by Donna Kay
Grandma told me one time that the reason she always had a great Christmas was for Grandpa. When he was little he asked his dad why Santa never came to their house. I don't remember what his answer was but Grandpa put a sock on the fireplace mantle for Santa. The next morning he woke up to find that he had a piece of coal in his sock for a Christmas present. That soured him on Christmas until Grandma came along.
Every year ALL the family close by would gather at Grandpa & Grandma White’s house. If Uncle Murrel or Uncle Paul and the family wasn't able to make it home, they made sure to call their parents for Christmas.
Grandma baked and cooked all day. She would have the house decorated from top to bottom with candles and the Nativity Scene made by her sister Vora set up next to the tree. She made sure everyone had a present that was hand made by her. She started on the Christmas presents in January. The presents would be lined up next to the tree. They would range from mops made of taffeta to perm containers made of the bottom of a milk jug and a dish towel with a draw string. She made us kid’s stuffed animals or toys. Once, Dana and I each got a life-size doll. Dana’s had brown hair and brown eyes, while mine had blonde hair and blues eyes. Grandma had them under the covers of her bed when Dana and I saw a hump there. We asked Grandma what it was and she told us that some relatives were taking a nap.
Grandpa just sit in his recliner with a pipe in one hand and a smile that let you know he loved you even though he never told you in words. To this day I love the smell of a pipe. If you ever saw Grandpa he either had the pipe in his hand or his pocket.
The grandkids would run and play through the whole house until we were corralled in the bedrooms to play.
Around 8:00pm the dad’s had to run to town for “Ice Cream”. It wasn’t until years later that we learned that each was helping the other play Santa at each others house. About 9:30 we kids were ready to go home because someone heard Santa go over the house.
The smell and those warm feelings are still with me. Grandma never once seemed to complain about the noise or the house full of people. They loved for us to all be there. We try to carry on the tradition by getting together at one of their grandchild’s home for Christmas. Grandpa and Grandma were wonderful people who taught us what a family is truly all about. LOVE
