Remembering Christmas
Not the best time to have a birthday
Hey there, it’s me, Kathy. How was your week, besides being rushed?
The malls are full of people rushing to and fro, looking for thing they have no idea exactly what it is that they are looking for and under their breath saying, ‘I wish this was over.’
Do you remember how easy it was when you were young? The next exciting thing to getting up to see what Santa left under the tree and if he ate his cookies was going to midnight mass at the church the night before.
I went to Holy Cross in Glace Bay. We could walk there because it was across the street. It always seemed to be that on the way to mass it would start to snow. You always had that feeling that God was there and was letting us know by making it snow.
When you were really young you felt so important to get dressed up in your new Christmas clothes and to be going somewhere so late. It seemed like the whole neighborhood was there. When it was over you got to talk to all your friends on the way home or have a snowball fight until you were yelled at not to do that any more.
As soon as you got home you got your new Christmas pyjamas on and went straight to bed. Once we were in bed we tried to go to sleep as fast as we could.
Years ago my parents made sure that some families had toys and food to wake up to in the morning. Some people knew it was them and some didn’t but to my parents it didn’t matter. There weren’t many Christmas charities in the 60s, not like today.
Name brand clothes were Levi red tags. There was no such thing as an “in” toy, maybe a $20 race car set or a Miss Beasley doll for $15. They were still just as hard to get. But if you didn’t get it, that was OK. You would get another toy.
My favourite time was the turkey dinner at nanny’s house. I ate until I was stuffed and couldn’t move. But it was worth that bloated and stuffed feeling.
I hope your memories of Christmas passed are as great as mine. I even loved the sound of church bells ringing for midnight mass.
My birthday is December 21. I never had a party because everyone was busy. My best friend’s little niece was born on that day but she would come over after their party was over and we would go to town or to a dance at St. Ann’s Centre. Her sister who had the baby on my birthday was also named Cathy and it wasn’t until years later that I found out Toot (Carol) had a daughter and we had both called our daughters Kerry. Toot passed away some years ago. We still think of you and miss you.
Tip of the week: Play Santa, make a list and go over it to make sure you didn’t miss anyone. It’s awful when you forget someone.
I had chemo recently so that’s over until January 3. Everything seems to be going OK.
I even had a surprise birthday party.
I’ll be in Truro for Christmas. I’m hoping for turkey.
To all my reader and followers and everyone out there, have a very Merry Christmas and God bless you.
Merry Christmas Debbie, have a great Christmas.
Happy Birthday Geraldine, have a great day.
Happy Holiday all and have a great week. Don’t eat too many chocolates.