Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories: December 2 - Holiday Foods

HOLIDAY FOODS

Did your family or ancestors serve traditional  dishes for the holidays? Was there one dish that was unusual?

If my ancestors served anything other than "Americanized" Christmas traditional foods, I have not been made aware of it. I know both of my grandparents served a traditional Christmas dinner each year. There was the usual Christmas turkey or ham, or perhaps a roast goose if one had been killed in the wild. Sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, and cranberries.

Were there any unusual dishes? No... you probably couldn't tell there table from any other American's.

Although a few years ago, I decided to break totally from the norm and have a real English Christmas. With some foods my dear hubby had never eaten before. [I had enjoyed these foods, but at different times, never all at the same meal before!]

We had a roast goose. My DH had always heard how greasy a goose was, and therefore would never eat it. So, I proceeded to roast a goose that wasn't greasy. [Ahhh, that marvellous invention that is called the meat rack! It lifts the bird from the roasting pan and allows the fatty juices to drain away!] Needless to say, hubby was quite impressed!

Chestnut dressing topped it off!

We had blood pudding. Of which I simply said "taste and then decide before I tell you what it is!". He ate two helpings. I told him the food he was eating and he promptly said "don't ever do that to me again!" [Oh the power of the mind! LOL]

Corn pudding. No, it's not a real English dish, but it is an American ingredient that was anglicized. That he enjoyed!

We had a boiled plum pudding. With a thick creamy sweet sauce! Oh my! He loved that!

All with herbed boiled potatoes.

We laughed as it wasn't a typical Christmas meal for either of us.... but it was so much fun! [Well, except for the blood pudding! LOL]

Growing up, Mother always served Christmas dinner on her finest china. The table set as if for royalty. I do so miss that! Today we go to my sister's house for the holidays, as that's where my parents now live. Dinner is usually set on paper plates for ease of cleaning up afterwards. And we eat wherever we can find a seat. Spread out about the house.

This year we are going to my youngest brother's house. He and his wife have determined to make the entire meal on their own! [Something we've never done before! It's always been a shared task among the many of us.] So, it will be a different experience for us all!

I am hoping next year we can have a dinner simply here at home, with just our own families. Perhaps meeting up later in the evening for coffee and dessert to exchange gifts. Why? Because I'd like the opportunity to set my table in my china. Have a special meal just for my beloved hubby, and whatever children and grandchildren can make it to our home that day! That would be my wish.

And my greatest joy!

This post is a part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" meme created in 2007 by Thomas and Jasia. You, too, can write your own Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Thrifty Thursday

Mary Faudree Bean

1897-1975

Circa. 1962

My Grandma Bean had always lived a frugal life. She had raised a family during the Depression and had seen some real struggles just to keep body and soul together.

I remember Grandma saving little scraps of aluminum foil so that they could be reused.

Paper towels were shook out and reused when they had been used for something dry. And if they had only been moistened... they were allowed to air dry and be used again.

Glass jars [such as mayonnaise or pickle jars] were washed thoroughly and kept for canning in later on.

Paper plates were sometimes reused as well, unless so soiled they couldn't be cleaned once again.

Grandma wore white canvas sneakers all the time. In order to keep them spotless, and without causing undue wear and tear from excassive washing, she powdered them daily with Johnson's Baby Powder!

Plastic bags, included bread wrappers, were washed and allowed to air dry. These were reused for left overs, biscuits, and even in freezing foods for later consumption.

Nothing was exempt from her reuse.

Empty medication bottles were used as tiny biscuit and cookie cutters for little grandchildren's hands when helping in the kitchen. I've eaten many a "biscuit cookie" cut with a pill bottle! [ Grandma would make biscuit dough, roll it out thin on the table, and allow me to cut the tiny little biscuits with the medication bottle. She'd then place these on a cookie sheet, and lightly sprinkle them with granulated sugar.] These little "biscuit cookies" were the perfect size for a teaparty with a favorite dolly, or a little sister!

Yes, Grandma was one of the original recyclers! Long before it was ecologically correct, or the "in thing" to do, Grandma was keeping America green!

