Story #15

This is my last post of past Christmas memories.  This has been fun and I hope you have enjoyed my walk down memory lane. Tonight, takes us back to when I was 4.  Letitia,  you said 5 but I went back one more year. 
This is a picture of my dad and me when I was 4.  I was his little tomboy.  This particular Christmas I received sports equipment:  a bat/ ball/glove and a football with a tee.  I loved them.  It probably set the stage for my future as an athlete.  Hahaha 
I did grow up to play softball, volleyball, neighborhood basketball and now I compete in Sr. Olympics.....Guess I had a good start. 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Story # 14

I always loved having my stocking filled with goodies.  I liked that as much as I did getting presents.  I wasn't always a big fan of the apple or orange that was inside but I loved getting sparklers and candy and trinkets.
My favorite stocking items were the personalized pens/pencils/notepads and address labels.  It was so much fun holding the new stuff with my name on it.  The notepads always said:  FROM THE DESK OF DEBBIE.  I would always display those pads on my desk.
My pens and pencils with my name on them were exciting to use at school.   No one could borrow them because they had my name on them.  Also...my family members sometimes borrowed things and forgot to return them.  These had my name on them so usually they would leave them alone.
My address labels were so cool.  They were usually in pastel colors and came with a cute little dispenser.  I was a letter writer so having personalized return labels made it more fun to write letters.
I continued doing that for my kids....but now....pens and pencils are not used very much anymore.  last year, I got my adult kids personalized jump drives.  I think they liked them.
Merry Christmas.

Story#13

Holidays crafts!   They sound so fun.  They are supposed to create memories and foster warm fuzzies while working together on a project.  Well, I always dreamed of doing fun holiday crafts with my kids and having them turn out just perfect.  I think we did create memories....not sure about the warm fuzzies. 

The first project we tried to make was the simple candy trees on Styrofoam cones.  Directions sounded pretty easy.  I bought the candy gumdrops and glue guns to hot glue the candy to the Styrofoam and it would turn out looking like a cute candy tree!  Easy right?  WEll...right off Erica burned herself with some melted glue that landed on her hand.  We had to stop and run cold water on it and apply an ice pack.  So...she decided to just watch.  Keith worked on his tree until it was about halfway thru and then he was finished.  I was forced to finish out the 3 cones.....I had one for Keith Erica and me.  As I was finishing this project, I was thinking about the next year's one and how no hot glue would be involved. 

The next project we tried was a Ginger bread house.  It was a kit and it said it had everything you needed to make this cute house.  We worked and worked on the house and I let each one of  them decorate one side of the house.  Looked like it was going pretty well.   We were having fun and feeling pretty good about it.  Our self esteem was definitely higher than last years flop.  WE finished....made pictures...and left it to dry overnight.

Next morning.....every bit of the roof icing that was supposed to be snow has drained off to create snow like icing mounds and a snow empty roof.  Oh well.....it was still standing and we just told people that the house experience a bad weather night.

The next year our project was baking and decorating cookies.   This was our thing!  It was the first project that we worked on and it really turned out good.  Plus....we ate samples along the way.  So....cookies looked like cookies and were beautiful masterpieces.  Finally, we found out "thing" that we could do together as a family.  But then....you have to figure out how to eat them or give them away. 

To this day, I try to do a cookie baking and decorating time with whoever will come.  Sometimes we have done a girls day with the girls.. One year we did it with everybody, men included.  This year, Sammy was our bonding victim.....

So kudos to all of you who can create crafts that look like Martha Stewart produced.....we will stick to our strengths:   baking/creating/decorating/ eating.

Story #12

This blog almost didn't make it.  I had a church rehearsal and didnt' get back home til 11:45pm.....very late for me.
So...when I was in college, one Christmas a restaurant named:  The Loft in the Mt Moriah area offered our church a donation if we supplied a quartet every Friday and Sat night in Dec to sing Christmas carols.  They would donate to our Music Ministry and the quartet would get a free meal each night.

So, me, Chuck, David, and Priscilla (Prissy to us) got together and worked up some music sets and I played the guitar.  I am only a marginal player but managed to pull it off.  We sang 3 different 30 min sets with breaks in between..  We also had to move to 3 locations.  We were like roving minstrels. 

