This week I have been remembering Christmas days a bit differently. This Christmas is my first as a person on this earth with no living parents as my mom passed in September at 94 years old after a great life.  But the purpose of this writing is not to focus on that, but to relive a great day, so that's what I'll do.  As you read, I'm sure you'll go back to some similar memory of your own.

My favorite Christmas morning was about maybe 1972-1973.  We were all still at home, and both of my parents were still with us.  It was a very nice morning. Cold, but sunny and there was a ton of snow that had fallen on Christmas Eve night. I was about 10 and I got some kind of sledding device from Santa and we decided it was a good morning to test it out. So we did. I think it was some kind of Atomic Saucer thing deal, I remember it had orange handles and went downhill at about 5,000 MPH.  This is a full decade and half before Christmas Vacation - Think they heard about this and stole the idea...

We all dressed up warm, me, my brother, sister, mom and dad and walked to a small, but fun hill near our house in the MetroParks Rocky River Reservation. I think the dogs got to go too, (Taffy and Lafayetta). It was late morning and we had the entire place to ourselves as no one else had emerged out of their home yet.  We sledded for a good long while my mom took pictures and shot home movies on our Super 8 film camera.  (It was color).  I have a hard time remembering a more fun morning I ever had as a little kid. 

You see, I am seven years younger than my sister, and five years younger than my brother.  Before I was around, they all did a ton of things as a family, all well documented on Regular 8 film home movies (Black And White).  But as an ENTIRE family it was rare after I showed up, only because my siblings were much older and were gone to college when I was pretty young. And maybe too, my parents ran out of documentation fuel too.  So this Christmas morning really sticks with me.  We had a blast, and I think we all went out on a day that I probably was driving them nuts to use my new gear. 

So we grabbed that new gear, and other sledding stuff from no doubt Christmas' past and had the time of our lives.  At least I did.  I have no idea if my siblings remember it or not, but I am thankful I do.  It's what I have, and I'm glad I can call it up on this special week, which will be a bit more special than others to come. There are few mornings in my life and memory I can see as vividly as that one.

Merry Christmas!