The media has been having count-downs of everything – till Christmas, till New Year’s Eve; till the new century. Never has a calendar had more prominence! All these reports are accompanied by the best of what we have had during the last 100 years – books and movies; prominent people and political events; the best inventions and outstanding sports figures. It has gotten a little tiresome, and also, it reflects the opinion of others and may not be the same as yours!

I don’t have much fear about what will happen next week when we start writing “20” instead of “19.” I would rather use this season to remember the special times it has left as memories. Some of the things related to past holidays are times when our five children took part in Christmas pageants and school concerts and holiday parties. Getting the whole family dressed and ready to go to the church entertainment was easy until it came time to get Laurie into a hat. In those days, children wore hats to school, to play outside, and to all social events. Laurie just plain didn’t believe in hats and the rebellion is a clear memory!

Susan loved hats, and when very young she developed an obsession to always carry some kind of “pocketbook” or purse. When a friend took her to a musical show in Bridgeport, she lost her purse (almost new) – and the storm that caused lasted a week.

David was responsible for a very poor memory. Asked to take out a big box of paper from the holiday wrappings, he deposited box and all in the outdoor burning barrel – a legal way to burn trash.

About five minutes after the trash began to burn, great clouds of black smoke were rolling up from the barrel. It took us only a while to realize David had also picked up the box where snow boots were kept next to the kitchen stove. The next day, three children were being fitted with new boots!

Some memories were happy and come to mind often, each December. There was one year we spent the whole holiday week at the little red house in Vermont. David and Joy, who lived up there, had strung lights around the railing of the deck, and it was a postcard kind of picture as we drove up the hill in deep snow, under a full moon.

The two churches on the Monroe green are opposite one another. There is always a beautiful tree on the green and decorations on the houses around the area. Coming out of church one Christmas Eve at midnight, it had snowed about two inches during the services. The strains of “Angels We Have Heard on High” could be heard as the doors of St Peter’s Church opened. The choir and congregation from the Congregational Church came out into the night to the singing of “Silent Night.” Greetings of “Merry Christmas” rang across the green, as families started for home. It was a special memory.

We all still remember the year I bought a toy – I think it was called “Mr Machine.” It had to be assembled – a mistake I never made again.

We had a couple of engineers, an assortment of other neighbors, and putting that contraption together was nearly impossible. After about three hours, it was declared to be ready to put under the tree. I very carefully hid about seven pieces that no one could discover where they belonged. It was a very stressful Christmas Eve!

It was a very exciting night before Christmas when “Holly” came to live with us. That soft, brown-eyed beagle was about the best present I ever received, and we had many happy times together. And oh! Yes! another Christmas Eve, Wendy, the youngest daughter, just happened to come home from her friend’s house in a swirl of blowing snow and followed closely by a beautiful young tiger cat, who was not expected, but who finally became a much-loved family member. He was smuggled into the cellar that first night, but when the man of the house brought the Christmas tree up to put it in the stand, “Peter” came too, and settled under the tree to sleep. For the next 14 Christmases he spent every Christmas season under the tree. He apparently thought it came with him, and we have many good pictures of him sleeping contentedly under the tree.

Why is it that minds recall the holiday happenings so easily, as the season arrives each December, and we rarely remember them at other times?

This week Laurie will be down to spend the holiday. Wendy already has decorated my tree and will be here to help with the dinner. Susan and Allen will be here and Ed and Jessica and Scott – who has been incredibly busy delivering orders of T-shirts with David Merrills Gampel Pavilion likeness as their main feature. Stacie and Andy will be with his family in New Jersey this year. Ben and Megan, along with Jessica, are all grown up, and there won’t be dolls and trucks under the tree. But they will surely challenge the “older” folks to games of Yatzee and Cribbage and any others which Santa may bring.

We closed last week’s column with a verse from “Jingle Bells” by J. Pierpoint.

Do you remember who wrote in an editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist”?

We’ll close this column with a wish to each reader, for a happy holiday and for contentment, good health and friendship.