Making Memories This Christmas Season

We are celebrating Christmas differently this year. My husband and I attended four live performances in the past two weeks. We enjoyed two theatrical programs on our own and two events with our two youngest grandchildren, hoping to make long-lasting memories.

Our grandchildren joined us for Merry Christmas, Uncle Scrooge, an original musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, presented by Packard Playhouse in Columbia, Tennessee. A cast of talented adults and children brought the story of Ebenezer Scrooge to life, as the miser Scrooge transformed into a warmhearted and generous man.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
Proverbs 19:17, NIV

Last weekend, Kenn and I attended a matinee at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, Tennessee, for another live performance, White Christmas, presented by Audience of One Productions. Truly a delightful musical with gifted performers. A story of kindness and helping a friend in need. Of course, I enjoyed the romance too.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:16, NIV 

That evening, we gathered up our two youngest grandchildren again and celebrated the birth of our Lord as Nashville’s Christ Church Choir sang and worshipped. We received a blessing from the beautiful songs, scriptures, and exceptional talent.

All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.
Psalm 66:4, NIV 

On Wednesday, we drove to Granville, Tennessee, for a live performance at the Mayberry Dinner Theater. We enjoyed a delicious meal and laughed as the actors portrayed scenes from The Andy Griffith Show and I Love Lucy. My favorite characters were Gomer and Goober. A real hoot as we say here in Tennessee!

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22, NIV 

This year, we will have another new experience since returning to Tennessee. Our church rarely has a choir, but they put one together for our Christmas Eve services. Kenn and I are joining in and are excited to sing with a choir again.

Are you making new memories to celebrate Christmas this year? Or would tampering with a cherished tradition put you on someone’s naughty list?

Wishing you a Christmas filled with joy, spent with family and friends, making lasting memories. May your days be joyful and full of love as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Childhood Memories

Nettle Lake in northwest Ohio holds many favorite memories from my childhood. Friends owned a cottage and invited our family every summer to join them.

My cousin and I discovered the reason for its name early in life. One summer, we put our exploratory skills to use and spied a field of tall weeds. A maze of fun awaited us. Within moments, we bolted out and screamed our way back to the cabin. We found ourselves in the grasp of stinging nettles—plants with sharp hairs on their leaves that inject the skin and make it itchy.

In the early years, we had no running water in the cottage. We carried a flashlight to the outhouse at night. That was frightening enough without my two older brothers’ pranks. After a few years, our friends added water and an inside toilet.

Within a year or two, while I was using the commode, the toilet’s faucet exploded. Water came shooting out. Scared me to pieces. I did what any twelve-year-old girl would do. Screamed and sprinted out of the bathroom. I hope I remembered to pull up my pants. A repressed memory. To this day, I’m not fond of toilets. Although, they come in handy. Porta potties are worse.

Something I loved to do was climb into the rowboat and row to a small channel. Most often, three of us took turns rowing. On our expeditions, we carried along a fish net to catch turtles. We rowed through water lilies and observed in awe the blue herons soaring overhead. Now and then, a motorboat passed by and disturbed our tranquility. In the channel, croaking frogs entertained us. While one person rowed another held the net. Ready and waiting. We searched for turtle heads popping out of the water. We usually collected slimy seaweed when we scooped the turtles into our net. Often, we returned to the cottage with ten or more crawling along the bottom of the aluminum boat. Their tiny claws squeaking across the metal and scratching our bare feet.

On one trip to the canal we caught a snapping turtle. We were young but knew not to let him into our boat. We liked our toes. 

The turtles joined us at the top of the sloped back yard. Here, we raced them. We meandered alongside our favorites and cheered them on as they ventured down the hill and escaped into the lake. We repeated the full adventure the next day.

My favorite memory on a rainy day took place at the kitchen table. Our families played card games and ate chocolate cake covered with chocolate icing and walnuts on top. Yum!

Spending quality time with family and friends creates fond memories, forms strong bonds, and brings us joy. Nettle Lake will always hold a special place in my heart.

What memory from childhood is significant to you?