I can remember nearly 1900 years. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
So, about 2 hours after my whining about not having Continuous Christmas Favorites(c) on the radio yet, electriclime sent me a text that they had started! It's nice to know that the Universe is paying attention to me. :P
So, I turned on the radio in my bedroom, and Shawn came up, and I left the TV off. We just lazed around between the kitchen, couch and computer, chatting and reading and relaxing. All the while, I was humming along with the Christmas music. It was soooo nice.
At this age, I figure I have probably about 20 years worth of memories of Christmases Past. The most memorable I felt like jotting down here. Little snippets of Ashley-Past for you all.
* My earliest Christmas memory is of going to the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club for their annual family holiday party. We did this several years in a row, and I generally wore a variation on a beruffled and beribboned red velvet dress with white tights and shiny black patent leather mary-janes. We had a Santa, to sit on his lap, and the run of the bridge room and other nearby rooms. There was coloring books and cookies, games and general running amok.
* After we stopped going to the Country Club, we started a new tradition with my sister's (eventual) in-laws. They hosted a Christmas Eve party every year, with potlucked foods and a relative who dressed up as Santa and was provided with gifts to hand out to everyone, young and old. The kids were delighted with this first gift of the holiday to open, and the adults got teased by a very naughty Santa indeed (especially since they all knew who was hiding behind the beard and belly). I usually had to leave a little early, as I had been asked to provide special music for the 11pm Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve at our church (back when I was a good little Christian). The year that my nephew, Gabriel was born (this was ELEVEN years ago, mind you), I was holding him in my arms and my sister mixed me up a spiked eggnog. My mom just *looked* at her and said "she has to play tonight!" and Michelle said "oh, I'm just getting her fingers loosened up!" Way to get liquored up whilst holding an infant AND before performing. That's how my sister likes to roll, yo (and why I'm going down there for Thanksgiving).
* And that one brings me to more memories of playing at church. For several years in a row, I was playing piano either right before or in the middle of the service. My traditional song was "What Child Is This?", which in hindsight is explained by my propensity for Renaissance music (the tune is the same as "Greensleeves" from the mid-15th century). I had some really gorgeous renditions of the song, although I played others occaisionally too - "O Holy Night" and "The Ukrainian Bell Carol" come to mind. I've still gone to the Candlelight Service in recent years, simply because it's very pretty and the effect of all of the lights off and all the attendees holding their glowing candles has a universal meaning of celebrating the return of light of the world, whether you believe in Sol Invictus or Baby Jesus.
* My most recent tradition is of celebrating the Winter Solstice with Gretchen and Eric, and for the last 2 years, Shawn. We usually alternate who hosts the meal, and it's done up nicely with good food and a present exchange. Last year, Shawn and I drove up from SeaTac to Ballard in my little car through one of the worst snowstorms of the year - damnit, when I say I'm going to be someplace, I will be there. Granted, it took an hour each way of crawling along, but we made it. Shawn was so funny, standing at Gretchen & Eric's sliding glass doors and saying, "wow, look at it come down! Look at all that snow!" For several hours, mind you. I'm looking forward to hosting this year's gathering in my beautiful new apartment and whipping up a feast in my lovely big kitchen!
* My mom's Christmas Cookies are epic, and not confined to any particular year. She does these every year, with very very few exceptions. Goodness, the woman just had surgery for a trigger thumb, and she got started baking early just so we wouldn't be disappointed!! That's love, dudes. The cookies are sacrosanct and not to be eaten (DEVOURED) until given permission... but if you know how to sneak a few here and there without making it obvious, you can get an early taste. Mom usually makes about 2 dozen different types, and a few batches of each type. She ends up with enough cookies to put 2-4 of each type on a platter for parties, gifts, sent to her kids and to have on the actual day. She also ends up with enough to last through January.
* A few years ago, my nephew from Spain came to visit. They hardly EVER get snow in this area of Spain (right on the Mediterranean), so he got to experience a full-on American Christmas holiday, and we got to watch him enjoy it. He loved every minute of it - sledding and ice-skating for the first time, making a snowman, all that fun cold-weather stuff. And on Christmas Eve, we prevailed on a family friend to dress up as Santa and show up to hand out gifts (similar to my sister's in-laws, who by this point were unable to host such a tremendous gathering). Timmy's eyes were big as plates and positively shone as he said "He really DOES exist!" They don't have Santa in Spain, not like we do here, so it was a truly magical time to see a child made so very happy.
