Holiday Spirit???

[Abbey Normal]

Kathianne, I am sorry about your father. I hope that by now he is feeling better, and you as well. I will pray for him.

 

[Bonnie]

It's on Rte. 1 in Kennet Square. Please do go- you will love it so much; I promise! Btw, they have a cute little restaurant on the grounds too. Good soups especially.

http://www.longwoodgardens.org/

From PHILADELPHIA, PA, and vicinity (about 45 minutes from Center City)
Take I-95 South to Route 322 West (Exit 3A) to Route 1 South.

OR Take Route 1 South (City Line Avenue in Philadelphia, which becomes Old Baltimore Pike).

OR Take I-76 West (Schuykill Expressway) to I-476 South to Route 1 South.

OR (from the suburbs) Take the PA Turnpike West to Exit 20 (Mid-County Exit--formerly Exit 25A--illogically between Turnpike Exit 333 Norristown & Exit 339 Ft. Washington), then take I-476 South to Route 1 South.

OR (from the suburbs) Take PA Turnpike West to Exit 326 (Valley Forge--formerly Exit 24), then take Route 202 South to Route 1 South.

OR If coming east towards Philadelphia on the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh, take Exit 312 (Downingtown--formerly Exit 23) to Route 100 South to Route 202 South to Route 1 South.

Thank you, I am going to go. I was planning a trip into Manhattan to see the Macy display windows but with the strike too much traffic, this is a nice alternative.

 

[Shattered]

If Bonnie's lacking Christmas spirit, she needs a good solid dose of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, on high volume.

 

[Bonnie]

If Bonnie's lacking Christmas spirit, she needs a good solid dose of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, on high volume.

Funny you should say that, my parents had the CD playing in their car when they took me out to dinner the other night. That is one amazing CD. I'm sure they have a few out. And yes they played it loud!!

 

[Shattered]

Funny you should say that, my parents had the CD playing in their car when they took me out to dinner the other night. That is one amazing CD. I'm sure they have a few out. And yes they played it loud!!

They do have a few out.. But, the best, by far, is Christmas Eve and Other Stories...

 

[Annie]

They do have a few out.. But, the best, by far, is Christmas Eve and Other Stories...

Ok, going to look for this at Best Buy on my way to OakBrook. I need some spirit! Thanks you guys! This thread has helped!

Dishes done, check. Cabinets cleaned, check. Appliances cleaned, check. Carpets cleaned, check. Ok, so bathrooms, kitchen floor, blinds, windows, buy food, few presents, wrap. Can I make my cookies?

 

[Shattered]

Ok, going to look for this at Best Buy on my way to OakBrook. I need some spirit! Thanks you guys! This thread has helped!

Dishes done, check. Cabinets cleaned, check. Appliances cleaned, check. Carpets cleaned, check. Ok, so bathrooms, kitchen floor, blinds, windows, buy food, few presents, wrap. Can I make my cookies?

Blinds??

Reorganize priorities, check.

 

[Bonnie]

Ok, going to look for this at Best Buy on my way to OakBrook. I need some spirit! Thanks you guys! This thread has helped!

Dishes done, check. Cabinets cleaned, check. Appliances cleaned, check. Carpets cleaned, check. Ok, so bathrooms, kitchen floor, blinds, windows, buy food, few presents, wrap. Can I make my cookies?

I was intending to make cookies, but I think Im going to head to the bakery tommorrow just in case

 

[Annie]

Blinds??

Reorganize priorities, check.

Oh they really need to be done! As I've said, having had my mom and caretaker for over a year-with wheelchair, hospital bed, and other paraphernalia in my living room; along with my father and 2 of 3 kids. Then just my dad for another year, while visiting daily my mom in a home, with 1 kid home during the year. Then a year of working on Master's while teaching full time, well things got a wee bit out of control! I don't regret doing it, they were there when I needed it, but the house has taken a beating.

Working on getting that stuff back, but this hospital deal was really throwing a crimp in it! Good excuse though to really tackle.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Thank you, I am going to go. I was planning a trip into Manhattan to see the Macy display windows but with the strike too much traffic, this is a nice alternative.

That's great! Let me know how you like it.

 

[KarlMarx]

Is anyone really in that Christmas spirit yet? Im still not, I suppose because I have been so busy and anxious trying to get everything done that I just havent' been able to stop, take a breather and enjoy the holidays.

Anyone else feel like that??

Bonnie, Kathianne, Abbey.... I think you'll need one of these!

 

[KarlMarx]

In 1968, my family did not have a Christmas.

Around the beginning of December of that year, my mother received a phone call from Italy. My grandmother (my mother's mother, who lived in Italy) told my mother that my grandfather was dying of leukemia and that he might have, at most, only a few months to live. She asked that my aunt and uncle and her should come as soon as they could to see their father one last time.

Christmas holiday celebrations back in those days, were definitely the realm of women, and my two aunts, my mother and grandmother (the one who lived with us, my father's mother) coordinated the whole thing. Well, that didn't happen that year, since my mother was gone, one aunt was gone, my other aunt was married to my uncle... well you get the picture.

