Advent Calendar - Day 24 Christmas Eve

Advent Calendar - 24 December: Christmas Eve .. Oh the memories of Christmas past will be with me over the next days.

Christmas eve was always a time we spent with family as a child and continues to today. As a child we of course went to my grandparents house for dinner and gifts.

As a young married adult we would switch every year to one parents or the others.

Now that we are older and on our second marriages Christmas goes for several days or even a week or two a part. We need to spend time with this child or that child and scheduling it all around the weather and their jobs.

This year we will be at one of my son's house where my other son, grandchildren and even my ex husband and his wife will all meet.

Tomorrow we will be with my oldest step son's with his family. Next week it is off to see my youngest step son and family. That week is chosen because grandson Carter is in a hockey tournament and we can see him play as well as celebrating Christmas.

So with us Christmas eve is busy time and trying to work around every one's families and celebrating the time and our families. ... grace

Advent Calendar Day 22 Christmas and Deceased Relatives

Advent Calendar - Day 22 is about Christmas and deceased relatives.

As a young child we did not visit the cemetery at Christmas. Growing up in Minnesota the grave stones were covered deep with snow and some of the cemetery is even closed due to road conditions.

As an adult with my parents and grandparents gone Christmas is not the same with out them.

I have been spending time these last days going through boxes of pictures and scanning them to put on http://www.ancestry.com/ and attempting to put some organization to them. That has brought a lot of smiles to my face as I look at old pictures.

Recent finds

Great Grandma Mabel Coleman Hall mother of my grandmother Alta Hall Zion

My grandpa Perry Zion with his cart full of milk cans on the way to the barn. Grandpa passed away December 21, 1958

This is my great aunt Mary. Back of picture says second adult back row. Does not tell me left or right side. I am thinking left but who knows. Probably taken in Wisconsin. I need to date picture better so I have a better idea. Mary was born in 1866 -1934

Great uncle Russell Esler taken in Mora Minnesota. I love the hat

And last is my daddy taken in Texas late 1940's with one of his many cars. He loved his cars.

Some of these relatives I was lucky to meet and some left before I was born. I love these old photos.

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Advent Calendar Day 21 Christmas Music

Today the memories for Advent Calendar Day 21 is all about Christmas music.

1) What songs did your family listen to during Christmas?

Christmas songs as a child would of been " Joy To The World", "Silent Night", "Little Town of Bethlehem" for example.

2) Did you ever go caroling? I never went caroling but did sing in the Church choir and 9th grade choir

3) Did you have a favorite song? My favorite song was "Winter Wonderland" . As a teenager I loved Christmas songs sung by Elvis and to this day turn the radio up when Elvis is singing anything. And of course there is the old time classic of " Grandmother Got Ran Over By A Rain deer".

As I type this we are in the middle of a winter wonderland. It snowed last night big time in some areas of Duluth, Minnesota.

The school are closed in the area. Depends on where you live to how much snow you got. I am guessing we got 6 inches and other places in the area probably got 8 t0 10 inches of snow.

Advent Christmas Calendar Day 20 Religious Service

For day 20 of the Advent Calendar the question is ... Did your family attend religious services during the Christmas season? What were the customs and traditions involved?

Being that my father and uncle were ministers religion was a big part of our family. They both had other occupations to support the families but were also part time ministers.

My father had a small church for a few years and my uncle was the family minister for weddings and funerals. Some where I have a picture of my sister and cousin on the church stairs in our Spring coats.

At Christmas time we would have church services and Christmas programs. Wonderful memories of a close family all year long and even so at Christmas time.

Advent Calendar Day 19 Christmas Shopping

As I was growing up and into my early adult years, Christmas shopping was done some time during December. I do not remember any Black Friday or people lining up at the door for deals. And of course it was not left till Christmas eve.

By the time Christmas eve came gifts were bought, wrapped and placed under the tree. Time was spent at Christmas programs at school and church.

Christmas gifts were always done on a budget, you knew what you would save and money was hopefully put in a savings account every month.

Advent Calendar Day 18 Christmas Stocking

Today is the 18th day of the Advent Calendar and the posting is about Christmas stockings. As a child I probably had a Christmas stocking but the memory has faded. If I did it would of been filled with small gifts , maybe a toy and fruit.

As a young adult I embroidered stockings for my boys. A few years back I gave the stockings to my sons to have in their own homes. They were so pretty when new, but with time they show their age and have yellowed. I do remember having a great time making them.

Advent Calendar Day 17 Christmas Memories

Some of the best gifts are family heirlooms

Advent Calendar Day 17 Christmas Memories... During the last years my mother was with us every year she would give us gifts of her favorite treasures as Christmas gifts .
This is one of my favorites. It is a brooch that my mother bought as a gift for my grandmother Grace about 1942.
She gave me a note in her handwriting telling me that it cost her $12.00 which was a whole weeks wages and tips. She worked at the Asia Cafe, the same cafe my father went to and introduced himself to her after seeing her picture on my grandparents mantel.
I posted about this brooch before on December 10th 2009. It is one of my most priced possessions.

Advent Calender Day 14 Fruit Cake

Advent Calender Day 14 Fruit Cake .. oh the dreaded fruit cake. As a young girl there was always fruit cake on the dessert table. Some one in my family must of ate it, but I am not sure who. I did take a taste once years ago, no thank you on the fruit cake

My thought is if some one gives it to you, pass it off to some one else. A great regifting idea.

