ADSORB THE LOVE ….. from the Porch

On June 19, 1971, I married a man who I knew would be the perfect fit to my life — the kind of man who would appreciate me for just being me, who would support me even if he disagreed with me, who would be there when some of my ideas turned out to be not so good while others where just the bees knees.  I knew that with his value systems he would be an awesome Dad and a great partner for me — in spite of him being more of a “chrome and wingtips” guy compared to my “life is short, wear sequins” mentality — 🙂

When we were first married, Luscious and I lived in a one bedroom apartment — pretty routine, just like most of my friends as we started out making a difference in each other’s lives.  Our apartment was local and we had only planned to live there for about a year.  Our goal was to move forward in our new lives together and settle in to raise a family.

I began to think back on all of the places that I called “home” — not that there were so many.  I know people who have lived all over the world — but I have spent most of my life so far right in the Delaware Valley.  The first place that I remember anybody in my family calling “home” was in a little suburb of Philadelphia, Pa, called Stonehurst — in Upper  Darby Township, Delaware County.  I so totally do NOT remember living there but I think that my older brother, Bob, might remember.  From listening to the family chatter over the years, I learned that we were surrounded by row home after row home … but that we were a short ride on the 69th street EL to downtown Philadelphia.  When I got a bit older, I did a little research on my own and discovered that our neck of the woods was, at one time, inhabited by the Lenape Indians (and I just thought they were in New Jersey — apparently, they went to Jersey on “vacation” just like we did when we were kids …. so do you think that the Lenape went “downna shore”??).  And here’s something interesting about Upper Darby …. it was part of the Underground Railroad, which makes perfect sense since the entire area was settled by Quakers.  The area was rife with abolitionists who felt their beliefs so strongly that they even formed the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.

My first memory of what I would call “home” was our little row home on Lindenwood Street in Southwest Philadelphia. There I grew into being me along with my brothers, sister, Mom, Dad and my grandmother, Nana Blake.  It was where I shared so much joy, laughter, learning and loving … I was (am) one very blessed little girl.  The building that we called “home” is no longer there … most likely collapsed with the blight and neglect that followed the great exodus of the late 50’s of newly returned veterans from the War to End All Wars.  These young families worked their asses off — no hand-outs for these guys!! — so that their families could enjoy the fruits of those labors and share in the American Dream of owning a home of their own.  So we left Philly to travel across the great waters into New Jersey.  It is sad to think that my childhood home is gone.  I always imagined that the walls in that building absorbed so much of us … our love … our fears and tears …. our total caring for each other.  And I imagined that families who lived there after us felt that caring simply by leaning against a wall or touching the banister as the new children went “up the Golden stairs into Dreamland”. I learned to read and write there … learned to ride my bike, play jacks, jump rope there.  There was never a dull moment on our street as it was filled with families just like us … with tons of kids, shared toys, winter forts with snowball fights, summer water ice and the cooling spray from the fire hydrant.

In 1959, we moved from the only place I knew as “home” to a different — VERY different — home.  This one was brand- spanking new …. and the features were actually selected by my parents.  The big color scheme of the day was turquoise or pink or green or gold.  It was the 60’s baby … and the flashiness of that decade was reflected in the color schemes offered by Levitt and Sons in their newly built houses.  My parents choose the turquoise, which was fine with me since I’ve never run away from color — no “boring beige” for me ….LOL!!!!  Anyway, I remember our first night spent in the new “Carey Palace”.  There was a great deal of crying going on that I couldn’t understand.  I was 10 going on 11 and was so excited about this new adventure … new friends, new school — a whole new life outside of the city.  I think that I must have been the only family member NOT crying.  Sure, I knew that I’d miss my friends, but quite frankly, most of my classmates and neighbors were actually my aunts, uncles, and cousins!  That was city-living in our Irish/Catholic neighborhood and I would definitely be seeing them all again — and I was so right on that count — 🙂 To top this all off, I would finally be able to ride my bike without running into lamp posts or having to worry about my tires getting stuck in trolley tracks.  Even if you hear the clang-clang of the trolley bell, you just don’t have enough time to get those babies unstuck — so you just jump off and hope for the best!  Trust me, when a city trolley runs over your bike, there is no repairing the mangled mess that is left behind.

