“Memories and magic is what Christmas is all about.”
First up, I apologize for yesterday. The time got way from me. I woke up late and had to leave shortly thereafter for my concert. By the time I got home, I was tired enough to need a nap.
Today I have another concert, but this time I am up early. The concert is at the Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans. From where we play, everything I can see is chocolate. It is a scene from a dream!
Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining in a blue sky without a single cloud. The air is calm. It is in the 40’s, another warm winter’s day.
When I was a kid, we used to get small decorated cardboard boxes with hard Christmas candy inside. The boxes had different scenes. I remember one box with wise men, ladened down with gifts, riding camels. The strap was white. The candy inside always stuck together. I remember I used to bite it apart. My favorites were green, the spearmint, and red, the peppermint. Ribbon candy was also a favorite. It is a pretty candy with stripes of different colors, but it too was usually stuck together in the box. I liked the thin ribbon candy best.
My brother and I used to walk to church together on Christmas morning. My parents always went to midnight mass. We went to the earliest mass we could to get it over with. We hated leaving all our new toys. The earliest mass was around six. We were the only ones walking, and we saw no cars. Some houses had lights. We could see lit Christmas trees through the windows. The mass was quick, no sermon. It was worth the cold, dark walk.
On Christmas morning, my parents were tired. My father would have his coffee and newspaper. My mother would sit on the couch and watch us. I remember showing her what Santa had brought, and she seemed surprised. We never had a formal breakfast. We were too busy to eat, but not too busy to eat some of the chocolate from our stockings.
Every Christmas Day, in the afternoon, we went to East Boston to my grandparent’s house. The house was filled with relatives. My mother was one of eight kids and all but two had kids of their own. My grandparents had gifts for every one of us. They also gave each of us one of those boxes of hard candies.
I have so many memories of Christmas.
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December 16, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Hi Kat,
Yesterday, we only received about a half of an inch of rain. Today is sunny and bright with a chilly high of 59°.
How is your recuperation from the fall going? There’s nothing better than the memories of holiday seasons past. I remember opening presents and eating lots of chocolate coins wrapped in silver or gold foil on Chanukah. I was never a fan of mint sucking candy such as candy canes. Neither spearmint nor peppermint are favorites nor even second choices. Unfortunately, I have never heard of ribbon candy, Although, New York City and Boston are only a couple of hundred miles apart, they have slightly different variations on the types and names of similar foods. We’ve discussed the differences between a frap and a sundae.
There’s only a little more than a week remaining in the Christmas buying season and Joe Biden’s presidential campaign needs a boost from a good economic report. I’m amazed that his policies have reduced the inflation created by the pandemic without a recession. But, he’s not getting credit for it because Republicans keep telling people lies. I purchased gasoline yesterday and paid $2.29 a gallon. Trump said last week that gasoline was $5 to $8 a gallon. Why would people believe that lying S.O.B. 😦 Biden needs a headline reading, “Best economic holiday season in years”.
December 16, 2023 at 4:48 pm
Hi Bob,
We are due for rain sometime tomorrow into Monday. It will bring strong winds.
My face is just about back to normal. The thickest scabs fell off two days ago. Only a small piece of it remains. Under my nose is still a bit red, but all in all, I am almost completely back to pre-fall. My teeth hurt a little, but they are on the mend as well. My cold, though, is still lingering.
A frappe is the Massachusetts name for a milkshake everywhere else. If you order a milkshake here, it will not have ice cream. The joke is about the guy who complained his milkshake had no ice cream. The soda jerk told him if he wanted ice cream, he should have asked for a frappe. Ribbon candy is old-time candy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon_candy
Joe Biden does not promote himself and all he has done near enough. The economy is humming along and inflation is being kept down. Trump lies about everything, especially the amount he added to the national debt.
December 16, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Thanks for the link to ribbon candy. I learn something everyday. Thanks.
The other night I was speaking with a non work friend who told me he applied for Canadian citizenship. He said that his father was born in Canada and served in the Canadian military in WWII. I didn’t get an opportunity to ask him why, but I can guess he fears a second Trump presidency. Lucky guy.
December 17, 2023 at 12:03 am
My sister loves ribbon candy so I always get her some at Christmas.
There are a few hurdles, but my great-grandfather was born in Ireland so I can apply for Irish citizenship. One of the hurdles is I’d have to be in residence for a while. It might be worth it!
December 17, 2023 at 9:42 am
Obviously, I can always move to Israel. As long as the current government in Israel is in power, it might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. 🙂
December 17, 2023 at 3:42 pm
I totally understand about not moving to Israel now of all times.