Now, for some reason, in my family, adults didn't explain what was going on to the kids very well, if at all... so my cousins and I had to piece this all together on our own. We knew grandpa was sick, but didn't realize just how seriously.

My mother and aunts left for Italy sometime before Christmas and didn't come back until after New Year's. Out of respect for my grandfather, my father didn't put up a Christmas tree that year, no Christmas decorations, in fact, I couldn't play any music of any sort on the stereo, so Christmas music was out. And to top it off, we didn't have a very white Christmas, but a cold, damp and gloomy one which just made things worse. To top it all off, my father isn't one to explain himself, so I wasn't really sure why there wasn't a tree or anything. It seemed like a big to do over the fact that my grandfather was sick (no one told us that he was dying, we just knew he wasn't feeling well... death was something that the old Italians didn't talk to their kids about). So during the whole episode, my father seemed to be the coldest, meanest SOB on the face of the planet. I now know that he was actually doing all this out of respect for my grandfather, and to protect me (at least in his mind) from the trauma of knowing that my grandfather was going to die.

Well, it turned out that, shortly after my mother, aunt and uncle returned from Italy that my grandfather went into a complete remission. Apparently, the treatments that the doctors gave him in Rome actually saved his life. He lived until 1986, when he finally succumbed to the illness.

So the lesson is that Christmas is really a great holiday. I sometimes think about those days and just how awful that Christmas was, but those memories are now tempered with the understanding that it was so out of my parents' sense of duty and respect for family and concern for me.

P.S. and to those of you who don't believe in Christ and have a problem with Christmas... lighten up, put your hatred to one side, let yourself laugh and be a kid again, and have a Merry Christmas.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Thanks, K. How nice of you to think of us.

I wish there were such a thing!

 

[Nienna]

Blinds??

Reorganize priorities, check.

Roller shades... roller shades are lovely things.

 

[Bonnie]

Thanks, K. How nice of you to think of us.

I wish there were such a thing!

There is, it's called reservations.....Only kidding :teeth:

 

[Annie]

In 1968, my family did not have a Christmas.

Around the beginning of December of that year, my mother received a phone call from Italy. My grandmother (my mother's mother, who lived in Italy) told my mother that my grandfather was dying of leukemia and that he might have, at most, only a few months to live. She asked that my aunt and uncle and her should come as soon as they could to see their father one last time.

Christmas holiday celebrations back in those days, were definitely the realm of women, and my two aunts, my mother and grandmother (the one who lived with us, my father's mother) coordinated the whole thing. Well, that didn't happen that year, since my mother was gone, one aunt was gone, my other aunt was married to my uncle... well you get the picture.

Now, for some reason, in my family, adults didn't explain what was going on to the kids very well, if at all... so my cousins and I had to piece this all together on our own. We knew grandpa was sick, but didn't realize just how seriously.

My mother and aunts left for Italy sometime before Christmas and didn't come back until after New Year's. Out of respect for my grandfather, my father didn't put up a Christmas tree that year, no Christmas decorations, in fact, I couldn't play any music of any sort on the stereo, so Christmas music was out. And to top it off, we didn't have a very white Christmas, but a cold, damp and gloomy one which just made things worse. To top it all off, my father isn't one to explain himself, so I wasn't really sure why there wasn't a tree or anything. It seemed like a big to do over the fact that my grandfather was sick (no one told us that he was dying, we just knew he wasn't feeling well... death was something that the old Italians didn't talk to their kids about). So during the whole episode, my father seemed to be the coldest, meanest SOB on the face of the planet. I now know that he was actually doing all this out of respect for my grandfather, and to protect me (at least in his mind) from the trauma of knowing that my grandfather was going to die.

Well, it turned out that, shortly after my mother, aunt and uncle returned from Italy that my grandfather went into a complete remission. Apparently, the treatments that the doctors gave him in Rome actually saved his life. He lived until 1986, when he finally succumbed to the illness.

So the lesson is that Christmas is really a great holiday. I sometimes think about those days and just how awful that Christmas was, but those memories are now tempered with the understanding that it was so out of my parents' sense of duty and respect for family and concern for me.

P.S. and to those of you who don't believe in Christ and have a problem with Christmas... lighten up, put your hatred to one side, let yourself laugh and be a kid again, and have a Merry Christmas.

Nice story, if a bit sad for a child. Interesting how immigrants are different, (I'm assuming your parents were), than 2nd generation. My dad's mom hated the American Christmas. Way too commercial for her, like you my dad and sibs have figured out since then, that she was probably also missing her family. Anyhow, she had the oldest son go get a tree late Christmas Eve, told the kids to decorate it. Gave them each a present and Sunday type dinner. Tree came down on the 26th.

Needless to say, my dad has always made a big deal out of Christmas. He likes lots and lots of boxes. Doesn't have to be expensive, but likes lots! (One year my brother in college at the time, gave him a pair of socks-in two boxes and a carton of cigarettes in 10 boxes! )