Here it is Sunday evening. I spent a few hours today on the El Tigre site on MyFamily.com.....even used it to see that my brother was onsite and called him to tell him that I was adding my two cents to the site. He had been after me to add my memories to all the rest. This is the last Sunday before Christmas 2008. This year has flown by. We have had our ups and downs in the family, but with God's help we have made it through another year.
2008 - makes me feel old for some reason. I have been thinking of so many Christmases past. Those that I celebrated in Iowa, those that I celebrated in California and finally those that I celebrated in Maryland. Each and everyone was different, but there is one tradition that I have carried through all the ones that I can remember. Oyster stew. Christmas Eve is not Christmas Eve without oyster stew. It all started when I was very small - we spent Christmas Eve with the Sievert side of the family. We would all meet at Grandpa and Grandma's house after going to church. There was all sorts of food to eat (oyster stew being the one thing that was the same every year) and "kickapoo joy juice" to drink. The stew I can make - the "kickapoo joy juice" is something else again. I have no idea exactly what my grandma did to make it but it was good. The secret died with my grandmother.
Once again we have dodged a big weather bullet - I really don't think that there is going to be a white Christmas even though foul weather is predicted. It is, however, very windy and quite cold outside. My wind chimes are playing music like crazy - I so love to listen to them.
So far I have managed to mail my gifts to the family contingent in California and to my other out-of-state friends. I have typed up the major portion of my Christmas letter and delivered it via electronic mail. I have a few to add info to and then put them in "snail mail". Should be at their destinations by Christmas. Then I have the family gifts to wrap and put under the tree. I will be done before Christmas this year. This in itself is a miracle for me.
The tree has been up since the early part of December. We wanted to have Terry's help putting it up so we had to get it done before he had knee surgery on December 11. He goes back to work tomorrow and as much as he grouses about his job I think that he is glad to be going back. The doctor had to remove floating pieces of cartilege etc. to help his knee to work better.
Hope that everyone has a happy holiday season - may the new year be a blessed and prosperous one.
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