I adopted so well to my new home and I loved the freedom that the town offered us kids.  We didn’t have to worry about our kites getting caught in the overhead wires (or those pesky lamp posts) because all those thingys were underground.  We could go to the swimming pool EVERY day and not have to wait for the “boys day/girls day” stuff!  We still had to come back home when the street lights came on — no cell phones or pagers for us …. we were given our family rules (OK, you can call them “guidelines”) and my parents trusted us as well as the safety of the neighborhood to allow us this privilege.

It was an exciting time in my life way back then.  I was coming into my teenage years …. frightening and frustrating as they were …. but so were all my new friends.  We were all in the same boat as we shared “boy” stories, chatted about our first kiss, learned to dance so that we didn’t look too goofy.  I was introduced to nail polish (“not a color, Helen, but its OK to use silver”), makeup (“just a little blush, Helen”), Noxzema to wash my face and Ponds Cold Cream to keep it soft and youthful (I was 12!).  Oh, the stories that the walls of that home could tell!

During our many trips up and down the east coast, I spent a great deal of time gazing out the truck window and just taking in the sites — and yes — there is a great deal to see if you just “see”.  Anyway, I noticed along the roadsides many homes that are down and out on their luck.  But I can’t help but wonder as the passing breezes from the rush of traffic causes the shredded curtains to flutter and snap …. who lived there?  Was it a family like mine … lots of kids, laughter, tears, hopes and dreams?  Did they move away because the highway was coming too close?  Or did they fall on some sort of a financial misfortune which caused them to vacate?  When I see these homes, if reminds me of my first home on Lindenwood Street, now a vacant lot.  What happened there? Was its decline really due to the exodus of the late 50’s and early 60’s?  We will never really know for sure .. that’s a given .. but the memories from that home that I’ve carried throughout my life will never fall into ruin or crumble away in the dust of time.

Now, I have embarked on yet another adventure … this time very far away from the Delaware Valley up in the frozen tundra I call New Jersey .. and a bitter-sweet move this is.  After all, we will soon be in the same position that my parents were when they sold their home in Philly as we prepare to sell our home in Jersey.  It is the home where our sons were born, where we took them “down the Golden Hall” (no stairs in a rancher, right? — LOL!!) to tuck them into Dreamland.  We greeted each new day with them and smelled their sweet baby fragrance.  We taught them how to ride their bikes there, how to spell their very long last name, cheered for them at Little League games, wrestling tournaments and year-round soccer games (yep — even in that nasty cold white stuff, they played!). We shared the joys of their marriages there, the birth of their children, the paper-ripping fun of Christmas and the egg hunts of Easter (“How many eggs did you put out?”  “All of them”.  “All of them is not a number, babe!”.)  They learned which fork to use, experimented with cooking (both of our sons are GREAT cooks!), learned to swim in our back yard pool, made their own life-long friends …. the list of the joys, the sorrows, the totally complete human-ness of the years that we all shared together stretches back into a galaxy far-far away!   Our walls are thick with memories, the voices of laughing children, the sheer joy of family. Our sons have moved from their childhood home to their own now.  They are raising their children and the walls of their homes are absorbing their laughter now, their fun, their joys.  They are settled into their wonderful lives and are all very happy.  So we have  purchased a small condo in the Clearwater, FL, area and  we are also ready to enjoy this next phase of our lives.

One of the dreams that my Mom and Dad shared was to “retire to Florida” … an expression that I heard often them say to each other.  Sadly, my parents have gone onto that big “Del Boca Vista” in the sky …. but now Luscious and I have picked up their dream.  Our little condo has more than enough room for us and plenty of room for when our family and friends come to visit – just waiting to add to all the love and laughter that we’ve already plastered to our new walls — 🙂

 

CAROLING, CAROLING …. from the Porch

Can I tell you just how much I LOVE Christmas music?  It is the true “happy, happy  joy, joy” songs that make me feel so warm and cozy ….. like a bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.  What can be better than that?

I can’t even begin to think about my all time favorite Christmas song … there are so many that touch me in a variety of different ways.  Some are the classic hymns, the soul-stirring Christmas carol, or the just plain toe-tapping fun stuff.

