Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

We all have things that make us happy, things that bring us joy, things that we love to see, feel, and experience. This time of year I always find myself reflecting on some of my favorite things. Christmas for our family was always this amazing experience. Our home was always warm and inviting. My mother worked hard to make our house a home, and every year when Christmas rolled around, she went above and beyond to make our holiday more special than you could ever imagine.

Our living room, kitchen, dining room, even our hallways, were decorated with loving care. Our tree was put up and an evening set aside where my grandmother would join us and we would all sit around going through the tree decorations, reminiscing on where each one came from, what it meant, how it came to be. Inevitably my brother and I would argue over who got to put the star on top, but it was done good-naturedly, and it is a memory we find we can laugh about as we've gotten older.

Special candles, garland, ribbons, and bows adorned every surface, nooks and crannies. The 'good' dishes were brought out for dining, and special containers were set out with candies and treats. The aroma of seasonal baking constantly filled the air making our mouths water in anticipation. Spiced tea and boiled custard, fudge, cakes and pies - you name it and we had it.

The excitement of coming home from school and looking under the tree every day was almost too much to handle. As our pile of presents grew, the anticipation over-whelmed. My dad worked hard but money was often tight and it wasn't until I was an adult that my mother finally admitted that if it hadn't been for my grandmother, our Christmases would not have been as plentiful as they were. As an adult who has been through lean times myself, I can fully understand how difficult that must have been for my parents. No matter how tight things were, though, they always made the most of what we had.

Over and above all of these memories, these special moments, the one thing that made the most impact on me, the one thing that stands out the most in my mind, my most favorite thing, of course, involves music. The old box stereo we had was one of my favorite treasures and the pile of records my parents had accumulated often occupied hours of my time. (This was true no matter the time of year.) The stack of records we had for Christmas music was beyond compare. Elvis and Bing Crosby often rang out of those speakers, their voices pure even through the scratchiness of needle on vinyl.

As much as I loved coming home from school and peeking at our presents, or walking in the door and taking a big whiff to see what mom was baking, it was opening the door and hearing Blue Christmas pouring from the stereo that did it for me. It truly made it Christmas in my heart.

Now that I'm a mother, I've tried, oh, how I've tried, to make Christmas special for my kids. We have our own traditions and special things, but I know I fall far short of the benchmark my mother set. I'll keep trying, though. I hope that these moments make the holidays special for them. And I sincerely hope that they carry these traditions with them into their adult lives, add their own special touch, and pass them along to their own children.

I hope you had and have your own special traditions, special moments, for these are some of the most wonderful blessings in life. I would love to hear about your favorite things, your traditions, the experiences that helped to mold you. I'm all ears (or eyes)!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

As always...

Much love from me to you!

Shelly (a/k/a Dawn Love)