“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
This Christmas elf is getting a bit nervous. Usually I am far ahead of where I am now so my to-do lists through this weekend are long. Today’s list is loaded with six stops as varied as a book store and the dump. But if all goes well, next week will be relaxed. I’ll sit, watch Christmas movies, sip egg nog, loaded egg nog my favorite, and admire my house. I’ll do some baking and some candy making and the last of the wrapping, gifts for friends I won’t see until after Christmas. I’m looking forward to that egg nog most of all.
My sister Moe has a most unusual Christmas talent. She started practicing it when she was young. Moe used to make the smallest hole in every present under the tree so she could see what the present was. The holes were so well placed you really had to hunt to find them. Moe didn’t discriminate. She did it to every present, hers or not. As Moe got older, she honed her talent. She just had to hold the gift, give it a squeeze or two and she knew exactly what it was. Boxes were no deterrent. She moved them back and forth and up and down and then announced what was inside the box. We tried to trick her by putting small things in huge boxes, by wrapping the gifts inside the boxes in cloth and by putting box in box, but Moe beat us every time. One Christmas Eve she was going to a party and told Rod, her husband, she needed new earrings to go with her dress. Moe went right to the boxes under her tree, shook a couple and chose one. In it was a pair of new earrings. They had been hidden, box in box, but not from Moe. I am in awe of her talent.
Every year we could always count on a few traditional stocking stuffers. We always got a bag of Chanukah gelt. My mother bought it by mistake one year, and after that we expected it, and she obliged. I always buy some now for my two sisters. This year, Nancy, at the candy store pointed out I was buying gelt, and I told her that was exactly what I wanted. My sister Moe gets her Life Saver book. Sheila gets her Star Trek calendar, original crew.
My Dad loved thin ribbon candy. That first Christmas without him none of us were too much in the spirit, but after Moe opened her ribbon candy, she called to say it had brought back Christmas and, best of all, had brought back my Dad. Ribbon candy is always first gift I buy.
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This entry was posted on December 12, 2013 at 9:00 am and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: Christmas decorating, Gelt, guessing Christmas gifts, ribbon candy, shaking presents, stocking stuffers, to-do lists, wrapping
Both comments and pings are currently closed.18 Comments on ““When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.””
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
December 12, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Christmas Pudding and the Three-penny bit
Before decimalization my (paternal grandmother) would make Christmas pudding and include a brass three penny coin. It was quite an adventure to find it and it was supposed to bring good luck, wealth and a Championship for Tottenham Hotspur (ok, that last bit isn’t exactly true).
On the other side of the family my grandfather would make sure that the pudding was sufficiently doused in whiskey which would ensure that you received a flaming piece. I have strong memories of him almost taking out the neighborhood as he added more and more whiskey following a reluctance for the pudding to ignite Immediately.
Delta Airlines brought my sister and brother-in-law yesterday but I don’t think they remembered Christmas Pudding.
December 12, 2013 at 2:31 pm
My Dear Hedley,
Perhaps the good luck was the Championship for Tottenham Hotspur.
Your grandfather sounds like my father and his lighting the charcoal for the barbecue. He doused it with lighter fluid over and over and set his shoe on fire one time and his pant leg another.
I bet she does remember Christmas Pudding!
December 12, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Kat, KTCC’s favorite team has not won the Championship since 1961, so I am going with probably not.
I am still to discover which culinary delights have crossed the Atlantic – I will keep you informed
December 12, 2013 at 5:48 pm
MDH,
As with the Red Sox, their time will come.
Please do keep me informed: roast beef with Yorkshire pudding?
December 12, 2013 at 6:55 pm
Turkey Kat, I have to make a visit to Ackroyds to pick up English style sausages
December 12, 2013 at 9:47 pm
My Dear Hedley,
English sausages are similar to what?
December 12, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Hedley, one year my Canadian uncle sent a canned English Christmas pudding. I was quite young, but I still remember this sweet dark mixture. We ate it bravely. Do you have to grow up in England to like it?
