Advent Calendar - The Christmas Tree

Oh, the Christmas tree... what a great place to start since setting up the tree and decorating it is what officially begins the Christmas season!

When I was growing up, we always had a real tree, though I don't remember how I felt about  the experience of having a real tree. I don't remember picking one out that we thought was perfect, driving it home, smelling the pine (a scent that I don't care for), and happily decorating it with ornaments. What I remember most about having a real tree were the pine needles... they pricked me as I was decorating, walking by, or if I just looked at the tree wrong. The tree shed its needles like a dog sheds fur. They were all over the floor, the furniture, me. It seemed to have a never ending supply of needles to drop on the floor.

I was responsible for cleaning them, which could explain my very fixed memory. I'm sure I didn't have to do so when I was younger, but I don't remember those times. I vacuumed after the tree was set up. I vacuumed every couple of days when the tree shed more needles... and then again... and then again... whenever a newly wrapped present was added... whenever the tree was watered...

After Christmas came the epitome of pine needles... when the tree was dried up and pretty much dead. It seemed as though the tree was attempting to get rid of every last needle before we could get rid of it! And there I was... vacuuming away.

Needless to say, as an adult, I do not buy real trees. It is all fake for me! I'm so happy pulling it out of its box and putting it up and I'm happy breaking it down and putting it back in its box after New Years. I am forgiving  when the wire branches sometimes poke me and when I still have to vacuum up relatively few "pine needles"!! I'm just grateful to have a non-shedding, scentless, never drying up and turning yellow tree. The cons of a fake tree are nothing compared to the magnitude of a childhood memory.

My beautiful well-loved fake Christmas tree in all its glory!

~ Just one little memory of Christmas trees... it had a bumpy start, but I love happy endings! ;)

Fearless Females - Women's History Month Prompt #8

March 8 — Did one of your female ancestors leave a diary, journal, or collection of letters? Share an entry or excerpt.

Unfortunately, there are no diaries or letters in my family that I personally am aware of. I'm not sure if they just weren't written or if they weren't saved.

 

My mother kept these "Country Diaries" for a few years. They are those diaries that you could order through the mail and there is a small box for each day of the month. She would just write little excerpts, mainly about us kids. I have all of them, even the ones that she only wrote a couple of entries in.

 

Here is one entry on March 6, 1984:

"Monica says she now has 8 boyfriends. What is she going to do with all those boys? She wants to marry Chris H. Daddy is still working too many hours. Chris still lives in never-never land. Mommy found another job, more interesting. ... Monica's feet are in my face!"

 

That's hilarious... most of the entries are random little tidbits like this one, but they are fun to look back on! As the years progressed, I started adding little entries in. I tried to do these books again a couple of years ago, but I don't have the discipline to enter something in every day. Looking at them makes me want to try again though!

Fearless Females - Women's History Month Prompt #7

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.



In all honesty, I am unable to think of a favorite recipe passed down. It does not appear that we had "family recipes" that were passed down through the generations, which is unfortunate. My maternal grandmother was Portuguese so I'm sure she learned some of those dishes as a child. She had a couple of dishes that she said were Portuguese: Portuguese beans and Portuguese tear bread. I could not confirm the authenticity of them though.
 
I do know that everyone in my family loved these "Portuguese beans"... except me. I believe they were just cooked beans (I can't remember the kind) and were served in a pile with broken up cornbread. And ketchup. Doesn't sound very authentic! ;) I never liked them though. I recently borrowed a Portuguese cookbook from the library and made a kale soup. It was good, but I'm not a huge soup fan and my son was a little wary of the green soup.
 
One thing that we all love though on that side of the family is linguica, a Portuguese sausage. I am always trying to find it in the stores and add it to recipes. We cook it up for breakfast, put it in our spaghetti, and have added it to other pasta dishes. My children love it and I can't seem to get enough of it!
 
There aren't any German/Dutch (paternal) recipes passed down that I'm aware of. My dad is a creative cook and makes up a lot combinations of things to put together. The two that I have continued doing myself are Velveeta and onion sandwiches and a peanut butter sandwich with hot cauliflower. Just writing those two sandwiches down make me want to have one of each!
 
Personally, I have perfected recipes for both homemade refried beans and homemade salsa (after many, many batches of each of them!). I will definitely be passing these recipes down to my own children.

Fearless Females - Women's History Month Prompt #6

March 6 — Describe an heirloom you may have inherited from a female ancestor (wedding ring or other jewelry, china, clothing, etc.) If you don’t have any, then write about a specific object you remember from your mother or grandmother, or aunt (a scarf, a hat, cooking utensil, furniture, etc.)

I'm lucky enough to have received several items from my female ancestors!

I inherited a quilt made by my paternal grandmother, Arlene. My parents had possession of it and it was passed nonceremoniously down to me when my parents divorced. It is a pink and white quilt and I'm not sure the reason why it was made.

I also received a pitcher that my aunt made. It is blue and white and beautiful. It was made for my parents and was given to me by my mother.

 

One other thing I received was a Bride Doll from my mother. It was her favorite doll that she received when she was 5 years old. She gave it to me when I was 5 years old. I loved it so much then and would just stare at it. It sits in a box in my closet now and the dress needs some repair, but maybe I will pass it down to my daughter when she is 5!

The last item I'm sharing is a painting done by my maternal grandmother, Helen. She used to love the Joy of Painting guy. She never had any formal lessons, but decided one day to try out painting. She was actually pretty amazing! When my step-grandfather passed away recently, we found a bunch of her paintings. Luckily there were enough for all of us to have one, including my son who has one hanging in his room.

Fearless Females - Women's History Blogging Prompt #5

March 5 — How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?



My parents met through my mom's sister and her husband. My dad was her husband's best friend. They fell in love and were married three months later. Unfortunately, their marriage only lasted another 17 years before they were divorced.
 
My paternal grandparents met in a similar way (we think). They met on a double date with one of his relatives. That's all I know about them.
 
I have no idea how my maternal grandparents met! She was 15 and still in high school and he was 23 and I'm not sure how he was even connected to the area (California). She dropped out after only completing 10th grade to marry him (1948-1949) and had her first child by the time she was 16. Unfortunately, the same goes for my maternal great-grandparents. I need to find out more information!