Memories

I always think of my grandparents during the holiday, especially Christmas. I have many memories of my Grandma and Grandpa from when I was little. We had several Christmas traditions. I don't think that anyone ever set out to develop these traditions, it just seemed to happen. Maybe those are the best kind.

It seems like every year my brother and I spent a Saturday afternoon and evening helping Grandma and Grandpa decorate for Christmas. Ron would go outside with Grandpa to put up lights outside while I helped Grandma make some Christmas cookies or fruitcake, then we would all work on decorating the inside of the house while listening to Christmas carols. They had an artificial tree that you had to put the branches into the "stem" and the branches were color coordinated. I always looked forward to that day.

Another time my brother and I travelled with Grandma and Grandpa from our home in the Chicago suburbs to visit family in Pittsburgh, PA area. I don't remember a whole lot about the trip except for all the car trouble we had. First the radiator got a hole in it. Grandpa would stop along the highway and while the engine cooled off he would walk until he found a marshy area where he could get enough water to fill the reservoir, then off we would go until the car overheated again. Then we would repeat the whole process. On the same trip the muffler came loose and needed a make shift repair along side the highway. This made a very long trip for everyone, especially us kids because it was like 95 degrees outside, we sat on vinyl seats, and Sam, their black Labrador Retriever, kept leaning over our seat and panting and drooling on us!!

I miss those days, but am so glad that I have my memories. I hope that someday my grandkids think back to their childhood and have great memories about Jeff and I.