Well, it’s officially over - the holidays, that is.
Some years I leave the decorations up a few extra days to prolong the after-Christmas blues that seem to overwhelm me each year.
This year I decided that getting over the holidays is a lot like pulling a splinter out of one’s finger; it’s best done quickly. So bright and early Monday morning I jumped out of bed and began jerking the decorations from the windows. Next I got dressed and took the bows and pine boughs off the outside window sills. It will have to get a whole lot warmer before I tackle the snowflakes hanging from both porches, and the yard decorations that are frozen in place.
I didn’t even stop to eat breakfast. I was on a mission and knew that if I hesitated I would lose my nerve.
Next to come down were the trees - both of them. The one upstairs has no sentimental value but the one down in the basement is what I call the “Family Tree.” This tree is decorated with pictures of our family, including Tanner the Terrible. About five years ago, I decided to do something different and make a tree that would be more memorable for everyone, since we have our gift exchange downstairs each year.
Martha Stewart I’m not, but every now and then I get this spurt of genius and like Westinghouse, come up “with a better idea.”
I can’t remember whether I’ve ever mentioned our “Family Tree” or not. If I have, forgive me, because you’re going to hear about it again.
Anyway, I cut out various colored pieces of construction paper in the shape of stars, bells, trees, etc., and pasted on pictures of our kids as babies and youngsters and then added pictures of their kids as babies and youngsters, and have gradually updated them with the passing years. Each one of these memories is tied with red yarn to the branches of the tree. Red and white candy canes and a few children’s ornaments are the only other decorations. The kids and grandkids love it and search each year for pictures of themselves and their parents when they were kids.
Our Marissa especially loves it and screams with delight each time she finds one of her Mom Ma and mommy and daddy. She can’t quite understand about relationships and gets confused when I show her pictures of her mommy sitting on my lap when she was 3.
This time I didn’t stop to look at any of the pictures as I jerked them off the tree and packed them away. I wasn’t about to get all weepy and sentimental. I was on a mission!
I’m not sure, but I think we also started another brand new family tradition this year.
On the Monday after Christmas, with a cold that would have made most intelligent people take to their beds, I set out for Richmond to celebrate another Christmas with my Richmond Gang. Since my daughter-in-law and kids were already up here visiting, they begged me to go, insisting that Zach, my 18-year old grandson, could drive and I could just lie back and relax.
It must have been the meds making my brain fuzzy, because they talked me into it, and soon I was on my way down Route 50 with Zach at the helm.
Jess and Marissa rode in the Suburban, with my daughter-in-law Barb and granddaughter Taylor. I found that I could function reasonably well as long as I took two cold pills every six hours. I figured that if I didn’t go, I might never have another opportunity to spend four hours alone with my 6’5” grandson, who will be graduating in June and going off to college.
I made the right decision. We had a chance to talk about life, with me telling him a little of our family history, much of which took place before he came on the scene. He now knows that his Nan isn’t perfect, but loves me anyway.
My Richmond son received a karaoke machine for Christmas and was chomping at the bit to set it
up so we could spend the evening singing. Wade loves to sing, as does Barb. The only problem this time was me and my scratchy throat.
As usual, Wade got his way, and after dinner all of us, including my daughter Rae Ann and husband Leonard, along with Taylor, Jess, Marissa and Zach’s girlfriend, Hope, gathered around the tv and began singing songs.
By the end of the first evening, we were all getting into the spirit. Rae Ann even sang a few nursery rhymes for Marissa. The plan for the next day was to go out and purchase some karaoke CDs with more of our favorite songs on them.
Though we couldn’t find the songs we were looking for, Zach downloaded a bunch from iTunes and after dinner the second night, we once again gathered around to sing.
I have a video, taken when Zach was only 3, of me, his dad and him singing Wade’s favorite Hank Jr. hit, “Family Tradition.” We decided to do it again, the difference being that our Zach, who was then a curly-haired toddler, is now all grown up and towers over his Nan.
I’ll admit it’s not the type of song that a lot of families sing when they get together, but then our family has never been “The Brady Bunch.” It’s perfect for us!
Zach and I started out singing it, but by the third verse everyone had joined in. Like I said before, it might not be the right song for everyone, but for our gang it was a Kodak moment.
I have a feeling that from now on, karaoke might very well become another one of our family traditions at Christmastime.
Hey! It could happen!
