SOME MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS

Next week will be my 70th Christmas to celebrate. I have always loved Christmas, but some memories are more vivid than others. Of course, I don't remember the first one, two or three of them. This was during WWII and sugar was hard to come by during that time, but I still managed to get bad teeth - go figure. Growing up, Mom always had a Christmas Eve party with lots of food (usually hot tamales, sandwiches, baked chicken, salads, and desserts. We used to open ou presents that night, and had only Santa Clause to look foreward to the next morning. I always loved getting dolls, and one year got a doll, bathinette, stroller, the whole bit. That is a favorite memory. We moved to Mesa when I was 11 and by that time I had an allowance or did jobs to earn money so I could buy presents for others - especially my Mom. I loved to buy presents for her. One year, when I was about 12 or 13, my sister Alice took me to a store to pick out a present - and Carrie and Ava went along too. I picked out a whatnot shelf for Mom and we told Carrie not to tell Grandma. When we got back home, Carrie walked over to her Grandma and said "we didn't get you no shelf". The surprise was over that year.

Jerry proposed and gave me an engagement ring for Christmas when I was 19. I remember that night very well. For a few Christmases after that money was scarce and presents were meager, but fun after we had a little boy and a little girl to plan for and buy or make gifts for. I have always love to make gifts for others if I could. That always seemed more personal to me. Then one Christmas we were to get a new little baby. The Dr. said it would probably be the day after Christmas -- no sonograms in those days so an educated guess was all there was. But my little girl- Becky- arrived on December 19 and we came home from the hospital on December 23. Jerry was going to Patrol school in Phoenix, and it was great when he came home on Christmas Eve and our family was all together and complete.

Most Christmases were pretty much the same, celebrated in Pima, Willcox, and Pima again. We usually went to Mom's house for a Christmas Eve, or close to it, party. It was so sad to me when she wasn't able to have them any more. Christmas just wasn't the same after that. Darvil and Teresa flew home for an Arizona Christmas one year, and I always love it when my family was all together. Then, one Christmas, we went to the Dominican Republic to bring Beverly home. Becky spent her 19th birthday there and we had a good time. Darvil graduated from Chiropractic College that year, Becky was engaged, and we were all together again. My kids have lived all over the country and came home when they could, and those were happy times to look forward to. Grandkids arrived and brightened and brought joy to the holidays. It has been a big adjustment to Jerry and I living alone and sometimes spending the holidays with just the two of us. We have a warm house with a fireplace and I still love to decorate for the holidays. We are lucky to still have each other and a little Lulu that brings us joy. I still love Christmas