Thursday, December 13, 2007
TIS' THE SEASON......
Today feels like it’s time to get busy for Christmas. For me, it means clearing space for the family to gather December 22nd. George will be coming in sometime in the afternoon from Shawnee, John, Barb and LJ will be arriving around the same time, late afternoon. It isn’t often that I have all three of my little brood together at any one place…..so of course it is special when I do.
We will be celebrating George’s birthday Saturday night…..he will be 57 which seems impossible. He arrived around 6:35 pm on a Friday in 1950.….in a way it seems like yesterday and in a way it seems like a million years ago. We’ve had quite a few memorable birthdays when the children were young so when we are together we invariably bring them up and tell them over again, with the same pleasure of hearing and telling….even though we know them by heart.
When we are together it is a lot of eating, along with the fun of being in a mobile home with Mandy, Sassy and Punkin……..then the two grand-dogs, Bear and Murphy. They love coming to grandma’s house because she spoils them with goodies. Bear is huge but such a gentle doggie…..it’s odd but the three dogs do very well together and Sassy is getting used to Bear. The first time he came here she stayed in the back bedroom under the bed. Such a big ole black dog scared her out of her wits but since then she has overcome her fear.
Napoleon, the peacock, will be delighted with two more cars to fly up on. His favorite pastime is preening and of course leaves his “calling card” I shall say. I’m sure the four stray cats I feed with Napoleon on the front steps will be too scared to come around unless the cold and hunger overcomes their fears. My three outside cats, Callie, Chevy and Lovey usually stay clear of the activity until I call them in for feed and sleep. The garage is their domain.
In our families we’ve always preferred staying together rather than going to a motel and we have no motels in our town. When my aunts, uncles, cousins, mom, dad and grandmother used to come for the holidays we piled up like a bunch of hound dogs. The oldest family members got the beds, the rest of us put the chair and divan cushions on the floor, end to end for the length needed, the next choice was the divan with no cushions…….finally the rest took the floor. Imagine!! At times we bedded down 21 family members…….with ONE bathroom. You had to take a number and wait.
It sounds strange to outsiders I suppose but we loved being together and rather looked upon it all as a big adventure. I don’t think anyone ever left hungry and it was wonderful listening to all the laughter and conversations. How I would love to have them all again but time goes on and one by one they have left us.
Wonderful memories of the past that are a joy to recall…….
Essentially Esther
We will be celebrating George’s birthday Saturday night…..he will be 57 which seems impossible. He arrived around 6:35 pm on a Friday in 1950.….in a way it seems like yesterday and in a way it seems like a million years ago. We’ve had quite a few memorable birthdays when the children were young so when we are together we invariably bring them up and tell them over again, with the same pleasure of hearing and telling….even though we know them by heart.
When we are together it is a lot of eating, along with the fun of being in a mobile home with Mandy, Sassy and Punkin……..then the two grand-dogs, Bear and Murphy. They love coming to grandma’s house because she spoils them with goodies. Bear is huge but such a gentle doggie…..it’s odd but the three dogs do very well together and Sassy is getting used to Bear. The first time he came here she stayed in the back bedroom under the bed. Such a big ole black dog scared her out of her wits but since then she has overcome her fear.
Napoleon, the peacock, will be delighted with two more cars to fly up on. His favorite pastime is preening and of course leaves his “calling card” I shall say. I’m sure the four stray cats I feed with Napoleon on the front steps will be too scared to come around unless the cold and hunger overcomes their fears. My three outside cats, Callie, Chevy and Lovey usually stay clear of the activity until I call them in for feed and sleep. The garage is their domain.
In our families we’ve always preferred staying together rather than going to a motel and we have no motels in our town. When my aunts, uncles, cousins, mom, dad and grandmother used to come for the holidays we piled up like a bunch of hound dogs. The oldest family members got the beds, the rest of us put the chair and divan cushions on the floor, end to end for the length needed, the next choice was the divan with no cushions…….finally the rest took the floor. Imagine!! At times we bedded down 21 family members…….with ONE bathroom. You had to take a number and wait.
It sounds strange to outsiders I suppose but we loved being together and rather looked upon it all as a big adventure. I don’t think anyone ever left hungry and it was wonderful listening to all the laughter and conversations. How I would love to have them all again but time goes on and one by one they have left us.
Wonderful memories of the past that are a joy to recall…….
Essentially Esther
