Seven Christmasy Things
Damama tagged me for a meme so long ago that I think she even forgot that I’d do it - but no! I’ve not forgotten! I don’t mind telling you seven personal, very weird things about myself. But because of the snowstorm here in Chicagoland and my desire to be a rebel in all things, I’ve decided to make them Christmasy things. Ready?
1. When I was a kid, my mom took tree tinseling very seriously. None of the rest of us were allowed to put tinsel on the tree because we did not place one careful strand on each and every pine needle. It took her hours.
One Christmas when I was a teenager, she and I got into an argument about chores. She banished me to the living room to vacuum the carpet. Instead, I vacuumed all the tinsel off one side of the tree. Then she caught me.
2. The second best gift I’ve ever received actually wasn’t a Christmas present. It was a bottle of luxurious passion fruit body lotion that a co-worker gave me as a baby shower gift. Why was it so memorable? We were terribly, grindingly dirt poor and that gift was the one thing that reminded me I was still a woman. Still brings tears to my eyes to think of it.
3. The worst gift I ever gave someone was during the period mentioned above. I gave my sister and her boyfriend a TV that only needed a picture tube in order to work. At the time, being a silly twenty-year-old, I imagined that I was giving her a real TV! That only needed some minor work! But in retrospect I realize, no, I gave someone a broken TV. That’s pretty lame.
4. When I was a very small child celebrating Christmas at my Grandpa RB’s house, my older sister convinced me to sneak downstairs with her to see if Santa was real. Everyone was asleep. We actually saw some man down there by the Christmas tree and he did not look like our Grandpa (who was distinctly un-Santalike) or anyone else we knew. We ran right back up the stairs and I don’t think we ever asked anyone about it.
5. My worst Christmas ever was about ten years ago when I was a single mom. My girls were spending the day with their dad and I lived to far from my family to travel there. I invited my recently-divorced friend to spend the day with me and we went to the movies and ate Kung Pao Chicken at our favorite Chinese restaurant. When she went home, I spent the evening in internet chat rooms just looking for someone to talk to. The next year, my friend Natasha gave me a blown glass ornament shaped like a red pepper to remember our Christmas by.
6. My favorite Christmas memory is of the Christmas Eve services at our church. I’ve felt so much peace in singing “Silent Night” with all my friends and my daughters, lighting one candle from another, and looking out into the cold, dark night with our little lights.
7. I received my best Christmas present ever before Christmas Day, December 20, 2004, when Big Guy asked me to marry him. In the Renaissance Gallery of the Art Institute of Chicago. In Italian.
Since I didn’t know any Italian, I just stared kind of blankly at him until he offered to translate, and then got down on one knee. And BG says I took a very long time to answer him.
I’m going back over to Damama’s to tell her I’ve kept my promise and wrote my meme. Want to join in the fun? Please either post a Christmasy meme on your site or respond to these 7 items in my comments. I look forward to hearing from you!
Published by angelawd on December 5th, 2007 tagged Joyful living, Time Plus Tragedy Equals...
December 5th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Reading this reminds me of two things:
1.) I never answered your meme challenge a month or so ago. Bad web friend.
2.) I haven’t even thought about when we’re going to decorate our home for the holidays. Do you think a red ribbon around the door knob will be enough?
I am so happy to hear that your daughter’s tummy troubles are not as bad as they could be. We have a long history of ulcers in our family, so I know that is no fun at all. I hope that all turns out well in the end.
Do you still hang your red pepper ornament?
Holy cow - in Italian? That is pretty rockin’! He must be a romantic fellow. I made Daddyman ask me three times - I am often accused of hearing only what I want to hear. I just had to make certain I heard what he was really asking.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Ahna, just go for the red ribbon. Who needs all that hassle?
I do still hang my red pepper ornament. It reminds me of how good my life is now. And that I miss my friend Natasha, who moved away.
Yeah, Big Guy is a true romantic. have you seen that commercial where the guy is painting the girl’s toenails, and then they say, “We can’t all be that guy”? He is that guy.
Good thing you made Daddyman clearly tell you what he was asking. Lord knows what you could have agreed to!
December 6th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Angelawd … did you just tell the whole e-world that I have painted your toes?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? geeezzzz …. How am I going to live that down in my Men’s Fraternity small group?
December 6th, 2007 at 10:59 am
LOL. I loved your worst gift idea! I know a certain Ex that I’d like to give that gift too. Also, I always hated that tinsel when I was a kid. I wish I would have thought about the vacuum cleaner trick.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Big Guy!! I was just talking about a commercial! You outed yourself!
December 6th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Josie, do you know that everytime I see a post from you I think of “Josie and the Pussycats”? Do you remember that cartoon or am I dating myself? I wanted to be Josie.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I am so jealous about your Big Guy. Does he have a brother?
Your “Santa sighting” story is actually a little creepy. I’d like to know who that guy was!
December 6th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I’m LOL thinking about you vacuuming tinsel off your mom’s tree. I was going to participate in your meme but I can’t think of anything near as funny as yours. I have a lot of good holicay memories, though. I feel sad for you and your worst Christmas ever. I’m glad to hear they got better! (Italian, wow!)
December 6th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Oh and Big Guy? You totally outed yourself. In a good way, though.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I think one of my best Christmases in recent memory is the one a few years ago when everyone came home for the few days and we all went outside to skate on the pond and make snowmen and have a snowball fight in the yard. Then we came in to have a big dinner and then played games in the living room afterwards. That was the best! I don’t even want to think about the worst any more.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Mom/Kathleen, that was such a great Christmas! Let’s do that again.