(Again, yall, this is a post for my 3 kids...before I forget, or get hit by a bus.)
Christmas seems to always bring out the 'crazy' in all families. If your family has a Norman Rockwell Christmas, and yall are still speaking after New Year's Eve---well, then congratulations!
However,my family--whom I adore---puts a little crazy (the good kind) in to Christmas and the Holidays.
Ever since I was a baby, my mom and I have flown to Lexington Kentucky for the Holidays. It was the once-a-year sojourn back to her home town of Versailles....(pronounced 'Ver-SAILS', not the French version.)
I was always so excited to fly.
In the early days, it was a non-stop flight from Norfolk to Lexington---full of sailors going home for Christmas. I always got to have hot chocolate, and it always burned my tongue.(but it was still a big deal!)
When we arrived at the Lexington airport,we actually had to walk across the tarmac to the airport building. Mom's hair would blow all around, and she'd get flustered. My grandfather and grandmother (dad's parents) were there to greet us. I was always ecstatic to see Jay C.---he wore a dark overcoat, a fedora, and smelled like cigars. He had big bushy eyebrows, and a wonderful smile and laugh.
We would gather our luggage while Jay C. went and got his boat of a vehicle, and pulled around to pick us up. I remember it always being so cold outside!...and I wished and wished for snow---since I lived by a beach, and hardly saw snow.
Driving to my other Grandmother's house (mom's mom) was a beautiful ride...Keeneland, horses, and beautiful horse farms.
When we drove in to Versailles, it was picture perfect, movie set, small town magic. Everyone had Christmas lights either in the windows, or on the lawns. There are a lot of beautiful old historic huge houses that would be formally decorated...magnolia wreaths, and white candles in the windows...but I always liked the colored lights---and if they flashed? Even better!
For years, we went to mom's childhood home---a really beautiful, two story, white house on Montgomery Avenue.She had a screened in front porch, complete with a swing. I loved it there. They had stairs! (we lived in a one story at the time.)It was the coolest house...My grandmother Virginia was the best. She always looked so pretty, and was so glad to see us. She always had dinner ready for us all when we arrived...I loved her broccoli casserole...which for me, at the time, was astonishing!
She always had scented candles going. Her home was always very warm, and smelled like fresh baked goods, turkey and cinnamon. Everyone smoked---indoors---back then. So, to me, the smell of cigar/cigarette smoke was comforting...still is.
After a good dinner, I would color in my coloring books, half way listen to the grown ups talking, and play with her white cat.
Christmas Eve, my mom would go to midnight Mass and I was forbidden to go downstairs.
(It was a long night!)
(When I got old enough to go to 'late church', my mom always insisted I 'dress to the 9's'...that meant a skirt, sweater, stockings and pumps---do you know how cold it is at Midnight in Versailles? I always wanted to wear pants, but was not allowed. I was quite envious of the people in church who got to dress warmly!It took 2 days for my feet to thaw out.)
I remember Christmas mornings as a little girl...I had to wait for Jay C. and Peggy to arrive before I could go downstairs to see what Santa brought me. I remember looking out the window watching for them---for what seemed like forever! Then, they would pull up, honk the horn, and I would fly downstairs to greet them...looking sideways to see if Santa really had come! (The 'Big Man' never let me down!)
After we opened presents, and had some breakfast---mine being the little Morton heated cinnamon donuts and apple juice---we would head to Danville to see the rest of the Family---'the Greeks'.
I was always in the back of Grandmother's Buick with my new favorite doll...my mom would drive. My Grandmother would smoke, with the window slightly cracked, and my mom would complain about the smell...ha! ha!
In the early days we went to my Uncle George's restaurant, The Town House.
It had red carpeting, and Country hams hanging from the ceiling of the entryway...
My family knows how to celebrate. All my cousins, and uncles, and aunts were there...all the people I had not seen in a year. We ate Greek soup...and had a blast.
I used to play with my cousins Barry and Mike.
Barry was really funny, and Mike picked on me...(yes, you did Mike...do not deny it---I have pictures of you trying to kill me in the snow!)
Later we switched the celebration to my Uncle Bill and Aunt Ethel's home---a super cool Victorian...I remember Uncle George had a movie camera with the brightest light on it. I am sure we all look like we are staring at the sun in the films.
I thought my girl cousins, who were older, were so pretty with their straight hair, frosty eyeshadow, and cool clothes.
We would go visit Aunt Carty's house---the best Aunt ever.She loved Christmas. She was so full of joy.She was always laughing about something! Her home was Christmas decoration central---and where I got my fondness for all things sparkly and magical. I remember one year she had a white Christmas tree with blue lights...and it spun! So cool! (I will have one, one of these days!)
Carty was also an amazing cook---her fudge was to die for. She,(like all of my family), was huge animal lover, and had herds of stray cats that she fed out her back door.
We all always ended up at Uncle George and Aunt Theresa's home.
One of the funniest memories ever, was when my cousin Mike put 'loads' in Carty and Grandmother's cigarettes. ('loads' for any who do not know, are like small fire crackers you can hide in the end of a cigarette...when it is lit, the end explodes like a cartoon.)We were all sitting around having a grand time, when 'BLAM!' Carty and Grandmother's cigarettes exploded. The looks on their faces were priceless...I thought everyone was going to pass out from laughing so hard...Carty and Grandmother went after Mike...it was hilarious....
(funny thing is, the next morning, when my Grandmother woke up, and lit up her morning cigarette...BLAM! She was cussing Mike, and all the animals in the house ducked for cover!)
My birthday is three days after Christmas, so we always celebrated in Kentucky. The celebrations were always modest, but fun!
And of course, at an early age, I learned how to shop after Christmas sales with mom.We always had a really good time, and ate lunch at a restaurant. I love the malls at Christmas---again because of the decorations....and people are not nuts in a pre-Christmas rush.
These are just a few of the many memories, kids...there are many many more.
I am not able to go back to Kentucky right now because I have three kids of my own...and we 'stay put' on Christmas.
However, I do miss my family this time of year...especially.
As crazy as all the travelling, and schlepping was, it was the best.
