It's Snowing and it's Christmas

Just a short note to my family and everyone. I know that this is that magical season where there are the smells, the lights, the music,and everybody is in a holiday mood. This is a special time to remember and reflect on all of the Christmas' past. My brother Steve and I have been reflecting on our earlier years and when the snow was really deep and we would cut down our Christmas tree. One year Steve and I decided that we were going to hike up the hills behind us and find the best tree in the world so we hiked and hiked until we found the perfect tree, only it was the top of a very tall tree (as I remember). Steve climbed the tree and with his small hatchet he chopped the top of the tree then when he climbed down the two of us dragged the tree all the way home and when we got home the tree had lost most of it's needles. It was a very rugged area and the poor tree was almost naked kind of like Charlie Brown's tree. Mom met us as we came straggling in and she told us it was the most beautiful tree she had ever seen so we proceeded to put the tree up and we had 7 very special lights and they went on the tree. It was truly magical because of the sparkling frost and the feeling we had - IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE. On Christmas Eve all of our friends gathered at our house and we sang Christmas Carols and then dad would tell us a story about "Woolly and Flossy" they were two very mischievous bear cubs. This was a story that went on for years and of course dad would make it up as he would go. Each year this was the highlight of our Christmas Eve. Santa Clause was a very special person who magically would find us and leave our Christmas gifts. One year we received Ice Skates that were too big but it was so that we could grow into them. I had to stuff old socks in the toes so they weren't too loose. We would go up to the lake and it was frozen over so we could skate. We also had a pond that would freeze over and we could skate on it. This pond was safer but we loved the thrill of going to the lake because there were spots on it that were really thin and we would dare each other to skate over these thin spots and hope the ice would hold up while we were on the spots. This was my Christmas as I remember it. It was a very simple Christmas but we believed in Santa Clause until we were at an age where we should give it up but it was so magical.

I loved that magical time of year. There are certain smells and certain Christmas songs that take me back in time and a wonderful memory.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU
Love ya from
GRANDMA AND GRANDPA HAND