2015 Day 2 - Countdown Memories

I remember picking up my Grandmother at the train station a few days before Christmas.  Even though my mother had been decorating, baking, wrapping gifts and writing Christmas cards for a month and we were already on break from school....Christmas actually ARRIVED when she did!

We'd get to the train station early and wander around the place, so excited for the train to arrive.  You could feel/hear the roar of the train arriving above us before they announced the arrival of this train that had come from Saskatoon.  We'd run to the tunnel where the travellers would walk through to get from the train to the terminal and there was a very cold gush of wind that came down it that indicated that the 1st people off the train were coming down the escalator...AND she was ALWAYS one of the first few coming down the tunnel!

With a big smile on her face she'd be frantically waving with her free hand as she caught a glimpse of all our smiling faces.  She'd come through the door and we'd rush her...my father grabbing her carry on...and his arm drop to the ground from the shear weight of the bag.  She would make Christmas cake...a light one and a dark one...one of each for her sons...they weighed as much as a ton of bricks and Dad would comment about it every year.

Lots of hugs and smiles as we waited for her bags to come down the carousel then we...giggles and smiles and great stories continued continually throughout her visit with us.  The house always felt empty when she would go back home...and at Christmas, it still does seem empty without her.

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This year we relaxed by the pool...did water aerobics and zumba and ate and drank

2014 Day 2 - Countdown Memories

Today’s prompt asked me to think about the Christmas countdown in my childhood.

Thinking back, I guess one of the 1st countdown memories that comes to mind is my mother hauling out a pad of paper and several boxes of Christmas cards.  It was usually mid to late November and it also included a lot of sighing because it was such a big task.

She would write at least a 2 page letter to everyone - and this was hand-written on un-lined paper.  I'm sure her hand was cramping like crazy.  When I was in university, I started doing letters too - and I hand wrote all of mine too.  After the 1st one though, I would just copy it over and over for other letters (some people would get all the paragraphs and others wouldn't).  So glad when I moved to typing them instead!

Anyway, in my mind's eye, I can see the beautiful cards sitting on the floor, around her chair - knowing that we would soon receive many beautiful cards with lovely long hand written letters from friends and family.
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This year, on December 2, we had a day trip to Puerto Vallarta & a yummy dinner at the Japanese restaurant.

2013 Day 2 - Countdown Memories

Today's task is to chose a memory from Christmas's past - during the anticipation of the big day - meaning...something that happened leading UP to the big event.

Putting up the tree was always the official clue that Christmas was actually coming.  Mom and Dad would struggle carrying the tree box upstairs and while Mom would setup the tree, Dad would test the lights.  Inevitably, there would be tangled lights and burned out lights and everyone would get so frustrated.  BUT, to me, once the tree was up and the lights were being strung, Christmas had arrived.  Opening all the well loved boxes of GLASS ornaments (I'm old, these are ornaments my parents got when they were married in 1962), putting the favorites up in "prime"  viewing position, painstakingly putting on TINSEL, one strand at a time - LOVED it - MISS it!!

Being sight challenged, one thing that I loved (and still <3 to do) is to turn off the lights, take off my glasses and GAZE at the tree.  One thing that good-sighted people can't appreciate is the look of a lighted Christmas tree when you can't see!  All the lights turn into big, blurry circles and appear to sparkle, even if they aren't blinking lights.  AMAZING!  It looks kind of like this - but for me, the circles are larger and they kind of have star like qualities rather than solid, round circles.

Once I was old enough to do a lot of the work, Dad only had the haul up the boxes and Mom and I did the rest.  THEN, since I really was the only one that liked doing it, I eventually did it all myself...including hauling up the tree.  I don't know HOW I had the energy!  Every year they would go out for the office Christmas party and that would be tree day!  After supper, I'd haul everything up and start assembly.  I'd ALSO start baking!  Can you believe, baking AND putting up the tree at the same time.  I'd get something into the oven and then I'd go and work on the tree - I'd be watching "White Christmas" on TV and it would be the best Saturday night ever.


By the time my parents came back from their Christmas party, the tree was up (lights, decorations, and even tinsel) and there would be at least 2, maybe 3 different kind of treats baked and ready to go!

Where, oh where did all of that energy go?