Jeannie T. My, what wonderful memories you have of your past Christmases. I have some, but none as wonderful as yours. I do remember, however, some of my most wonderful memories go back to when we had just enough to live on. We still lived in our little 2 story home on Indiana St. One year my Mother sewed clothes for Toni dolls which my sister & myself got for Christmas. That was quite a Christmas present b/c my Mother detested sewing & years afterwards when I looked at the clothes she sewed for us, I could tell that her love went into each item. When I was 8 yrs old we moved into our new home across town. My parents had designed the home & it was just about everything they wanted & could afford. I loved that home & when my mother passed away in the early 90's, I was given half of it in my Mother's will. I offered to buy it for half of what the house was worth & my sister said that the only way she would let me buy it, is if I paid her the bank appraised price. There was no way we could afford that, so that's when we decided to pack up & move west. The reason I wanted it, was not why my sister thought I wanted it. She said that I planned to improve it & make money off of it. The reason I wanted it was b/c I never got to spend much time in my home. When I was old enough for High School, I was sent away to a private boarding school. Then in the summers, we had summer home in WI & we all left for there & usually spent the entire summer up there. I just wanted to spend some time in my home that I had so little time in while growing up. My sister simply didn't understand that & felt that I had some hidden agenda regarding our home. When she acted like she did...I figured it wasn't worth living in the same town with her now that both our parents were gone. If we had bought my parent's home, chances are we would have done very little to it. It was a large home & we had already discussed how we would heat & cool the place & we had decided that we would merely block off areas which were not lived in & would heat & cool only the areas which we did live in. It would have been senseless for us to try & fix that home up. It was built in the 1950's & looked like the 1950's. I would have been happy to have been there. My Mother's gardens were in the back & there were other things that went with the house which I know I would have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of. It wasn't worth arguing over...especially when my sister refused to believe anything which I told her. She looked at our home & b/c Paul & I had done so much work on it, I guess she figured we would do the same on my parent's home. The difference was, that we had bought that home soon after we were married & had worked on 1 room a year. As it turned out, the house was sold to the second couple that walked through it. Then we had to wait until they could show that they were able to purchase it with a secured mortgage...so we put up with realtors calling all the time, saying..."I have a client with the money in his hand & he wants to see the house." The reason our home was so much in demand was b/c we had 3/4 of an acre & it was right in town. When we had bought it, we had checked with the city & found out there was an easement running through all the back yards on our side of the street. We figured if we got tired of the land, we would sell the back half off so that someone could build a home on it. Turned out years later, that the amount of land which we could sell a buyer wouldn't be enough for a new home & the city took the easement away from us. By then, we had gotten use to all the extra yard & we had spent many years cultivating a wonderful garden...vegetables as well as flowers. It nearly broke my heart when the people who bought the house, tore out everything we had taken years to grow. I guess now that their children are grown, they have brought in professionals to landscape the yard for them. I have seen pictures of the house & front yard & you wouldn't recognize the place. They put a second story on the place...which we had planned to do if we had stayed there. And they did many more things than we could not have afforded, so I'm glad the house went to someone who seems to like it so much. Once we got to AZ, we were suppose to meet a realtor in Cave Creek, AZ. We went to her office & she had left a note saying that she had an unexpected emergency come up & she would see us the next day. So we continued on to Fountain Hills, AZ. We saw a number of homes there & I spotted one which I felt would be just right for Paul & myself. We had the earnest money down by 4:00 PM that afternoon. Paul wasn't too pleased that I had made this quick of a choice...but it was just the house for us. It was small..but we didn't need a lot of room. It had a pool in the back...which with AZ summers I felt we needed. It even had solar heating for our pool. As it turned out, they started work on a road in front of our house about 4 weeks after we had been there. They also started work on a golf course in front of our house too. We knew this would take place; however, we were told it probably would be years before they did this...and then it turned out to be 4 weeks!!! Paul, my husband got very sick. We know now that the reason he felt so badly was b/c of all the dust & dirt which was going on in front of our house. That's when we started looking for another home & finally found what we wanted up in the mountains in Payson, AZ. He has since been diagnosed with COPD. The doctor says he is able to use 70% of his lungs, which is good for someone with COPD. I was also diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia after 8-9 years of being in & out of hospitals. Turned out that I was born with my stomach behind my heart & late at night after I was in bed, I ended up sleeping sitting up. All my food was going into my lungs & no one seemed to be able to diagnose me. I was finally air lifted to the Mayo Hospital in Phoenix, where I had no idea where I was for nearly 2 weeks. As usual, my husband was told at first not to expect me to be alive in the morning..unless what our hospital said was true.."The I made very quick recoveries." Well, once again, I was there in the