12 Christmas Things about Me Huppla

I've been tagged by Denise of Samaritan Women and these are the rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as hoopla and not the dreaded m-word.
3 According the the creator, Andrea, you must specifically tag your people. There's none of this saying, "if you reading this consider yourself tagged.
4. Hurry, Christmas is coming and Andrea would like as many people to get involved in this as possible so it can make the rounds and we can read 12 things about everyone and Christmas.

So here goes:

1. I have always had Christmas with my family. In 1974, I traveled to British Columbia on Boxing Day and I have traveled to Florida twice just after Christmas, but never have I been away from my family on Christmas Day.

2. When I was a child, I alway helped Grandma do all of her Christmas baking in the old wood stove. We made molasses cookies, sugar cookies, cake doughnuts, both white and dark fruitcake, fudge and other candy, refrigerator cookies, homemade chocolates and more. It was all made more delicious because I was with Grandma. She always let me have at least one cookie while it was still warm out of the oven.

3. The entire family (at least all that would fit) would hop onto the horse-drawn sleigh and travel to the back of Grandpa's farm. Each family would chose the perfect Christmas tree and the men would cut them, put them onto the sleigh and home we'd go. Dad always let us help put up the tree. He would put the lights on it and then Mom and us kids would decorate it. Grandma and Grandpa put their tree up on Christmas Eve.

4. My first husband died on December 31st unexpectedly. He was 31 years old. I still have at least one of the decorations that we put on our first Christmas tree. Each year at this time I think of him often, but instead of thinking of his death, I think of the fun we had at Christmas over the years. That is what he would want me to remember.

5. Every year since the grandsons have been little, we have gone Christmas shopping together and also have made Christmas crafts. This year we are making snowmen stockings. I will try to get some photos.

6. When I was little, we opened our gifts Christmas morning. We were never allowed to open anything on Christmas Eve. When my brother, sister and I got up in the early morning hours, we could play with whatever Santa had left because those gifts weren't wrapped. We couldn't open the present from our parents until they were up and breakfast was over.

7. One year I was visited by Christmas angels. That was 1987, and my daughter and I were struggling. A friend from the US sent a gift of basic neccessities such as shampoo, conditioner, deodrants, food staples and other things. The gift was received thankfully. Then, the week before Christmas, a man knocked on my door and asked for something to eat and a hot drink. We had very little, but I offered him tea and toast and he gratefully accepted. I noticed that he had no gloves. I gave him a pair that had belonged to my first husband. I also gave him socks that had belonged to my first husband. Since my daughter and I lived alone and I didn't know him, I took his food to the front porch. He told me he understood this completely. I went into the house for a moment and when I came out, the man had disappeared. I ran to the corner to see which way he had gone and there was no sign of him anywhere and he hadn't had enough time to get out of my sight. To this day, I feel that I entertained an angel unawares. His demeanor, gentle voice and kind spirit shone through. I will never forget this man. On Christmas Eve a taxi pulled up and the driver brought us a huge box of Christmas goodies and enough food for Christmas dinner and more.

8. When my daughter and I was traveling to British Columbia on Boxing Day 1974, (she was five) we landed in Calgary and that is as far as we went for 48 hours. There was a blizzard and we were stranded in Calgary airport. I met a woman there from Reno, Nevada who helped this young mother and her daughter cope with all of the chaos of that time.

9. It doesn't seem like Christmas to me if there is no snow and if I don't put up a real tree. For a few years when I lived in an apartment building, I had to have an artificial tree. It just wasn't the same. The fragrance of a real spruce or pine tree is a smell that I associate with Christmas, as is the fragrance of baking cookies and cinnamon candles.

10. The best Christmas present I received as a child was a record player. It was brown and beige metal and could play 78s, 33s and 45s. Along with the record player was a record of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Rain Deer. They were both sung by Gene Autry. I often wonder what Mom and Dad had to give up to buy me that record player.

11. When I was six, I went to a one-room school. We all had a part in the Christmas concert. I was to recite Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Mom made me a beautiful turquoise dress made of crepe paper. She bought star stickers of silver and placed them all over that dress. She also made me a star wand to hold. Mom still has that dress packed away in a box. It is a bit yellowed here and there but is in marvelous shape for its age. It is a treasure to me.

12. Every year since I was a child, I've celebrated the birth of Jesus at Christmas. I've attended many wonderful plays and concerts that were centered around His birth. Christmas is my favorite time of year. Lights twinkle on the snow and windows are lit up with Christmas trees. It's like the world takes on a special glow.

Now, because of the rules, I must specifically tag some people. Here goes:

Karen of Karen's Korner

Anni of Hootin' Anni's

Carole of Pea's Corner

Michele of Writing the Cyber Highway

Tina of Tina's Odds and Ends



GirlyTags.com - Girly Comments & Graphics