A sweet memory ...

Recently a dear friend unexpectedly lost her husband.  It was a shock but it also reminded me how often something like this can bring out the goodness of those around us.  In September of 1990 my own husband passed away.  His death was no surprise since he'd been sick for many years but it was still traumatic for me. I managed to get through the first week but in the back of  my mind I knew I would have to return to work and I dreaded it.

I was a secretary in our local ER and, on the first day back I was assigned to working next to Dr. M.

(shown here working one of the Christmas shifts).  "Moose" (as we irreverently and affectionately called him) ran a tight ship and, other than a quick hug in the morning, there was no indication that he was aware of my sadness.  It was the usual hectic day and I found comfort in the hustle and bustle of things I was used to doing.

That was one of the longest days of my life.  I found that if I concentrated on each task as it came up I could get through without crying but it was very taxing and I was exhausted when my shift ended.  I also dreaded returning home and once inside the house I headed for the bedroom.  It was then that I noticed the light was blinking on my answering machine.  I was so tired I almost didn't listen to it but I did … and here's what it said:

"Hi, Ginnie,  this is Moose.  I knew you'd be walking into an empty house and just wanted you to know that you're not alone.  We love you and are here for you.  See you  in the morning."

I have never forgotten how much this simple message meant to me.  I've kept it close to my heart and I bring it out on occasion when the healing process falters or when I need to share it  with others.

Thanks, Moose.

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“Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus” …

 

Ginnie is my nickname but my Dad (shown here working on a crossword puzzle) always called me by my actual name, Virginia, and he loved reciting that phrase to me every Christmas morning when I was a child. 

He was, of course, referring to the famous letter that little Virginia O'Hanlon sent to the Editor of the New York Sun in 1897.

“Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says: “If you see it in the Sun it is so”, so please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?” Editor Frank Church answered her letter and it has become the most reprinted newspaper editorial of all time. 

"VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. … Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.” 

 … and then dad would pause dramatically and putting his arms around me he would repeat the next line in a deep and loving tone. “Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS.”  

Dad has been gone for 58 years but writing this reminds me of that twinkle in his eye and of the many  Christmases spent with mother and dad and my four sisters.

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PS: I don't like that only Google members can post on my blog. If you want to leave a comment feel free to email it to me at snowflakesnew@gmail.com  & I will post it. 

A gift of CHRISTMAS STAMPS…

When my father died in 1960 my sister Barbara inherited a large box of Christmas stamps that he'd been collecting for years. They dated back to the early 20th century and were from all over the world. She decided to make use of them and very creatively designed the plate that you see here. It was her Christmas gift to me that year.

Among the stamps were Christmas seals. The United States ones were dated from 1907 and sold for a penny each. The proceeds went to the Red Cross and the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis.

In 1920 the Red Cross withdrew from the arrangement and from then on it was conducted exclusively for TB. The real break through came when, in 1936, President Roosevelt, who suffered from Polio, endorsed the campaign.

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PS: I don't like that only Google members can post on my blog. If you want to leave a comment feel free to email it to me at snowflakesnew@gmail.com  & I will post it.  

“ You're invited … and please bring a side dish”.

Well, it's that time of the year … but don't worry … I have two sure winners for you !

The first one is a Spoon Bread Corn Casserole (reminiscent of the sort of Christmas food that Grandma would have served) and it never fails to get rave reviews. It's also very easy to make, is inexpensive and starts with this secret ingredient:

Yup, 1 package of the little Jiffy corn muffin mix starts it all. You just add !/2 cup of melted butter, I 8 oz. Can of whole kernel corn (drained), I 8 oz. Can of cream style corn, I cup of sour cream and 2 eggs. Mix it all together and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 for 1 hour and serve warm.

Number 2 is also a winner. Just a bunch of plump Santas that are as delicious as they are easy to make and they always brings smiles to the crowd around the festive Christmas table. Ripe strawberries and cool whip are the only ingredients ..

ENJOY

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PS: I don't like that only Google members can post on my blog. If you want to leave a comment feel free to email it to me at snowflakesnew@gmail.com  & I will post

An amusing Christmas gift ... 2006

This is a photo taken in 1936 of me (bottom left) and three of my four sisters.  You can tell that none of us wanted to have our picture taken and can almost hear the big sighs and read our secret thoughts … "you can make us pose but you can't make us smile."  Only our middle sister Nancy, always the rebel of the family, was brave enough to actually refuse to be part of the photo.

At Christmas time 2006 my 80 year old sister Mary (top right) used this picture as her gift.  She'd had it framed and it came complete with a card that read "Merry Christmas, Joy & Peace".  It's evident that old age had not robbed her of a good sense of humor and it still remains one of my favorite gifts.

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PS: I don't like that only Google members can post on my blog. If you want to leave a comment feel free to email it to me at snowflakesnew@gmail.com  & I will post it.    

Christmas Memories of the 1930's

I was born in 1933, the youngest of 5 girls. It was the time of the Great Depression that started with the 1929 stock market crash that wiped out millions of investors and produced the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world.

We were living in Plainfield, New Jersey and, although we were never without the essentials we were definitely in the lower class. By that I mean that we didn't starve or stand in bread lines (as many of our neighbors were forced to do back then for lack of jobs) but we just barely managed to eke by.

My father was a production manager in an Ad Agency in NY City and he managed to keep his job but when his salary was cut he sold his prized stamp collection (that he had started as a young boy) to keep us going and my mother took in sewing.

1933 was also the year that Franklin D. Roosevelt won the presidential election and our country began the long, hard road to recovery. How different were those years to the overwhelming commercialism of today and it is especially apparent to me as we approach another Christmas.

I have wonderful and nostalgic memories of the Christmases that I spent in those years but it never centered around gifts or the amount spent on them. My memories are of my Dad reading “The Christmas Carol” … of neighbors joining us in song fests … of a stocking filled with an orange in the toe ... of a tree covered with hand made ornaments … and, nestled under the tree, ONE GIFT for each of us carefully wrapped with love.

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PS: I don't like that only Google members can post on my blog. If you want to leave a comment feel free to email it to me at snowflakesnew@gmail.com  & I will post it.