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Post by kds on Dec 7, 2023 18:53:54 GMT
The Christmas season is in full swing. Its funny how different December 7 feels as an adult vs. being a kid. As a kid, Christmas still felt so far away. As an adult, I know it'll fly by.
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Post by kds on Dec 8, 2023 2:14:37 GMT
A big Christmas tradition in the Maryland area is model train gardens.
When I was growing up, my Dad set up a train garden in our basement. I can still see the fake grass, little phone booths, and even the mini 7 Eleven and Burger King. We moved out of our old rowhouse when I was five, and Dad only set up the garden in the new house a couple times. Dang trains just never ran the same after we moved.
But, luckily, there are plenty of train gardens around town, at malls, firehouses, museums, etc.
When my now wife and I were courting back in 2012, I took her on a train garden date. We hit a couple, then went out to dinner. Its been a Christmastime tradition for us ever since.
Once our son was born, we started taking him. He LOVES it. We now hit roughly six different ones during the season. We've done two so far, and plan to knock out at least two maybe three on Saturday.
Seeing the joy in his face takes me back to those Decembers in my folks' basement so long ago.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 8, 2023 11:46:46 GMT
I've never heard of model train gardens as a Christmas tradition! (Actually I've never even heard the term "model train garden," though I get what you mean.) That sounds like a fun thing to do, especially with your son. My nephew was obsessed with trains when he was young, like from ages 3-13. He'd have been in heaven doing that each Christmas.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Dec 8, 2023 13:33:32 GMT
Not quite the same, but we had a model train setup in our basement, on an 8x10 wood platform build by my dad. Looking back, that was pretty impressive considering it was built on a slope because of the basement drain and a couple other obstacles. We never got them back out after we moved into my parents' current house. Assuming my future kid is in to trains, he or she will be supplied with train gifts for years to come haha.
Our conservatory near downtown sets up a train garden on steroids every year for the holidays. I finally went for the first time a couple years ago with my fiancée and I really enjoyed it.
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Post by kds on Dec 9, 2023 2:35:19 GMT
Now, I need to go on YT to see if I can find some video of some of the train gardens we frequent.
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Post by kds on Dec 13, 2023 19:23:54 GMT
Christmas at middle age (not to be confused with Christmas at the Middle Ages) is a bit different.
In addition to the feelings of joy, there's something else. For me, its a mild somber feeling, not really gloomy, but a tinge of sadness.
In my experience, this is because Christmas, more than any other time of year, makes me think of family and friends, in particular those who are no longer with us. Being 43, I'm at the age where a lot of people who made up Christmas past are no longer around. Family friends, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. As of December 2020, that list includes my mother. Feeling that loss in particular this time of year is unavoidable.
In a weird way, thinking about the departed at Christmas isn't a total downer though. That's sadly the expense of getting older. But, I also feel like recreating some of the traditions, with the sounds, smells, and tastes of the past keeps the memories alive of those who have died. And that brings out that previously mentioned feelings of joy with a tinge of a beautiful sadness.
I really felt that last year when, for the first time in decades, I watched some home movies from Christmas Days of my childhood. Hearing those voices, in some cases of those who've been done for 20 or more years, was such a wonderful experience. I'm thankful those memories were captured and preserved so I could have that magical experience.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 13, 2023 20:09:49 GMT
I know what you mean and relate to several aspects of that. It is hard not to think back to people who aren't around anymore, as those are the people who were there in our formative years: parents, grandparents, maybe even great-grandparents. Every year I think of Christmases at both sets of grandparents--both of whom we visited every year in addition to our immediate nuclear family's Christmas--though the last of my grandparents passed away in 2008, I think it was. While I still have both parents, realistically I know that's unlikely to be true, say, a decade from now. My oldest brother passed about five years ago, and he was key to so many of those memories.
But also like you said, it's actually not especially sad for me. Whether around Christmas or otherwise, as an adult, somehow I've never quite associated sadness with sadness. (OK, try to decode that one!) What I mean is, I take a certain pleasure in sadness, knowing that it is in some way just a reflection of love, or meaning, or some such thing. (This was a coping mechanism I realized in my early 20s that helped a lot in handling my occasional depression.) There is beautiful sadness, so I like that you used that term.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 13, 2023 21:04:54 GMT
I can personally relate to your post, kds. My mother passed away on 1/6/23 at the age of 90, and as much as you try to...move on...you can't help but feel something, or in this case, someone, is missing. On one hand you're grateful that you had your Mom (my Dad passed away in 2017) for 65 Christmases, but again, you know the Christmas season will never be the same. Christmas (and all family gatherings) were important to my Mom, and as I got older, they became more important to me, too. In my job, I come in contact with a lot of people who are less fortunate than me. And I know they will probably spend Christmas alone, maybe open a can of soup or heat up a TV dinner, maybe turn on an old radio for their Christmas music, and maybe try to find something on TV to pass the day. I guess what I'm saying is that, for them, Christmas is like any other day, any of the other 364 days. I feel very fortunate that I have somewhere to go and someone to share the day with.
I can also relate to Kapitan's comments on sadness. Also as I get older, and I'm not exactly sure why (maybe it is because so many relatives have passed), I've found myself sometimes having to...work at...being happy over the Christmas season. Maybe it has to do with age. I'm now suddenly one of the senior citizens at the party. Gee, where did the time go? I'm busy reminiscing while others are having all the fun. It's probably a little stress and a little anxiety, too. Things are simpler but more complex. The funny thing is, I really do like almost everything about the Christmas season. I like the crispness of the winter air when I go for my morning walk, the beauty of an occasional snowfall, the outdoor lights and Christmas trees, little kids and Santa Claus, church services, and the Christmas music of course. I have some old Christmas ornaments/decorations from parents that we have displayed around the house. Plain, simple, not fancy, but there's a lot of good memories in them.
