Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
I asked Mary to share one of her Christmas memories:
I lived in a small town called Medford, Oregon, with a population of 15,000. As you know, I was born into a low-middle-income family, and my foster parents tried to do the best they could. All the kids at school had bicycles except me, so I wanted to catch up to the Smiths and have a bike.
My parents saved and saved, and on Christmas morning, I got my wish. Santa Claus brought it in the Mayflower truck that my dad drove. The bike cost about $50, which is the equivalent of $500 today!
I received four speeding tickets in the first year!
I rode it all the time. My sister had the same one. Even Santa had a bike!
Santa could not catch up with me!
My mom always made a theme for the Christmas tree. One year, it had all gold ornaments, and the following year, blue, silver, or red. We put on the tinsel a strand at a time and took it off the same way so that it would be suitable for the following year.
Tinsel’s origins started in 17th-century Germany, made from real silver to reflect candlelight, a luxury for the wealthy, evolving to lead in the 1950s (now banned for toxicity) and eventually safe PVC plastic. The word comes from French for “sparkle,” and beyond trees, it once adorned prints, but its history includes fire hazards (aluminum tinsel) and a shift towards safer materials for holiday decor.
One year, we had the infamous aluminum tree with a color wheel. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love giving gifts, thinking all year about what would bring you joy. I would then hide it, and we are always lucky if I can find it again at Christmas.
Ratchet forward thirty years, I got Becky (my youngest child) a Beanie Baby calendar and didn’t find it until two years later; it was under her head.
Today is another busy time during this season. Joe and family are coming over around 11:30 to take us out for my Birthday dinner. We decided that Italian would satisfy everyone and that Renada’s, near the traffic circle, would be a good choice. Then in the evening, we are going to Campus Jax for a Christmas musical extravaganza with Bob and Donna!
Joe, Amy, and Alex came over around 11:30, so we could open presents, and Joe brought me a new air compressor; the old one blew its top! We spent an hour talking before departing for lunch at Renada’s!
What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.
Present exchange!
We had the perfect table at Renada’s, complete with a view of the street so we could hear and see the regular traffic, punctuated by ambulances, fire engines, and motorcycles.
What’s the most popular Christmas wine? “But I don’t like Brussels sprouts!”
We had a birthday lunch at Renadas near the traffic circle.
We missed Charlie, but at eighteen, girl friends take priority. We are not too old to understand teens!
Charlie was with his girlfriend!!
We returned home and had an hour nap before departing. We stopped by some friends to return a pair of sunglasses left at our house, then headed to Campus Jax for a Christmas celebration. We enjoyed Mark Woods and his group’s performance of Christmas favorites in a new style.
We were decorated for the evening!
We were dressed for the occasion.
I went for the spicy meatballs and lobster ravioli, which were quite spicy (Jack of Jax is from Louisiana, and the Cajun cooking followed him to Newport Beach!).
My pasta and meatballs were perfect.
The filet mignon was cooked perfectly, but it was coated in a Cajun spicy sauce. Mary saved the steak from drowning in the tangy sauce and managed to eat it without it.
Mary’s filet mignon was excellent, although she had to save it from the sauce!
We were lit up, with matching lights that blinked a secret message to the bartender.
All lit up!
The four of us really enjoyed the toe-tapping musical adventure!
Why does Scrooge love reindeer? Because every buck is deer to him.
Great fun with friends!
We headed for home around 10:30 pm and watched some TV before crashing.
I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas. She told me that nothing would make her happier than a diamond necklace. So I bought her nothing.