mornings. I cannot help but think that our Father had something in mind for me. I still am wondering what that is. I'm sure some day I will be able to figure that one out. Back to Christmas. Jeannie T., I can remember being told to get back in bed b/c my Grandparents had heard Santa's sleigh bells & if he realized that I was up, he would merely pass us by. Being under 8 yrs old, I believed so much in Santa & would race back upstairs afraid that he had heard me & of course, by then, I thought I could hear the sleigh bells too!! One year when we were in our first home on Indiana St., we left the usual cookies & milk out for Santa . In the morning, come to find that Santa had left a bit of his beard on the glass when he drank the milk. I was much older when I discovered that my Father had pulled hairs off of Skipper, our wired hair terrier...he was white & black & those white hairs really looked like Santa's beard to me. I know that I probably got more gifts than you did. And yet this was just after the WW II & money was still scarce & I know that we seldom got to eat meat. I really don't remember the meals we had on Christmas. My Mother was a good cook. However, there were many Christmas's that we traveled to our Grandparents in IA. I'll never forget my Grandmother's Suet Pudding with Lemon Sauce. We also had many other things b/c she was quite thrifty & canned most of her own fruits & vegetables. Jeannie T., do you remember any of the meals you had on Christmas? The ones that I remember most are when we visited my Grandparents in IA. I'm sure we didn't starve in IL...but I also know that we had to be very careful of the food that we received & of course, like most kids, if I didn't finish everything on my plate, I was told, "Just think of all the starving children in other countries who would love this food." My comment was, "Send my food to them." However, that was when I was young & if I had gotten smart like that when I was older, I would have been in a lot of trouble. Well, I wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy & Healthy New Years!! Thank you, Jeannie T., for sharing some of your most precious memorable moments with us. I guess I'm a "newbie" b/c I don't remember your stories about Christmas. One question...you only had 2 brothers & the rest were sisters (6 sisters)? I feel sorry for the boys in that they had to sleep in a room that wasn't heated. Didn't your Mother give them down comforters to keep them warm? I don't know what I would do without ours up here. Our nights drop way down in the teens & that comforter along with a sheet & blanket is just enough to keep us warm & cozy all night long. (We have no furnace on at night & that comforter has been a real life saver to us in the past few years.) ~Jen in Payson, AZ ----- Original Message ----- From: <askgranny@juno.com> To: <SOUTHERN-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 11:48 PM Subject: [SOUTHERN-CHAT] Christmas memories.... > It's December 24th and all around the world children of all ages are > thinking of Santa Claus's visit tonight...We don't have any youngens > around to make it special for us till about Tuesday when Ol Buzz invades, > so I'll just have to rely on my many happy memories.... My early > Christmases are still fresh in my mind because Daddy loved this joyous > season and made them special for us....While I'm sitting around waiting > for Santa Claus I thought I would share some memories with > you...Everything's as ready as it's going to get up here on the ridge and > theres a gentle snow falling...Not enough to cover the street yet, but > plenty to suit me...and make it more like Christmas for the youngens... > > You may have seen this letter before, but to the newbies on the > list...read on.... > > My earliest Christmas memories are from when we lived at the Jones place > in a big old log house with a dog trot hall down the middle....Robert and > Jerry slept across the hall in an unheated room and the rest of us slept > in beds in the room with the big fireplace.....The Christmases all roll > into one about that time...and I can't separate them out....One Christmas > Eve I remember waking up and seeing Mama and Daddy sitting in front of > the fireplace talking quietly ....I sat up in bed and asked " Is it > Christmas yet ? " Mama said " No , go back to sleep ." We knew we had to > be asleep or Santa wouldn't come...might not even leave us anything if we > weren't sound asleep ....Mom had told us of Uncle Louis struggling to > stay awake on Christmas Eve so he could see Santa Claus....He felt a hand > brush down across his face in the dark...Santa, seeing if his eyes were > closed !.......Best I remember he didn't get a gift that year.... > > We had a big orchard there at the Jones place, and one late Fall day > Daddy wrapped apples in pages torn from an outdated Sears and Roebucks > catalog and laid them carefully in a big wooden box to save till > Christmas.....We'd never heard of anyone doing that and of course he made > a big production out of it...him being a storyteller ..We just couldn't > hardly wait till Christmas that year to see if the apples had stayed > good...The box was placed in the unheated boys room to stay cool, but it > never occurred to us to sneak in there and eat one.......{ They kept > pretty good .}When we got up on Christmas morning Daddy had a big fire in > the fireplace and we quickly opened our gift and began eating the candy > from our stocking....I can remember seeing the flickers of lights the > fire made to add to the soft halo of light from the coal oil lamp setting > on the dresser.....Most special of all though, older brother Robert had > bought me a gift ! {We never exchanged gifts as some families do.