Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Memory-so, so sick


I am participating with a Christmas memory blogfest hosted by Cherdo on the Flipside. I am a bit late with this since it has been a very busy weekend for little ole moi. I must get caught up on all the reading and i am late posting this!. Anyway, This is a fun way to find out everybody's Christmas memory. Mine is all about a book!


It was Christmas 1972 and all through the house...was chaos with my mom getting everything prepared for Christmas Eve, wrapping all the gifts and having her usually 3pm crying melt down. This was tradition! My dad was all dressed up wondering why she was all upset as he had another coffee and continued to read his Winston Churchill books. This was still the time when we would all get into the car, Christmas Eve, to have dinner at my Uncle and Aunt's before we came home and started to unwrap the gifts into the wee hours of the morn. 

My mom made sure everything was decorated, the house clean, all the cookies were baked and she helped run the sawmill business with my dad. What is a busy lady to do but cry at 3pm every Christmas Eve day and then want to hit my dad with the rolling pin when he was all dressed and asked her why she wasn't ready? Now let's add to this mix that I was very, very sick and, apparently, had over 104 temperature. 

I do recall, when my mom was crying and her hands shaking that I got off the living room couch to do the dishes for her even though I did not feel well. I did a few dishes before she kindly told me to go back to the couch. My brother was so looking forward to that dinner so my dad and my brother went and my mom stayed home with me. My dad would call to see how I was and if they needed to bring me to the hospital. While my brother and my dad were feasting on turkey, I was upchucking and I was trying to avoid dreaming about any sugar plum fairies. My mom wrapped wet warm towels around my calves with a dry towel on top to suck the fever out(her Oma would do this and yes...it works!!). She had to change this often since the towel dried up so quickly. 

Baron and daddy finally came back and we were all exhausted except for my brother. For the first and only time, we agreed to actually open the gifts on Christmas Day. I was so dizzy that I did not want to open them. I know!! I am an 8 year old kid and wanted to wait so you know I must have been one sick puppy. Well, my brother, the ever diplomatic salesman just asked if we could open just one gift. He pleaded his case to great effect and looking at his face we all relented and said, "OK, just one". We each opened up one gift and this is without my mom having any bags for the bows or for the paper. We were trained from the beginning, to save the paper so we never tore the paper and I still have wrapping paper from that time! (Yes, I am ill in so many ways). Once that first gift was opened, my wonderful brother pleaded for just one more and so it went. 

Halfway through (again going by memory here), I opened a gift from my brother and it turned out to be the book you see above. My eyes grew wide and my mouth dropped open and nothing else mattered but this book. I loved watching old movies and never even thought that there would be actual books out there on actors and actresses. I was transfixed and no other gift mattered, only this book. My mom had to tell me to open other gifts which I did but I went right back to my book. By the end of the night, all the gifts were unwrapped, my mom was in a tizzy because she did not have her bags for ribbons and paper all ready, my dad was happy and so was I. My mom didn't care how the place looked though because I had no more fever! I went from almost spending Christmas is the hospital to having no fever and receiving one of the best presents I ever got. My mom and dad believed that we all should receive books but my brother instilled my passion for it. My collection of film books is large and it all started with this one book. I love it and love my brother for not giving in to our wish to open our gifts Christmas Day. It was a special Christmas Eve of giving and bringing joy and  bringing my health back. Have a Very Merry Christmas!

44 comments:

  1. BIRGIT ~
    It seems a few of us have memories of one Christmas gift so special that we didn't even bother opening any more until they were thrust upon us.

    So I gotta ask...

    Who is your favorite Actor and Actress of all time?
    I'll let you pick one of each.

    Oh, heck, it's Christmas, so go on and pick TWO of each!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can pick 2? That is even hard for me I will say Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne for the men and Carole Lombard and Katherine Hepburn for the Ladies.

      Delete
    2. Good, good choices!

      Let's see, for me, I will go John Wayne for pure entertainment, and James Dean for the acting chops.

      And, in the female department it's Judy Holliday for pure entertainment, and Gene Tierney for absolute beauty.

      ~ D-FensDogg
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  2. You still have the paper and the book - that's amazing.
    What is it about mothers that they have a meltdown around Christmas?
    Have a Blessed Christmas, Birgit!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes i have paper from back then and my prized book! I have no idea about mothers and their Christmas meltdowns but it happens. You have a Merry Christmas too

      Delete
  3. A lovely memory with a happy ending. Happy Christmas, Birgit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, I was really wondering how this would turn out to be a good Christmas memory with so much going against it. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No matter what, there is always something wonderful...all in how one perceives the memory:)

      Delete
  5. ...>> No matter what, there is always something wonderful...all in how one perceives the memory:)...

    You are so right!! And I really enjoyed reading about your joy that and this day.
    Merry Christmas. Nice to meet you(smile).

    ReplyDelete
  6. So glad it turned out to be good in the end.

    Hope this season finds you healthy and ready to celebrate. Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, the power of the mind. The amount of times I've felt too sick to work, and then once I get home, I feel good enough to work again...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow. It's amazing how one gift can change our lives forever!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a very cool brother! He knew you well. :-) Merry Christmas, Birgit!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He knew I loved movies so he hit the nail on the head!

      Delete
  10. What a sweet Christmas memory, Birgit! Thank you for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a story! It is amazing that it had a good ending after you being so sick. I hope this Christmas you are well and having a wonderful time with your family. Hugs, Lura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much and hope your Christmas was wonderful

      Delete
  12. What a lovely memory of a great gift. Thanks for hopping with us.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was nice to have that gift and the hopping was fun!

      Delete
  13. You still have the wrapping paper? You must repurpose it into cards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes and I want to make a Christmas scrapbook

      Delete
  14. How sweet of a memory! Glad the fever broke too and you started feeling better to enjoy a bit of the holiday! It is neat too to read how even back then you enjoyed movies and the stars!!!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your mom sounds like an incredible woman--isn't that usually the case? Mom spins herself in circles trying to do everything. One of my most bittersweet memories is of the Christmas I had the flu. I was an adult, but I was spending it with my mom and stepdad and it still was a great time!

    ReplyDelete
  16. It's so heartwarming that your brother gave you such a wonderful book and I would have been very surprised if you didn't still have it. I am surprised that you still have the wrapping paper and it hadn't been used in a card. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cherish that book and I have allot of old wrapping paper:)

      Delete
  17. That is super sweet. I love that it was your brother that gave you that book, the he knew you well enough to know you would love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, our mom instilled in us to pay attention to what the other would like not just what we want. It was a great gift

      Delete
  18. That is a lovely story; who would have guessed that such a sick, sick day would end up being so memorable?

    Merry Christmas and thanks for joining our blog hop! God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know and this was a great ending...I think

      Delete
  19. You still have old wrapping paper? That's funny. As for me, I can admit this - I just can't throw away cards. Get me a card, I'll never throw it away. I feel bad. I have a whole drawer full of them, some of them at least 10 years old.

    Your story was great, and it's so cool that it's your brother that got it for you. Usually siblings aren't so good with the gift giving. And what a gift! I love old movies. Make mine a Charlie Chaplin or a John Wayne film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I create cards so I know what you mean about cards and I have kept old ones as well.

      Delete
  20. What a great story. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas, Birgit.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm glad you still have that special book.
    Enjoy Xmas! xo

    ReplyDelete
  22. Awesome Christmas memories, thanks Birgit. Your story brings me way back.

    ReplyDelete