What is your best holiday memory?

[Belinda Barfield]

Whatever occasion you celebrate around this time of the year, what is your best, or funniest, holiday memory?

I can't say that the following is my best memory, but it sure taught me a lesson about being in a rush to grow up.

I come from a long line of women who wait on the men in the family "hand and foot". I'm not saying it's right, it's just the way we do things. At my grandfather's house my grandmother always "sat" three tables. The children ate first, the men second, and the women last. The main reason the women ate last was so they could sit down and chat, and actually enjoy the meal (the men never knew this). I couldn't wait to be old enough to sit at the women's table. Sitting at either grown up table was a privilege that had to be earned. I was always on my best behavior at the children's sitting and finally, one year, I was told I'd be allowed to eat with the women. Hallelujah! I had arrived! I would actually get to listen to all the family secrets shared by the women at table.

I learned one hard lesson that year, but there was no going back. When a woman sits at third table all the best turkey parts are gone, the mac and cheese is cold, there are only three butterbeans left, and the pecan pie is just crumbs. I wish I had stayed a child just a little longer. I miss drumsticks!

[Jim O'Dell]

Mine has to be Christmas 1981. We had one Irish Setter, a boy, and my wife wanted a female to go with him. Not sure why, it wasn't for breeding purposes. We were renting at the time and a struggling young couple with finances. I convinced my wife that it just wasn't feasible to have a second dog. We would have to pay another pet deposit, the vet bills would double, the food bill would double, and on and on. I convinced her that what we really needed was a vacuum cleaner that actually worked. I did a really good job. ;) Christmas that year was at my parents house, and my Dad's sister and her family would be there. We only got to see these cousins maybe once every 4 or 5 years because they lived in Colorado. My Dad's parents lived next to my parents at the time, and had a cellar. Unbeknownst to my wife, I set up with my parents to go pick up a female pup from a "backyard" breeder on Christmas Eve and stash her in the cellar. We arrived home about 9:30 that night, unpacked, got Sean (our dog) settled and I made the excuse to go next door to see my cousins. Barely said hi to them as I ran through the house to the backyard to get to the cellar. :eek:
Christmas morning we took turns getting a present from the tree and giving it to a family member. When it was my turn, I laid it on thick and told Glenna that her present was such a weird shape, I couldn't wrap it (good, huh??:D), made her close her eyes, went to the cellar got the pup and when I brought her in, I held her up to Glenna's cheek. Without any prodding, the pup licked her cheek. My SIL got pictures as Glenna melted and started bawling holding and hugging that pup. Only problem with it is that I've never been able to top it. Nothing since has been a surprise. But I knew I nailed that one. Jim.

[Belinda Barfield]

That's a great one Jim. I can just imagine how surprised and delighted Glenna was with the puppy. You're one of the good ones!

[Jim Rimmer]

OK, Jim, I just read your story and now I know why there have not been any other posts since this afternoon. Who could top that one? :D

[Leigh Costello]

My best Christmas...ever?...Had to be my Dad's last Christmas with all 6 of us "kids." 1987, when a dollar bought more. Two weeks before that last Christmas, Dad was "given notice" (as he put it) by his doctors. I called all of my siblings, near and far and arranged a Christmas to remember.

Dad said he could spare $100 and that was all. The corners of those dollars got stretched so tight George and Abraham were squinting. I added what I could, and called CA, WI, WY and here, MO. My family had already lost Mom several years before, so we gathered for Dad. I had just gotten engaged, and boy did Jim learn how frugal I could be. We bought a fresh Christmas tree, toys for 5 toddlers, a family gift for each family, a complete Christmas feast, new robe and slippers for Dad and had a buck or two left over.

The house was packed, everyone stayed up nearly all night Christmas Eve. Christmas morning was magical - about 20 people were there that morning. We had eggnog pancakes, presents, laughs, love and life. The magic of Christmas visited my family that day.

When Dad lost his battle with cancer months later, we all were so glad we had had that last Christmas. And this year...well, some time has passed, gray hair, arthritis, losing one sibling along the way, gaining nieces and nephews along the way, we will capture a bit of that magic again, God willing.

Merry Christmas, fellow Creekers! Have a truly magical Christmas!

[Jim O'Dell]

OK, Jim, I just read your story and now I know why there have not been any other posts since this afternoon. Who could top that one? :D

Well, I know I haven't been able to in 28 years.:p But Leigh's is a little more special I'd have to say.

And I know Belinda didn't do this for a "who can top this story" so everyone has a memory that is special. I'd like to read them all! Jim.

[Belinda Barfield]

Well, I know I haven't been able to in 28 years.:p But Leigh's is a little more special I'd have to say.

And I know Belinda didn't do this for a "who can top this story" so everyone has a memory that is special. I'd like to read them all! Jim.

Leigh's story made me cry.

You're right, Jim, I just wanted to read the stories.

[Phyllis Meyer]

I have a few that truly stand out but one two years ago brings the tears as I write this.

I had a Mrs. Beasley doll as a kid (from the old TV show Family Affair...you young ones would not know what I'm talking about). My brother Donnie decided that she would be a punching bag, along with my Barbie Dolls and other toys. I was heart-broken because Mrs. Beasley had to go to Doll Heaven. Later in life I found someone with that doll and asked if they would take pictures for me...and of course I would send Donnie pictures of her at crazy times saying things like..."I know what you did...". We were practical jokers and Mrs. Beasley jokes ran wild between him and I.

