This morning, (Although I really should't have - I'm diabetic), but every year for the last 10 or so years, since we bought a lake home, and then demolished it, except the lake side foundation walls which we re-used in the re-building of of the 10,000 SF all season lake home we wanted to build on the same spot right on the water, rather than 500 feet back from the water, we've established a number of new family traditions that I hope will stay on as "family traditions long after me & the wife are gone. With plenty of children & grandchildren who always celebrate the holdidays in the 6 bedroom 6 bathroom "Main House", and the 3 "Guest Apartments" over the 6 car garage & shop, and the 4 bed room 4 1/2 bath Carriage house, and the Bunk House and Care Taker's quarters over the 8 slip Boat House, - there's always room for family and friends, not to mention 652 acres to camp in, and 1650 feet of sand & boulder beach, and 6000 feet of shoreline at "Eagles Point Headland".
Anyway, back to fresh squeezed orange juice, coming up as a kid, 4 boys being raised by a single mom was a big challenge for a girl -even one with a a Girl's Academy Education, (Scholarship Girl's Highschool), in Canton, SD. A divorced woman in the 50's was scandalous! Especially once so young, (23), and one with a hip deformity that caused her to limp! But she was too proud for welfare, and even though her own family pretty much turned their backs on her, they still took pity on her children. And when times got so bad all that she could afford was an SRO at the Gospel Mission, so she kept the baby, and asked her farming brothers & sister to take on her other 3 boys until she could get on her feet again. And So I became a farmer at age 4 until 11, and like all children everywhere, I loved Christmas time the best. Now Farmers go to small rural churches, that hold fast to the same traditions year-in-and-year-out, so as a part of each new years eve service is he Navtivity Play, and the Children's Choir singing Silent Night.
At the end of the Service each child goes up to the front of the church where the pastor & deacons pass out brown paper bag lunch sacks each containing either an apple or an orange or apple, some peanuts, some hard ribbon candy, and sometimes a popcorn ball. How I loved those Church Chistmas sacks of sweets - for some years that was the only Christmas we saw.
And so Every Chistmas since I've been able to afford it we gather all the family and friends we can around us, especially those we know who can least afford the Holidays, and we Celebrate the Holidays together with plenty for everyone, and for the last 10 years that has included Thanksgiving & Chistmas dinner at the church for 150 to 200 "Friends" we haven't met yet, and their families, and mountains of toys, electronics, and clothes, and baskets of food to go for all who attend. After Dinner, and the toys and presents have been passed out, and the dessert is all gone, there is caroling, outside by bonfires - with hot chocalate as busses and trailers are loaded, and then as all are loaded up for departure home a $100.00 in a Chistmas Envelope is given to all heads of household along with an outreach card foe babysiting & employment, and general aide, and crisis help.
And Starting in Mid November There are Always 25 - 50 # bags of fresh apples & oranges, 50 - 100 # bags of fresh salted peanuts & pecans, bushels of homemade popcorn balls - colored blue, green, red, and just plain, and platters of peanut brittle and almond bark. Jars & jars of homemade cookies and Divinity and sweet breads, lefse and funnel cakes. But it's the apples, oranges, and popcorn balls I love best.
I sit in my big rocker, sniff that big Sunkist Orange, bask in the warmth of the fire, and drift away to a cozy farm house snug and warm in the snow covered South Dakota Prairie, smelling of smoke house cured ham, fried potatos, strong coffee, cattle, pigs, chickens, men, and the aroma of a fresh cut spindley fir tree, - just cut from the grove, and decorated with strings of cranberries, popcorn, paper chains, and tinsel, and I am a little boy come home again. . .
2007-12-31 13:52:20
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answer #2
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answered by jtrall25 4
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