What are your favorite holiday memories, Friends? Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but this is what's been on my mind, so I shared.
So, I turned on the radio in my bedroom, and Shawn came up, and I left the TV off. We just lazed around between the kitchen, couch and computer, chatting and reading and relaxing. All the while, I was humming along with the Christmas music. It was soooo nice.
At this age, I figure I have probably about 20 years worth of memories of Christmases Past. The most memorable I felt like jotting down here. Little snippets of Ashley-Past for you all.
* My earliest Christmas memory is of going to the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club for their annual family holiday party. We did this several years in a row, and I generally wore a variation on a beruffled and beribboned red velvet dress with white tights and shiny black patent leather mary-janes. We had a Santa, to sit on his lap, and the run of the bridge room and other nearby rooms. There was coloring books and cookies, games and general running amok.
* After we stopped going to the Country Club, we started a new tradition with my sister's (eventual) in-laws. They hosted a Christmas Eve party every year, with potlucked foods and a relative who dressed up as Santa and was provided with gifts to hand out to everyone, young and old. The kids were delighted with this first gift of the holiday to open, and the adults got teased by a very naughty Santa indeed (especially since they all knew who was hiding behind the beard and belly). I usually had to leave a little early, as I had been asked to provide special music for the 11pm Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve at our church (back when I was a good little Christian). The year that my nephew, Gabriel was born (this was ELEVEN years ago, mind you), I was holding him in my arms and my sister mixed me up a spiked eggnog. My mom just *looked* at her and said "she has to play tonight!" and Michelle said "oh, I'm just getting her fingers loosened up!" Way to get liquored up whilst holding an infant AND before performing. That's how my sister likes to roll, yo (and why I'm going down there for Thanksgiving).
* And that one brings me to more memories of playing at church. For several years in a row, I was playing piano either right before or in the middle of the service. My traditional song was "What Child Is This?", which in hindsight is explained by my propensity for Renaissance music (the tune is the same as "Greensleeves" from the mid-15th century). I had some really gorgeous renditions of the song, although I played others occaisionally too - "O Holy Night" and "The Ukrainian Bell Carol" come to mind. I've still gone to the Candlelight Service in recent years, simply because it's very pretty and the effect of all of the lights off and all the attendees holding their glowing candles has a universal meaning of celebrating the return of light of the world, whether you believe in Sol Invictus or Baby Jesus.
* My most recent tradition is of celebrating the Winter Solstice with Gretchen and Eric, and for the last 2 years, Shawn. We usually alternate who hosts the meal, and it's done up nicely with good food and a present exchange. Last year, Shawn and I drove up from SeaTac to Ballard in my little car through one of the worst snowstorms of the year - damnit, when I say I'm going to be someplace, I will be there. Granted, it took an hour each way of crawling along, but we made it. Shawn was so funny, standing at Gretchen & Eric's sliding glass doors and saying, "wow, look at it come down! Look at all that snow!" For several hours, mind you. I'm looking forward to hosting this year's gathering in my beautiful new apartment and whipping up a feast in my lovely big kitchen!
* My mom's Christmas Cookies are epic, and not confined to any particular year. She does these every year, with very very few exceptions. Goodness, the woman just had surgery for a trigger thumb, and she got started baking early just so we wouldn't be disappointed!! That's love, dudes. The cookies are sacrosanct and not to be eaten (DEVOURED) until given permission... but if you know how to sneak a few here and there without making it obvious, you can get an early taste. Mom usually makes about 2 dozen different types, and a few batches of each type. She ends up with enough cookies to put 2-4 of each type on a platter for parties, gifts, sent to her kids and to have on the actual day. She also ends up with enough to last through January.
* A few years ago, my nephew from Spain came to visit. They hardly EVER get snow in this area of Spain (right on the Mediterranean), so he got to experience a full-on American Christmas holiday, and we got to watch him enjoy it. He loved every minute of it - sledding and ice-skating for the first time, making a snowman, all that fun cold-weather stuff. And on Christmas Eve, we prevailed on a family friend to dress up as Santa and show up to hand out gifts (similar to my sister's in-laws, who by this point were unable to host such a tremendous gathering). Timmy's eyes were big as plates and positively shone as he said "He really DOES exist!" They don't have Santa in Spain, not like we do here, so it was a truly magical time to see a child made so very happy.
What are your favorite holiday memories, Friends? Yes, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but this is what's been on my mind, so I shared.