Nov '10 roll call

[Cinde]

I just spent several hours re-reading some of our old “roll call” topics. Such wonderful stories and experiences have already been shared. There is so much more we can share.

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?

Do you have family traditions?

What is your favorite holiday and why?

[Cinde]

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?
While in high school, my late husband made a ring from a silver dollar for his mother. She gave it to me. One of my husband's request was that it be passed down to each female descendent on her wedding day, who will keep it until the wedding of the next female descendent, along with the story of where it came from.

Do you have family traditions?
I hope that the passing on my most sentimental possession will become a family tradition.

What is your favorite holiday and why?
My favorite holiday is not one, but the season from Thanksgiving through Valentines Day. People tend to spend more time indoors as the days get shorter and colder. I treasure the time spent with family and friends, eating home cooked meals and playing games amd watching movies afterward. I especially like it when the grandchildren come to play outside... from sleigh riding down the mountain to coming inside to warm up with hot chocolate and cookies, before rushing outside again for snowball fights or building snowmen and igloos.

[cdeemer]

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?

A sextant used by my career Navy navigator father. It's mounted in my basement office. Years ago I published a short story "The Sextant" about it, which can be found at http://www.ibiblio.org/cdeemer/sextant.htm (Roll of Honor, Best American Short Stories 1971). I once ran a small literary publishing firm called Sextant Books;.



Do you have family traditions?

Several. I make scrapple about twice a month -- it's always in the house. I make blackeyed peas for the Army-Navy game. On my birthday or my wife's we go to TaiDai Japanese buffet for a free dinner.



What is your favorite holiday and why?

When I was younger, it was Thanksgiving because it was a gathering of old friends. I outlived most of them. I used to like July 4 until I spent one in a VA hospital and had to watch patients dive under their beds during fireworks, yelling "Incoming!" Now I suppose I ignore holidays.

[Peru]

One holiday tradition that my daughter and wife started a few years ago is a "reverse Halloween."

My daughter never really felt comfortable going trick or treating, so they decided to bake quick breads for some of our "special" neighbors. Each year they visit these chosen folks and bring them goodies.

Their last stop of the evening ends at the home of a friend who supplies hot cider, treats, and a warmth from a wood stove.

[Chuck Engels]

That is really a great tradition Peru
My kids never liked trick or treating either, not after they were scared silly by a Freddy Krueger look alike when the oldest were 4 and 5.

We started a new tradition a few years ago that has been lots of fun.
Instead of celebrating Christmas in the traditional way with presents and all that we celebrate the New Year that way.
This leaves Christmas to be celebrated for its true meaning and nothing else gets in the way of that.

Now we give presents on New Years day and there are a lot of advantages to that.
We do our shopping the weekend after Christmas, lots of great deals.
We have been able to get twice as much for the same amount of money we used to spend.
Our kids can all come to our house for the celebration and go to their spouses parents for Christmas, no problems.
They all love this new tradition, even our youngest enjoys it. We still love all of the traditional Christmas music, TV shows and specials, like Rudolph and It's a Wonderful Life. Usually spend a weekend just watching the old shows.

Another tradition that we have is to give out daughters a 'Purity Ring'.
It is a white gold ring with a cross. When they get married they have the ring melted down and used in their wedding band as a symbol of their purity to their husband.

My favorite holidays have got to be July 4th, love the fireworks, and our New Years Celebration.

[Bobby]

Hmmm. Well, let's try...

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?

I lost my parents when they were both young. My father was 58 and my mother barely 50. So my most sentimental possessions are anything from them. I still have a lot of my dad's old tools, and a fair number of 35mm slides. We did recently come across some Super8 film from my wedding that my father-in-law took (no sound, of course) and that is the only moving picture we have of them. They died too young to pass much on...

Do you have family traditions?

Thanksgiving is very big with us - usually 35+ people. This year we are holding it in a house on Long Island that was a former residence of John Gotti Jr. Of course, this house is now in the family lore as the "Gotti House". Lots of traditional food and recipes passed through the years - along with the Jaegermeister cheer.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

I am a big July 4th fan. When I was younger and lived in Saugerties NY and in the JayCees, we ran the 4th for the town - a great 2 or 3 day affair. We have a really big parade here in Southport NC now, and fireworks on the beach fired from one of the fishing piers. Since the fireworks are not actually on July 4th, we spend the actual 4th at a neighbor's house on the boat dock on the Intracoastal Waterway watching local private fireworks - since buying fireworks is legal close to here there is usually quite a show.

[ridon127]

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?

My dad was killed in a plane crash the day before my 14th birthday.. My mom had never worked out side the home so this was a whole new experience for all of us. Christmas didn't go well that year.. But to make a long story short, the year i turned 16 i got a job at a 5 & dime store. mom didn't have any money for christmas that year so i took what little i made and bought the other 4 kids christmas presents. being the oldest it didn't bother me i didnt get anything that yr. later on when mom got on her feet she took her wedding ring and had the stones set in another setting and gave it to me the next christmas.. that was the best christmas i ever had.

Do you have family traditions? not really. I started last year having the girls read the Christmas story from the bible before we open gifts. I want them to focus on the real reason for the season.


What is your favorite holiday and why?

This year, every holiday that comes along is my favorite. My hubby has been diagnosed with metastic liver cancer and has been given about 2yrs with treatment. We have decided to celebrate each holiday like it is our last one and make them super special.. We even put out some decorations for halloween which we never do. I am decorating for christmas which i haven't done in a long time. So each day in our life is special..

I hope everyone has a blessed thanksgiving..

[momoffduty]

Enjoyed reading everyone's posts. Donna, I had blurry eyes reading about your Mother's ring, very heartwarming. Cinde's too about the ring. You are both in my prayers.

Interesting stories from everyone. Charles can cook? Black eyed peas & scrapple sounds good!

What's the story behind your most sentimental possession(s)?

When my grandmother passed, I was surprised that she set a few things aside for me since there are many, many grandchildren. One thing that I treasure is a plastic box the size of cards that looks like a bible and inside each card has a verse. As I was growing up, I spent a week each summer with her and we would read from the cards. She didn't believe in TV, dancing, etc. and you would think a kid used to TV would not enjoy time without, but I have wonderful memories.

Do you have family traditions?

Nothing out of the ordinary. I made a pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving some years ago and now the family asks each year. Made 2 yesterday and giving one to a friend.

When the girls were old enough to start snooping for gifts I had to get creative. A few years I put numbers on the gifts instead of names and hid the master list. Another year I wrote letters on the gift tags to spell out a few words. Christmas morning was present scrabble...lol.