It was fun....but by the 3rd weekend in December...we were all pretty tired of our weekends being tied up. Amazingly, we all got along well and the patrons seemed to enjoy being serenaded while they ate.  Even a few people asked what church we were from and said that they would visit us.

I really loved the free meals!  Since they were free I ordered steak and lobster tail every time.  It was my first time ever to eat Lobster and I fell for it. 

Not sure what the donation amount was, but I really enjoyed doing that gig and eating the free food.  I think I gained about 10 pounds that December.

Story #11

This is the story of Frosty the Snowman.   Well....it is our story of our Frosty.
We had an illuminated Frosty the Snowman that my parents put on our front porch as part of the decor. 
One night, we heard this commotion outside our house and, course, we all needed to check it out.

We found that our front door had been egged and that our Frosty was gone!  Someone stole Frosty! 

Never mess with a McMillan and their belongings.  Dad and I hopped in the car and drove up and down the streets all over the neighborhood looking for our missing Frosty. 

Nothing!  No sign of him.  My dad was furious.  So...we returned home and cleaned off the eggs on the door and went to bed.

The next morning....still no Frosty. 
But....later that day, the doorbell rang.  It was a boy on the porch!  He had Frosty!   He was made to apologize to Dad and returned Frosty.  He had seen it every night and decided that he wanted it for his house.  But....his parents knew they didn't buy it and made him confess and then return it with an apology.

We were so happy to have Frosty back home.  And....even now...thinking about it.....I am impressed that his parents made him do the right thing. 

Story #10

One of my best and most favorite memories is from my old Parkway Village Baptist Church days.  I loved the Christmas Eve service when Bro Mike was our pastor.  Our entire family would go together to the service and it would be full of other families.  It was done in low light so that made it special to me. And...we would sit as family units around tables for the entire service. 
We would sing carols and read scriptures and it all ended with taking communion together.  But....this communion was different than the ones on Sundays.  This was bread we tore from a loaf and a bigger cup of juice than that tiny little cup of juice we normally sipped. 
My dad was a deacon so he was in charge of passing out the elements around our table.  
I looked forward to this service every year.  I felt , even as a child, that I was really celebrating Christmas for the right reason:  Jesus' birth.  Then, I didn't feel so selfish afterwards when we went home to open our gifts. 
Those many Eve services hold a special place in my heart.  We carried that tradition into our own family.  It did change however when we started attending another church.   The new church had a Christmas Eve service....but it wasn't anything like the old PVBC once. 

Story #9

OK.....today my story is about something we found under our tree every year.  And....I was never sure why so I continued the trend in my own family.  Until I realized that I didn't have to have this under my tree just because it was a tradition.  I didn't understand the tradition and really never knew where it came from nor why.
It is:  nuts and fruit from Santa!!!!
What kid wants to wake up to sacks of mixed nuts

Fruits

and a coconut?

They were always presented in a green paper sack and the top was neatly folded down.  I never saw these sacks except at Christmas......so for sure it was from Santa.  The nuts were a mix of almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans....all of which were in their shells.  The best part of these nuts was when we were cracking them open.   We never ate any but we loved the mess it made and "cracking" sound of their shells popping open.  Not sure whatever happened to them....but I know that my sisters and I never did eat them.

Then there was the fruit.  I always had fruit in my lunch so I wasn't too interested in that.  Except the pineapple.  That fresh pineapple was a once a year treat.  We did like that....but we fought over who got the first piece....like that made a difference or something!

And last but definitely not least was the coconut.   That hairy thing was intriguing.  One coconut was for all of us.  Now....who eats fresh coconut as a snack?   Certainly not a kid....but the cool thing was that I was able to poke the wholes in it to drain the 1 oz of milk that we would each get to sip.  I stuck the ice pick into the 3 little holes that always reminded me of a bowling ball....and then we drained the coconut.  Like I said...1 oz!   And every year, it was Yucky!!!  I guess I thought each year it might really taste good. 
Then, Dad would take a hammer and bust the thing wide open.   We each received a sample of the meat and it really wasn't very good either....but it was a novelty.  I found that I liked coconut on cakes and in candy bars better than fresh out of the shell.

