Today I was making Date/Nut Rolls for my family for Christmas and it stirred up many memories. Mama used to make those after Ilease brought some for Christmas one year and the family loved them. Mine will not be as good as hers as I do not have the black walnuts that she used in her goodies and there is no substitute that works to have the flavor those walnuts gave. She used to sit by the fire in the evenings and pick out walnut goodies. I also recall in her later years she picked out and gave each of the ladies a quart jar of walnuts to use at Christmas. After she passed away Aunt Lila took on that task. I really miss having walnuts.
As we were coming home from Charlotte for the receiving of friends for Alice's mom, Jerry and I were recalling some Christmas memories at the home place. One of the highlights was the year we heard Santa's reindeer on the rooftop and then saw the colored lights of his sleigh going over the cornfield. This happened right after we got home from the Christmas Pageant at Marvin Church. To our delight, Santa had changed his route and came by the farm late on Christmas Eve so we did not have to wait until Christmas morning to see what he had brought us, however, it took a long time to get all the children settled down enough for bed that night as we were so excited.
I remember daddy taking us children down in the bottoms to find a cedar tree to be used for our Christmas tree. One year he took us up to Aunt Ida's farm where Anse and Ethel lived to pick out a tree. We took a long time looking at all the trees to find one shaped just right and the correct height. However when we got it home and in the living room it was usually too tall and daddy had to saw off some of the trunk. Then he nailed it to a board and that board was nailed to the floor, can you imagine that!! Later on we did get tree stands. We had some Christmas decorations that were saved from year to year and we would get to make some from colored construction paper made into chains to go on it. We saved the silver tinsel from year to year and put lots of that on the tree and it really shined in the glow of the kerosene lamps. Dorothy would take the left over branches and tie ribbons on them to make a wreath for the front double doors. I always thought those were so pretty. I also recall mama had several red tissue bells that opened up and we hung those at the windows.
I remember going shopping with daddy one year and he bought gifts for the ladies in the family; it was a pretty teapot and I recall seeing it in the homes of my sisters many years later. Another year it was a brown iron shaped set, I guess it was a sugar, salt and pepper set. One year he gave me a manger scene which I still have and get out every year at Christmas. The colors faded on it and a friend repainted it for me and it is still beautiful.
I remember mama and Vernie making the Applesauce cake with the Caramel Icing and the Blackberry Jam Cake with a white icing that had to be cooked just right. Those had to be made early so they could set and get moist. It sure was hard to walk by that China Cabinet in the dining room and see and smell those and yet not be able to have a slice. Later I remember mama and Teeny making them. I remember that daddy liked to have fried oysters on Christmas morning if you were able to get them. . The first year Larry and I were married he had Larry get some from Ray Link who ran the grocery store at Iron Station. He also liked Salt Fish and Larry got those for him from his Uncle Ray.
I remember daddy making his trips to Joe Mullen's and later to the Finger's store on the Maiden Road to get the candies for Christmas, the orange slices, the fatback pieces (coconut in colors of pink, brown and white)the coconut balls with icing of different colors and the hard candies. He also bought oranges, tangerines, apples and sometimes bananas and a variety of nuts. These items were stored and Locked in the spare bed room upstairs. Again, it was hard to walk by that room and smell that candy and fruit and not be able to have any until Christmas Eve. Daddy would fill Ken and Jerry's red milk wagon and pull it through the house and you could help yourself to the goodies. Sometimes we would have a large bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling and that was a special treat. Daddy only asked that we ate what we took of the goodies and not waste them.
The whole family used to come home for Christmas when I was a child. We would sleep sideways in the beds because that would allow more people and on pallets on the floor. Actually I don't think there was much sleep going on as soon as everyone got quiet; someone would giggle(usually Allen) and then the whole group would join in. I can still hear the older folks saying "If you don't go to sleep, Santa will not come". I would try so hard but there was so much excitement in the air it was almost impossible.
Christmas Day was a joyous occasion, all the good food, all the toys to play with and the whole family there!!! What more could you ask for.
Renee has a special request to make of each of you. She would love for you to send or email pictures that you may have of Chirstmas at the farm or any Christmas picture you would like to have posted on our family blog. She would also like for you to add comments relating to Christmas.
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