HOLIDAY MEMORIES

Holidays were favorite times of the year. Although we didn't have much, my parents made them special .

My favorites were Thanksgiving and Christmas .

For Thanksgiving, when we could afford turkey, Mamma would make stuffing from boiled celery and onions, bread, all torn into pieces, the cut-up giblets, sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. She would put it all on a cutting board, and she used a special tool. It was a broad, curved blade, about maybe 5 inches long, and about 3 inches from top to bottom, with a strong metal handle.

She would start out with just the bread, cutting it as finely as she could, then slowly added the cooled veggies, cutting them in, then taking the blade and lifting it all over and cutting again, mixing, blending it all together, and adding the seasonings, and she worked that pile of stuffing, turning and turning it, and cutting between each turning. I was always fascinated, watching her work that blade with such dexterity ! Then she'd fill both ends of the bird, and lace it up. She'd then rub butter all over the outside of the turkey, and either right as she put it into the oven, or after it had been in for awhile, she would place a sausage link on each wing and on each leg, pressing them in between the limb and the body of the bird. then that would go into the oven. Daddy would help by putting it in the oven, then lifting it out when it was done. I always tried to get one of the sausages , they were so tasty !

Mamma made mashed potatoes, squash. sweet potatoes, mashed . she didn't make the candied kind . The carrots and turnip were mashed together. She boiled all her veggies, no steaming in those days, and seasoning for Mamma was nearly always salt and pepper. We had butter on most things, too, and we loved our veggies prepared that way. She also would buy little pearl onions and boil them to go with our dinner. The potatoes would have gravy on them, not butter.

I forget what we'd have for a green vegetable, but my guess is peas. Of course, we'd have

Mamma's delicious homemade gravy !! Cranberry sauce filled out the meal.

Then, for dessert, some of Mamma's homemade pie. She'd have squash and mince, for sure. Maybe she'd have an apple pie, also. We always had a piece of cheddar cheese with those pies. Never heard of whipped cream on pies, until we came to California !

To this day, I sometimes have a slice of cheese with my pie.

I believed in Santa Claus way past the age most kids do. when we moved to 61 Maywood St. I was 11, and, as I mentioned previously, turned 12 that November. So I looked forward to Santa's visit as much as the younger kids.

I'd go to bed on Christmas Eve., so excited, and, of course, had a hard time falling asleep. but I did, eventually, and woke up early, like 5:00 a.m. and all ready to open presents ! There were rules, though, and we weren't supposed to go out to the tree and touch the presents, but, being kids, we did, anyway. I had to see what Santa brought !! We were just supposed to get our stockings and take them back to our beds, and we were allowed to eat a few pieces of candy or some of our animal crackers. Our stockings were those long, brown ones we girls had to wear, but they were so long, Mamma and Daddy put lots of goodies in them to fill them up. I would bring mine back to bed, and take everything out of it, so I could get to that prized nickel in the toe !! that was a big deal, to get a nickel ! Then, after they put the nickel in, there was an apple, an orange or tangerine, a box of animal crackers, a box of filled Christmas candy, loose nuts, and at the top, maybe there would be some new barrettes, or bows for my hair, a coloring book and crayons a cut-out dolls book, things like that, and I was always so thrilled ! I sat and colored sometimes, and ate some of my goodies, passing the time, until we heard the adults up. We went to say Merry Christmas to our parents, and the family friend I have referred to several times. We called him 'Pal'. He would be there every Christmas to play Santa and hand out the presents. After our Holiday greetings, we went back into our rooms, until Mamma called us for breakfast.

Christmas breakfast was always the same...fried eggs, bacon and toast. Mamma would have a huge platter overflowing with the eggs, and she'd deftly lift each one onto our plates, without breaking a single one ! Amazing, that ! I always liked my bacon soft, not crisp, so got it that way. We kids could go to the stove and dip our toast into the warm bacon grease if we wanted, and I wanted. That was such a treat !

So, we'd finish our breakfast, and we kids had to go back to our rooms, while the adults sat and drank coffee or tea and talked . It was killing us to have to wait for them to finish, before we could get to the presents.

Finally, there they'd come. Mamma and Daddy would sit on the couch or a chair, Anne, being an adult already would also sit in a chair, and the rest of us kids would sit on the floor, and Pal would sit on the floor near the tree, so he could reach the gifts . He'd grab one, call out the

name and toss it to us. We couldn't see much of who got what, because we were all opening something at the same time, pretty much. The only one who didn't open his gifts was Daddy. He'd just sit and smile at all of us, enjoying our happiness, and it wasn't until everyone had opened all their presents, that he would open his. He always got clothes, ties, slippers, sweaters, a new belt, maybe a new pipe, stuff like that. We all got some clothing, not much, mostly small stuff, and games, puzzles, stuff like that, but it always made us happy . Actually, my sisters, all being older than me, got things like nail polish, lipstick, etc. But, it seemed like a lot, to us. so, we were happy, and now got to take our stuff into our rooms and play with some, if we wanted to, or we could go outside to play, if it wasn't snowing hard.

The 4th of July wasn't too big an occasion for us. We'd just go out front, and Betty and Phyllis would have those snake things, that when they put a match to them, a snake-like thing would come out and curl around. They got to have some fire-crackers, too, but Paul and I only had sparklers, and caps. We put those on the ground and dropped rocks on them to set them off.

Sometimes we, or at least Paul, had a cap-gun to shoot the caps. Anne wasn't around much, because, being 21 when we moved there, she worked during the day, then went out almost every night with friends, so she didn't participate in the festivities .

For Easter, Mamma colored some eggs and hid them in the house, so we could hunt for them.

There weren't many, but we had fun.

We kids went to church on Easter Sunday. We seldom had new outfits, but we liked to go to church, anyway, to hear Pastor Brooks, and sing, and see the ladies and kids who did have new outfits, and admire them.

Coming home to Mamma's ham or leg of lamb was a treat. As soon as we opened the door, the delicious, tantalizing aroma assailed our nostrils , and we couldn't wait to change our clothes and sit down to dinner ! Mamma cooked plain food, but she had a way with it that made it the best food ever !!

The next day, or the next, we had some of those Easter eggs for supper, as egg salad sandwiches.

They never went to waste.

Those were the main holidays where we did anything.

Valentine's Day was mostly observed at school, where the teacher had a decorated cardboard box with a slot in it for us to put the valentines in that we brought with us to school, to exchange with the other kids.

Mamma would go out with friends for New Year's Eve., and Daddy would stay home with us. Then the next day, Mamma would have noisemakers to give us, from the party she had gone to.

I liked those horns, some of which , when you blew, it would unroll, then roll up again, and then those things we held by a little handle, and turned round and around in our hand, and it made a noise . Didn't take much to make us happy .

So, you can see why Thanksgiving and Christmas were my absolutely favorite holidays.

I hope my memories triggered some happy holiday memories for all of you. My kids haven't

had many, as far as their childhood goes, because I didn't observe the holidays for years, and their Daddy went along with me, although he did not have the same beliefs I did. I feel badly about not giving my children those holidays to remember, but, at the time, I felt it was the right path to follow. I'm happy that, as they became adults and had children, they had their own celebrations, and in time, when I was ready, they included me. I'm thankful to them for their forgiving, generous hearts. I love you, my sweet kids.

D