And I bet your Grandparents were too!

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories: December 1 - The Christmas Tree

The Christmas TreeDid you have a real tree or was it artificial? How big was the tree? Who decorated the tree? What types of Christmas trees did your ancestors have?

My Christmas Tree - 2010

Growing up in Norfolk, Virginia, my earliest remembrances of Christmas trees were of real pine trees.

How I remember the smell of pine and the feel of the prickly needles as Mommy and the two of us girls carried the tree into the house. See... my Daddy was a sailor in the US Navy. And he was away from home more often than not. So, I can count on one hand how many times my Daddy was home from the time I was born, until I was grown and married, for Christmas!

By the time I was about 7 or 8, Mommy was working full time in the FPO [Fleet Post Office], and a real tree had gone out of vogue. Artifical trees were now the fashion.

Mommy had several over the years, but she always had a beautiful green one.

I don't remember my Grandma Beane having a tree in her home, although I am told she did. I simply don't remember it. SHe came to live with us when I was only five years old, so my memories of her home are limited.

Grandma Dreher's house, I am told, used to have a real tree when Mommy was still at home. But after Mommy grew up and married and left home, Grandma and Grandpa put up an artificial tree.

I didn't like Grandma's artificial tree. [Still don't!] It was an artificial white pine. And I mean, literally, white. Grandma used a color wheel in front of the tree to make it change colors. One year the wheel was stuck on red, and the tree looked perpetually pink. [That was horrendous!]

My first year married, my husband and I went to the woods and we cut a cedar tree!

Yes... a cedar tree. It was probably one of my most favorite Christmas trees! Although years later, and with my current husband, I had one that I will forever love and remember!

My ancestors?

Mother's ancestors... her father came from a long line of Germans. And they brought with them the Yule tree tradition. The lonely pine, decorated with blown glass and candles.

Her mother's family were French... likewise a Yule tree, although theirs was decorated more with woodland and edible decorations than glass, and also candles.

Daddy's family were Appalachian mountain descendant's for many generations. The Christmas tree went way back into the family celebrations of the Christmas season. Decorations were usually bits and scraps of whatever could be spared to hang upon the tree. A bit of lace or scrap material tied in bows and ribbons. Strings of buttons. Popcorn or cranberries. Perhaps some lightweight twig or wood craft from the boys. Maybe a garland of handknit rope. And again, the candles.

A few years ago [2004]  while living in Texas, Texican decided to surprise me with a real Christmas tree, knowing that I dearly love a real tree! When I found out the cost... I was overwhelmed! $75!!! Unfortunately it was the last real tree we had... however, this year we determined to start a fund to have a real tree next year even if it takes us all year long to save for it! LOL Oh, but that real tree was a work of art! Perfectly proportioned... and decorated in homemade crocheted snowflakes. How I loved it! [Somewhere there is a photo of that tree, and hopefully before the end of this Advent, I can find it and show it to you!]

The tree pictured above is the tree we have this year.

I show you this tree because it is my first ever "Generations" tree.

This tree contains pictures of all of our ancestors that we have photographs for!

[These two are my mother's parents! Irene Banet and Henry Dreher before the two were wed.]

My dear sister gave me the little ornament frames for my birthday this year [which falls on Nov. 4th]. She knew I had been searching for something to showcase my photos for my tree. And I am thrilled to have these! I have enough frames left to also add all of our grandchildren, so those are forthcoming to this year's tree!

Look out next year, however! I am starting right after Christmas this year making all homemade ornaments for next years tree! And the piggy bank is going full time toward getting a real tree for that celebration!!!

This post is a part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" meme created in 2007 by Thomas and Jasia. You, too, can write your own Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Visit Geneabloggers to participate and to read others' posts on these topics.

Wordless Wednesday

Three of my favorite people on Thanksgiving 2010.

[L->R]

DH Johnnie, sis Eydie, and Mom Lois.

Tombstone Tuesday

Natalie Wood Wagner

1938-1981

[The following information comes from FindAGrave.]

