A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....12-16-02 Christmas Is...FReeper Memories

Various Freepers | WVNan; JustAmy; Pippin; Diver Dave; Aquamarine; ST.LOUIE1

[GailA]

My favorite memory of Christmas as a child was when my littlest sister and baby brother were both under 3. That was when the bulbs were those BIG ones that got hot. Mom put the Christmas tree in the playpen to keep it out of their reach. It was funny then as the memory is now.

[FreeTheHostages]

WvNan, my name's Nancy too! I like everything about my name except one thing: it's misleading. "Nancy" I always think of as someone who is demure and smeet. I'm sweet, if at all, in a more tomboy/firebrand way. Hmm, I think I should be more of a "Billie."

Inappropriate names can be fun. I named my 20-pound cat "kitty" with ironic humor. Even as a kitty, she behaved like an adult male tiger. So it was always a bit of a joke. Now she's a huge and aggressive thing. So just calling her "kitty" is funny.

Cats are great. All they want for Christmas are empty paper bags and those plastic twist-off things.

[Billie]

Also, I can't believe you would even bring up the Fashion Show thread. Since it were your minor contributions which prevented it from being perfect. :)

Well, that was last year; I hope you'll see I've learned from those mistakes when you see the thread I helped you with tomorrow. :)

[WVNan]

Wellllll....since I happen to love cats, I guess you're off the hook. I'm back to work now. Just dropped in for a minute.

[lodwick]

And you're beary, beary welcome. No matter what I'm searching for, it seems I always discover a bear or two.

[FreeTheHostages]

ROFL!

One Christmas, dad replayed a radio broadcast he had done years ago, when I was 4 and my sister was 6, of us being interviewed by him on his Christmas show.

He asked me what the house was like on Christmas eve. And I (apparently thinking of "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse"), mentioned that there were "stockings hung by the chimney with care" and there were also lots of "mouses."

My father says to me, with slight impatience, what else? And I say "rats"? And my father -- mind you, this is being broadcast all about -- says, no, other than that. How else is the house ready for Santa? And I say "mice"? And then, certain that this must be the key information my dad is prodding me for, I say with great certainty and cheerfulness: "There are lots of mouses and rats and mice!"

At which point my father clears his throat and turns to interview my sister, who is more helpful. :)

The interview ends with an entirely painful duet on clarinet and violin by two of my siblings.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Wellllll....since I happen to love cats, I guess you're off the hook.

Flattery does still work. LOL

See you later. : )

[WVNan]

Well, hi Nancy. How about that? I'm an incurable tomboy too. I was the child who followed my Dad and Grandad around all day bugging them with a milion questions about whatever it was they were doing. I learned how to do boy stuff. Carpentry, plowing, planting etc. I played with my brothers instead of my sisters. I could outrun, outclimb and outspit them all. Guess that's why I never have been much good with the Martha Stewart stuff.

[FreeTheHostages]

I was expecting one from 'you'. : )

Uh-uh. I believe that if one did a statistical study, you get more than your fair share of hugs here! And now that we have your jpg, we see why. ;) So I'll hug shy people instead. {{{{lodwick}}}}

[JulieRNR21]

I loved all your Christmas stories! Reading them has triggered cherished memories of past Christmases for me!

Louie....what a naughty boy.....poor Muggsy.....good thing that cats have nine lives....LOL

Here's a wonderful site to share with your family & friends:

http://home.austarnet.com.au/eebee/jacquielawson/xmas2001.htm

Special Thanks to Mama_Bear for this Christmas Georgio.....

[FreeTheHostages]

That's me! I was actually one of those Presidential Fitness kids in high school. Living on a big hill in Vermont and having to walk 1.5 miles to and from school, plus a long paper route on the hill, will do it for you.

I loved to fish too. And I loved pure math (went on to do it at Harvard, which greatly disturbed my dad, who basically is a little old-fashioned when it comes to women); I think I first started liking math only because it was a boy thing back then!! LOL.

But I *know* I started to love to fish because on vacations my dad wanted to fish just with his sons. So I practiced with the neighborhood kids and got good at it. I polished the most important fishing skill: luck. Even to this day, if I go deep sea fishing (which I rarely do, but whenever I do:) I catch a lot of fish. And that's totally luck.

But do you agree it's weird to grow up as a tomboy with the first name "Nancy"? I'm sure we all have more important things to think about, but it always felt a little incongruous to me . . . .

[FreeTheHostages]

Carpentry! See, I've never learned that but I have always really want to. I have many cousins in Vermont who are very good carpenters. I swear that my retirement will be all about carpentry.

I can use a chain saw and chop wood. Does that count?

[WVNan]

LOL. Yep, sound like me. I always fished and hunted small game. As a child I hated my name because the kids called me Nanny Goat. I would frequently get into fights over that, and come home with a shiner. Now I really do have to go. Later.

[ST.LOUIE1]

I was expecting one from 'you'. : )

Uh-uh. I believe that if one did a statistical study, you get more than your fair share of hugs here!
And now that we have your jpg, we see why. ;) So I'll hug shy people instead.

Well, ok. : )

[ru4liberty]

Good to see you too!

[FreeTheHostages]

hunted small game

I'm jealous! That I absolutely was not allowed to do. Which is a shame 'cause my family's Indian roots go back past the founding of the state of Vermont and little girls/young women in my land used to hunt small game too.

Vermont's deer-hunting culture is very inclusive of women, just my dad somehow thought women shouldn't hunt. Hunting: that's something else I'm going to do when I retire, or even before then.

[Mixer]

So yes, I say let's do a Dog a Day! I'd be happy to do the honors.

Awesome I look forward to dog number 9 tomorrow : )

[ST.LOUIE1]

Louie....what a naughty boy.....poor Muggsy.....good thing that cats have nine lives....LOL

LOL Hi, cutie!!!!

Here's a wonderful site to share with your family & friends:
http://home.austarnet.com.au/eebee/jacquielawson/xmas2001.htm

Bookmarked for later.

Guess my godson is getting lots of presents, right? : )

[Billie]

Thank you, Fine Sistah! Love the poinsettia swag! Pretty!

[Billie]

Well, after all, Free, remember who you're talking to. :)