Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Furry Helpers

Today's topic from Geneabloggers is Grab Bag. We are free to write about any Christmas memory.
Be sure to read all the posts for today.

Coco is testing the Christmas tree lights.

At Christmas time there is always a long list of things to be done: decorations to be arranged; cookies to bake; cards to write out; and presents to wrap. I often wonder if it will all get done before Christmas Day is here. I shouldn't worry. I have furry helpers: my cats. Our cats from today and from Christmas past were devoted to lending a helping paw.

Tony checks the tree for freshness.

They are good at inspecting the wrapping paper and ribbons by napping on them. They hop into boxes to make sure the gifts will fit. They swat the balls on the tree to be sure they won't fall. They keep me company when I bake cookies by rubbing on my legs and meowing for treats. If you need help at your house, just let me know and I'll send a couple cats right over!

Candy was in charge of wrapping papers.
Pumpkin was ready for a well deserved nap.

I'm sure Santa Claws will remember and bring them special presents for all the work they do each year!

Coco makes sure no one opens these gifts before December 25!

Read my 2011 Advent Memroies from last year's Grab Bag.
 

 

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Cookies

Christmas cookies! Yummy.

My brothers and I helped our mom bake cookies every year. When I became a mom our children helped me. Below is a recipe that has become a favorite. It was given to us by Joan, a wonderful young woman who used to babysit for our children and who now has a beautiful daughter of her own.

Forgotten Kisses

2 egg whites beaten until stiff

Add 1/2 tsp cream of tarter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

Beat until stiff & shiny.

Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Turn oven OFF and leave cookies in oven overnight or at least 6 hours.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Holiday Parties

Today's topic at Geneabloggers is Holiday Parties. Be sure to check out the posts there.

When we were first married my husband & I lived in the Buffalo, NY area. My husband was an intern at Milford Fillmore Hospital. Each Christmas we were invited to the big party at an elegant country club. It was both exciting and intimidating to attend with the 'real' doctors, the attendings. Everything was the best: decorations, food, a live band, drinks. After dinner cigars & liqueurs were passed by the waiters. Many years later and my husband is one of the senior doctors at his present hospital, unfortunately they do not do Christmas parties.

Read my 7 December 2010 Post in memory of my maternal grandfather who died 7 December 1944.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Who is Santa?

My mother was the best Santa ever. She did not dress in red or jingle any bells. She did not call any attention to herself. Quietly, secretly, she made sure my brothers and I found our most wanted Christmas gifts beneath our tree on Christmas morning. Our mom put away money all year for this shopping. She drove from one store to another to find the toy or clothes or radio or watch we wanted. She hid her finds in her bedroom, tossing a blanket over things till she had time to wrap them.

My Mom & our daughter, 1984

One year I wanted a gold cameo ring more than anything else. I thought it was beautiful. On Christmas Eve my mother & I took a quick trip to Hudson [the ‘big’ city near us] for a couple last minute errands. On the way home in the car my mother told me that I would not be getting the ring. She had sent away for it but it had not arrived and now that it was Christmas Eve deliveries were finished till after the holiday. She had been watching for it every day but now it looked like it was not going to arrive in time to go under the tree. I was deeply disappointed but said it did not matter. I just thanked her for the ring and all her efforts to get it on time. I knew she felt terrible that she could not do this for me. We arrived at home and carried our packages up to our door. There, sitting on our front porch, was the box with the ring! I still have that ring and remember my mom whenever I wear it.

Read my 2011 Advent Calendar of Memories post: Santa 

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Outdoor Decorations

Today's topic from Geneabloggers is Outdoor Decorations. Read more posts on this topic.

Outdoor lighting is not one of our strengths. You will not see fancy light and music shows at our house. Growing up we had a few lights on the evergreens beside our front door. My mother had artificial candles in the windows that looked quite pretty. That's the extent of that. My husband and I follow that limited tradition. However, I do have the skills to hang a wreath. I put one on our front door and a matching on on my little garden shed. They are fresh greens and look rather nice.

Read my post from 2011 Advent Memories: Outdoor Decorations

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Cards

Today's topic at Geneabloggers is Christmas Cards. Be sure to look at other posts on this topic. 

We have a tradition of photo Christmas cards. The photo above is the first photo of all three of our children on our Christmas card. They are posed on a quilt I made for our son who was born just before Christmas the year before. This photo still makes me smile but it wasn't always easy to get a good snapshot. I often had a photo of two smiling children and with with their eyes closed or head turned away. This was before digital cameras. I used film. In fact one year it took three rolls of film to get a good photo!

