Moving thru the Holiday season

More wonderful memories. When I was about 6, Santa brought me a Mickey Mouse old fashion pay phone....my brother Eddie took it apart & took the little record out of it. I was so upset and of course I told on him. The Christmas before I had my tonsils out.....I was about 10 yrs old....I was very sick and confined to the bed. Christmas morning, my 2 oldest brothers, Joe & Jim, put my "Baby First Step" doll in the doorway to the bedroom I was in and had her walk to me.  I was so excited, but too sick to get up to see what Santa brought me. I had my tonsils out the following January at LeBonheur.  I remember they had a life-sized santa & sleigh outside the window.  I went to the "Bunny Room" and picked out a huge paperdoll set...she was about 24 inches tall.  By the time I got out of surgery, mama had cut all of her clothes out for me. After the first few days, I refused anymore SOUP, and cried for a Krystal Hamburger".  My mama called the doc and he said I could have one since the buns were so soft......mmmmmm I can smell them now.

Holidays

I simply love holiday memories,.....I remember Saint John's Catholic Church on Lamar Ave.  My parents worked to sell Christmas Trees for their various church related clubs. Oh, such fun. It was snowing & all of us kids were running through the trees, Christmas Carols were being sung & hot chocolate was being passed out. I felt so safe and loved.

Every year we got a huge real tree. Back in the day we had those lights with the big bulbs, our decorations were all so sparkly & delicate and we had to be so very careful. Mama & daddy would put the hooks on each one & all seven of us took turns hanging them up. The best part....throwing the silver icicles on last!
We did not have a fireplace, but we had a cardboard one...yep, it was red brick looking & it had a paper flame that spun around to make it appear real.  We thought is was pretty neat & hung our stockings up on that mantle every year.

Mama made the BEST food ever, dressing, turkey, ham, greenbeans, corn........yum.  I remember one year I was very sick and had to stay in the bed on Christmas morning, my sweet brothers, Joe & Jim brought my "Baby First Step" to the door, turned her on & let her walk to me.  I never ever will forget that love from them. I was a very lucky girl. I guess Santa really helped  my parents, because we always had wondeful Christmas mornings, we did not get everything we wanted, but we got what we needed & we were always satisfied. Daddy always took us out to look at Christmas lights. Mama made fudge.  I sure do miss my parents but I feel sure they are watching over us.....amazed at the legacy of healthy children they helped create.  I am sitting here looking at my Christmas tree, all of the multi-colored lights, thinking of how I have as many sweet memories as I have lights. Thanking my father in Heaven for these memories and for giving me such loving parents & siblings.

Number 7

I was born the 7th child of Joseph & Cecelia Ashe. I was preceded in that birth chain by Joe, Jim, Cathy, Rick, Maria & Eddie.  Boy were they surprised with their even 6 turning unto 7. I think I my early childhood was close to perfect. One of my earliest memories is when my sister Maria accidently slammed the car door on my left index finger. I remember being in the car with the whole family, me on mama's lap with a towel wrap around my hand. Pretty awful, but it could have been worse. Our dog "Buttercup" was a black cocker spaniel...I remember her, but then I draw a blank...she died of heartworms.  But, I think that started me on my love for animals. I remember a mimosa tree in our front yard on Dallas Street. The blooms reminded me of ballerina's dancing in the wind...I can almost smell them as I am typing. We moved to a 4 bedroom house when I was about 6.....I felt like it was a mansion!  But....uh..we had 1 bathroom for 9 people.....don't know how we managed, but we did. I was the baby, and I would get scared at night because I kept hearing this loud sound....but I went toward  that sound and it was my daddy snoring....my poor mama never got much sleep. Just a bit of my life....