We enjoyed a very nice Christmas eve and Christmas. On Christmas Eve, my family and my dad and his wife met at my grandmother’s house in Richfield, Minnesota.
When I was a kid, my grandmother’s house was the seen of HUGE parties on Christmas Eve. In the 60’s, the women always were dolled up in their nicest dresses. The men wore white shirts and ties, for the most part. I remember either my grandpa Adams or my Uncle Chuck crashed on the couch upstairs after having drank one cocktail too many:
“Mom, Uncle Chuck is sound asleep.”
-”Steve, leave him alone”
“But Mom, he’s snoring! And he’s REALLY loud!”
-”STEVE! Leave him alone!”
“But Mom!”
-”SSHHHH!”
I think the two Christmas Eves that stand out most in my mind from my grandmother’s house were the time my Aunt Kay suprised everybody by coming back to the States for Christmas. I remember “Santa Claus” coming down the stairs, and then my mom making a bee-line towards Santa and planting a big wet one on his face and almost tackling him in the process. My mom had recognized my Aunt Kay’s eyes through the white wig, beard and make-up. Not suprisingly, she brought back all kinds of cool stuff from Australia.
The other one I remember-and it’s my earliest Christmas memory-I was 3 and we lived accross the street from my grandparents house. We were going back to our house when my pregnant mother slipped and fell on the icy front step. I remember to this day that she was very shook up and crying that she was afraid that she would lose the baby. (No worries, my sister Wendy was born 5 months later)
Christmas Eve 2007 was a more laid back affair. We had a very nice visit with my grandmother and Mac, her caregiver and former roomate of my aunt Kay. At 91, it’s hard to say if this will be the last Christmas eve at my grandmother’s house. We brought over some ham and pumpkin pie. My dad and his wife brought over the au gratin potatos and the green bean hot dish.(The latter is a staple at Christmas tables in Minnesota)
On Christmas Day, I picked Grandma up to bring her to our house. My brother and his two boys joined us. My wife cooked up a storm: Turkey, Mashed potatos, gravy, carrots and trifle for dessert! It’s different recipe than my South African friend May Gaertner makes, but it was very, very good. We got a couple more inches of fresh snow, and the kids had a ball playing out in the snow, playing kickball. We had a great Christmas.
Meanwhile, down in Dallas. My sister Wendy was gearing up to have a great Christmas. She was making prime rib, my sister Amy and her Husband Mike and my Mom were going to their house. In the midst of all of the comings and goings, my sister’s Brussels-Griffon Terrier(If you ever saw the movie “As good as it Gets” with Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear, it’s the same breed of dog) got out of the house, and made a bee-line towards the tollway-where she got hit and killed. When I found out, I felt just terrible. It sucks to lose a dog.(I’ve had one poisoned to death and one hit by a car when I was a kid) So I know how much Wendy’s two kids have to be hurting. This Christmas will be one that they will never forget…but for all of the wrong reasons.
Sorry to end on a downer note. I don’t mean for this posting to look like a French drama where almost everybody gets killed at the end, or least does not have a happy ending. This was just a very nice, if somewhat subdued Christmas up here, and just a major downer for my sister Wendy and her kids.
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