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

[Billie]

Christmas Is......

Christmas...
What is Christmas ...
Christmas is, Above All, Love ...
Christmas is Faith, Family, Friends ...
Christmas is Sharing, Giving Hugs, Laughing ...
Christmas is  Baking  Cookies,  Stringing  Popcorn ...
Christmas is Reviving Old Memories and Making New Ones ...

When I asked for help during the holidays with ideas and/or co-hosting a thread, many of you came through with offers of all kinds, for which we are very grateful.  We hope you have been enjoying the variety as much as Daisy, Dansy, Lori, and I have.  Today, some of our Finest Family share a few of their Christmas thoughts, memories, recipes, laughs..... ~ Billie

It's About Family by WVNan
This is a 'doctored' photo - Nan sent me a portrait
of Uncle John, to which I added hers.

She wrote back, "Thank you Billie. I love that picture.
Uncle will love it too. He loves for me to hug him.
Nobody else that I know of is allowed to hug him. ((((Hug))))"

Uncle John is one of those independent people that are indicative of the early settlers of West Virginia. He may have a grade school education, but he became a wealthy man simply by using his native ingenuity and his natural frugality. He probably never took a handout or even a hand-up from anyone in his life. In other words, he's proud.

During his recent stay in the hospital after a stroke he created something of a stir with his refusal of treatment. He got downright indignant when the nurse tried to bath him, making a fuss that could be heard over the phone when family called to check on him. He could be heard protesting, "Why are you giving me a bath? I don't need no d**m bath."

Happy to say that Uncle John is home and doing fair for someone who has had a stroke and is 93 years old. His unsinkable spirit is intact. ~ Nan

Family Traditions by JustAmy

Growing up during the 40’s and 50’s was a wonderful time for family get-togethers at Grandmother’s house. After my Grandmother died, family traditions changed. Each of my aunts started building her own family traditions.

For the past fifty-five years, my Mother’s house was the place for a new generation to build wonderful memories of the holidays at Grandma’s house.

With the passing of my Mother this year, there seems to be an empty place in our hearts and homes. A family gathering of three, my husband, my son and myself, hardly seems to be a base for a new holiday tradition.

Four months ago, I started helping out with the babysitting of a grand niece (she was three December 7th). My life has changed!! Instead of spending time in the electronic and home improvement stores, I now find myself in toy stores and the toddler section of the department stores.

After hosting our family Thanksgiving dinner, I will now plan an open house on Christmas day for nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. My wish is for the youngest generation to have memories of spending time with family at Aunt Amy’s house. ~ Amy

A Christmas Memory by Marie Shelton (Pippin)

It was the first year I was in my new apartment, and I had just started out as a Liturgical Minister at the Catholic Church I attend in my town of Glen Burnie, Maryland. That year, 1996, was a year of transitions much like this year is. Our regular pastor was on a sabbatical, so we had another priest standing in for him. This was also the first year I can remember actually having a white Christmas!

I remember waking up on the morning of Dec. 24th to see the snow falling gently on everything and giving everything it touched a special, magical look. I was scheduled to read at the 4:00 Mass that evening at the Christmas Eve Mass. So I put on my boots and bundled up because it was really cold, if my memory serves me right and I walked to the church, which was within walking distance from my apartment. I got there early so I could familiarize myself with that evening’s readings. I enjoy reading the Word of God and I wanted to do the best I could with it.

FR. John, the priest who was celebrating the mass was there as was Anita, the liturgical coordinator/sacristan. We stood in the sacristy and talked and joked a little. Fr. John wanted to process up the aisle but there were so many people coming to church that evening that they were lined up at the side aisles and crowded at the back of our tiny church. Fr. John wanted to know if we could go around the church to the main doors. He wondered if Anita and I could stand a few moments of cold air as we had our coats off. I had piped up earlier that I was part Canadian, so Father John said since you are Canadian, I guess you can stand the cold!

We went out and around the church to the main doors. Fr. John was in a Christmas mood so he went up and knocked on the door; the usher by the door turned around, and Fr. John asked with tongue-in-cheek if we could come in!

We processed in and the Mass started. Anita had to be the altar server, as we had no one to serve. It was a beautiful service and the church was decorated up so wonderfully! It felt like Christmas, especially with the snow coming down. This to me was the most special time and everything went along so well. There were carols and religious hymns sung; the congregation and the choir blending their voices together sounded like angels singing to almighty GOD.

After Communion, Fr. John had a small tape player that he turned on and we listened to the “Ave Maria” being sung in Latin. It was beautiful and I had tears of joy running down my face. It was a glorious and magical Christmas Eve!