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Post by kds on Dec 14, 2023 18:54:28 GMT
Sheriff brought something to mind. Christmas dinner.
For all my years, I never did a formal Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner.
For Christmas Eve, we used to go to a family friends' house. They had a Christmas Eve party, and it was buffet style. When they moved, when I was nine, we spent the remaining Xmas Eves of my childhood going to 4p Mass. Afterward, we'd go home and order pizza or hit a drive thru.
As an adult, I kept up the quick dinner thing as I worked retail. Once I got a 9-5, Xmas Eve dinner was usually carry out before my roommate and I went to the bar.
When my wife and I met, she cooked for the two of us our first Xmas Eve together. Then, I began grilling dinner on Xmas Eve. I kept that up until we had our son, then, back to carry out / delivery food. I did try to revive the grilling tradition last year, but my son got sick (ear infection), so we went to an urgent care before coming home to order pizza.
Christmas Day is usually an informal buffet style dinner. For most of my life, Christmas Night was at my paternal grandmother's. She had a full spread in the kitchen, and people would make a plate at their leisure. Once her health began to fail, my aunt took over for a couple years before my folks took over Christmas in 2011. Its usually a spread of baked ziti, lunch meat & bread / rolls, and sauerkraut & kielbasa.
So, I never did a Griswold style, everyone around the table dinner.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 14, 2023 19:12:26 GMT
I used to love Christmas dinners, though they were different.
At one set of grandparents' house, Christmas was usually just the two of them plus my family. Very rarely, some other family from that side of the family was there, but not often. (My dad's only brother lived across the country, so it was rare for them to be with us.) But my grandma on that side was a miracle worker of a cook. She came from abject poverty, but was one of those people who somehow learned to make the most basic ingredients taste like the best meal you'd ever had in your life. Those dinners were usually roast beef (once I recall it being roast goose, though: amazing!), mashed potatoes and gravy, a couple vegetables, dinner rolls, and pies. Very conservative, very traditional, nothing unusual, but absolutely heavenly. While she died about 25 years ago now, memories of her cooking still makes my mouth water.
My other grandma wasn't as good a cook (though she wasn't bad, either). And that side of the family had many more people, my mom being one of five kids, and all of them still living in the region at the time. That eventually led to us moving our Christmases out of my grandparents' house and into the small college where a number of that side of the family had connections and/or worked. (My grandpa was actually president of it briefly; it was a small religious college.) There, it was more a potluck buffet style dinner, with everyone spreading out all over the place eating on paper plates, picking at the food all day long.
And I don't really remember our Christmas dinners at home. My guess is they were similarly traditional to the first one above, similar to a Thanksgiving. But honestly I don't remember.
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Post by kds on Dec 16, 2023 1:46:56 GMT
This thread is giving me the warm and fuzzies. Or, maybe thats the wassail I've heated up.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 18, 2023 13:20:38 GMT
It seems all but certain we won't have a white Christmas in Minneapolis, which is almost unheard of here. But while it is pretty cold today--20 and winds gusting up to 35 mph at the moment!--every day in the 10-day forecast shows highs above freezing. Often well above freezing, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both showing the mid-40s.
I'm sure there have been other Christmases similarly warm and snow-free here ... but I can't remember any off the top of my head.
Some people seem pretty depressed over the situation, but I don't mind it. Some snow is nice on Christmas, and it looks good if nothing else. But it also very often complicates holiday travel and brings the work of shoveling, too. So there is good and bad.
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Post by kds on Dec 18, 2023 19:20:50 GMT
We're due for a pretty typical Maryland late December holiday. Highs around 48 for Christmas Eve. Around 50 Christmas Day. Dry both days.
We're just a week away from the big day. The Christmas Spirit is alive and well in the KDS house.
Speaking of Christmas Spirit, how about Christmas Spirits?
Until my early to mid 30s, I was very strictly a lager drinker. But, I've expanded my tastes for beer. I like a good variety of Xmas ales. Although, I don't like it when they're overly citrusy.
I might treat myself to maybe one or two egg nogs this time of year. Sits too heavy in my stomach for more than that.
A few years ago, I really developed a fondness for Gluhwein, especially if heated up.
I used to think that was the same as wassail, but its a little different. And, I've recently found I'm not a big fan of wassail
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 18, 2023 19:32:52 GMT
I really enjoyed this year's Schell's "Snowstorm" edition (which is an annual winter brand, but a different beer each year). It was a rye ale. Very good.
Funny you mention wassail and Gluhwein, because I was just thinking this morning that this year I might make a hot drink, either a spiced cider or a mulled wine or something along those lines. (I don't mean I was going to make them this morning! I just thought of it this morning.) No details worked out yet, though.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 18, 2023 21:27:25 GMT
I was going to put this in the Surprised To Hear thread but on second thought decided to deposit it here. I was driving around today, of course listening to Christmas music on the radio, and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" BY BRIAN WILSON came on Santa 92.7 FM from York, PA. That's a pretty good radio station and their Christmas music (broadcast 24/7) is top-notch, too. I listened intently to the song to hear how it would sound among the other Christmas classics and it sounded pretty good. I have to admit that I got a little emotional, especially when the bass harmonica part came on at the end. Merry Christmas!
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