Christmas Memories

Christmas Tree at Glen, Mariana, and Thomas' home

James and TravelLady had a nice Christmas dinner today at my brother's home.  

I was about 6 or 7 years old in my earliest Christmas memories.  I was in the Christmas program at the Assembly of God Church on Chelsea Avenue.  All the girls wore white blouses with round collars and black or green skirts.  I wore a santa pin on the round collar - borrowed from mother.  We sang the old songs like Away in a Manger, The First Noel, Joy to the World.  There was a box with a doll wrapped in a blanket and of course Mary and Joseph standing nearby along with some shepherds and the three wise men.  (The older kids were picked for these parts.)  Our program was always the Sunday night before the 25th. 

On Christmas morning Sue and I always woke up early but had to stay in our rooms until mother and daddy awoke.  We usually had 3 or 4 wrapped gifts and 1 or 2 unwrapped gifts from Santa.  After eating a light breakfast and getting dressed  in newly received clothes,  we loaded in the car and traveled to Arkansas.  Lepanto was 50 miles from the Mississippi River bridge at Memphis.  We went to the home of Aunt Bettye and Uncle C.T. - C.T. was short for Charles Thomas - a good southern name!

C.T. was the cook in the family and boy could he cook!!  We usually had a beef roast with all the vegetables and turkey and dressing.  When my grandmother was still living, she made several pies and a coconut cake.

After lunch we would play Monopoly with my cousin David and a few of the willing adults.  When Daddy played with us, I remember him folding the Monopoly money and putting it in his pocket like real money!

Thankful for Sweet Memories....

and the ability to make new ones.....

.....TravelLady