Christmas for me has always been a magical time, even if it wasn't so good. Some rememberances of Christmas Past.

My first Christmas memory is a huge beautiful doll that my dad bought from poker winnings the night before arriving home for Christmas.

Buying my mother a black negligee out of earnings from hauling bottled water from a fresh spring for weeks, and the shock on my mom's face. I wanted a sibling.

The year my mom was in hospital, my dad and I decorated the Christmas Tree, and at the end, stood back and threw the tinsel at the tree. Such fun, as prior, it was meticulously placed in an up/down fashion. Dad had the CN call just as the train with mom on it was pulling in, the poker crew left, we aired the place, cleaned the ashtrays, and arrived at the train station just in time.

The first year I cooked for the crowd. My turkey was just a little overdone. 6 hours for a 20 pound bird at 450 is a little long.

The year I cooked turkey and fed myelf and my two dogs.

The year I placed the bird in the oven the night before, poured a bottle of white wine over it, and cooked it on low heat, was a success at a picnic on the beach in Florida.

The year my love and I found a beautiful heart necklace in a park on Christmas Day in Florida, chips and coke that year Zooloo, but I still have that necklace. Love is long gone.

The year the turkey spoiled in the basement, and the next door neighbour produced a twenty pound bird frozen as a gift. The new miracle "the Microwave" defrosted it, and dinner guests were served on time.

The year I dropped the turnip casserole on the floor on the way to the table.

All the Christmases with Syd from babyhood up to and including this year.

All the dog, cat, horse presents that were devoured by the dog, cat, and horses, over the years, dogs, Peter, Abe, Coco, Rags, Sunny: cats, Blackie, Oreo, Buster, Deathie: horses, Frolic, Kaleidoscope, Charlemayne.

The year we all sojourned to The D.R. cut palm fronds for a tree, and ate fish for Christmas repast.

The loss of family members, the remembering them each year.

And, finally the pleasure of being off the hot seat, and planning to go to younger family members for dinner, and watch them overcook the turkey, drop the vegetables, throw the tinsel at the tree, and whatever comes up this year at our family get to gether.

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed the NOT forum, for a long, long time. I really care about all (well, almost all) yes, all of you. May your Christmas this year, be family fun, with its ups and downs, or if you are alone this year, as I have been on many, remember, a lot of people hold you in the memory and heart........have a few drinks, and throw a bird in the oven......Merry Christmas everyone. God bless us all.

vermillion