Many Years – Many Memories
Today was a day of putting on the radio in the sewing studio listening to Christmas music and cleaning up of wandering threads, spools of thread in various colors and oh my gosh . . . stray pins. It was almost necessary to go out and get Dennis’ magnet that he uses when we have had a construction project going on the outside of the house.
I have been taking time to e-mail some of my cousins with wishes of a Merry Christmas. I do keep up with several of the younger generation as well. Two of Orlin’s nieces sent heartfelt messages when they received the quilts Dennis and I sent. Remembering a Schafer Christmas at Grandma Schafer’s in Hector . . .now that should just about take biography of some sort. Ester’s children, I swear to God, were not born with filters when it came to verbalizing. It may be in the genes, God help us. Frank, Elroy and Eugene were the three that could really make the rafters of the old home shudder. Everyone had an opinion and the sarcasm came as easy as breathing. Times long gone, many Schafer family members are gone. There are many more wonderful memories than not. The nieces and nephews are scattered, but with e-mails it’s still a wonderful thing to send out Christmas wishes. I would like to be a mouse when in receiving such a wish, what memories are evoked within themselves. It’s all good
Several of my favorite Christmas’ were when we were farming and Carrie and Kevin were quite small. Christmas morning was always a fiasco when the kids came down and Santa had been there. My parents popped over one Christmas morning and we were all still in PJs. It didn’t matter. Kevin was strutting around in his dad’s new cowboy boots trying to stay upright. Carrie was engrossed in the features of the Barbie Doll camper. It’s all good.
My dad loved Christmas. He was handy in the workshop and he gave my mom all the time she needed in her sewing room. Instant coffee was always ready with a Christmas cookie or two to go with it. Having grown up in a predominately German speaking home, “San-tee Claus” is how “Santa Claus” came out of Dad. Maybe the German dialect influenced it. Doesn’t matter, I can still hear him say it. It’s all good.
I still have a few more e-mails to do this evening. I can never wish too many Merry Christmases. Dennis and I have been in the San-tee Claus mood for some time. We’re just hanging out, taking it one day at a time and feeling very humble and thankful. It’s all good.