Christmas 2024 Reminiscences (1of 2)

As I stare at the Christmas decorations to be taken down and put away, I decide I can procrastinate doing this task by blogging about the 2024 Christmas Season. Today the bulk of the decorations came down since January 6th was the final day of the 12 days of Christmas. Frank and I stayed put this year, bringing Alex to spend two nights with us in Livermore: Christmas Eve the 24th and the night of Christmas Day the 25th. We had a houseful arrive midday on December 26th. Robin, Jeremy, Autumn, and Isaiah arrived from Oklahoma for a week's visit with us. The organization for this post is arranged in two parts since it got rather lengthy: Part 1 — decorations and gift opening; Part 2 — games, family, working hard, and a final family gathering.

Decorations
In the days before Christmas Frank and I decorated as is our annual custom. But this year we narrowed the scope. We agreed no ladders and high stuff over our heads. Our outdoors display was limited to candles in the window, classics from my childhood, made in the town of Elizabeth,  NJ. Frank has tirelessly searched eBay for these treasures and has convinced himself that they are unique and none others exist. I remember them from my childhood so they must be 60+ years old. They are not ostentatious and would never ever compete in a Great Light Fight, but they give a soft glow in our four front windows downstairs and our four front windows upstairs, visible outside from the street. Two more are set up in the nook and we enjoy them during our meals.

In the living room I set up our three tier artificial tree, trimming it only with shiny ball garlands. Perhaps the grandkids, when they arrived would like to do the ornaments. They did not. At ages 9 and 12, they were willing to pass on the opportunity. But the tree was pretty enough and I splurged on a new knitted tree skirt. Flanking the tree are the two snow people, a gift from Robin and Dan that Dan bought from an art store in San Luis Obispo when he was a student at Cal Poly about 25 years ago. They are a nearly life size replica of the snowman designs of the artist/quilter Debbie Mumm during her lifetime.

I normally have a Santa theme going in the family room for Alex, but this year I instead set it up in the living room by the hearth. The row of wooden star Santa were ornaments I repurposed this year and think I will repeat the display in future years. They were cheerful and show up far better than they do on a dark green tree.

Frank built super-sized glitter houses he remembers from his youth and they lined the window sill in the dining room. Even in the day-time the sun reflects off the shiny roofs and sparkles in the area nearby. My larger size tin houses were on the upper window sill and behind a Grinch area. The smaller ones of the house collection were in the stair well.

Also in the dining room is the "Grinch Grotto". On a wing chair near the window I draped my Grinch themed quilt and beside it a Grinch carving by artist Jim Shore. This year Robin and Jeremy gifted Frank and me with a Grinch wreath (to be shown later). One year at MIT Frank was permitted to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas aloud at Mass in the chapel instead of a homily. Frank's fondness for the Grinch has rubbed off on me.

Across the dining room from the glitter houses is my quilt Simple Gifts next to the grandfather's clock, which Frank built when we were first married and had moved to California. We were in a second floor apartment and he did his wood working out on our deck until the neighbor underneath complained about the sawdust sifting down onto his patio from above. Come to think of it, they did not like my organ playing either. We only lived there six months.

Around the corner from the grandfather's clock, in the stairwell, we hung a house shadow box we bought from a Michaels craft store several years ago. We never patch the nail holes in the wall and tape the right size nails on the back to hang the house, so putting it up is a cinch. It does take two people to spot the holes and align the nails, but I love leisurely populating it. Some years I fill it with shiny Christmas balls but this year, to be different, I populated it with my smaller house tins, wooden buildings, and ceramic bungalows. Look closely at the chimney occupant. His helpful elves, R, D, A for Robin, Daniel, and Alex were made by my sister Maxine over 35 years ago.

Farther up the stairwell I hung my newest Christmas quilt titled Oh, Deer. Lower on the wall is the canvas moose print that inspired Oh, Deer. On the opposite side of the stairs is a lighted garland festooned with the eight reindeer — gotta keep those deer all together in a herd. 

On into the family room and I set out a collection of four small nativities on top of the upright piano. On the morning of Christmas Eve when Frank picked up Alex he took him bowling before bringing him to Livermore. After Alex's arrival to our house, Alex rearranged those nativities to his satisfaction.

We waited until Alex went to bed Christmas Eve, before we arranged presents under the tree. Alex would open a few on Christmas Day but the bulk of that festive activity would wait until Robin's family arrived on December 26th.

