Thinking of Merry Memories this holiday season…for so many reasons I love this. My memories will be so different from many of you. Why?
Well, I am a 68yo woman!!!! Ok, that’s the last time I will admit my age to you all. Yes, you are buying products from a well-aged woman.
My memories of Christmas are precious to me. It was the one time of year we all got along as a family, my parents smiled, and presents were wrapped and labeled under our tree.
Not everyone has that magical family but for a few days a year, we were magic.
One of my merriest memories is that of picking out our Christmas tree. Every year my sisters and I would band together to head down and pick our favorite real trees to choose from. Yes, you read that right we had a real tree, every year, except for when the aluminum tree invasion was poured down onto the town. And of course, you had to have the color reel because you couldn’t put any lights on the tree for fear of melting and fire… but it was unique and if you could have one then you would be the talk of the town, though a small town it was. Larger than King George, Virginia, but still tiny.
There were always icicles hanging from all our trees, lots of icicles. And always those large colored bulbs on the trees along with the “now” antique ornaments with the dip in the middle. They still bring back smiles when I now see them. Our tree topper was a cardboard angel head with white a silky circle around her. One of my sisters found one exactly like the one we had, and she now uses it every year on her tree.
Another of my favorite memories stems from the family we had in Parish, Florida who owned, and still do, a large orchard. The anticipation of receiving wooden crates filled with oranges, grapefruit, and Kumquats was intense. It was the ONLY time of the year we had citrus fruit in the house. It was gold for us. It was delivered by train so we would drive down to the train station and pick up our boxes.
The best gift I would have to say I received was a desk…. I felt so grown up and was so excited. I saw the desk in the bedroom filled with two sets of bunk beds early and just knew it was going to my older sister. But it took my breath away to find out it was mine. That desk later in my years had to be sold to a lady who I knew would care for it the same as I did. It helped pay my rent. The best $25 ever.
But one of my most vivid memories was pulling out of our driveway in our big, finned auto and seeing deer tracks on the roof in the snow. They were in EVERY house. Don’t tell me there’s no Santa or reindeer. That was such a magical year…
As the years went by and the parents divorced it became a Christmas of two trees one for each parent. But it is my favorite holiday. I still try and celebrate traditions I grew up knowing and practicing. I still won’t admit there’s (NO) Santa. Sometimes my older boys just shake their heads. But, just remember, Mom always knows secrets and what’s best….
Here’s to hoping everyone can create the merriest of memories this holiday season.
Love ya’ll,
North Oak Apothecary