So....that tradition stopped with me.  I did it once or twice and then realized that it was a waste and not really that important.  I switched to providing chocolate and high sugary stocking items.....much more appreciated and definitely eaten.

Story #8

Today's blog is about matching pajamas.  Did any of you have to wear matching P J's for Christmas?  We did.  We usually opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and there was always a present containing matching PJ's  Then, my sisters and I would have to go change into our outfits and make pictures.  Then, we had to go to bed. 
On Christmas morning, we were matching in all of the pictures as we checked out all of the goods we got from Santa. 
I was even in my teens and was still a part of this annual ritual.  I had to get married to be exempt from the matching PJ's!!!   Not really...just kidding.
I actually enjoyed it and it is funny looking back on it.  Pretty good bargain hunting for my mom since we were all ages and sizes.  I was 5 years older than Tina, amd 7 years older than Tami, and 12 years older than Dana.   So....Mom had to be pretty savvy to get the array of sizes that matched.

Story #7

Hey folks,
Today's story is a short one but kinda on the sad side.  My mom was such an organized person that she always planned our holidays with trips and activities:  especially trips to the doctors.  She never wanted us to miss any school so on Easter Monday, or Thanksgiving Friday or even during Christmas break, we all had appointments to the dentist/eye doctor/gen. physician, etc.  One time....my sister found out that she was getting her tonsils out during the Christmas break!  Ouch.....Merry Christmas to her!

Well.....this particular Christmas, the unexpected happened.  Tina and Tami both came down with the MUMPS at the same time.  Needless to say....Christmas Eve and Day wasn't as fun as it usually is.  They were miserable, trying to open gifts with their swollen chipmunk cheeks.  They tried to smile in pictures but it was a " wish I was in the bed " look.  Poor things....I felt so sorry for them.  But, in all honesty, I was really glad it wasn't me.   Good thing....I had already had the mumps years before them.

Really glad that mumps is not a childhood rite of passage anymore.

Story #6

Today....I want to reminisce about the yearly Christmas tree family decorating event.  It is kinda the same scenario every year....so it really doesn't matter what year it is.

We always used a live evergreen tree.  Dad would get the tree home and then we were all supposed to get into the spirit of decorating.  The tree was always too tall and had to be trimmed.  Of course that meant we had to get the vacuum out to clean up the trimmed off needes.  Then....we had to wait while my Dad and Mom put the lights around the tree.   That took forever and usually Mom and Dad were arguing over trying to untangle the lights.  Me being the oldest...it was my job to occupy the little ones while we waited.  We were all supposed to sit quietly on the couch until it was time to put the ornaments on.  Tina usually read and Tami and Dana usually got into a fight and I would try to quiet them so that we would stay out of trouble. 

Next came the garland.....we had to all circle the tree and pass the garland wad around until it was just right.  That is when you would hear alot of "ouches" from the needles sticking us.  

Ornament time:   first one out of the box was usually dropped and broken.....which would make my dad angry.....then Mom would try to be the peacemaker and then we all would get silent.  I would try to clean up the ornament before someone stepped on the glass....but of course I would get a cut and need a band aid....Such merry memories.

Finally it was icicle time.....by then....it was tense....so we just threw clumps on as fast as possible so we could be finished.  It wasn't until I was married and Larry and I decorated our first tree that I found out that icicles were meant to be put on using individual strands and not clumps....Who knew?

So....there you have it.....our good old fun family decorating tree event.....As soon as were were dismissed.....we ran...not walked....to our rooms for de-stressing. 

Ahhhh....such fond memories....

Story #5

Today's memory is one that I still laugh about. We always opened gifts on Christmas Eve in my family and then Santa came on Christmas Day.  24 hours of gifts!!! We loved it. 
One year, Dad decided that we could open a gift early on Christmas Eve morning.  He said we could choose our gift but there was one hitch:  we had to use whatever we opened that day. 
So...we all went to the tree and picked out our gifts.  1-2-3 we opened them up.
Funny...but I don't remember what any of us opened except Tina.  She thought she knew what she had picked out.  She thought she had picked a horse book that she had wanted.  She was a reader and loved any book that had horses as the topic. 
Well....to her surprise and disappointment:  she opened THE LIVING BIBLE.  The look on her face was priceless!  So...she was compliant and read a chapter in Luke.....the Christmas Story.  How fitting.  Me and my other sisters opened our Bibles that night with all of the other gifts. 
To this day...if I see one or hear someone say Living Bible.....that thought pops in my head.