I hope everyone reading this has a safe and merry Christmas and a blessed New Year as well! ~ Pippin

A Memory of Christmases Past by DiverDave

There are several memorable Christmases to chose from and it was tough to pick just one. I scanned my memory from childhood to the present and I think I’ll share about Christmas 1965.

Mrs. DD (Linda) and I were married in June. Three short months later my ship, the USS PIEDMONT (AD-17) deployed for a 6 month cruise to the western Pacific (WESTPAC). We were to spend our first Christmas separated from one another.

Our ship’s crossing of the Pacific took 19 days and we pulled into Yokosuka, Japan and later to sailed to Subic Bay, Philipines and set up repair operations to ships serving in the Seventh Fleet. I was working in the Pipe Shop at the time as a 3rd Class Shipfitter P.

As the holiday season approached, one of my shipmates got the idea of making some sort of Christmas decoration for our shop. That in turn, prompted the other shops to do likewise. The theme was Christmas, and each participating shop produced a decoration which corresponded with the work carried out by each individual shop.

For us in the Pipe Shop, we took a length of 3" black steel pipe, put it in the pipe bender and bent it 180 degrees. We welded it to the deck of the shop and then went to the paint locker to get some paint. In no time at all, we had a giant 7 1/2 foot white with red striped candy cane. We then welded a piece of flat plate to the side with the words, "Season’s Greetings from Shop 56A.

The Sheetmetal Shop cut out large stars, bells, bows, etc and hung them from the overhead in their shop.

The Shipfitter Shop cut up strips of aluminum plate and welded them to a 1" pipe and formed a Christmas tree. They got cotton balls from Sick Bay and glued them to the branches.

The guys in the Machine Shop somehow got ahold of a small fir tree. They placed it on the deck just outside the door leading to the Mess Decks. The decorations were all the curled shavings that had been produced on the metal lathes. Looked pretty good with brass, steel, and copper curly ribbons adorning the tree.

As sailors will be sailors, a couple of guys came back from liberty in the late hours having consumed a few too many San Miguel’s. They decided to knock down our candy cane and take it to their lead Petty Officer’s bunk.

We recovered the candy cane and re-welded it to the deck in our shop the following morning.

That evening, once again too much San Magoo effected normally bright minds and the candy cane was once again stolen.

This time it found it’s way up to Officer’s Country and was placed on one of the dining tables in the Ward Room. Sadly, some dishes got broken by the bumbling burglars and the light-hearted hi-jinx became a serious problem.

The candy cane’s crooked end was cut off, the sign removed and the remaining piece of 3" pipe was place in the pipe rack to be used later on a job order from the fleet..

Somewhere, floating around in one of the Tin Cans of the Seventh Fleet is a section of steel pipe with candy cane stripes.

My time in the Pipe Shop lasted through the month of December and then I went TAD to Diving School for the duration of my second WESTPAC tour and then took up residence in the Diving Locker for the balance of my enlistment and one more WESTPAC cruise in ’67. Dave

From My Kitchen With Love by Aquamarine

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
2 sticks margarine softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups sifted self rising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup or 8 oz container sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour bunt pan. Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla, sift flour, mix soda in, add to creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream and milk. Mix well after each addition, then spoon half of batter into pan.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle over the mixture. Spoon remaing batter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, turn out on plate.

Cornbread Dressing with Bacon and Pecans
1 pan of 9x9 cornbread
6 bacon slices
4 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cups torn day old bread (6 slices)
2/3 chopped pecans, toasted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 to 4 cups chicken broth

Prepare cornbread; cool and crumble. Set aside. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute celery and onionin bacon drippings in skillet 10 minutes or until tender.

Combine crumbled cornbread, bacon, sauteed onion mixture, bread and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Spoon dressing into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden. Yield: 10 servings.

Note: If you like your dressing drier and crustier use 3 cups broth in the recipe. Use 4 cups for a moister dressing. ~ Aquamarine

Holiday Lighting Tips by ST.LOUIE1

One Christmas, when I was about nine, I put a string of Christmas lights on our cat Muggsy. I plugged her in to three long extension cords so she could move around. Then I put her in the back yard. When I set her down, she started jumping up and down trying to shake the lights loose.

I ran in the house and told Mom and Dad to hurry and get to the window, that something wild was out back. My Mom looked out and said..."Oh, my God!", and nearly fainted. She thought I had electrocuted Muggsy. My Dad was laughing so hard he nearly choked. He stopped laughing when Mom told him...."If Muggsy dies, so will you and Tony!". I stopped laughing in a hurry and ran to unplug Muggsy.

