A Walk Down Memory Lane: The Early Years Part 1

Memories from my early years usually swirl around Christmas time. My grandmother Saalbach (affectionately known as "Mommom") really, really, really, REALLY loved Christmas. I remember huge "family" (only in quotes because "family" usually meant not only real relations, but tons of honorary family members, people who didn't have anyone to celebrate with whom my grandparents invited along) dinners around her dining room table (at least 15 to 20 people), with her really good crystal china being used, along with cloth tablecloths and napkins). There would be a huge turkey or ham, which Poppop would carve at one end of the table. There were lots of sides, including cream onions and rolls which my mom had freshly baked.

My grandparents' bungalow had a fireplace, which was almost always lit, and there was always music playing in the background. Everyone was dressed up as if it were a formal dinner (and it was treated as such!). We kids would help set the table (with frilly 50's-era aprons) and would help clear after dinner was done. Poppop's carving station was replaced with a coffee and dessert station, where he would slice up everybody's choice of pie: either pumpkin (which the kids loved) or mincemeat (which the kids would make fun of and the adults would eat).

Presents usually were before dinner, and were piled high in front of the big floor-sized television, on top of which was an artificial tree decorated with lights and other ornaments from the 30's. There was a lot of "oohing" and "aahing" that came with The Opening Of the Presents, and sometimes demonstrations of how clothes would fit or how certain toys would work.

Part 2 soon...