December 12, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Birgit – Our Christmas pudding was either hand made by my Grandmother or purchased from a rather nice London store. I have been on a extreme diet since my birthday in preparation for totally inappropriate behavior when that bad boy makes the dessert table on Christmas Day
December 12, 2013 at 1:33 pm
I never dared go close to the presents 🙂 But Your sisters gift is one I would love to have 🙂
I always got a pig (Christmas symbol number one here, well after the Yule gnome of course) made from marzipan when I grew up and many years after that until we all had moved way to far from each other. I know they can be sent by mail but the postal service isn’t always that kind to small packages 🙂 I do miss it so this year I’m buying one myself, a huge one 🙂
I’m just about to eat lots of rice porridge, I made so much that I’ll have lots of it for breakfast tomorrow 🙂 I just managed not to burn it, fire heated stoves can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially when the wind is howling and the draft in the chimney gets a bit too good 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
December 12, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Christer,
We were in awe of her talent, especially guessing the gift without peeking.
In the past I gave a pig to my family for breaking on Christmas Eve. It comes in a nice bag with a small hammer for breaking. It brings good luck. I don’t think the ones I found were made with marzipan.
I am always amazed at what you make on that stove of yours. You are quite the culinary talent.
Have a great evening!
December 12, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Each year we’ve got a parcel with a large traditional Christstollen from East-Germany. It had to be stored in the cold cellar for about 3 weeks and than we ate it for weeks.
There is no English word for Stollen?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen
December 12, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Birgit,
They even sell stollen here so I knew exactly what you are talking about. We would sometimes go into Boston’s North End, the Italian section, to buy Panettone. It is the best bread when you toast it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone
December 12, 2013 at 2:54 pm
I didn’t know the Italian name, but it looks like the raisin bread my relatives in southern Germany made.
December 12, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Birgit,
It is even a bit sweet-great bread!
December 12, 2013 at 8:56 pm
This showed up on my Facebook newsfeed tonight where Joni (it looks like a quote from Joni anyway) says, “I think we all can agree that “Dancin’ Clown” is the worst song ever, and the greatest video ever made.” Right on the first count. Wrong on the second. I pass this along as a head-scratching curiosity for your…. entertainment?
http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2721
December 12, 2013 at 9:41 pm
im6,
I’m still shaking my head, and I feel for that poor cat. It should have swiped her with a claw or two or all four. I go with worst of both!
December 12, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Hi Kat,
We always got Gelt in our stockings, too. We didn’t know that was what it was called and I’m pretty sure my mother didn’t either. We just called it chocolate coins. But it was Gelt.
We always had a tangerine in the toe of the stocking, too. Whatever else was in there, the Gelt and the tangerine were must haves.
Today I baked cookies. Haven’t done that in ages. It took me three batches to figure out the perfect timing and temperature. What was in the recipe was not working. The first two batches are tasty but a bit caramelized, shall we say. 🙂 The third batch is perfect.
I still have cards to send out. No presents to wrap or knitted gifts to finish, though. I have stuff to cook for a party on Saturday. I think I will survive. 🙂
Enjoy the evening and keep warm.
December 12, 2013 at 11:28 pm
Hi Caryn,
It was the Menorah on the coins which gave us the hint. Now I always look for it, and I know my sisters would notice the change.
My mother used to get an orange in her stockage but we never did.Tangerines were Thanksgiving for us. We used to eat them when we watched the parade.
I completed today’s list. I expected firework. Seven errands-check; finish wrapping Colorado gifts-check; add a few more decorations-check. This has been my most successfully day so far. I want to run up the Philadelphia Museum of art steps and raise my arms in triumph when I reach the top.
Tomorrow’s list is small: UPS to send the gifts, make fudge for my sister and get as much decorating done as I can. Christmas is moving along!
I too still have cards to write and send and my sister’s stuff to wrap but I can do that Saturday as I won’t see her until Sunday if I don’t get snowed out. I’d hate it missing my play and dinner.
You stay warm too.