Gift Opening
Jeremy's sister is a proponent of the 4-gift giving rule. Gifts should be "something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read". Alex loves opening presents but that gift-giving rule is irrelevant to him. He does not pay a lot of attention to what is inside, but he absolutely loves the unwrapping part and shredding the wrapping paper into tiny little bits. He was happily occupied during the gift opening session tearing his and everybody else's paper into shreds and gathering and squooshing those fragments into a paper bag. Isaiah was excellent at observing Alex's progress and making sure Alex was always supplied with paper to shred. Alex got his own private supply of M&Ms and a refreshed set of tray-puzzles since his were pretty beat up. His Connect 4 also got a seasonal Christmas upgrade and he got a 40 piece Christmas puzzle.

Robin and Jeremy's gifts followed a quilting and fireman theme. (Have you noticed I am into themes?) Robin got a Nubby set to clean the lint off her sewing room design wall as well as quilting trays, quilting books, and back issues of quilting magazines she'd been seeking that Frank had been able to locate on eBay. Jeremy got fireman coasters, a firetruck calendar, and a quilt I made for him as a wall hanging in his office. (See 12/30/24 post in DianeLoves2Quilt). He is holding displaying it at the front door of our house.

Isaiah wasn't the only one fascinated by the wrappings. He enjoyed the shipping bag for one gift. His favorites are the Dog Man series books by Dav Pilkey and he got a whole slew of them from Frank and me. Isaiah was also very pleased with Dog Man shirts in blue, black, green, and orange — colors for just about every holiday. He also got a Dog Man The Hot Dog card game.

Autumn is very easy to please — books, books, and more books. The one she is opening I think is a Percy Jackson guide book. Others were pertaining to Wild Robot. She saw the movie and loved it.  The book next to her is a set of science experiments to verify or discredit fairy tale law. How much force does it take anyway for a pea to bruise a princess through many mattresses? What was the poison in the Snow White apple? Near Autumn's feet is a LEGO set that makes three gingerbread Christmas ornaments. Isaiah got a set of these, too, and assembled his ornaments while here.

Not shown is a melodica (pronounced with the accent on the second syllable) and Christmas song book for Autumn. She spent a fair part of her week here learning a couple tunes on the piano and the melodica. I took a chance and bought her a turquoise coat that, as a pre-teen, I would have been neither surprised nor annoyed had she turned her nose up at the style or the color.  But she did like it, even more so when she realized the iffy fake fur trim around the hood was removable. Otherwise Autumn sequestered herself in her sleeping quarters and read, read, read. She did appear periodically to participate in games and jigsaw puzzles. Autumn also liked just hanging out with Grandpa. Here they share a lighted Christmas bulb necklace.

Frank enjoyed a few books from me, a toy slot machine that reminded him of his childhood vacations at the Chesapeake Shore, and two card games, Guess in 10 Disney Edition and Don't Bust 100,  that we have yet to try. He has already finished The Boys of Riverside, a book about a football team whose players are all deaf and yet rose to achieve championship status among hearing teams.

Jeremy gave Frank an appropriately scaled M9 ACE (Armored Combat Earthmover) model for Frank's HO train layout that Jeremy painted and weathered for Frank while he was here. Jeremy drove an M9 ACE in the USA, Kuwait, and Djibouti when he was a Marine.

Robin and Jeremy gave us a Grinch wreath they carried in a huge suitcase all the way from Oklahoma. You can see it on the upper corner of the wing chair where the Grinch quilt is draped and near the "Grinch Grotto". Oh, I almost forgot. They brought a huge Easter wreath as well. Robin has a friend with a decor crafting business. How they managed to hide those wreaths under the Christmas tree and surprise me with them was clever sneaky. Robin also sewed a top for me which set my "heart" all a flutter.

Frank bought me a Brighton necklace and a Brighton Christmas ornament I'd hinted at. The best part was his gift of a Brighton tote bag, shown on my lap, "free" with purchase. I especially like Brighton's tote bags and they are not purchasable on their own. They are sturdy canvas with strong web straps and are printed with striking images. They are perfect for toting my quilting paraphernalia to meetings or classes. This is my third. Frank made sure he spent enough for it to be "free". The jewels and LOVE theme this year was especially appealing. So was Frank.

Enough materialism for this post! I list these gifts not in the name of greed, but because I love to look back in later years and see what had been popular in earlier times. Part 2 will address the games we played, the gatherings we enjoyed together, and the hard work Jeremy and Robin put in to help Frank and me during their visit.