How was your week besides rushed?
It's hard to believe how close it's getting to Christmas. The malls are full of people rushing to and fro, looking for things – they have no idea exactly what it is they are looking for, and under their breath are saying I wish this was over.
Do you remember how easy it was when you were young? The next most exciting thing to getting up and seeing what Santa left under the tree and if he ate his cookies was the night before, going to midnight mass at the church. I went to Holy Cross in Glace Bay. We could walk there – it was across the street and it always seemed on the way to mass it would start to snow a fine snow. You always had that feeling that God was there, letting us know by making it snow.
When you were really young you felt so important, to get dressed up in your new Christmas clothes and to be going somewhere so late. It seemed like the whole neighbourhood was there. When it was over you got to talk to all your friends on the way home or have a snowball fight until you were yelled at not to do that anymore. As soon as you got home you ran to get your new Christmas PJs on and hop in bed. Once we were in bed we tried to go to sleep as fast as we could.
Years ago my parents made sure that some families had toys and food to wake up to in the morning. Some people knew it was them and some didn't but to my parents it didn't matter. They didn't have a lot of Christmas charities in the 1960s, not like today. Name brand clothes were Levis red label, there was no such thing as an ‘in’ toy, maybe a $20 race car set or a Miss Beasley doll for $15. They were still just as hard to get. But if you didn't get it then that was OK, you would get another toy similar.
My favourite time was the turkey at nanny's house. I ate until I was stuffed and couldn't move. But it was worth that bloated and stuffed feeling.
I hope your memories of Christmas past are as great as mine are. I even loved the church bells for midnight mass ringing out the song of the bells.
I was more than lucky my birthday is Dec. 21. I never had a party, everyone was busy. Even my best friend, her little niece was born on that day, but she would come over after their party was over and we would go to town or to a dance at St. Ann's Centre. The funny thing is her sister who had the baby on my birthday, her name was Cathy also and it wasn't until years later that I found out Toot (Carol) had a daughter and we had both called our daughters Kerry. Toot has passed away some years. We still think of you and miss you.
Tip of the week: Play Santa, make a list and go over it to make sure you didn't miss any one. It's awful when that happens and you forgot someone.
I had chemo this week so that's over until the 3rd. Everything seems to be going OK.
I even had a surprised birthday party. Woohoo.
I'm going to Truro for Christmas. I'm hoping for turkey.
To all my reader and followers and everyone out there, have a very merry Christmas and God bless you.
Merry Christmas Debbie, have a great Christmas.
Happy birthday Geraldine, have a great day.
Happy holiday all.
Have a great week all – and don't eat too many chocolates.
Kathy Golemiec is undergoing cancer treatments and writes about her experiences each week.
