Advent Christmas Calendar-Fruitcake Friend or Foe

I had to reach out to my brother Willie for this post because he had at least 12 more years of fruitcake history than I did.

He says that no matter how strange it seems, the fruitcakes DID get eaten, but they were usually last because they were hidden away. I still couldn't understand why they wanted to eat them but he let me in on a few secrets. First of all, they can have absolutely anything in them and you never knew what you were eating. Second, they often came soaked with alcohol and according to him that is the root of a LOT of alcohol issues in the world. The third thing was that they were aged over a year or two so if you were able to survive eating it with your teeth still in tact you were a star! The fourth was that you could find it stashed in the house all times during the year and in a sugar emergency or, in his case, an emergency where he was looking for any old thing to eat, he could be sure that he could find it somewhere.

In later years when the grandkids were little, mom started making gumdrop fruit cakes and those were a little more popular. So I guess for us the vote is Fruitcake vote is split - 1 for friend and one for foe.

Advent Christmas Calendar-Charitable/Volunteer Work

Our family has always been involved in service work especially during the holidays. From the time I was small and throughout the years there were always opportunities to help others.

My mother was a beautician and she would always make sure that all her "little ladies" (as she referred to them) had their hair done up nice for family visits. She would also trim up the men's hair so they would look spiffy as well. She loved to do this for them every year.
She would also bring the grandchildren to the home with her to visit with people.

I have been involved through the years with singing at retirement and nursing homes so that each person could be touched by the spirit of music.

Many years we have gathered clothing, food and toys for needy families and invited those without families to join us for our dinners and activities.

I also remember one year that Natasha, her school mates and Brittney, made and sent Christmas letters to the residents of the Salvation Army Rehab center.

These are just a few of the many ways we have been blessed by helping others throughout the year and especially during the holidays

Advent Christmas Calendar-Christmas Gifts

My mother was quite a seamstress and she made clothes for my brothers, Doug, Willard and myself. She also made quilts, pillowcases, aprons and embroidered or crochet trim on them as well. Usually at Christmas we would have hand made gifts of warm clothing. However, sometimes she made some smaller clothing wardrobes (for my dolls). This brings me to a special Christmas's that involved a creative solution to difficult choice.

I was probably about four when I had my heart set on a doll for Christmas. I could not make the painful decision between a bride doll or a ballerina! At this age, these were life changing decisions. It was made very clear to me that IF I was lucky enough to get a doll, it would definitely be ONE doll, not two and that would be the only toy. I was so torn, I could never decide which one I wanted more...so I thought I probably not get a doll at all.

On Christmas eve, my fear's were confirmed, no doll. I was sooooo disappointed. My brother assured me that as he told me before....there was a fat chance of getting that doll. On Christmas morning I had a big surprise. Santa had enlisted the help of some secret helpers, one who had made sure that there was a ballerina doll with my name on it, and the other who made a beautiful wedding gown with a lovely soft turquoise coat and beautiful shoes and earrings. The hand made clothing was my mom's doing of course, since Santa did not have time to sew such a delicate item. I was overjoyed and so glad that I got the best of both worlds, a women ahead of her time, my Bride Doll was also a professional ballerina, what more could you ask for??

This beautiful doll is still in my collection, and I remember that Christmas every year.

Advent Christmas Calendar-Grab Bag

The Quilt you see on this page was actually a Christmas quilt that was made for my great grandmother, Mary Ellen Ramsey Dunn in 1935. I am her namesake by her request.

Her family members painstakingly designed and embroidered each quilt square themselves, the only exceptions were for those who were deceased, like little Jimmy Dunn.


Each square had the embroidered signature of the person who was sewing it. The squares also included images that were chosen to reflect things that each person liked. My dad's has flowers on it, some, like my great grandfather Wilbur's have graduated colors on the monograms.
I only knew of this quilt through family oral history as it was passed to the various family members of those who had put it together. According to tradition, groups of family members worked together to make each square and then the women spent several afternoons putting the pieces together and doing the quilting.

The first time I saw the quilt in person was at the Overland Trail Museum in Sterling Colorado, prior to the opening of the new display of the prairie sod home. It brought me to tears to see each carefully crafted squares with the signatures and images dear to my ancestors, many of whom I never met.