Whenever I hear, “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, I get the feeling of warmth and home spread all over me.  Years ago, in another life where I had a job thingy, the company that I worked for held an annual Christmas dance.  It was a pretty exciting event to attend.  The committee who worked on the planning, staging, decorating, and organizing of this event usually went unsung (sadly).  But, ladies and gents from the past, if you are reading this, you have my utmost gratitude at providing a dinner, dance, and weekend that Luscious and I enjoyed on numerous occasions.  Anyway, during dinner there was plenty of background music being played that matched the Christmas festivities.  However, when “The Christmas Song” was played …. even if we weren’t finished eating our dinner …. Leo would always ask me to dance — 🙂  I discovered that this song was originally called “Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire”, changed to “Merry Christmas to You”, and finally “The Christmas Song”.  It was written in 1944 by Mel Torme (always referred to as The Velvet Fog).  He wrote it on a hot summer’s day while thinking cool thoughts …. and after 40 minutes, a song standard was born that still brings thoughts of Jack Frost, Yuletide carols, and Eskimos.  This easy, breezy song remains one of my all time favorites to this day — 🙂

My grandson, Bobby, has discovered just how much fun singing Christmas songs can be.  His Mommy tells me that every time they get into the car now, he settles himself and then says, “Turn on B101”.  Then, as each Christmas song is played, he belts out the lyrics …. a little off-tune … but with great gusto and a smile on his face.  I had the opportunity to listen to his “concert” the other evening and it just reinforced the spirit of Christmas … it’s all in the children — 🙂  When I was little, my Mom would take us “downtown” to do her Christmas shopping for the family.  I remember one time when we were on the “el” (an elevated train … and one of my Dad’s all-time favorite quips, “Noel, then take the bus”.)  At any rate, as we were riding along, I was listening to the clacking of the wheels on the tracks and it reminded me of a Christmas song that I sang often — “Up on the Housetop” …. reindeer paws and all.  Turns out that this catchy tune is a real oldie but goodie.  Penned in 1864 by Benjamin Hanby of Ohio, it has been record and recorded countless times by folks like Reba McEntire, The Jackson Five, and … my favorite .. Jimmy Buffett.

Speaking of Jimmy, he put out an awesome Christmas album a few years back which included a re-do of another classic, “Christmas Island”.  I was still working then and we were encouraged (not any more!) to decorate our team spaces for an annual contest.  One of those years, I had suggested that we use “Christmas Island” as our inspiration …. and everybody agreed.  So we had flowered leis all over our tree instead of garland.  There was a parrot perched on top instead of a star.  We used seashells, starfish, flamingoes .. all sorts of island stuff … and had the most uniquely decorated space ever.  On the day they came around to judge, we had all decided to dress the part with our flowered shirts, flip-flops and shades.  I even had the song ready to go on the radio that sat on my desk.  We were a huge hit, had lots of laughs — and won first prize — 🙂  As a side note, another song from this album is “Ho, Ho, Ho, and a Bottle Rum” — but that’s another story!

As a kid growing up in Southwest Philly, we spent many a shopping day “up the avenue”.  I can’t even remember a Christmas without snow during those years … and I am always reminded of this whenever I hear the song “Silver Bells”.  Hearing the snow crunch, seeing the kids bunch is forever a part of my life …. along with me holding my mittened hand in my Dad’s while we checked out Santa’s big scene.  My Mom even had paper mache silver bells as part of our Christmas decorations in our home … and that just reinforced my love of this magical song of my youth.

There are a few special songs that my Dad absolutely loved.  His favorite was “Away in the Manger”, but when he heard “The Little Drummer Boy” for the first time, he actually teared up.  I remember him saying to me, “Now that’s a gift from the heart from that little boy”.  That has stuck with me all these years … the simpliest of gifts straight from the heart means more to Baby Jesus than the gold, franchensense and myrhh from the Three Kings.  As for me, I have always LOVED having my family give me such perfect gifts … those that come straight from their hearts.  When they do, I am reminded again and again of that little boy, his gift, and the smile he received in return ….. ahhh, Christmas — 🙂

