Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas' Past...

Christmas has always been a wonderful experience in my life.  My childhood memories are ones that I will cherish forever.  My Mom always made this time of year feel very special!  The house always had a wonderful smell of brisket and all the fixings, or a turkey...Mom would make her special apricot pinch cookies and enlist our help in mixing until our arms practically fell off!  We'd get a tree and call it our Channukah bush.  The house always looked very festive, even in our bedrooms and the bathrooms. 

We wrote our letters to Santa.  We even mailed them!  I remember going to Marshall Fields in downtown Chicago to look at the store windows...they were all made up with the story of Christmas, with manniquins that moved, of little girls and boys being tucked into their beds, stockings hung by a homey hearth.  Big fat Santa's were outside ringing their bells for donations.  I knew they weren't real though, they were just helpers and Santa gave them his suit to wear cause he was still making the toys in the North Pole.  I would even question Mom when I'd notice that her handwritting was on the Santa presents "He needed my help", was the answer I got!  I did find a "stash" of presents in the big armoire at the end of our upstairs hallway one year, but I quickly dismissed it and didn't think of it again until years later.  I'm also Jewish! 

I know, this doesn't compute...but why not celebrate as many traditions and holiday's as possible?...at least that's my moto! Just in case you were wondering...I'm the little girl on the left. :)

I grew up, as most of us do.  I moved away and met my prince charming and then started my own traditions in my own home.  Much like my Mother did, I decorate, I cook and bake, I make sure the stockings are hung and the menorah is out to be lite for all 8 nights.  I started taking my daughter to see Santa when she was 6 months old. She's 14 now and I still take her.  We also made it a tradition to see The Nutcracker play and sometimes go for holiday tea.  Last year we went to see the production that was in San Francisco, but we usually attend the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.  I like tradition...Tradition is good...

Above is a picture of my daughter and I in 2005, right before seeing the play...the muff she has is one that my father gave me as a child, made of rabbit fur.  I know, I know, not politcally correct anymore, but hey, the bunny's been dead for over 45 years!
Below is a picture of us last year on Christmas morning. I made them clean up all the wrapping paper from the floor, I made them brush their hair and teeth and sit in front of the tree while I set the timer on the camera.  Oops, got to take it again...your eyes were closed...opps, taking it again...I'm not sitting up straight...wait...the third ones a charm!  SMILE!


Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah! 
May your coming year be filled with many blessings and joy!