Christmastime as a Child

Merry Christmas Eve!
 
For the past month, I’ve been procrastinating about blogging.
“Have to add something to the blog.”
“MUST add something to the blog.”

I love my little website. That’s not the issue. The issue is being busy and preoccupied. Okay, okay… So playing video games doesn’t mean I’m “busy” per se. Though to be fair, I read that gaming is good for the brain and for overall well-being. If it makes me smarter, happier and is legal, I’ll do it. Um, I might want to rethink that sentence later, but it’s midnight-ish so please forgive me if forgiveness is required. :-) And disregard any spelling or grammatical errors. Being an early bird and a night owl takes a lot of energy. Especially now that I’m officially old. :-)
 
Christmastime… It’s always been my favorite time of year. Is it yours?
 
We all have different feelings about Christmas and the holidays in general. This year, it’s gathered the nickname “COVID Christmas 2021.” For some, it’s the “hap happiest time of year” (to quote Clark Griswold). For others, it’s a time of deep sorrow. For some, it’s a time of celebrating Jesus’ birth. For others, it’s quite different. For some, it’s healthy and happy. For others, it’s challenging health obstacles and depression. You see where I’m going with this, right? I could make comparisons `til the cows come home.
 
They say it’s good for one’s well-being to list at least one happy thing each day. Thoughts. Feelings. Reflections. Blessings. I’ve been trying to do that. I’m not consistent with it, but when I actually do it, I feel good. My happy thing today is remembering Christmastime as a child. The best Christmases of my life were as a child. Before I entered junior high. That’s saying a lot considering I’m 46 now, but good memories are treasures so I’ll take what I can get. :-)
 
Christmastime as a child… With fondness, here are some of the many memories I have of those years:

• Acolyting during Advent services.
• Tripping over the Christmas tree wire when lighting Advent (wreath) candles. I didn’t fall or set anything on fire, but OH the gasps in the church that day…
• Carrying the big brass cross up the aisle during church services without tipping over. I was a little girl without any arm strength…can you blame me?
• Carrying Christmas banners blindly up the aisle without tripping or running into the Cross bearer.
• Finally getting the chance to be Mary in one of the Christmas Pageants, but contracting a case of chickenpox instead.
• Watching a fellow classmate sadly toss his cookies as we sang carols at the front of the church. Poor kid just stood there. The school’s principle did come to the rescue.
• Neighborhood Christmas parties. They were full of good times, excellent food and laughter. I never tried the “special punch”…but my friends and I gorged on sausage cheese balls and chocolate anything.
• Making paper snowflakes and threading popcorn strands for garland.
• Christmas movies and cartoons. Charlie Brown Christmas was at the top of the list. That was made in 1965 and is still beloved by children and adults alike.
• Dad’s old train set. It’s electric. Cool durable cars…mom put Hershey’s Kisses in some of them. Of course those dwindled down little by little by yours truly and dad got blamed for it. That set must be 60ish years or so now. An antique but still awesome and it still works!
• Cookies and milk for Santa.
• Trying to catch Santa.
• Ernie the Elf who delivered gifts to good boys and girls. He announced himself with bells and firecrackers and left gifts on the porch. I was never able to catch him, but his fresh tracks could always be seen in snow.
• Waking before sunrise to open presents. LOL…my parents never got any sleep.
• Oyster stew on Christmas Eve. It’s a 100+ year tradition (dad’s family) that to this day I still have trouble with. Oysters. Ugg.
• Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
• Granny P.’s baking powder biscuits. They totally fell apart, but were very yummy.
• Christmas dinner at Grandma and Grandpa L.’s house. There were soooo many people. My Gran fixed the entire scrumptious dinner by herself. So when she served canned cranberries (you know, the solid jelly kind), we didn’t complain.
• Christmas lights.
• Snowball fights.
• Caroling in the snow.
• Piano recitals in the music store where I took lessons.
• The peace and joy of fresh snow Christmas morning.
• Sledding. My parents and I walked like a mile to the best sledding hills (well, it felt like a mile because I had to wear a puffy snowsuit and big boots). I had a round metal saucer. Had some epic experiences. Sure, I tripped up miserably and tumbled down the hill with the other kids sometimes but it was always fun.
• Mittens.
• “Don’t eat the yellow snow.”
• Icicles. The big kind that was good for sword fighting.
• The dollhouse my parents crafted for me…that was so cool. I should’ve kept it and turned it into a bookhaus.
• Dad’s Christmas music mix. Same songs on one CASSETTE TAPE. Old school stuff like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Still love them.
• “Feety” pajamas.
• And so much more…

 
Relatable?
 
Merry Christmas and God bless you and your loved ones! May your holiday season shine with joy and laughter and may peace, love and prosperity follow you always!

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