Christmas memories

Scent of Christmas

Backstory

I love walking into a home when there’s a delightful whiff of cooking and baking coming from the kitchen. It tells me that someone is treating me special and I am welcome here. It doesn’t work if you’re serving cookies from the box on the shelf. But when they are freshly baked, and the scent of anise, chocolate, and pralines is still in the air, wow what a treat!

Scent of Christmas

Christmas has a field day with your olfactory receptors. The scents of the holidays are everywhere, and your nose knows! These are special fragrances and aromas that don’t exist, at any other time of year.

What are your favorites? The scent of pine trees and pine wreaths makes it feel like the forest has been brought into your house. I love it.

The smell of fresh-baked cookies . . . or even better, cookies as they ARE baking.

In my family, treasured recipes have been passed down for generations. Some of them are just too involved to undertake. Others would be too expensive.

My mom made something called Christmas rocks. They were baked around Thanksgiving and allowed to ferment until Christmas. They contained four different kinds of liquor and more nuts, raisins, and currants than could fit my budget today.

But I can still remember the pungent and enticing aroma when Mom opened that tin of Christmas rocks after its gestation period. Whew!

The roasted turkey is high on the list of holiday essences and may even be trumped by the smell of special recipe stuffings made with cornbread or oysters or minced chicken livers mixed with the other ingredients. Oh, and wonderful winter root vegetables.

So, long before you get to eat the holiday goodies, enjoy just smelling them and all the memories they recount.

P.S.

You know what other winter scent I love? The smell of cold. When you go outside after the first heavy snowfall and no one is out cleaning up yet. That crisp, clear air is wonderful and smells delightful. Gone too fast, but there for a moment of pleasure.

[Show #548]

Ornaments and Memories

Backstory

For decades, ornaments have been accumulated for the family Christmas tree. Today, they are out of sync with modern holiday culture. See what happens to the boxes of ornaments displayed in garage or estate sales. Glitzy, homemade, delicate glass or practical plastic, these ornaments once meant a lot to someone. But they’re usually left behind by the bargain hunters. They find themselves un-owned, unprotected, and unwanted. After fifty years of dealing with my own collection of ornaments, it was my time to face their future.

Ornaments and Memories

Do you remember the Christmas tree decorations of yore? The delicate colored and painted glass ornaments, those made out of clay or paper by school children, the special anniversary ornaments commemorating a new baby or a wedding or some other special event. For years, I decorated our Christmas tree with these ornaments, remembering the story each ornament held.

Today, the style of tree decorating is different. We may choose a certain color scheme that all the ornaments must match. Or the giant seven-foot tree may be reduced to a tabletop size in a downsized home.

I was in that position. So, one year, I packed the special ornaments into an orange crate that had a separate cubbyhole for each one. I took the crate to the holiday family gathering and put it on the table after dinner. We all got to share the memories conjured up by those old ornaments and touching was definitely allowed.

This year, the orange crate will disappear. I’m going to give the ornaments away. Each child and grandchild will get at least one, and some will be set aside for future great-grandchildren. It’s my way of keeping the memories going. Whether the orange crate tradition lives on through the next generations, or goes the way of the choo-choo train under the Christmas tree, at least I’ve done my part for this year’s Merry Christmas.

P.S.

It was gratifying to see how well received my bundles of ornaments were. Recipients recognized many, welcomed others, and gushed over the really special pieces I had highlighted. Whether or not they actually get hung on a tree has yet to be seen. But at least for now, they are in loving hands and seem to have a bright future.

[Show #516]

Christmas Stories At the Club

Backstory

Last year, I wrote a book of Christmas stories from Consider This. The book is available this year too, on Amazon. Tiny Little Stories of Christmas Joy, Love and Wonder.

I was gathering up stories for the book when I was asked to present a Christmas program at a Rotary Club meeting. I shared a few of my stories and asked who had their own story to share. We entered a world of reminiscence, emotion and love, as these personal stories were told.

Click to listen or follow below to read.

Christmas Stories At the Club – #660

At the local Rotary Club, members arrange programs for the weekly meetings. This year, I had to arrange the program right before Christmas.

I asked Rotarians to bring and tell their own Christmas stories – stories of a Christmas past. For my story, I read a script from one of my Consider This radio shows. In it, a young pastor was inspired by the way a mom and dad taught their young children the meaning of Christmas. Their story became the essence of his Christmas sermons for the next 50 years.

Another Rotarian recalled the Christmas when his dad was out of work. There was no money for a tree. He scraped together $3, walked three miles to where the trees were being sold, and dragged a scrawny tree – all he could afford – all the way home in the snow. Although he was just 16, he took responsibility for his family’s good Christmas.

There were stories of gratitude for gifts provided by the Club. Tales of elderly who were brought happiness by a Christmas visit. A veteran club member told of spending Christmas on a war-torn island in the Pacific.

Even those who told no story out loud seemed to be filled with private memories that were remembered. It was such a good program – just sharing special moments with people who had become friends through the fellowship of giving, caring and being proud Americans.

P.S.

While you are about your chores and business this holiday season, ask others about their most memorable Christmas – good or bad. Invite them to share a story. You may be amazed at how people will respond. The story telling seems to shake loose old holiday memories. They may be ordinary or off the wall. But it’s usually true. Like the man said, “You can’t make this stuff up.”

[Show #660]

Stories Of Christmas Past

At the local Rotary Club, members arrange programs for the weekly meetings. This year, I had the program right before Christmas.

I asked Rotarians to bring and tell their own Christmas stories…stories of a Christmas past. For my story, I read a script from one of these radio shows. A young pastor was inspired by the way a mom and dad taught their young children the meaning of Christmas. Their story became the essence of his Christmas sermons for the next 50 years.

There were stories of gratitude for gifts provided by the Club. Tales of elderly brought happiness by a Christmas visit. A veteran club member told of spending Christmas on a war-torn island in the Pacific.

Even those who told no story out loud seemed filled with private memories remembered. It was such a good program – just sharing special moments with people who had become friends through the fellowship of giving and caring and being proud Americans.

[Show #468]