I am about to venture into the excitement of the holidays. As the spirits blossom and the adventures begin, I also relive some of the past holidays. I plan ahead as I think to myself, "How can I make this holiday something different?" I want this to be special and interesting for all - one way or another I'm gonna have a ball! As I was growing up the holidays were not what you would expect. They were very sad and quite slim. With a yours, mine, and our house - two sisters, one brother, one half-sister, three half-brothers, two step-brothers, three step-sisters, and three foster children - I was lucky to see a Thanksgiving turkey.
I can still hear the faint knock on the door as I woke up on Thanksgiving morning. I remember sitting at the top of the staircase, careful not to let my parents know I was there, watching a man hand my dad a big box filled with something.
Scrooge's third visitor, from Charles Dickens: A C...
English: Santa Claus with a little girl Esperanto:...
Christmas Presents (2010)My parents were always very secretive about that box. It wasn't until I was a little older that I realized it was rations of food being delivered. I confronted my older sister and she finally told me that it was something they did for the poor. My mother always tried her best to give us the trimmings; however, our Thanksgiving turkey was still just a chicken.
My dad and all of us kids would trudge through the snow looking for the perfect Christmas tree. We finally found the right one - so we cut it down, brought it home, and decorated it. Our decorations were made up of anything we could make by hand: strung popcorn, chained links of paper, and ornaments made from foil. I can remember trying all year long to be exceptionally...