}..He > had rolled up a comic book and wrapped it up as a gift for me....I can > see us now, I'm sitting off to the side of the fireplace in a straight > back chair, he's bending over the back of it helping me roll the comic > 'the other way' so it would lay flat and pointing out things in it...It > seemed we were in our own little world...and the happy voices of the > other kids enjoying their Christmas morning seemed very far away....I > don't think I'll ever get a gift that means more to me..... > > One Christmas while we lived in that big log house Christmas was a little > different...when we got up our folks weren't in the living room....Having > breakfast in the big lean to kitchen , maybe ? We rushed up to the > fireplace to see what Santa had brought us and doggone if there wasn't a > big bundle of switches standing there! Uh oh.......We'd been weaned on > tales of how bad boys and girls didn't get nothing from Santa but a > bundle of switches....What if our parents found out we'd been bad ? We > came up with a wonderful idea...just grabbed that bundle of switches and > threw them as far as we could out into the yard......Scattering them > around so's they'd blend in...Went back in giggling to each other....Now > Mama and Daddy wouldn't know we'd been bad ! 'They didn't see a thing, > 'and Christmas went on as usual....We didn't hear Santa when he came , > but Daddy said he heard the sleigh up on the roof.....Couldn't understand > why Mama didn't get a present, but she showed us a pretty little milk > glass jar of deodorant cream , hidden on top of the cabinet, that Santa > had left her.....Daddy used to fill his shoes with fruit and candy when > he filled our stockings, and had more fun than any of us.... > > As I think back over the long years of my life I'm reminded of one time > when my sister Joyce went to great lengths to find out what we were > getting for Christmas...I was about 12...she was 19 months older...Sis > knew Mom had hid something in the boys closet , but couldn't figure out > how to get back there in their room without Mama seeing her...She finally > crawled over the partition in our closet into their > closet....Unfortunately she stepped on the gifts getting down !...Mama > had got us two big girls a nice wall picture each....On Christmas > morning, Joyce very generously volunteered to take the one with the > cracked glass....Said Mama sure looked at her strangely ... She never did > tell her the truth, but years later she told me....Seems like a strange > gift, but it WAS something we would keep ....and if we'd been careful it > would have been a lifetime gift.... > > I still have a gold locket Santa brought me on an earlier Christmas , > but Joyce misplaced hers ...maybe on one of the moves they made while > Johnny was in the Air Force......We were so near the same age we usually > got similar gifts ..to cut down on the wrangling, I suppose...Our gifts > never amounted to much but at least we got some little token ...One > year...when I was about 14, I got a pair of panties - probably the least > I ever got.......I embroidered my initial on them in lavender, so they > became a special memory...I think the younger kids got more than the > older ones did... > > Looks like Mama would have handmade a lot of stuff for us while we were > gone to school during the year...She was a very crafty person..but can't > remember anything homemade but youngest sister Jan getting a doll bed > with covers made from material left over from a dress Mom had made for > her....With all those children she had to do a lot of sewing...Sometimes > we would come home from school and one of us girls would have a brand new > dress...Mom would get the Sears and Roebuck catalog and find a style of > dress that appealed to her and cut it out using one of the dresses that > fit us as a pattern...She would use scraps of other fabric to make > collars and cuffs, piping on a pocket, etc. to make it special....I think > one reason she didn't make things for us is because she just wasn't > 'into' Christmas, and Dad was...so she missed him more at that time of > year, maybe... > > Yes, we were definitely 'pore folks'....and only got a token gift from > Santa , but we had special foods fine enough to grace the Squire's > table. Every single Christmas we had a freshly baked coconut cake,[ > Remember how ladies used to save out the coconut milk and drizzle it on > the cake layers ?] and maybe one of Mamas special chocolate cakes, > standing high on the cut glass cake stand she got for selling Lee salve > door to door when she was a girl....AND we had boiled custard, fresh > fruit salad, and a Stack Pie...In case you never heard of that it is > about 5 pies stacked up with a meringue pie on top...Pie crusts are made > a little thicker, and dark and light fillings are alternated as you > remove the pies from their crusts and stack them on a serving plate...It > is cut like a layer cake....And we had nuts, candy and some fruit bought > with a miserly sum sent us by her 'rich' sister Clyde....She USED to send > us 10 dollars a year, and Mama could buy a bushel of apples and a bushel > of oranges...then she started sending 5 dollars after the oldest of us 9 > kids got up pretty good sized....Somehow they thought we could earn > money...Where, in the middle of the winter out in the country amongst > other pore folks ??? I griped about it one time and Mama said with a > smile " She doesn't have to send us anything ." People amused her...I > guess her sister wasn't as bad as her husband Iven .....Strangely enough > he didn't manage to take it with him when he died...I'm sure he thought > he > could.... > > Oh yes...We had a few fireworks to set off on Christmas morning ...EARLY > ! The oldest boys would set off the precious fireworks out in the front > yard while the rest of us watched....from the window if it was very > cold... Those Roman candles shot the beautifully colored balls of fire > into the cold dark skies with the bright stars as a backdrop and we > thought it was wonderful...not ever having seen real fireworks....I'm > sure we looked forward to our meager celebration much more than the jaded > children of today...I figure Mama did fine for a 'widder' woman left with > 8 youngens and one on the way .....Jeannie T...Awash in memories.... > > ____________________________________________________________ > Refinance Rates at 2.8% > $160,000 Mortgage $434/mo. No Hidden Fees- 3.1% APR! Get a Free Quote > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4d15a35f41af9798cam06duc > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SOUTHERN-CHAT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message