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Well, it’s officially over - the holidays, that is.
Some years I leave the decorations up a few extra days to prolong the after-Christmas blues that seem to overwhelm me each year.
This year I decided that getting over the holidays is a lot like pulling a splinter out of one’s finger; it’s best done quickly. So bright and early Monday morning I jumped out of bed and began jerking the decorations from the windows. Next I got dressed and took the bows and pine boughs off the outside window sills. It will have to get a whole lot warmer before I tackle the snowflakes hanging from both porches, and the yard decorations that are frozen in place.
I didn’t even stop to eat breakfast. I was on a mission and knew that if I hesitated I would lose my nerve.
Next to come down were the trees - both of them. The one upstairs has no sentimental value but the one down in the basement is what I call the “Family Tree.” This tree is decorated with pictures of our family, including Tanner the Terrible. About five years ago, I decided to do something different and make a tree that would be more memorable for everyone, since we have our gift exchange downstairs each year.
Martha Stewart I’m not, but every now and then I get this spurt of genius and like Westinghouse, come up “with a better idea.”
I can’t remember whether I’ve ever mentioned our “Family Tree” or not. If I have, forgive me, because you’re going to hear about it again.
Anyway, I cut out various colored pieces of construction paper in the shape of stars, bells, trees, etc., and pasted on pictures of our kids as babies and youngsters and then added pictures of their kids as babies and youngsters, and have gradually updated them with the passing years. Each one of these memories is tied with red yarn to the branches of the tree. Red and white candy canes and a few children’s ornaments are the only other decorations. The kids and grandkids love it and search each year for pictures of themselves and their parents when they were kids.
Our Marissa especially loves it and screams with delight each time she finds one of her Mom Ma and mommy and daddy. She can’t quite understand about relationships and gets confused when I show her pictures of her mommy sitting on my lap when she was 3.
This time I didn’t stop to look at any of the pictures as I jerked them off the tree and packed them away. I wasn’t about to get all weepy and sentimental. I was on a mission!
I’m not sure, but I think we also started another brand new family tradition this year.
On the Monday after Christmas, with a cold that would have made most intelligent people take to their beds, I set out for Richmond to celebrate another Christmas with my Richmond Gang. Since my daughter-in-law and kids were already up here visiting, they begged me to go, insisting that Zach, my 18-year old grandson, could drive and I could just lie back and relax.
It must have been the meds making my brain fuzzy, because they talked me into it, and soon I was on my way down Route 50 with Zach at the helm.
Jess and Marissa rode in the Suburban, with my daughter-in-law Barb and granddaughter Taylor. I found that I could function reasonably well as long as I took two cold pills every six hours. I figured that if I didn’t go, I might never have another opportunity to spend four hours alone with my 6’5” grandson, who will be graduating in June and going off to college.
I made the right decision. We had a chance to talk about life, with me telling him a little of our family history, much of which took place before he came on the scene. He now knows that his Nan isn’t perfect, but loves me anyway.
My Richmond son received a karaoke machine for Christmas and was chomping at the bit to set it
up so we could spend the evening singing. Wade loves to sing, as does Barb. The only problem this time was me and my scratchy throat.
As usual, Wade got his way, and after dinner all of us, including my daughter Rae Ann and husband Leonard, along with Taylor, Jess, Marissa and Zach’s girlfriend, Hope, gathered around the tv and began singing songs.
By the end of the first evening, we were all getting into the spirit. Rae Ann even sang a few nursery rhymes for Marissa. The plan for the next day was to go out and purchase some karaoke CDs with more of our favorite songs on them.
Though we couldn’t find the songs we were looking for, Zach downloaded a bunch from iTunes and after dinner the second night, we once again gathered around to sing.
I have a video, taken when Zach was only 3, of me, his dad and him singing Wade’s favorite Hank Jr. hit, “Family Tradition.” We decided to do it again, the difference being that our Zach, who was then a curly-haired toddler, is now all grown up and towers over his Nan.
I’ll admit it’s not the type of song that a lot of families sing when they get together, but then our family has never been “The Brady Bunch.” It’s perfect for us!
Zach and I started out singing it, but by the third verse everyone had joined in. Like I said before, it might not be the right song for everyone, but for our gang it was a Kodak moment.
I have a feeling that from now on, karaoke might very well become another one of our family traditions at Christmastime.
Hey! It could happen!
