Enter to Win: Books on Holiday Entertaining

When my brothers and sisters were young, we would wake up on Easter morning and expect Easter Baskets from The Easter Bunny. To our surprise, this particular holiday we found envelopes with our names. Inside there was a clue written in rhyme. Something like "To find your basket filed with treats, go to a cold place where you find frozen things to eat!" So Of course as you guessed the basket would be placed in maybe the fridge or deep freeze. It was alot of fun to have to look around using clues! Even better, we not only got Easter treats, but they were put into more useful items like mine for instance was in a pretty little purse to match my easter dress which I wore to church that day!

My favorite Christmas memory is when I turned ten years old. That Christmas was the last one we spent as a family. My parents moved us to Florida and very soon thereafter divorced. I was always a "Daddy's girl." To lose him almost killed me especially being in a new place and not feeling that my mother was capable of taking care of my brother, who was six years older, and me.That was also the last year that I was sexually abused. You can imagine why that was a lasting memory for me. Don't ask me why it stopped then when the opportunity was even greater for my brother to abuse me without my father being at home. Even now, after fifty-one years, I am still suffering the memories. That Christmas, as a sheltered little ten year old, I felt very grownup because I got many of the things on my list..a Princess Ring, Hair Accessories, Grownup Clothes, but most Important was I got my own Private Telephone. I had wanted a phone so badly, but was told I wasn't old enough to have a phone. When I opened that gift I felt so grownup and so loved. It truly was the last time I felt that in my life. Today, at sixty-one years old, I am totally alone, both parents are gone now. I haven't seen my brother since my mother died sixteen years ago and that is just fine with me. However, due to having never married nor had children (that was due to having to have a hysterectomy at twenty one years old because of all the old abuse that did so much damage inside or so the doctor told me)I never felt it was right to marry and not be able to give my husband children, so today I sit here all by myself and I hate it. When I think of that last Christmas so long ago, it truly does give me happiness and peace in my heart. God has been good to me (far better than I deserve certainly) and even though I have had some real struggles, I have had a "GOOD" life. Now I have developed a terminal condition and don't know if I will even have another Christmas, I am still so blessed. May each of you have a wonderful and joyous holiday season. God bless you all. Merry Christams and HappyNew Year.

The Christmas past that became part of the present:

Back when I was an extremely young girl, during Xmas night, I was awoken to chatter in the kitchen. It sounded like 2 woman. My sister was asleep in the same bed, so I nudged her awake too. Then the two of us went off to investigate. First we went to our parents room, and they were both in there sleeping and snoring soundly. Next we proceeded down the stairs. No lights were on anywhere, but we could still hear the holiday sounds of clanking dishes, high heels on the linoleum, water running, and the chatter of exciting preparation for the holidays. We looked in the living room first, and saw our presents sprawled out underneath the tree. Still hearing the festivities, we proceeded to the kitchen. But when we got within a few feet of the kitchen, it suddenly stopped.

The 2 of us proceeded to the kitchen to find it dark, and the way it was left the night before. Everything put away, and neat and tidy. Not a single sign of the festive activities that we heard. We even checked the sink and dish towel, and both were dry.

Immediately, me and my sister took off for our bedroom. Us 2 girls were somewhat scared, and we both took turns staying awake to listen for it again. Eventually, we both fell asleep.

The next morning we both ran downstairs to open our presents. But before we could begin, we had to ask our parents about what had happened. We explained how we heard 2 woman in high heels having a grand time. Both my parents went pale. And us girls refused to proceed with Xmas until they talked to us about it. You see, when our parents bought and looked at the house, only one elderly woman was there. That was the only woman me and my sister met. But our parents explained that she was moving because the sister that lived with her, had passed away. I then asked my mother if the remaining sister was alive. But she didn't know.

The nightly festivities became a regular custom during all holidays. Until one Easter, I, all by myself stood at the top of the stairwell, and talked to the women. I explained that I thought they were wonderful people, and it was great that they were having such a wonderful time. But could they make sure we didn't hear them since it scared us. All of a sudden, the festivities ended. Never to be heard again.

To this day, I will never forget this. Even though it was scarey, it wasn't. And if it was just an echo from the past, why did it stop when I asked? Who knows, perhaps those 2 sweet sisters are celebrating their holidays in that very kitchen to this day.

This is a very true story. At a later age, when we discussed this, my mother did tell me that they put our presents out before they went to bed at 11 PM. And the festivities always happened in the early AM. During which we would always find our parents asleep.