A Few of FR's Finest...Every Day...11-30 & 12-01-04...It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Billie

[LadyX]

God love you, Colleen, and bring you peace and joy...sleep well...

[Diver Dave]

Y'all are presenting some awfully beautiful Norman Rockwell paintings with your words.

My early day remembrances involve sitting around watchin' the radio, or gathered around the piano listening and singing along as sister Helen played Christmas Carols. She musta had a ton of sheet music stashed in the piano bench.

Our Christmas tree came from the small garden store a few blocks away - carried home by eager siblings under Dad's watchful eye.

The box marked "Decorations" was brought out of storage and it was always a delight to see all the delicate ornaments, the colored lights (not mini's) and everybody's favorite, the bubble lights.

Garlands made of colored paper and paste in kindergarten and first grade were strung along with the glittering garland.

Mom always warning that the icicles must be hung and not thrown on the branches.

Every year that tree was always the most beautiful we had ever seen. The tree and decorations would stay in place til after the New Year so as to have a backdrop for birthday photos of the boys.

Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Marion and Margareta (when she was able to be home on furlough from the mission field) would join us for Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. Christmas day would be another family sit down dinner of turkey and all the trimmings.

New Years was also a big event. Mom and Dad invited everyone from church to an old fashion Swedish smorgasbord. Dad always prepared some home-made root beer and pickeled herring. Most of the time we had snow on the ground for the holidays which meant snow shoveling and snowball fights. A couple of times Dad srayed water out in the back yard and made a skating rink for us. Those were the days of fond memories of families sharing their love and time with one another. Some of the same traditions are still carried forth to a new generation.

[WVNan]

hey, that sounds neat colleen. I sure hope I get to come to the ball so we can meet.

[WVNan]

You were always the domestic one Sistah. I spent too much time playing soldier with my brothers to learn the domestic arts.

[WVNan]

That sounds wonderful Dave. That too is a Norman Rockwell scene. I think we all long for a simpler time.

[LadyX]

" You were always the domestic one Sistah. I spent too much time playing soldier with my brothers to learn the domestic arts."

Fiddlesticks, Nan!
At 11 I became the Yard Boy (no brothers) - chopped firewood, at 11 surveyed some of the property lines with Daddy (he held the rod, and I manned the transit) - did the Miami Herald Crossword Puzzle, played the piano, roamed the canal banks among snakes and gators - routinely dispatched snakes, including a diamondback rattler over 5' long at age 17...
also had my own horse and in the summer rode him to get the mail, 3 miles away and back another 3.

Never did like to cook, though, even if I could make cakes from scratch (no mixes in those days)...still don't..:))

[LadyX]

Loved your narrative of Christmases Past, Dave!
We were and are so blessed, aren't we??

By the way, Nan, I sent snail mail to you today...

[WVNan]

Well of course you did. Mama always said you were the smart one.

[WVNan]

We were blessed to live in America when she was one America. We all pulled together for the common good. Life was hard but simpler in a lot of ways. We had a higher calling to serve something bigger than ourselves.

[LadyX]

How true, and how different it was to live during WWII!

America acted with one accord and everyone helped others, sharing whatever goods they had, and absolutely supported our troops -- very few persons did not have a loved one or neighbor or friend serving, and the support was a wonderful thing...

America today is an embarrassment in many ways...

[LadyX]

Isn't it about our bedtime, Nan??!!
Time to say our prayers and go night-night..:))

[WVNan]

I was just going to say that. Have to get up pretty early. Goodnight Sistah. Loveya. God bless.

[dansangel]

Come join the Thursday FUN over HERE :-)

[lonestar]

You might enjoy this daily group meeting.

[CTGOPPER]

Thank you for the invitation Lonestar. I've been here since 1999 but have been mostly a lurker. Maybe this would be a good home for me to participate. Looks like a nice bunch.

[lonestar]

If you like to eat and like pets, you'll love it.

[lonestar]

Just don't tell me there isn't a Santa Claus.

[FreeTheHostages]

what a pretty, pretty website, Billie!

[FreeTheHostages]

what a pretty, pretty website, Billie!

[deadhead]

To lonestar and Weinie.....