FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE
The other night I saw a video of someone making eggnog and it brought back memories of my grandfather, W.H. Cooke making it on Christmas Eve every year when Kathy and I were very young. This was before Ken and Kevin came along.
He made a big production of his eggnog adding every fattening ingredient he could think of like heavy cream, eggs, lots of sugar and large lashings of bourbon. My sister and I always got a glass even though it had alcohol in it, but keep in mind it was the early 60s.
It occurs to me now, at age 61, that mom, dad and my grandparents probably gave it to us to make sure we slept extra well so we wouldn’t wake up when Santa came in the night.
Fun memories. I wonder what it is about the holidays that make you remember things so fondly.
I remember Gertrude Hale’s candlelight Christmas parties. She had a beautiful house which, I think, was where the Catholic Church’s parking lot is now, across the street. Ken and Kevin were very young then, and they went around the house blowing out all the candles, so it was almost pitch black inside the party before anyone realized what had happened. I wonder if we were ever invited back.
One year, before leaving the house for that party, Kevin stuck his nose into a tall, thin vase that had a candle in the bottom - probably trying to blow it out. The flame caught the front of his hair on fire and burned it all off just before we were about to leave.
Kevin was a strange child. If he didn’t get his way, he would hold his breath until he turned blue and passed out. Mom was concerned and asked the doctor about it. He told her not to worry because he would start breathing again as soon as he passed out. After we found that out, we used to make him upset on purpose just to see it happen, so I guess we were also strange children.
At my mom’s family at Christmas there was always good food. My grandmother, great grandmother and great aunt were all superb cooks. They didn’t have a lot of money, so we always got socks and underwear for Christmas, which was just fine by us since they fed us so well.
My great grandmother, MawMaw, used to make enchiladas which I can still taste. I’m sure there was absolutely nothing authentic about them, but they sure were good. When I lived in Houston a restaurant opened near my house, and they had enchiladas that weren’t exactly the same but pretty close. I think they were made with canned chili, and I’m sure MawMaw’s were.
My aunt Judy, mom’s sister, had a beauty shop next to my great grandmother and great aunt’s house. My grandmother also learned to cut hair and worked there, and my great aunt swept up the hair. After the shop closed there were always beauty shop things in their houses.
I remember once, Kathy asking my great aunt, Boopie, if she had a hair dryer in the 70s, but what she meant was a blow dryer. Boopie said, “I sure do and took her into her bedroom where there was a chair hair dryer with the lid that comes down over your head. Not exactly the same, but it got the job done.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and are enjoying your special Christmas memories over the holiday.
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