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I am glad to perpetuate my mother’s tradition of organization and dedication to a well-set table. In the upcoming days, and sometimes weeks, of a large family gathering, mom polished [...]

One Christmas I decided that I needed to really get into the spirit and play Santa. I cobbled together the best costume possible with the meager resources at hand. Then I made my sisters play [...]

As a child, we ate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts in our dining room. Mom loved to keep the tradition alive of serving a flaming fruit cake on Christmas Eve. I personally did not like the [...]

Two special treats appeared at Christmastime when I was a child. One was clementines.  Today the smell of that little citrus gem immediately takes me back to the one that was always in the toe of [...]

My parents bought our home in Ames, New York in 1951. A year later, I arrived and joined my sister. By 1955, we were a family of six. I have called it my home ever since. At Christmastime my [...]

I purchased our Christmas Pickle in the late 80’s and with it added a pickle hunt  to my family’s traditions. On Christmas Eve, I hid the pickle deep within the multitude of ornaments [...]

Mom would select a Saturday afternoon in early November for an appointment with  Canajoharie’s photographer,  Maurice LeBel. He arrived with his tripod, fancy camera, flood lights on poles, [...]

Christmas gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Some have ribbons and some have bows. I wrote this story in 2012 about one of the best gifts I ever received. My story appeared in three holiday [...]

Candles are perfect for the dark days of December. Their warm glow softens the harsh shadows of winter. Throughout my childhood in Ames, my family dined by candle light in the dining room. At an [...]

Christmastime is full of memories. And so my tree reflects the presence of special people in my life. They are in my heart forever. The first ornament placed on my tree commemorates the birth of [...]