‘’ COMING UNWRAPPED’’

Now that Christmas is just around the corner, I am reminded of some good Christmas stories!  When Tim and I were kids, our WHOLE life seemed to mainly consist of waiting for each Christmas. About a month or 2 before Christmas, we would both ‘’practice’’ running down the stairs on Christmas morning! (Even in the recent past ((last Christmas season)), we’ve been know to STILL do this). We did this countless times every year before Christmas morning so we would get our time down to seconds! As part of our practice, I would give MYSELF as a present to practice opening! I would find a big box and get inside of it and put newspapers over the top, so when Tim would practice running down the stairs and open the big present, I would pop out and say, ‘’It’s a new Mikey’’! (Tim probably figured that the ‘’Old Mikey’’ was enough). For some reason, I don’t recall Tim ever volunteering to let me unwrap him. Hmmm, even NOW I’m still  “wrapped too tight” J The one ‘’bad memory’’ we all have as kids about Christmas is that EVERY Christmas Eve, because of an Irish tradition, EVERYONE had to have some oyster stew! Tim, Sue, and I all despised it! We would at least have to take a “little taste” of it, the “grownups’’ insisted. Oddly enough, over the years, I’ve acquired a taste for oyster stew, so I am the one that insists on keeping the tradition alive by everyone at least “tasting some.” I remember both my daughters having the same reactions we did at the same age! Our Uncle Ned used to love to eat RAW oysters! I remember him and my grandmother wanting me to try one, and I did! However; I remember running into Ned’s room and spitting it out between his bed and the wall! I have no idea why I spit it out there! Maybe I figured that one of the ubiquitous cats would eat it up in no time. I'll post more stories of additional Christmas Memories shortly…