There are memories that stand out from many of my Christmases at my childhood home. (Not to be confused with my adult home... often I will say home with a particular inflection that designates if it's "home-home" or "home", but since this doesn't come with inflection, I will be specific.)
-Certain special Christmas decorations - this holly berry candle holder, and the Santa and Mrs. Claus candleholders that always were on the kitchen table.
-Decorating the tree - there was one old ornament of my mother's - it was blown clear glass with an angel in the middle. My dad always put the tree lights on first.
-The smell of celery and butter sauteing on Christmas eve as my mother made the stuffing.
-The smell of nisu - that cardamom scent - mmmm.
-The lights on the little Christmas tree that my grandparents would put on the roof outside of the kitchen window.... would light the way to the sauna.
-Playing "I spy" on my grandparents' Christmas tree - they had so many ornaments that it could last hours.
-Making Christmas cookies with my sisters.
-Hearing the rustle and bustle of many doors opening on Christmas eve after the kids went to bed and my parents were supposedly up just "getting ready for bed."
-Unable to sleep more than a few hours on Christmas eve because of the anticipation. One particular sister would have no problem sleeping in, and since we could not open stockings until everyone was up, it was particularly frustrating.
-Sitting in the rocking chair at night in the dark, listening to Mantovani, and enjoying the Christmas lights.
I love these memories. They've helped me continue to make every Christmas special in both old and new ways in my adult years.
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I remember those decorations! I loved having the Christmas books come out with the decorations...that is one thing I think we'll do here. The cinnamon bun/sweet bread smell is fabulous! I hope to learn to make those for Andrew as he gets older. I spy and rocking with the lights and music are very clear memories in my mind. Here's to the old memories and the new ones we will make With our families. Happy Holidays! We love and miss you both!
That was from Laura...
I hope you have a blessed and very Merry Christmas! I have an amazingly delicious recipe for cinnamon rolls where you make the dough in your bread machine and then I always add cardamom along w/ the cinnamon and brown sugar. I can pass along the recipe if you like. But be warned, it is hard to just have one!
Why do I feel like I am the annoying sister who slept in? LOL. I do like my sleep.
Mmmm. Now my sense of smell is activated. I just bought a fresh bag of flour and will make nisu. Soon, I hope. A friend wants to make cinnamon rolls with me so I need to make it when she can come.
I loved I Spy. And I had forgotten about that ornament. and G&G's tree on the roof. Lovely memories.
My childhood Christmas memories are spread over three houses--our own, and my grandparents' farms (You know where Paul and Sue live? Mom's family was three miles down that dirt road, where Snake Mountain meets Route 125.)
The memory that I can't shake today involves a bunch of us kids--certainly me and Kath--singing John Denver's The Marvelous Toy at the farm in Weybridge. I can't recall, but I feel strongly that we must've learned the song from Uncle Andy, because my parents weren't much for folk music. I think of that song EVERY CHRISTMAS.
(Maybe it was Peter, Paul, and Mary?)
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