Christmas Post #1

I've designated this post #1 because I will have to do another (at least) before we get through this holiday. I still am not able to scan the photos that I have of our Christmas past so I can't get them into a post. I also haven't figured out how to add photos to a comment, but if you have photos that you would like to share and have a way to scan them, please send them to me at betsyp55@yahoo.com and I will get them on here. (Maybe one of you youngsters who occasionally look at this can tell me if that is possible and if so, how to do it.)
We are gradually gearing up for Christmas in our house. The tree is up and decorated, the stockings are hung on the stairs with care, some foods have been prepared, but.... the shoppings not done, no cards have gone out (probably too late for that - Merry Christmas everyone, Love, Betsy, Paul and Toby) nothing has been wrapped, and much more food remains to be purchased and prepared... AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT!!!! Somehow it always comes together, but I don't know how. I don't remember my mother having all this rush at the last minute. She was much more organized than I am, I guess, and she knew that it was more about gathering with family to celebrate the birth of Christ, than how the house looked or how perfect the meal was, or who got what present, although even when we were adults, she worried that we should all get the same amount - I told her what my brothers didn't know wouldn't hurt them :-)
My earliest memories of Christmas, of course involve the family. I don't have much memory of Uncles and Aunts being at out house, but I know they came because I've got a great picture of Uncle Kenny sleeping in a chair. Mom said they had gone to midnight mass and then had come to our house so they could be there to enjoy Rob and Wayne opening presents. Aunt Mill was there and I would guess Uncle Bernie. They finally made enough noise to wake the boys up - very early - and I'm sure my father wasn't pleased. Of course, after we opened our presents, we would go to Gram's to watch her open hers - and fight over who would hand her the next gift. I'm not sure why that was so much fun, but it was. Then we would go home and have dinner and get ready for the big shindig at night, which always included top-notch entertainment. I think we'll talk about that next time. Our Paradis family traditions have been pretty similar to those and I hope our kids remember them with as much fondness as we do.
More later, including pictures, I hope!
Betsy

Birthday Greetings

To Uncle Frank

And tomorrow to my much older big brother Rob!

Today would have been Uncle Bernie's birthday, too. I wish my scanner was working because I've got a great picture of these two uncles (and cute little me, of course :-) that I would love to add here. Ah, well, soon it will happen. Did I mention how old my older brother will be tomorrow? The oldest grandchild of Hilda and Archie?? Well, let's just say that he won't have to worry about Social Security going bust before he gets to claim some. Love you big brother, even if you are old.

More later.

Betsy

Christmas Decorations

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted. That week has sure flown by. There are so many things I want to talk about today that it will be hard to stop, but I'll try to control myself and save some for later. I think it is Christmas that brings so many good memories and thoughts to mind. I was just putting up some decorations and cleaning up a bit - trying to make the place look at least a little festive. We won't get our tree until next week end (I like to leave it up for awhile and I still get my way about having a real tree - for now) but I have a small tree that I put up in the bay window and some nutcrackers and stuff that I can put out now. I also got some new lights to put out on the deck - better get to that before it gets dark. Putting up the creche has always been Toby's job - he always helped Mom put it up when it was at her house too - but he's busy today, so I put it up for him. I hope he doesn't mind, but it gave me a chance to look at it more closely. There's the manger itself, made by Papa out of some crates or something. I think there are several of them floating around and I am lucky to have one. I was only 6 months old when he died and I wish I had known him. I have this image of him based on the things my mother told me about him and the pictures of him I have seen and I wonder what it would have been like to know him. The manger and the bookcase that he made for my mother are things I have that make me think of him and how much Mom loved him. There are also the figurines, all stamped .29 or .39 on the bottom, probably bought at Grants or the 5 and 10. One of the kings has had his head glued back on, and one of the camels still has the residue of chewing gum on his feet from when we used it to make him stand up on top of the television. That must have been Wayne's idea, but it worked and the gum leveled him out so that now he stands up with no problem. There's the angel that is supposed to hang from the peak of the manger. We always had trouble making her stay, and used a bobby pin to hold her in place. She's still a problem and I haven't figured out how we hung her last year. One of the sheep is chipped and looks gray and white spotted rather than all white. Over all it looks pretty shabby, I guess, but I can't imagine having anything else.
Well, I'd better stop procrastinating and get back at it. It was great to hear from you all this week. Thanks U. Frank for giving us another perspective on the porch and shredded wheat packaging :-)
Oh, yea, I talked to Rob and Barb today and all is well with them. Hopefully I have inspired at least Barbara to add a comment to let you all know what they are up to - my brother is an old (and soon to be even older) humbug.
Bye for now.
Betsy

Another great concert

Just got back from a concert at the University with the Athena Consort and the Black Bear Mens Chorus. The first is an all woman group and the second is, as the title says, all men. Toby has been singing in this group for about 4 years and they are great. There is something about 50 men singing rousing 4 part harmonies that really makes a crowd happy. The last couple of years they have closed each concert with a medley of University of Maine songs ending with the Stein Song which gets most of the crowd on their feet clapping and singing along. It's very moving. The women are good too, but sing more sedate tunes - no good drinking songs that get the blood pumping.

This weekend I saw three family members. I helped decorate the museum for Christmas, and Uncle Kenny was there working on a carpentry project. It was nice to see him, but we didn't get much chance to talk. Today I stopped into Talbots in Bangor to see Sheila. I ended up making a purchase and we chatted while she gift wrapped it for me, and she put it in a bag and since there was another women waiting behind me, I said my goodbyes and headed for the door. Something didn't feel right, so I stopped and said "Did I get a receipt or anything?" She looked at the register and realized that I hadn't even paid for what I had bought. We had been talking so much neither of us realized we had forgotten that part of the transaction. The woman waiting didn't seem nearly as amused as we were, but she didn't say anything. After I left there, I went downtown and had a nice visit with Aunt Jeannette. I hadn't been in for quite a while, and she was very happy to see me, and I her. I tried to explain how this blog thing works, but since she doesn't really have any idea how computers work, it was pretty hard. I promised to print some of it to share with her. She had a visit recently from Uncle Chick's daughter Rhonda, and Rhonda then sent her an album with some photos of her visit. She also included a sheet of scanned photos from a trip she made to Maine when we were kids. There were family groups and John was a baby, so what would that be? 1966? There is one of Uncle Archie and his boys, Uncle Frank's family, Uncle Bernie's without Julie, Uncle Kenny's without Jen, and my Mom and Dad. They were all taken at Grammy's house in the living room. I'm going to see if I can make a contact and see if she will send me an electronic copy that I can share with you.

Well, this is way too long and it is way too late. I know there are other things I wanted to tell you, but I've got a busy day ahead of me, so I'd better stop for now. I hope those of you who are reading this will take a minute to say a few words, just so I'll know you are out there. More later.
Betsy