Christmas....

Christmas brings back such happy memories of family for all of us. Our family really went all out for Christmas; Advent candles, giving trees, midnight Mass, stockings, presents, big lovely dinner. Several Christmases were a little late, as Dad might be on Midway or on a ship...those years we got two Christmases. I found out about Santa Claus when I was 7, in Trinidad. I heard Santa swearing while trying to put my metal doll house together....and, asking my Mom to get him another martini. My sister was well known in the family for screaming, "No, I don't want that dirty old man in my house." She was 3 and scared of beards. In later years, we learned to be careful what we asked for around Christmas time. One year, I told them both separately (when they asked, of course) that I had no good pots or pans at all. Later while shopping, I saw a copper pot and got it for Dad. Mom saw some calphalon pots she liked and got them for Dad. Dad saw a set of pots and pans that he liked and got them for Mom.......I got none! So much fun, how lucky I was....