Santa's Message and Popcorn Balls

Well, today is a bit slow around the Nahid homestead. The boys are both feeling a bit "puny" as my mother would say. Micah developed a case of croup a few days ago, which culminated in many trips outside in the midnight hours to calm the barking coughs. He is better now, just a bit weak and congested, but last night, Abraham woke up with the menacing bark. So out we went again for a rendevous on the front porch wrapped in a blanket. Croup is no picnic to deal with, because the stridor that is involved can be somewhat frightening. Anyway, he began to feel better and went back in for some rest, hot tea with honey, and a vaporizer running full blast. So, today is a sick day from school, "our" school that is! A rather quiet, uneventful day which has given me a chance to recall more visions of Christmas past.

Christmas in the Troutt home was always a joyful time. I remember my mother and father's spirits always being lifted around this time of year. I look back now and realize that it was because my parents truly have a gift of giving. They enjoyed, and still do enjoy, giving gifts. My mom spends a lot of thought and energy in her gifts, and always makes such a fuss over what we get for her as well. It is a sweet sight.

The first memory I can recall is a precious one indeed. It was Christmas morning, and I looked expectantly under the tree to find a very cool cassette player (which was really a hot item in the 80's). Not only did I find a player, but there was a tape already inserted. As I pressed play, I sat hiding my laughter, when I heard a mysterious voice...that of Old St. Nick himself! Wow, and he even knew our names. He wished us a Merry Christmas in his lowest, gruffest voice, and off he dashed up the chimney (or out the front door, whatever).

Another Christmas, when I was an infamous teenager, I received an awesome pair of boots. They were fancy, and I felt so ultra cool wearing those. They even had designs imprinted and were the kind that sagged a little. Hot, I say! Unfortuately, it seems that every Christmas morning picture of me looks as if I was half asleep and quite dazed (which I was most of the time). Oh, those lovely early morning pictures with the housecoats, pajamas, and major bedhead. Do you have those in your collection as well?

Another part of Christmas I loved was what I will call the "official displaying" of all the gifts, or the "gift walk." My sis and I would always organize our dainties in some way as to display them for the grandparent visits that would occur that day. It was a tradtion for all of my grandparents to stop by and peruse the bountiful booty we had obtained. We would guide them like showcase girls on The Price is Right, picking up each item, twirling it around, while our grandparents would give a little "well" or "uh-huh", nodding their approval, much to our delight. It was always a bit sad when the show was over. It seemed like the thrill of the day began to trickle slowly away, and that somehow I wanted to make time stand still to capture that feeling and that moment forever.

Later, we would always eat our leftover Christmas dinner, reheated, and tasting even better than it did the first time. My sister and I would play together with our new items and maybe watch a Christmas movie, just relaxing. There was a time when I even remember my Dad fixing popcorn balls with my grandad's honey drenched all throughout (or maybe it was Caro syrup?) and I could actually eat these yummy things! My how that has changed! (Those you who know me know that popcorn is majorly off limits for this poor gal)

Such are the beatiful memories I recall so far of Christmas past at the Troutt home...