When Mom's Irish temper flared - it was time to get thee away! Muggs was fine, no harm done....that's why I'm still alive and able to partake in Billie's 'Christmas Memories'. : ) ~ Louie

Bring A Stray...
..Into Your Heart & Home!

THE WEEKEND THREAD 12-14,15-02 Week in Review

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[WVNan]

That would be a good idea if he was able to get out of the house, but unfortunately he is confined. He can't walk much and stays in bed most of the time. That's what makes it so difficult.

[daisyscarlett]

I love your special story of Uncle John. You are blessed to have him in your family as he is blessed to have you....I am sure he knows this, why else would you be the only one to give him HUGS....Thanks Nan, and

Merry Christmas! DaisyScarlett

[Mixer]

Last week I forgot about two "FReeper Anniversaries" Sorry I am late with wishing Texaggie79 and Aeronaut a Happy Anniversary.

Hope everyone has enjoyed reading through the stories that are posted here today. I think they are all great and will read through them again as Christmas time draws nearer. I will also print them out and share one each with a different family member when we have them over for Christmas Eve.

Have a great Day Everyone

[FreeTheHostages]

Re your last jpg, I grew up in the same home town in Vermont and was friends with the person who does "House-Mouse" designs, Ellen Jareckie. She really did collect mice as pets when she was little. Great family. Her dad taught me U.S. history in high school. Her brother was an Olympian (biathalon). They had a pond where we ice-skated in the winter.

Vermont being a small town, rumor has it that my mom was courted by 2 gentlemen, my father and also Mr. Jareckie. That's pretty much an open secret! In fact, when my mom learned to drive in mid-life, dad was so ornery about her errors that she got even by firing him as driving instructor and hiring Mr. Jareckie! Hah hah. (It was all on the up-and-up.)

I often tease my mom, when dad does something ornery, that she should have married Mr. Jareckie and then I'd be a famouse mouse artist like Ellen!

(Ellen still draws mice and her House-Mouse design business is very successful. She also does animal rescue work. She still lives in Vermont. Her dad, Mr. Jareckie, is happily retired. All's well that ends well. He married a lovely, very cheerful woman appropriately named "Grace.")

[ladtx]

In memory of my fellow Vietnam helicopter pilots who were killed in that war the following were lost on DEC 16th. God bless them all.

1967 2LT Charles D. Kerr (USMCR) -- US Marine Corps, Age 21, Stamford, Connecticut
1967 WO1 Thomas R. King (USAR) -- 170 AHC, Age 19, Hyattsville, Maryland
1969 CW2 Oscar L. Brittenum Jr. (USAR) -- 336 AHC, Age 22, Chicago, Illinois
1969 WO1 Michael J. Drake (USAR) -- A/25 AVN 25 INF, Age 21, Royal Oak, Michigan
1969 WO1 Leonard J. Sugimoto (USAR) -- A/25 AVN 25 INF, Age 22, Gardena, California
1969 WO1 James E. Hayes (USAR) -- 235 AVN, Age 22, Miami, Florida
1969 CW2 Sven S. Mason (USAR) -- 235 AVN, Age 21, Littleton, Coloradoa
1970 WO1 Fred A. Williams (USAR) -- 358 AVN DET, Age 29, Roseboro, North Carolina
1970 CPT John J. Wilson (USAR) -- 101 ABN, Age 24, Davenport, Iowa

On a personal note: CW2 Oscar L. Brittenum was in my unit, the 336th Assault Helicopter Company. He was in our gun platoon, the "Thunderbirds" (T-birds as we called them), while I was in one of the slick platoons. He was a well-liked, personable, professional officer, and respected aviator. It was his memorial service that served as the inspiration for my poem, THE CHAPEL BELL'S LAST CLANG.

Excerpt from poem:

We’ve tasted it; we all know it, fear’s tang.
Bitter and sweet, that fruit of the battlefield.
We all wait for the chapel bell’s last clang.

For the crew we mourn, the chapel bell rang.
Taps in the darkness, no tear is concealed.
It’s night outside the chapel at Soc Trang.
We all wait for the chapel bell’s last clang

The memorial service bulletin for CW2 Brittenum.

Unit patch of the 336th Assault Helicopter Company, the unit in which I proudly served with CW2 Brittenum.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLADE

SCOUTS OUT!

[FreeTheHostages]

WvNan's Uncle John story rang true. I love those tough country people. They built America.

[WVNan]

Good morning daisy. This is going to be a great thread and I wish I could hang around all day. But I've got to get busy now. Hope to check back tonight. Have fun all.

