White Wednesday

This "White Wednesday" finds me scrambling to gather some of my favorite Christmas stuff and get it displayed in the house BEFORE Christmas is over!! For people that know me well, I've got a story for everything. It scares me because I think I'm turning into my Dad! He never shut up, and neither do I! The old vintage snowman pictured above has kind of a special meaning to me. I was going to post a story I wrote about it, but couldn't find it on my computer. Instead, if you are interested, you get a very festive holiday story about the adventures of my Dad one Christmas along time ago. Okay, back to the snowman. The day after Thanksgiving in 1998, I was at Country Roads while my ex-husband was at our house moving out, we were divorcing. I was terrified he would take things that were special to me. But obviously he didn't know what was special to me, so he just made a huge mess of my house during his exit taking what he wanted. While working with the other Sue that use to work at Country Roads, this awesome old vintage snowman came up to the counter to be held. It was cheap for what it was, an old, vintage Kentucky Tavern giveaway during the holidays when you bought a bottle of bourbon. At the end of the day, this very special snowman was not claimed. So myself and the other Sue were going to toss a coin to see who would buy him. She stopped me, telling me I was already going through a lot at home, and she thought I should have the snowman. I was thrilled, but not only did she say I could have it, she bought it for me as a Christmas gift. One of those things in your life you never forget because it touches you so deeply. Thus, that began my snowman collecting, which you can see below. I've slowly begun to drag them out of my "sucker cabinet". What is in the said "sucker cabinet"? It is a really old corner cabinet that my ex-husband gave me one Christmas. And actually I've never liked it, but it so big to haul to the store. It is filled with "sucker" stuff. Ceramic old cats that my Mom and Grandmother had, some of their glass stuff. It's just things that I should sell or giveaway, but can't because they were in my family or had a special meaning to someone. And yes, next to the snowmen is a wedding topper? That belonged to a friend of mine's great aunt. It sat on their cake during their wedding and my friend didn't want it. How could she not want it? Thus, below is some pictures from my "sucker cabinet" and my snowmen!



I really need to do "something" with that "sucker cabinet" before it gets any fuller of things I need to let go of. I hope after you've taken the time to read through all of my ramblings, you will go visit Kathleen to see not only her beautiful post (she doesn't ramble like me either), but all the other beautiful "WW" posts that are listed on her blog. I had written a story about that special snowman, and looked and looked for it and couldn't find it anywhere on my computer. But I did come across a little holiday story I wrote about my dad a long time ago. That's my Mom and Dad and their dog pictured below. I miss my folks sometimes, as I'm sure many of you do as well this time of year. I wish you all a wonderful "White Wednesday" and take time to enjoy the little things during this busy time of the year!!
Creating Those Special Holiday Memories!

Years ago I wrote a little Christmas story about my dad. I was a teenager and we had gone over to one of his friend’s house for Christmas dinner that year. They were a younger couple with two little boys and their extended family lived back East. The wife cooked this huge holiday meal, and while she was busy tending to her holiday meal for all of us, my dad went upstairs with his friend Joe, to play some pool. And what we didn’t know, he also had some holiday cheer in the form of whiskey while he played pool with Joe. My dad, not much of a drinker outside of some beer here and there, stumbled down the stairs to partake in the huge holiday meal Joe’s wife had worked on all day long. On his way to the dining room, something caught his eye on their Christmas tree. It was a big, beautiful Christmas tree, full of lovely ornaments that had gently and precisely been put on the tree, then placed in front of their living room bay window. As my dad leaned towards the tree to admire a beautiful ornament, something happened. I’m guessing it had to do with the pool game and whiskey upstairs. In a matter of seconds, the Christmas tree in all its glory with its beautiful ornaments and lights was now lying in the front yard after it went through the bay window. My dad had apparently leaned a tad too hard on the Christmas tree and it had broken the window, landing outside. As my dad sat on the living room floor, where he landed with some of the Christmas lights wrapped around his head, I will never forget the image of him nor forget him saying, “bleep” did I do THAT”? My mom was horrified, especially after my dad then went home, and brought back his old poodle dog to join us all at the Christmas dinner table!

I guess the point of my story is not that everyone should be like my dad and make a scene during the holidays, but that I remember that Christmas fondly and it still makes me laugh. There was a Christmas, two years ago, that we went to get my dad from Assisted Living to join us for Christmas dinner. My mom had just died four months prior, and my dad’s Alzheimer’s was pretty bad. He didn’t eat much, was a little confused, but he did get to spend time with Riley on her first Christmas. As he left my house, he almost fell off the front porch, but my daughter caught him. Then, less than two months later, my dad passed away in February of 2007. In the crazy world we live in, and especially after what all has happened this past year in our world and economy, I try to remember the good times I spent with my dad and others I love. I’d rather laugh about my dad falling into a Christmas tree, than cry about how close to dying he was on the last Christmas I spent with him. We have to “choose” those holiday memories that make us happy and grateful for spending them with our loved ones.

Don’t forget to create those special holiday memories this season. It’s easy, enjoy those you love and get to spend time with. Don’t worry about the perfect gifts or the elegant table settings. Be grateful you have a table to set and put food on this year. Not everyone does! I know there isn’t one family out there that doesn’t have a moment or two they want to strangle someone across the dinner table during the holidays. But find some humor in that this year, lighten up, and just be thankful you are together creating those special holiday memories you will always remember. And a word of advice, never play pool and drink whiskey upstairs prior to a lovely Christmas dinner. Happy Holidays!