There are hundreds and hundreds of Christmas songs … some good, some not so much.  My least favorite of the bunch is “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” — what a complete waste of music!  But one of my favorite fun recollection is the year that my sister, our little neighbor girl friend and I decided to go “Wassilling”.  We had NO idea what that meant, but there is a song about it ….. so off we went. The word “wassel” literally means “be you healthy” and refers to a salute (Waes Hail) and the drink of mulled or warmed wine.  Then you would get a treat in the form of some sort of sweet pastry to go with the warmed wine.  Well, we didn’t get any wine, but we got tons of treats as we went door to door singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” at the top of our little lungs.  When I tell you that we came home with pillow cases …. yes, that’s a plural …. you’d best believe it — 🙂

If you want to hear some really great arrangements of Christmas music, then you MUST check out my brother, Bob’s, album.  It’s titled “Christmastime is Near”.  You can hear samples of his music by going to his site … and enjoy!  I remember that we had a player type piano in our dining room in Philly and Bob would spend hours and hours practicing and playing his music.  During Christmas season, it was especially fun since we not only had Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” on the radio, we also had Bob Carey playing carols as well.  One year, as he was playing an especially sweet rendition of a song, Flossie came up behind him and said, “Hey look!!  Bobby’s playing “The Alaskan Fiddlers!”  Needless to say, we kinda did a double-take at his sheet music on which was clearly written “Adeste Fidelis” …. and a new Carey family joke was born — 🙂

When we moved from Philly to Jersey, my sister and I joined our church choir.  During the Christmas season, our rehersals and recitals took up a great deal of our time.  But the rewards of those few years that we participated have lasted well into my life today.  One of the best songs we ever sang was “Oh Come, oh come, Emanuel”.  In addition to being one of my favorites, it was also one of the easiest songs to sing but sounded so complicated.  I have heard it in recent years sung by many artists, but I think that my current favorite version is from Enya …. so sweet, so mystical, so perfect!

I really could go on and go with this topic …. with songs ranging from “Barnyard Christmas”, from “The Muppets Christmas”, from “The Irish Tenors” and “The Cheiftans” …. but I think that instead I’m going to load up my CD changer and just listen.

BECAUSE IT’S TRADITION … from the Porch

With the Christmas season in full swing … all the shopping, the baking, the visits to Santa, the anticipated visits from family … I am struck by the “why” of it all.  Why do we do the things we do in preparation for Christmas.  After all, it’s the birthday of Baby Jesus and I don’t see his parents running out to the mall for that one perfect gift, standing in the checkout at the grocery store making sure that everything is bought to prepare for a birthday party.  Yet, that is exactly what we do from the time the Thanksgiving table is cleared right up to the most holiest of the Silent Night.

When I was a little girl, I remember how much my Dad loved Christmas Eve …. at least when us kids were older and he had no more bikes to put together, the trees was already decorated and the gifts bought, wrapped and tucked away to be opened the next morning.  During those Christmas Eve’s, my Dad would sit in his chair smoking his cigar, sipping on a cocktail of Scotch on the rocks while Christmas carols could be quietly heard throughout the house.  He always said that this was his favorite night of the year … the fulfillment of a promise made at the birth of the Christ-child.  Now that I am older, I can appreciate what he meant by that …. after I place our gifts under the tree and stand at the door waving as Santa rides by the house on the fire truck, the world seems to take a deep breath and let it slowly out.  The stars seem brighter on this “Oh, Holy Night” as the evening deepens into a peaceful slumber.  This is one of my traditions that I follow even to this day …. to begin the celebration of Christmas with a sigh of love.

There were quite a few traditions that I’ve adopted over the years and some that I’ve created for my own family.  Our life-style has always been a whirl-wind of various schedules …. and it still is …. and I made it a point to try to balance this chaos of timing so that everyone in the family would be able to participate as a whole in a Christmas celebration.  One of the things that I cut out was a “sit-down” meal.  Gone are the days when I spent the morning, afternoon and evening in the kitchen … cleaning up from breakfast so that I could create our Christmas dinner along with all the munchies required during the day.  Now I take the time to do a great deal of early preps and finally create a sumptuous buffet suitable for grazing all throughout the day.  Every year I bless the local dollar store for providing such cute paper plates and matching napkins to that my Christmas table looks sweet, inviting, and festive without me breaking a sweat.  I do have some really nice serving pieces that I use to make the buffet look appealing and like the way it always looks with little decorations of snowmen, votive candles, and a Kitchen Santa.  I’ve been able to see Christmas gifts being opened and squealed over ever since my brain woke up from the fog of someone else’s Christmas traditions.