Today our children are all adults and we all live in different states. The challenge now it to get all of us together in one photo. Last year we were able to take this shot when we gathered at Thanksgiving.

This year's photo card is almost ready to put in the mail. Watch for it!

Read my 2011 Advent Memories post: Old family cards

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories – Ornaments

Today's topic from Geneabloggers is Christmas tree Ornaments. Read more posts on this topic.

 

 

Our Christmas tree today with its coordinated red and gold balls and snowflakes looks quite different than it did twenty years ago. When our children were small our tree was adorned with handmade ornaments. We had reindeer made from clothespins, the drummer boy’s tin drum made from a can of tuna and pinecones painted gold. We had garlands made from colored pasta and string. There were dated ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ balls, small ballet shoes from dance teacher and favorite Disney characters hanging from the branches. I cross stitched ornaments with our children’s names. I put their photos in miniature frames and hung them with colored ribbons. Our oldest daughter liked to hide the plastic green Army men in the branches of the tree to see if her siblings could find them. Our son drove his trains and cars around the base.

 

When it was time for our oldest daughter to celebrate her first married Christmas I put together a special present. I wrapped up her special ornaments in tissue paper and laid them snuggly in a gift box.  Her pretty tree with its new decorations had an instant history with stories to tell her husband.

Our son got married this May. Yesterday my husband climbed up to the attic and carried down our Christmas boxes. I’ve taken out the tissue paper. It’s time to wrap our son’s memories for his first married Christmas tree.

 

Read my 2011 Advent Memories Post: Old family Ornaments

 

 

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - The Tree

Today's topic from Geneabloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories is the Christmas Tree.

Go to Genabloggers to read more posts on this topic.

We have always had a live pine tree for Christmas. I grew up in a small rural town where farms sold trees, some precut and some where you cut your own. We put it up on Christmas Eve, a tradition from my mother's family, and kept it u p until Epithany.

 

When my husband and I were first married we lived in the Buffalo, New York area. One year we drove to a corner tree lot. It was below freezing and the snow was coming down heavily. We just sat in the warmth of the car, looking at the trees and picked one out. We dashed out paid and tied that tree to the roof of the car in record time. It wasn't the best tree but it is a tree we still remember.

 

Now we have a cross country ski resort/tree farm where we have a wide choice of beautiful trees. My husband cuts down the winner. Our cats sniff it and love to nap beneath it, dreaming of the outdoors. I love that pine smell and because we cut the tree ourselves, it is fresh and needles rarely fall.

 

No matter what kind of tree you have, I hope you have good friends and loving family to share it with.

Read my 2011 Advent Memories post: Christmas Tree Memories.

Ancestor Anniversaries, December 1 - 20

There are many things to celebrate in December, including anniversaries.

1 December 1946     Calvin Ford Fravel & Mary Arline Parker [daughter of Ralph Alvin Parker & Nellie Irene Jolliff]. They were married in Wooster, Wayne, OH. They had two sons.

3 December 1849     Hines Berry Alford [son of Thomas & Dicy Alford]& Louansa Ellen Wadford. They had seven children.

6 December 1868     Augustus Ceaser Gruissy [son of Christian Gruissy & Mary Grorisclauss] & Esther Barbara Wolf [daughter of John Franklin Wolf & Elisabeth Burkholder]. They were married in Stark Co., OH. Esther was the second of three wives for Augustus. They had five children. Augustus was a laborer, a peddler and made & sold medicines.

8 December 1910     Dewitt William Alford & Ina Lucille Brown [daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella Brumfield]. They were married in LA. They had seven children. Dewitt was a farmer.

17 December 1908    Tate Edward Fortenberry [son of Webster Fortenberry & Nannie Ellzey] & Lucy Viola Brown [daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella Brumfield]. They were married in Pike Co., MS. They had three sons. Tate was a farmer and a log cutter in a logging company.

16 December 1798    Jeremiah Smith [son of Jeremiah Smith & Joanna Dillon] & Pemecia Smith. They had three children.

20 December 1818    Edwin Barksdale Alford [son of Jacob Alford & Elizabeth Bryant] & Martha P Smith [daughter of Jeremiah Smith & Joanna Dillon]. They were married in Pike Co., MS. They had 13 children. They were married for 43 years. Edwin was a part of the LA militia during the Battle of New Orleans.

20 December 1897    Benjamin E Blades [son of William Ephraim Blades & Morgana Josephine McDaniel]  & Ollie Izellie Schilling. They were married in LA. They had a son and a daughter.