For the first 42 years of my life Christmas Eve was spent at Gran and Howard’s house (my Momma’s parents) with extended family, filled with traditions, such as oyster stew, date nut pudding, the quietest kid got the first present to open, playing pool in the always-odd-smelling basement and a metallic Christmas tree with color wheel, just to name a few.
So when Gran and Howard both passed away some years ago we didn’t know what to do with ourselves on Christmas Eve. Gran had said “When we are gone you can make your own traditions!” But, we aren’t ones to accept change very quickly....so for years we have floundered.
Until last year when my brother and sister-in-law had us all over to their home in Wheaton on Christmas Eve for food, fun and family!
And again this year, being followed by a re-gathering late Christmas morning at my sister’s house in Geneva, where you will be surprised to hear that we ate and hung out amid my sister’s lovely decorated-with-vintage-Christmas-decor home.
I thought you might enjoy seeing some of her holiday decor:
....her angel tree; and.JPG)
...her miniature glass ornament tree; and....
a metal Christmas card list box that held handwritten index cards long before computers and labels; and....
these two vintage bobble headed guys that are kind of cute.So outside of an early (6 a.m.) Christmas morning startle-to-end-all-startles courtesy of my 20-year-old son, who unbeknownst to me had gotten up to see what all the racket was (it was me!) and then screamed upon seeing my back view in only a cami and underwear at the kitchen sink preparing the ham to put into the oven so that it would be thoroughly heated to take to my sister’s by 11 a.m......
it was all grand.
im a big (getting even bigger, just ask my son!) Christmas fan
