Ahhhh, the holidays are over. No more hustle bustle, no more worrying about the tie you got Uncle Fred. You’ve done all the parties, opened all the presents and are now paying the bills.
It seems like the years go faster and faster every year. We just get the decorations from this holiday put away and then here’s the next holiday!
And a lot of the time, it seems we forget the meanings and memories of past holidays. We are much too busy and into what has to get done to take a few moments to remember the joys we received from past times.
My folks and I live on the “old homesteadâ€. There are 3 houses-their house, a rental house they own, and then my house. I can literally walk out of my house and walk a few hundred feet and be at their doorstep.
The house I currently live in used to belong to my grandparents. Nannie and Gramps-you’ve heard me talk about them before! Gramps was a rather gruff individual except with me. I adored him and he adored me. Nannie just loved everybody! Gramps was 6’2? and Nannie was about 5’1? maybe.
Every Christmas, Nannie would call my folks to make sure I was up-this was usually at 6am-now who was the excited one? Nannie and Gramps would walk up with all the presents in tow. And would proceed to watch me open my gifts. I was an only child (can we say spoiled?) When we were all done, Nannie would take Gramps back down to their house where she would commence cooking. My Nannie could cook!!!!!!!!! Just around noon time, Mom and Dad and I would walk down, Uncle Paul and Aunt Edie, along with their son Dick! Aunt Clara May and Uncle Earl, my Uncle Pete would all show up.
We would sit and eat till we were ready to explode! Uncle Paul would, every year, push himself away from the table, pat his ample belly, and say, “that’s the way a man should feel all the timeâ€
We would continue to open presents down at Nannie’s and would finally have dessert. Then the cleaning up would commence. Now, Nannie would bring out her best china every year. And every year, Aunt Edie would offer to do the dishes. Now, Aunt Edie was a little spitfire! And she would run through those dishes like a cyclone. And, of course, every year, she would drop or crack one or two of the china. So, every year, Nannie would look at Aunt Edie and say, no, no, you’ve done a lot, I can do these later. Aunt Edie would have none of that and would proceed to do her thing! And in later years, when I was first married, I would help do the dishes( no, I didn’t usually break any). But Nannie had a little secret and it took me a couple of years to figure it out. She started to put all the dirty pots and pans in the oven. Where no one would look, and she would do those later. One year, I finally got smart and looked in the oven. That year and for several years after, ALL the dishes would get done at one time!!! Then, one year after the feast, I looked in the oven-nothing there! Hmmmmm, where could she have hid them this year???? Nannie was laughing at me and telling me you’ll never guess. Until she looked out in the garage-yup, Nannie, the little rascal, had put them in her car! I told her after that stunt, she be hard pressed to find another hiding place for them.
As the years went by, Gramps started to have health problems. So I started doing the holidays at my house. After Gramps had passed away, she took over the holidays again. When I finally had moved into “her†house, she said I could take the holidays back!! Nannie had moved over to the rental house. And it was still a short walk. So, one year, when Nannie had helped to do the dishes-yep-you guessed it, I put the pots and pans in my car!!!! She laughed till she was almost crying.
So, I have wonderful memories of all those holidays, all the family, and the joy. But, with every passing year, things change. My folks are still here, and my cousin, Dick is still with us. All the other relatives that used to grace this house have passed and now celebrate with us on the spirit side of things.
Our celebrations are much smaller now, kids and parents. I am proud to say I have a granddog, but no grandkids yet. No hurry guys-get married first and then make me a Grandma!!!!
But even with all the hustle bustle that goes with the holidays, I always take time to remember all the other celebrations this house has seen. And each year, they bring a smile to my face and an occasional tear to my eye. The memories are all good.
So, even though the holidays have past, take a few minutes in you’re busy world and remember the past-your loved ones, the good memories and then take one more step and share them with someone.
Till next time.
Cindy Lee