We don't exchange expensive gifts between my family...we find creative ones. So, two years ago I found some candy that we used to have as a kid and gave them to Donnie. He handed me a box and I thought for sure that something live was going to pop out. I was really scared...one year he made a video of how my family found me at the playground and I really belonged to someone eleses family...it was so well done and so funny I literally laughed so hard I wet my pants. Anyway...never knowing what to expect (and he was much better at the joke), I pulled back a little of the tissue paper and could see the dress...blue background with yellow polka dots...IT WAS MRS. BEASLEY! Wow, I'm really choking up right now:(

Why this means so much to me is: my brother died suddenly at age 50 (brain annurism) that next June. Mrs. Beasley sits in a little rocking chair in my living room:)!

Sincerely,
Phyllis

[Belinda Barfield]

Phyllis, I cried the first time you told me this story, and I'm tearing up again. Thanks for sharing.

[Phyllis Meyer]

:)My Aunt Rose lived with us in Chicago and she loved Mogan David wine. She would drink too much and sing in Italian...us kids thought it was the funniest thing. Oh and yes since we are Italian...our menu for Christmas included Lasagna, Italian Sausage Sandwiches, Meatballs always simmering in a pot of sauce...and of course CANOLI'S! That menu is still in effect every year at our house...wanna come and eat?

Phyllis:)

[Jim Rimmer]

Well, I know I haven't been able to in 28 years.:p But Leigh's is a little more special I'd have to say.

And I know Belinda didn't do this for a "who can top this story" so everyone has a memory that is special. I'd like to read them all! Jim.

Just a friendly poke, Jim. I like reading the stories,too. I don't have a single Christmas story but remember going to a community "Christmas Tree" every year with my grandparents at an abandoned country two room school house that was being used as a community center. Pot bellied stove, good food, a big tree that had been decorated by the farm wives from the area, and gifts for all the kids delivered by Santa (gifts were smuggled in by the families and given to Santa beforehand). As I got older I would walk around and look at the men's shoes and then try to figure out later which one was Sanat by examining his shoes. Those were much simpler times.

Merry Christmas to all and may this year give you that memory you will always cheish.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

:)My Aunt Rose lived with us in Chicago and she loved Mogan David wine. She would drink too much and sing in Italian...us kids thought it was the funniest thing. Oh and yes since we are Italian...our menu for Christmas included Lasagna, Italian Sausage Sandwiches, Meatballs always simmering in a pot of sauce...and of course CANOLI'S! That menu is still in effect every year at our house...wanna come and eat?

Phyllis:)

If Phyllis is talking food, she must be feeling better!:rolleyes:

[Phyllis Meyer]

Ken, you are right! Unfortunately the blood loss and surgery did not affect my eating habits. You know what, I never thought of this before...they were scrambling to find blood for me...I should have told them to replace it with Spaghetti Sauce! When people have chocolate (and there is nothing wrong with chocolate) cravings, just the mere mention of pasta makes my mouth water...I'm hungry!:rolleyes:

Phyllis:)

[Belinda Barfield]

Ken, you are right! Unfortunately the blood loss and surgery did not affect my eating habits. You know what, I never thought of this before...they were scrambling to find blood for me...I should have told them to replace it with Spaghetti Sauce! When people have chocolate (and there is nothing wrong with chocolate) cravings, just the mere mention of pasta makes my mouth water...I'm hungry!:rolleyes:

Phyllis:)


LOL . . . Phyllis I got this image of an upside down jar of Ragu hanging on your IV stand, and you chewing out the nurse because it's not the real thing!

[Belinda Barfield]

The talk of food reminded me of one of our traditions that I particularly enjoy. Many, many years ago my great grandfather would set out for Brunswick, Georgia before daylight on Christmas Eve. This was before seafood was available in my small hometown. He would come back late in the day with shrimp and oysters. Sometimes he paid for them, sometimes he traded a pig for them, he figured out a way every year to get them. That was his gift to the family. We still have Oyster Stew and shrimp on Christmas Eve.

[Guy Mathews]

The talk of food reminded me of one of our traditions that I particularly enjoy. Many, many years ago my great grandfather would set out for Brunswick, Georgia before daylight on Christmas Eve. This was before seafood was available in my small hometown. He would come back late in the day with shrimp and oysters. Sometimes he paid for them, sometimes he traded a pig for them, he figured out a way every year to get them. That was his gift to the family. We still have Oyster Stew and shrimp on Christmas Eve.

Belinda,

Growing up in Eastport, Long Island I would have traded places with you. My grandfather was a Bayman (made his living fishing) and Eastport up until about 1976 was the Duck Capital of the world. Long Island Duckling anyone?

The pig would have been a real memory to be fond of. I can picture my grandfather walking through the door with two giant hams and telling us how he traded some fella a basket of clams and 10 flounder for the pig. He would roll his eyes and say "Can you believe such a thing?"

It is amazing what we cherish just because of the place we grew up.

Thanks for a wonderful image of my grandfather.

Guy