As you know by now after reading some of my stories, I grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood in Southwest Philly.  Our surrounding neighborhoods included many Italian families as well as a fine representation of German and Polish.  All of these ethnic groups held various traditions that were brought out in full force during the Christmas season.  It is my understanding of my ancient culture that the Irish began to merge their beliefs with the Christian cultures of the Romans and missionaries.  After the great Potato Famine brought many Celtics to American shores, they brought these beliefs and traditions with them … and many have been absorbed into the American culture we know today.  For example, a sprig of holly drapped across the front door promises good fortune in the coming year.  Holly bushes were used since it was readily available as it grew wild and even the poorest of Irish could use the berries and leaves as decorations.  Mistletoe was also used by the Celtic people and was believed to have magical powers … and if you ever had a good smooch under this divine vine, you’d sure be able to feel the mystical potency of it.  Christian missionaries, however, felt that it was a “devil root” and actually banned it from Irish cultural practices for centuries (much like the way England banned the Irish from speaking Gaelic!). The Irish Celts were the first to use candles in their windows …. as an invitation for Joseph and Mary to enter the home for shelter.  There is always plenty of room for the Holy Family in an Irish household — 🙂  Feasting on Christmas Eve is also a time-honored Irish tradition …. and this so totally explains why my Mom and Dad layed out a huge assortment of sandwiches, salads and sweets for us to enjoy after we opened our gifts at midnight.  I always went to bed …. around 2AM … with a full tummy and sweet dreams of my new doll and game.

Our Italian neighbors also shared their rich Christmas traditions with all of us.  One of these is the Feast of the 7 Fishes on Christmas Eve.  Those close to me are well aware that I don’t anything that swims, so I tend to snack on cheese and crackers during this meal.  I don’t feel that I am offending anyone …. after all, there would be no extra “clean up on isle 7” since I don’t partake, right?  Anyway, the reason for “7” is because this number is repeated most frequently in the bible.  And the reason for fish is because it is a tradition to fast on the eve of a Holy Day, which Christmas most certainly is.  A typical meal might consist of up to 9 seafood dishes which would include cod, smelt, anchovies, and octopus among others.  Once again, I don’t partake but I totally get the reasoning involving this tradition and respect it completely — 🙂  There is a little bit of Italy that I totally enjoy at Christmas time and that is the wonderfully fantastic sweets.  One of my all time favorites is the pizzelle wafer cookie …. can you say “YUM!”  Top that off with another favorite of tiramisu or a bit of Zuppa Inglese, you will be hearing me say, “Buon Natale” with gusto — 🙂

Even though I married a Polish fellow, I don’t know a lot about Polish traditions at Christmas.  Most of the time, my husband was working so I was pretty much alone to fend for myself … and some of the traditions that my little family follows are a result of this.  Keep in mind that, if you’ve never lived the life-style of shift work, it’s a bit difficult to appreciate the mis-mash of our personal family traditions, right?  At any rate, I did do a bit of research to see just what traditions some Polish Americans enjoy.  Christmas celebrations actually begin in Christmas Eve and is known as Wigilia (The Vigil).  The meal starts with the passing of Oblatek, a thin wafer that apparently tastes like a cross between the Communion Host and those little space ship-shaped candies from our youth.  These wafers are usually stamped with religious figures and comes in a variety of pastel colors.  There is always an empty chair at the table …. to make room for that extra surprise guest (possibly Jesus).  Each person at the table takes part in the toast by sharing a Christmas wish or blessing.  Then the meal begins as a 13-course feast …. this number represents Christ and His Apostles.  There is no meat at this meal …. again, like our Italian brethren, there is fasting before a Holy Day.  However, the variety of meatless dishes include a seafood as the main course, lots of pierogies, marinated mushrooms, brandied plums … just to name a few.  The meal is followed by the singing of Koledy-Polish Christmas songs.  I have never heard any of this music, but I understand from my research that these songs are quite melodious and beautiful.  After all the Christmas Eve festivities, the entire family and guest attend Midnight Mass.  Here’s a funny cross-over into what my Irish family always did … after Mass, the Polish family would visit the Nativity and take a piece of manger straw ….. interesting how some customs have meshed into each other, right?