Birth:	Jul. 20, 1938
Death:	Nov. 29, 1981
Actress. Most remembered for her role of Susan Walker in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), a Christmas classic movie. She appeared in over 56 movies for the silver screen and television, and was nominated three times for an Oscar (she never won). She was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, of Russian emigrants in San Francisco, California. Natalie won a bit part at age 4 in a movie, "Happy Land" (1943), then being shot in her Santa Rosa neighborhood. The family then moved to Los Angeles, hoping to land more film roles for her, but her second role did not come until 1946, when she appeared in "Tomorrow is Forever." In 1947, she won the role of Susan Walker in "Miracle on 34th Street," and began a successful career as a child star, appearing in 18 films. In 1955, she played in "Rebel Without a Cause", the famous James Dean movie, and won an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She played opposite John Wayne in "The Searchers" (1956) and in "Kings Go Forth" (1958). Roles continued to come to her. She appeared in "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), West Side Story (1961), as Gypsy Rose Lee in "Gypsy" (1962), and in "Love with a Proper Stranger" (1963), for which she earned her third academy award nomination. She had earned a second nomination for an academy award as best supporting actress for her role as Maria in "West Side Story." In 1966, the Harvard Lampoon voted her the year's worst actress, and she made Harvard history by appearing at the celebration to accept the award (she was the first person ever to appear in person to accept their award). After filming "This Property is Condemned" (1966), she stayed away from films for 3 years, returning to play the role of Carol Sanders in "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice" (1969). After that, she made a few appearances on television, but spent most of her time with her family. Her only major role until 1980 was in the television mini-series "From Here to Eternity." In 1981, she began work on "Brainstorm" (released in 1983), but she did not live to see it finished. While sailing on her yacht off Santa Catalina Island with her husband, Robert Wagner, and their friend, Christopher Walken, she disappeared one night, supposedly while trying to get into a dinghy. Her body washed ashore the next morning, and the circumstances of her death have never been fully determined. Cause of death was determined as drowning. In a book written by her actress sister, Lana Wood, Natalie was portrayed as insecure and unhappy in life. She was married three times, first to Robert Wagner (December 28, 1957 to April 27, 1962, divorced), then to Richard Gregson (May 30, 1969 to August 1, 1971) with whom she had a daughter, Natasha. After discovering Gregson was having an affair, she divorced him and soon remarried her first husband, Robert Wagner, again on July 16, 1972. They had a daughter, Courtney Brooke Wagner, in 1974. (bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson)

NATALIE WOOD
WAGNER

BELOVED DAUGHTER  SISTER WIFE MOTHER & FRIEND

1938          1981

"MORE THAN LOVE"

A view of her actual resting place.

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary

Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

****I thought of using Natalie Wood this weekend when the DH and I were watching an NCIS marathon, and in which one show featured Robert Wagner [Natalie Wood's first and third husband] as Anthony Dinozo Sr. Natlie Wood was one of my favorite actresses as a teen.

Madness Monday

I usually spend my weekends writing blog posts in advance for the coming week.

Unfortunately, this past weekend I was sick most of the time in bed, and am still suffering with malaise and body aches. [I feel like crap!]

So... I am suffering a "Madness Monday" moment today as I scramble to get my daily blog posts in order.

Bear with me, dear readers, and I hope to be back on track tomorrow.

Have a great Monday!

Sorting Saturday

I have been asked how I manage to keep all of my multiple lines of research separated.

I have my families research... the Bean's, Dreher's, Banet's, Faudree's, Wickline's, Wiseman's, Benzel's, Eve's, Tuckwiller's, Parkins, etc.

And then I have my husband's... the Henry's, the Rotge's, Clements, Hardin's, Pettie's, etc.

Of course, in the software I use, there's no problem. But what about all of those loose files? The birth records, marriage records, death certificates, land grants, taxes, military discharges, and records?

That is where the color file binders come into play. Each family has a different color. And each folder has the name of the family printed on the spine. I need only pull the correct folder from the bookcase and add the record to the correct family inside.

This helps me tremendously.

How do you manage to keep all of the families organized that you are researching???