Story #4

I have been asked about pictures from the old days.  Well...maybe I can find some but I have to look through the albums at my mom's house.   So...I will search for some and post them at the end....if I find some.

Today, I salute all of the creative people in my life.  I am so blessed by people who are able to make things with their hands.  I can come up with concepts and brilliant ideas, but I can't make them look like they look in my head.  My good friend, Tria, would always bring my ideas to life.  We were called the Lucy and Ethel of the church.  But, that is a whole different blog for another time.

I really love holiday creations made by my friends.  And, they always put the personal touch on it by including the color purple in the creation.  My friend, Barbara,  made this beautiful decoration several years ago.  It had a musical theme and was a beautiful shade of purple.  She was worried that I wouldn't like it because it was homemade.  I just think it is LOVEMADE.

Preview for tomorrow:  a memory about when Dad let us open a gift on the morning of Christmas Eve and we even were allowed to choose our package.  My sister, Tina, was not too thrilled with her early gift! 

Stories 2 and 3

I noticed that yesterday when I started this blog that I was actually a day behind.  So...today is catch up day...( I love ketchup)  hahaha

When Keith and Erica were younger, I bought a candy cane decoration at a Christmas market.  When I brought it home, I wished that I had purchased more.  So, Larry made me some more and the kids painted them.   We still use them to this day.  Wasn't that sweet of Larry? 

And here they are lining our driveway. 
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STORY # 3 
This memory is one that seemed to repeat itself every year for me.  You know, as a kid, you always received clothes for Christmas.  Not always the favorite gift, but you still had to act like you liked the clothes.  I really always liked my clothes.  My parents wanted us to wear our new clothes on Christmas Day when we saw all of the relatives. 
For me.....usually some of mine didn't fit.  Of course, my sisters' clothes always fit.  But, Debbie, the chubby one, seemed to experience a growth spurt in all of the wrong places in the fall!  Well, the summer before 7th grade, I gained alot of weight.  I went from 90lbs in the 6th grade to about 120lbs in the 7th grade.  And I promise....I never saw any of the numbers between 90-120.  It was like I gained 30 lbs overnight.  Of course, we all know that doesn't happen.  But in a child's mind it does.
So, anyway....Christmas morning.....I woke up and really had some cool clothes under the tree from Santa.   He came thru this year for me....since I was no longer a child (7th grader and knew everything). 
I loved my long sleeve turtleneck and the blue denin fringed vest....but the cool burnt orange courduroy dungarees were too tight!  Bummer....couldn't wear the outfit.  Then it was Mom to the rescue.   Santa had left an extra pair of pants for me in a bigger size just in case!   Wow!   Santa really plans ahead.   These bigger pants did fit and I was able to wear my ensemble to the family functions.  I gotta say that my self esteem hit a low that day but obviously that feeling didn't last, because I didn't really do anything about my weight that year. 
But.....I was able to wear the new clothes right along with my sisters.  So all is well that ended well.

Stories from the past Christmases.

Hey followers,
I plan to write a memory from my Christmases that have passed.  I want to do one everyday til Christmas.  We will see how my memory is and how disciplined I can be to think up one and remember to make a blog!  haha

I remember as a 10 year old, going to bed on Christmas Eve and deciding that night that I really hoped Santa brought me a drumset!  I believed that Santa could do that and I thought with a lot of prayer that night that it might prime the pump!!!!

Well....to my dismay, I woke with NO drumset!  However, I did get an electric guitar and amp from Sears placed cleverly under the tree.    I never questioned the fact that it came from Sears.  I was a Santa believer all the way.  Even my friends who received that same Sears guitar/amp combo didn't waver my belief.  So....I just thought that I would make sure Santa knew earlier my desires for drumset for next Christmas.