Now how about our German neighbors!  When I was in school, I only knew of one family who followed their traditions ….. even right down to singing “Silent Night” in German (Stille Nacht).  Most of the traditions and customs of German American families have also been blended into our American culture.  One tradition is the Advent Calendar.  Behind every door was a piece of chocolate (YUM!) and the last door had the largest piece.  A treat a day all throughout Advent in preparation for Baby Jesus …. sweet! — 🙂  As for the Christmas tree, it would be “tagged” but not brought into the home until Christmas Eve …. and the children could not see the tree till a little bell was rung indicating that the tree was ready.  To pass the time, the family would eat shrimp (there’s that seafood again!) and play games.  When it was finally time to see the tree, it was decorated with old-fashioned wooden ornaments and real candles.  The candles were never lit unless the family was in the room … and were NEVER placed on an artificial tree. There is also a glass pickle decoration placed somewhere deep in the tree.  The child who finds this special ornament will have good luck throughout the New Year.  The Christmas Eve gifts that were left by Christkind were opened and admired.  Then off to bed, because now in America, Santa Claus came with gifts as well.  Another German tradition during the Christmas season is the celebration of St. Nicholas Day.  This is on December 6th and children put their shoes outside their doors the night before so that St. Nicholas can leave gifts of candies and chocolates.  The last of the Christmas holiday traditions we can thank our German neighbors for is the Feast of the Epiphany.  This day is celebrated on January 6th primarily in Germany.  It is to honor The Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar as they completed their journeys from the East bringing gifts to the Babe in the Manger.

With the blending and meshing of all of our ethnic religious traditions, there must be something to the “Christ in Christmas” thingy.  After all, if cultures as ancient as the Celts, the Germans, the Italians, and the Polish hold Christmas in their hearts, it stands to reason that a country as young as America should be on a learning curve.  Here’s an idea …. instead of trying to eradicate Christmas and all of its meanings, which by the way is nothing but the teaching of pure and unadulterated love … let’s wish us ALL not a bland “season’s greetings” but a heartfelt and traditional

 

CHRISTMAS AT THE CINEMA ….. from the Porch

Once again, Christmas season is upon us.  Amazing that it knows just when to come every single year, isn’t it?  Kinda like trash day — same Bat-day, same Bat-channel each and every year  — 🙂

Along with Christmas comes some pretty sappy holiday movies, especially on the Hallmark Channel (always a “Hallmark” moment) and Lifetime Movie Channel.  Not that I mind sappy stuff … I am such a sucker for a happy ending, but sometimes these little pieces of fluff are just too predictable, especially right after the opening credits.  Give me something that I can sink my teeth into besides the typical he/she falls into passionate love during their first chaste kiss under the mistletoe.

When I was a kid, there was a new technology on the forefront …. stop/motion photography.  I’ll never forget seeing “Nester, the Long-eared Donkey”, or “The Little Drummer Boy”.  There was also short TV shows utilizing puppets like, “The Nativity” or “The Night Before Christmas” …. two stories that I never get tired of hearing or seeing.  Back then, the focus of the season was actually on Christmas during family viewing time (between 8 and 9PM) and not on the crass commercialism we see today.  Case in point is a movie that I’ve only seen once and will most likely never sit through again.  It starred Arnold (The Terminator) Schwarzenegger and was called “Jingle All the Way”.  It depicted two men battling it up so that they could obtain the “hot toy” during a last-minute shopping spree.  I think that this mentality began with people camping out years ago so that they could get the latest Cabbage Patch doll or the “must have” Star Wars battle ship.  I have to admit that I’ve done my far share of running around in order to find the toys that my sons asked for Santa to bring …. but I never took it to the extreme that this movie — or those long lines at Toys-R-Us — showed.  Christmas is more to me than a toy … it is a promise from God that He will send us mere mortals His Son, the greatest gift we’ve ever received.  As a matter of fact, I taught my boys that at Christmas we celebrate the birthday of Baby Jesus and what should we give Him as a gift?  I mean, just what do you give the Son of God, right?  So when we went to church on Christmas morning, both of the boys carried a brand new candy cane …. and after Mass, they would each visit the manger, lay down their little gift and bring back a piece of manger straw, most of which I still have for our home Nativity display to this day.