What a testimony to the love this family had for their matriarch. She must have felt it was a gift of love on that Christmas that carried through the years.

The quilt is now on display at the museum in the bedroom and lovingly lies over the end of the bed, much like it probably did in my great grandmother's room. This special gift has inspired me through the years to try and make my gifts to others personal and meaningful.

Advent Christmas Calendar-Cookies!!!

My dad credits the fact that he was the youngest child for his love of baking. He often talked about how he loved being in the kitchen with his mom while she baked. He always wanted to help especially when the cookies were being made.

My first and lasting memories of these cookies were of a colorful tin with wax paper lining and stacks of beautiful, soft, yummy cookies that never lasted long enough to dry out.


When we made them at our house, the dough was cut using old silver tin cookie cutters shaped like stars, trees, wreaths, bells and Santas.


I loved to put the silver balls on the wreaths and trees, and decorate the rest of the cookies with bright frosting and sprinkles.

When my brothers and I had children, they joined in as well.

Now it has come full circle and my grandchildren decorate and frost the cookies. We still use that treasured recipe...and keep the tradition going.

*Thank you Veer Images for the cookie pics.

Advent Christmas Calendar-Holiday Parties

Our family had a tradition of getting together on Christmas eve since we usually traveled on Christmas day to have dinner with my grandparents across the state. After they passed, my parents kept the tradition of having all of us over for sandwiches, clam chowder (or some other yummy soup) and family time around the tree. From the time I learned to play the organ at 10, I would play carols and take requests for favorite songs. We also opened our presents on Christmas eve and so whatever was under the tree on Christmas morning was from Santa.

Now that my children are grown we still try to carry out some old traditions as well as make new ones. Natasha usually reads a Christmas story, Raven and I wrap last minute gifts and deliver them. Sandi's family exchanges personal ornaments, and we last year we gathered together again on Christmas.

No matter where we are, we still remember and therefore include our loved ones that are no longer here.

Advent Christmas Calendar-Santa Claus

Our family has always loved Santa and we have so many "Santa" memories that I will only share a few here. I have kept many of my dolls and plush from when I was young and remember where each one came from except the "elderly" stuffed Santa that was with my treasures from my earliest memories.

I always made sure he was well placed with the Christmas decorations, and because he seemed like a much older wiser Santa, I made sure he was never slighted by the newer, brighter and flashier Santa's. I didn't find out where he came from until just a few days ago when I discovered a photo of him in one of my parents' albums. Lo and behold, there he was sitting very proudly under the tree between my grandparents, Manley and Priscilla Dunn. What a surprise, I think I was right, he was a very distinguished Santa before he came to live with us.

Another favorite Christmas eve was when my daughter Sandi and her cousin Lon were about 2 or 3 years old and Santa came to visit walking right up the sidewalk to the house. My mom had arranged for Santa to come to the door instead of down the chimney (since we didn't have one) bringing some very special gifts. In Santa's bag were toys and life sized Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls that she had made, including matching Raggedy outfits for the kids. Santa even spread his visit to the little boy next door who was terrified and would have no part of it!

And finally, I saved the sweetest for last. In 2004 the three youngest grandchildren Jayden, Jazzie and newborn Taytum were visited by a very special helper of Santa's. Our 13 year old grandson Joshua, agreed to help Santa out and let his cousins and little sister have their pictures taken with him.

It went something like this:
ME: Josh, I think you would make a great Santa

JOSH: I don't think so grandma

ME: Sure you would, we will even get you a cool suit to wear, just like Halloween

JOSH: Ummmm I'll think about it

Sometime later:

ME: Josh, look, your mom found a really cool Santa Suit!!!!

JOSH: MOMMMMMMM!!!! ME: Please?????

SILENCE AS TIME PASSES

JOSH: Ummmmm, well, I guess I could do it, it does look KINDA cool

Christmas Eve 2004

JOSH: Uhhh grandma???

ME: Yes Josh?



JOSH: This is really really hot and sweaty........How long do I have to wear it for? JOSH: Grandma???
Grandma???? where did you go???????? man I gotta get outta here.............



ME: THANK YOU JOSHUA .......Here comes Santa Claus here comes Santa Claus.......