Missing the old daysBy Roberta RedfordWhen I was a kid, I loved the holiday season. Every year, we had a huge Chanukah party with all our relatives and long-time friends of the family. We put up decorations that were the beautiful turquoise color of the Israeli flag. Every night at dusk, my older sister and I would argue about who would light the Menorah candle that night. She usually won, or at least it seemed that way at the time. My dad always joked about getting a Chanukah bush; but, of course, never did. I loved all the excitement, seeing all my family and friends together, eating and laughing. And; of course, there was always the exchange of presents. My parents would usually ask me if I wanted one big present or a small present for each of the eight days of Chanukah. I wondered why I couldn’t do both. How I miss those days!Christmas memoriesBy Kathleen WallaceWhenever I think of past Christmases, I think of the night my father fell into two Christmas trees. That’s right, two.It all started when my husband Earl and I decided to prepare a special Christmas Eve dinner for my parents.We bought a whole salmon for the entree, put it on ice and headed to my parents’ house. Little did they know the chaos that was about to ensue.When we arrived, my father had already set up an artificial Christmas tree, but Earl insisted on getting a real tree. So, we got a real tree from a nearby lot and set it up right next to the fake tree, complete with lights and decorations.Then we commandeered my mother’s kitchen to make nachos in the style of Mama Ney, a long-gone Mexican restaurant, as an appetizer.Mama Ney nachos are no ordinary pile of chips and cheese. Each individual round corn tortilla chip is spread with a layer of refried beans, smothered with grated cheese, topped by a piece of jalapeno and baked until the cheese melts and each chip is crunchy. Then each nacho receives a dollop of sour cream and a dollop of guacamole. Only then are the nachos ready to eat. Yum!What are nachos without margaritas? Absolutely nothing! So, Earl made extra full-strength margaritas, and they were my father’s downfall.Sometime after the nachos and margaritas and during the candle-lit baked salmon dinner with wine, my father got up to adjust the lights on the two trees that, by then, must have been looking like four. Before we knew it, he stumbled and fell, knocking both Christmas trees over.Fortunately, he suffered no injuries – not even to his dignity – and the trees were quickly set right.But I will always remember the night we brought unique food and a lot of zest and laughter into my parents’ lives.Earl, thank you for doing that. I love you.The “400” ride (circa 1956)By JoAnn McNabbThe “400” was the wonderful train that ran between Chicago and Minneapolis. It was so-called because the length of that run was 400 miles. The expression was “400 miles, 400 minutes.”Passengers departed from the depot at Eau Claire, Wis. It was an old stone building built in 1893. The platform on which the passengers waited was made of red brick. Large green carts with red handles and big metal wheels were on the platform. They were used for loading the luggage. The whole picture of the depot was somewhat grayed by years of train soot and had a somewhat desolate aspect.The “400” was a sight to behold as it pulled in. It had a huge diesel engine and pulled a string of yellow passenger cars. Both sides of each car were strung with huge windows. Riders could get a good look at the barns and cows, as the cars rumbled through the frozen countryside. The train was finally there to take the family to Minneapolis for a Christmas experience, but the train itself was the best thing about the trip.Christmas in D.C.By Natalie GowenI was so nervous the first time my little family celebrated Christmas all alone. We were temporarily living in Washington D.C., didn’t have any friends and the kitchen in our basement apartment boasted a microwave and a toaster oven.We invited a family we hardly knew to join us for dinner, and I figured out how to make do without a stove. But, they canceled Christmas Eve because the wife had gone into labor. That’s when I knew Christmas was doomed. Living 2,500 miles from the nearest family gathering, our day was destined to be sad and lonely.That is, until I woke up and realized – we will never be on the East Coast again for Christmas, why not make the most of it?When Christmas came, we opened presents and had an early dinner. Since it’s hard to feel lonely and bored while sightseeing, we headed out into the cold. We made our own little Christmas tour of D.C., enjoying a worship service at the National Cathedral and then to the White House lawn and the steps of the Capitol to view the spectacular Christmas trees on display. We’d been there before, but this time we looked past the historic structures and took in the beauty of a city decorated for the holiday.In the end, a sad, pathetic Christmas turned into a beautiful day that proved to me that Christmas is what you make of it, no matter the circumstances.Christmas yet to comeBy Angie MorlanAt first I had planned to write about the year I got the biggest teddy bear I had ever seen. When it stood upright, it was nearly as tall as I was, so it is hard to believe I missed it when sorting out the presents.Then, I fast forwarded to when I was 15 years old and became an organist at my church. The church’s other two regular organists were quite a bit older than I was and had played for many years. I remembered admiring them for being able to play for so many people. On Christmas Eve, our church overflowed with so many people that they had to put out folding chairs in the aisles to accommodate everyone. I thought to myself, ‘One day I hope I will be able to play the organ on Christmas Eve.’ And I did.But those are Christmas’ past, and I think my favorite holiday memory is one that is yet to come. I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year with my entire family. My mom and dad will travel from Minnesota to be with us. And my son Christopher is almost 2 years old and hopes Santa will bring him his favorite toy – a tractor. But most of all, I am thankful to share this holiday season with my husband Tom. Unlike other military families, we are lucky that he is home and able to share this special time with us.