Over the years, I have seen and have fallen in love with quite a few movies that demonstrate, at least to me, the wonder of Christmas along with its magic and peace.  One of my all time favorites is “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  I know that I am not alone in my feelings for this film since I’ve heard so many people tell me how much they love it.  What’s really cool is that when I do mention this film, their pleasure is instantly written all over their faces …. pretty awesome that this one film strikes the same cord in all of us, isn’t it?  It is the story of “every man” who struggles at the daily grind in order to put food on the table and a roof over the heads of his wife and family, all of whom he loves so deeply.  Taking place during the Christmas season, he suffers a series of bad luck incidents which causes him to wish that he was never born, mistakenly believing that his family would be better off without him dragging them down.  What he doesn’t realize is that his family would be totally lost without him …. that they would just go through lives being merely content, not truly happy …. and they would never completely appreciate just what Christmas is all about without his love.  He finally recognizes, along with the guidance of his Angel in Training, Clarence,  that they truly do all belong together .. no matter what … and he is struck by this simple truth as his daughter’s comment, “Everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings”.

I love watching, even to this day, the little kid shows that are offered this time of year … Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and even the Grinch.  These stories are timeless and expose our children not only to Santa but also to the total spirit of giving.  Some us confuse giving with gifts … but I know from experience that giving — true giving — means that we take the time out of our busy lives and share ourselves with those who need help, comfort, or kindness.  I was standing in line at a store the other day waiting to be checked out when I heard a sound behind me followed by, “Oh, no!”  I turned and saw that the woman behind me had a handful of Christmas cards, but that they spilled all over the floor.  Next to her was a cane so I knew right then and there that there was no way that she would be able to bend over and pick up her cards.  My hands were full, also, but I dumped my stuff on the checkout counter and proceeded to lend a hand.  Trust me when I say it was not an easy task since I also have trouble bending over.  But you know what happened?  The man behind this lady also lent a hand to help out …. kinda like the old Herbal Essence shampoo commercial — “and so on, and so on”.  It was pretty cool to see just how contagious a simple act of kindness can be … and that’s the spirit of true giving at least in my mind.  Just think of how our wold would change if every human being on this planet would simply be nicer to each other … how cool would that be?

OK — now I’m wandering — LOL!!  During the Christmas season, I love seeing movies that connect families.  One of my all time favorites — actually two — is “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” and “A Christmas Story”.  I can relate to both of these coming from a large Irish Catholic family.  I so remember my Mom wanting to create a “perfect” Christmas dinner — and many times her imaginations fell short of the realities.  It’s been my experience that whenever more than four people are involved, all hell usually breaks loose, as is evident with the Griswalds.  But for all the tom-foolery and eccentric characters (“I pledge allegiance to the flag ……), the free-loading brother with his own family in tow, this is a story of deep and unselfish love for each other.  This also holds true with “A Christmas Story” and who doesn’t have a dad/uncle/friend like Darren McGavin (the Old Man)?  Most of his complaints came across the screen as gibberish as he cussed out the heater, the next-door dogs, and the car.  Of course, Ralphie (as the narrator of this story) did state that his Dad used “the Queen Mother of All the Words” while changing a flat tire.  And who of us has heard the immortal words, “You’ll put your eye out” — just like the Parkers AND Santa told Ralphie when he asked for a Red Ryder BB Gun.  Couple all of this with those pink bunny pj’s, the “Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra” after a destroyed Christmas dinner and you have memorable holidays of our past — maybe not as extreme as these stories, but I know that we’ve all had Christmas celebrations that were a little “left of perfect” — 🙂

All in all, most of my favorite Christmas movies deal with the core of the holiday season …. family.  From the Holy Family (The Nativity) to the Griswold’s (Oh, Sparky!) to the Muppets Family Christmas (Watch out for that slippery spot!) to A Christmas Carol (God bless us, everyone) — family and the love we share together is the building blocks of our Christmas’.

And, in the words of Kermit and his little family of Muppets, let’s all make a huge attempt to “Keep Christmas with You, All Through the Year” — 🙂

Merry Christmas, kiddies …. and have a fabulous New Year filled with lots of love, hugs, and family.