Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Christmas Memories

I have been trying to think about good things that I remember about Christmases as a child. So often I tend to focus on the more negative feelings surrounding it. I will have to explore why that is sometime. The happy things I can remember are eggnog with grenadine syrup in it (nice pink eggnog!), Xmas eve beside the fireplace and, mostly, listening to Dylan Thomas read A Child's Christmas in Wales.

We had a 45 RPM record that was always played on Christmas eve, at least I think it was Christmas eve. I remember that we all got nice and cozy in the livingroom, with the fireplace burning bright and all other sources of light off. We would all have a snack and an eggnog or other drink. And we would listen silently. Enraptured. The voice told the story of young boys and snowy Christmases past. Of fires and snowballs and cats and Uncles. It told of the excitement and the comfort of the day. It told of the look and the sound of the snow. And it told stories about some of the people in the town. My favorite part was always the singing of caroles and how bravely the young boys crept up to a large house to sing Good King Wenceslas. And then how "a small, dry voice".."a small dry, eggshell voice from the other side of the door" sang along. Then how the boys ran away. I still can imagine what that voice sounded like. I can still feel the tension and fear I felt as a child. But I also remember how I felt so sad for the poor lonely soul that was behind the keyhole. The boys had a warm and cozy house to go back to and the voice did not.

Yes, I think that will alway be my favorite memory of my childhood Christmases. I'd love to hear about yours!

I just got a call from Fabricland and I have a part time job!!

Now, on to knitting.....

I am knitting a stocking for raffle from Patond SWS - S0y Wool Stripes (70% wool, 30% Soya) colour 70530. I am following the pattern from Creative Knitting November 2006 except for I am knitting in just the one yarn and I am not sure I am going to put any snowflake embellishments on it. It is knit flat, seamed and then the heel and toe picked up and knit in the round. The instructions are a little hard to follow but after reading them several times I was able to understand them. To raffle it off I am going to put something inside the stocking. Any ideas?


This picture that follows is of one of my favorite Santas. I found him 2 years ago in a pharmacy and on sale real cheap after Christmas. His body is a ball of yarn and he is holding a pair of knitting needles. Could it be any more appropriate?


I also want to show you a snow man I knit many, many years ago. I have no pattern. I knit 2 balls, stuffed them and then attached them. Then knit a top hat and a scarf. I embroidered the face and sewed on the scarf and the hat. He comes out every winter to visit!



I cna't believe I just got a job at Fabricland! So I now have a part time position doing respite care and a job at Fabricland!! Things are looking good!

9 comments:

Charity said...

Congratulations on the new job! Love the santa and snowman, so sweet. :0)

My favourite childhood memory is of a Christmas record we would listen to, Christmas in Velvet. We loved it, but the record "disappeared", along with many other things, when my parents divorced. I missed it for years, but last year found it had been re-issued on CD! I bought one for myself, and one for my mum - what an exciting moment it was!

Monika said...

Well first, congratulations on the job! Sounds good, hope you are happy there! Second, your wooly Santa looks adorable! The snowman too!

barbp said...

Congratulations on your new job.

Something to stuff your stocking. Go with something from your memories in your post. Maybe a small book of Christmas carols and musical things like a music note, a harmonica and some packages of hot chocolate to warm up by?

I remember a Christmas when my family was moving. My brother and I didn't think there were any gifts because we didn't have a tree. Dad opened the trunk of the car in the driveway of our new home and said Santa had loaded it up. I remember Mom and Dad hugging one another and smiling at us so happy that they surprised us. Their love for one another and us was the real gift.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely Christmas story your childhood memories are, it gave me a warm and cozy feeling all over reading it!
Congratulations on your new job - I have all my fingers crossed that everything will go perfectly well with it!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the job!

I think it is a great idea to concentrate on the positive aspects of our memories... it seems easier to recall the negative but the positive things are so much more powerful!

Dorothy said...

Congratulations on the new job. I'm so glad things are going well for you. It's time.

Love the yarn Santa and the snowman. So cute.

I have heard that the last memories many Alzheimer's patients have are the happy ones. They must have a great power to withstand a disease like that.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the new job - hope all goes well. The knitting santa is adorable - and very appropriate. x

Melissa said...

Congrats on the new job!! :)

kt said...

Hooray Martina!

Congratulations on the job! Sounds like the right thing at the right time.

Your decorations are lovely--and your stortelling was very sweet. Thanks for sharing with us again.