This Christmas party table is just a small part of our party celebration. We got into
having a Christmas party when we were dating. When we were in college we took
ashtrays from Arby’s to make ornaments. We bought store bought cookies and I made a
couple of cookies that I knew by heart. We gathered our friends the first Saturday after
the Thanksgiving weekend. Had a few friends bring their guitars and we say sang
Christmas songs.

We continued having it on that first Saturday after we got married until my body gave
out. I miss making as many candies, cookies, dips and appetizers in one week as I
could. The only item I started before that week was I soaked my stemmed cherries in
rum for a couple of weeks. People couldn’t believe I did everything in a week. I couldn’t
have done it without my kids and husband taking up the slack and helping me or doing
my duties around the house. We would get our Christmas tree the weekend after
Thanksgiving and started decorating our tree and home. We cut down a tree if we could
find a tree farm; if not it was a non-profit place. The last thirteen years we have
decorated an artificial tree. I always was sick when we had our party and it took forever
for me to realize it was the Christmas tree making me sick. I would get a sinus infection
that always turned into bronchitis or worse.