a turn, they repeated until all the presents were opened. Then they played 42 (a domino game) while eating candy and drinking eggnog. The next morning, they would find a new present under the tree. It was from Santa.

In my family it was a little different. On Christmas Eve when we were little, I remember us practicing how we would wake each other up, then run to the living room where the tree was. Early the next morning, we would gather around the tree—when Mother and Daddy finally got up. Once the word was given, we all dived under the tree trying to find our presents, then we would rip them open. Lots of laughing and yelling.

One of the best things about having these traditions, when my husband and I married we didn’t have to alternate families from year to year (by the way, our parents lived in the same town) since they opened presents at different times.

Through the years, my husband and our children have held onto some of those traditions and changed others. Both sets of our parents are gone and our children meet out our house (in jeans and tees, no posed pictures taken) on Christmas Eve for Snack Supper (with eggnog, of course) and games—this tradition we all love and plan to carry on for years to come. But there is one tradition that will change starting this year. Ever since our daughter married, they have slept our house so we could all wake up on Christmas morning and open presents (one person at a time). This year, we will open presents on Christmas Eve and everyone will go back to their home to sleep (my daughter and her husband now live about eight minutes away and my son lives about ten minutes). They will return Christmas morning to get their filled stockings and open the Santa presents, then eat Christmas dinner (it is always roast with all the trimming).

Oh, one more tradition that we still keep. My mother always bought a box of chocolate-covered cherries for each person, wrapped them, and put them under the tree. Mother has been gone for ten years now, but everyone knows that there will be a box of chocolate-covered cherries with his or her name (but no giver’s name, but we all know who they should be from) under the tree—and we all open them at the same time. When I’m old and gray, I will have one of my children promise that he or she will carry on this tradition—a nice link to the past.

What traditions has your family shared in? Which ones have you dropped? Which one do you still keep?

Throwback Thursday: Halloween?

Here's my caption:

"For Halloween, we went as an old-timey family."

What's your caption? Feel free to leave it in the comments below.

Memory Monday: Veteran's Day

My husband in 1972

THOSE WHO SERVED

As we approach Veterans Day, I wanted to share those in my family who served their country. 

My father with his parents during WWII

My father-in-law during WWII

Another uncle in WWII

My uncle - career military

My great grandfather during the Civil War

My husband's grandfather (on the right) during WWI

Besides the picture above, my husband-through his genealogy research-has discovered the names of more of his family who have served in the military. In the American Revolution, 18 of his direct ancestors served, while another one served in the post-revolution period. During the War of 1812, 3 of his ancestors served, while 8 served during the Civil War. I haven’t researched my family history, so I’m not sure how many of my ancestors served, although I know not as many as his because my mother’s family were Mennonites and didn’t come to America until much later than my husband’s family. Still I’m so proud of all my family, and that includes in-laws-who have served.