Hope everyone is doing good as Christmas gets closer and closer. i have to get out there and finish my shopping.. maybe tomorrow... Grace

Advent Calender Day 13 Holiday Travel

As children we never traveled at Christmas. Christmas was spent in Duluth Minnesota with my grandparents Day. My grandfather Perry lived in the state of Washington and would send a gift to us. Probably was his second wife who really sent the gift. Sadly I do not remember any of these gifts. I do have letters he wrote and mentions me and how he felt and that is the best gift possible. Will find those letters and share another time.

Advent Calendar Day 12 Charitable / Volunteer Work

Advent Christmas - Day 12 Charitable work is what is the memory for today. As a child I do not remember much other than putting money in the Salvation army bucket.

As an adult I have done some but not enough. Always give money to Salvation Army to help them. One year served dinner there with a girl friend. She was Jewish and I was newly divorced from hubby 1. Boys were with father so I went with her. Was a great experience.

In California worked with another friend filling bags of food for the needy. That was a good experience but not as much as when I worked with my friend Fern serving dinner.

Advent Christmas - Day 10 Christmas Gifts

Advent Christmas - Day 10 Christmas Gifts is what is the memory for today.

Christmas memories of my childhood are of a wonderful time. It was a busy time with getting ready for Church Christmas programs, decorating the Christmas tree and planning what we would buy as gifts.

It would start at Thanksgiving. As the grownups were in the dining room drinking their coffee my sister Mary, my cousin Bonnie and myself would sit in the kitchen trying to figure out what we would buy our Grandma and Grandpa Day. My cousin Cheryl was to little to sit in the discussion. I remember sitting in the kitchen looking around at all their belongings trying to figure out what they could use. The memory that brings me the greatest pleasure was the year we bought them a new canister set for their kitchen.

For these postings I am staying with my childhood and plan to print and give to children and grandchildren for them to read if they want to.
Times were different then from now. Money was tight and credit cards were not used. There was not a lot of presents but great thought and planning went into the gift. The money we spent was saved or probably given to us by our parents.

One Saturday we got on the bus and headed to Glass Block to find that canister set. The three of us were so proud and so excited to give it to them. The canisters were a beige and probably made out of plastic. They had little red figures on them.

We would give one present to them and another to my Aunt Daisy. Aunt Daisy usually got gloves or a sweater. One year we gave her a pair of sexy panties with red tassels. We thought this was so funny at that time. Giving our sweet maiden aunt something like this. Still makes me chuckle today. She just said " You naughty girls"

We would receive one present from the them. One year it was a doll, I think her name was LuAnne. I still have her. Her hair is a mess and her shoes are missing but I adore this wonderful doll. Another year it was a bride doll. I lost that one in a fire but found one at a toy show years later to replace her.

Advent Christmas - Day 8 Christmas Cookies

Advent Christmas - Day 8 Christmas Cookies is what is on my memory today. I am not sure who made the cookies. Grandma Day, Aunt Daisy, my Mama or Uncle Don & Aunt Lil. There was cookies, pretty little cookies. Sugar cookies with colored sprinkles and my favorite, little cookies with a chocolate kiss in the middle. Oh how I loved those pretty little cookies.

I have not had these cookies in years so searched on line and here is the recipe. Just may have to make my self some cookies this month.

Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookie Recipe
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (8 ounces) Crisco solid shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup (8 ounces) Peter Pan, Skippy or Jif peanut butter
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar for rolling (optional)
60-70 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
Directions: How to Make Hershey Kiss Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with vegetable shortening.
In a large bowl, blend flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.
Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat shortening and white and brown sugar on high together until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time beating after each one. Mix in milk and vanilla and scrape down sides of bowl. Add peanut butter and beat again, scraping one more time.
Turn mixer to low speed and add flour, salt and baking soda one cup at a time until the dough is mixed well and no dry spots remain. Give the bowl a final scrape.
With a cookie scoop or Tablespoon, measure out balls of dough, rolling in the optional sugar if desired.
Place peanut butter cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and firm around the edges. Don't over bake.
While the cookies are still on pans, and immediately out of the oven, place one unwrapped Hershey Kiss in the center, pressing the Kiss down just a little so that it gets stuck partially in the cookie. Don't press too hard!
Remove to wire racks and cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.
Makes 70 deliciously warm and chewy Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies!



The memories I am sharing are from my childhood. I plan to print and give to my sons and grandchildren to read if they ever want to.
thanks so much for stopping by.. hope that you come again soon.. Grace

Advent Calendar - December 6 Santa Claus

This Blog is pleased to join with other GeneaBloggers around the world in presenting this Advent Calendar over the next 24 days leading up to the Christmas celebration. There will be a different topic each day. I will attempt to post on each of the topics.

Did you ever send a letter to Santa? Did you ever visit Santa and “make a list?” Do you still believe in Santa Claus?

I am sure I wrote a letter to Santa as a child but that is the best I can do with this memory. As a child Santa Claus came to visit us at my Grandma and Grandpa Day's house on Christmas eve. A big jolly fella in his red suit, I thought he kinda resembled Vern from our church. But of course Vern resembled Santa all year round.

My sister reminded me that one year our cousin Bonnie told us there was no real Santa Claus. My sister says her heart was crushed. I knew Bonnie was lying and teasing us and I still believe that today.

Of course there is a Santa Claus and he lives in the heart of true believers all year round. I love this wonderful, generous Jolly Old Man. I even see him on the street waving to us as we drive by this time of the year. And of course I always wave back. You gotta love that guy.

I am doing these Christmas memories of my childhood only. I will print and give to my sons and grandchildren for them to read if they like someday.