[sweetliberty]

That reminded me of a story of a special Christmas. My grandma and I had been very close when I was growing up. Every year at Christmas she had the biggest and most lavishly decorated tree around and was a fantastic cook. We had lived far apart for a number of years. In 1984 she'd had a stroke around Thanksgiving. Beinig the independent woman that she was we knew she was having a terrible time being confined to the hospital but was not able to be at home, certainly not alone, so my husband (now ex), daughter (then 5) and I went to Virginia and sprung her from the hospital to take her home for Christmas.

Grandma hadn't even had a Christmas tree for probably close to 20 years nor had she had any children around at Christmas since I had grown up and moved away, so we wanted to make it really special for her. My husband and daughter went down in the woods out behind her house and cut a beautiful tree. We pulled out all her old Christmas decorations and made popcorn to string. She only had the use of one hand, but my daughter worked with her to string the popcorn. She and Dawn (my daughter) found equal delight in a musical Christmas card Grandma had received. On Christmas day Grandma sat in the kitchen coaching me on the finer points of baking a Christmas ham, and she never tired of watching out the window as Dawn pushed her new baby buggy and 2 new "babies" up and down the walkway.

In late January, Grandma had another massive stroke and passed away, but we all still cherish that Christmas as the best ever.

I hope that your plans for "Uncle" will be as richly rewarding as that Christmas with Grandma was for us.

[lodwick]

We cannot help feeling, with deep regret, the circle of our old friends gradually diminishing, while our ability to increase it by new ones is equally diminished; but perhaps it is a wise dispensation of Providence so to diminish our enjoyments in this world, that when our turn comes we may leave it without regret.

That is the worst part of life when its earlier path is trod. If my limbs get stiff, my walks are made shorter, and my rides slower; if my eyes fail me, I can use glasses and a large print: if I get a little deaf, I comfort myself that except in a few instances I shall be no great loser by missing one full half of what is spoken: but I feel the loneliness of age when my companions and friends are taken from me.

I found these thoughts of Watts and Sir Walter Scott interesting: they were found while searching for "old age" gifts.

What about planting Unk's favorite tree outside his bedroom window in his honor?

[jwfiv]

Not coal, but a flower...you referred to yourself in devilish fashion last week, it may have been on the Top Ten List thread...anyway, was saving that for the future, and , since the future never really gets here, I thought a Monday morning would be OK.

Take care of the sniffles, stay warm...)

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Billie.

[daisyscarlett]

I love it when you tell stories of your Navy days. This one demonstrates the wonderful spirit and ingenuity of Americans, especially those far away from home...I have a feeling the young folks serving today still have that spirit and ingenuity.

[WVNan]

Neet story FTH. I subscribe to the House Mouse catalog and buy from them from time to time. I have also had pet mice and love them. I think the House Mouse designs are the cutest things. I have a sweatshirt with the mouse and chickadee on a pine limb together. It's my favortie shirt. Later guys.

[sweetliberty]

Give him memories. At his age it is something he will be able to cherish in the present. Help him live the fullness of the moment reliving the best of the past.

[ST.LOUIE1]

Outstanding thread!!! One of your BEST!

Morning, BillieBlue. : )

You're the tops, babe! : )

[daisyscarlett]

Yikes, those recipes look yummy. I had forgotten what a great cook you are. Remember you shared a wonderful cake recipe last year at the Guild...it was easy to make, too. I would love to have some of that cornbread dressing. Pan cornbread dressing-if made right-nothing like it.

Is this a good place to plug our Special Holiday Music thread, one week from today, hostessed and created mainly by Aquamarine?

Have a great Christmas in those mountains of yours and keep an eye out for the big guy in red...

[Billie]

Some belated Happy FReeper Anniversary Wishes to you three! I missed the anniversaries on 'your days. : (

Happy Anniversary, RonDog, December 6th!

Happy Anniversary, Texaggie79, December 12th!

Happy Anniversary, Aeronaut, December 13th!

[Diver Dave]

Nothing like procrastination to get everything done

Need some help? I'm a journeyman procrastinator. I've got tons of references too.

[daisyscarlett]

Thank you for sharing that very special Christmas memory with us. I admire the work you do for your Faith.

This Christmas, another new apartment and new memories will be evoked and I hope you will continue to share your experiences with us...youwrite good...lol...

Merry Christmas! DaisyScarlett

[ST.LOUIE1]

St.Louie1, the mugsy story is so funny!

Thanks, Free. Muggsy lived to the ripe old age of eighteen. : )

I still miss her.

My cat Nancee was twenty when she went to kitty heaven. And no....I didn't 'light' her up.