I was out doing last minute Christmas shopping and ran into the dollar store to pick up some gift bags and when I saw the plastic poinsettias I felt like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck. Every year I use to take some to my grandparents’ grave, I hear they were my grandfather’s favorite. He died when I was negative seven years old, but I do remember Grandma telling me about the poinsettia during one trip to the grave. Well, I wasn’t planning on driving about two hours to my grandparents’ grave, but I just realized that I haven’t even considered taking any to my father’s grave. In my selfish pitty of not having my mom and dad around anymore, I totally forgot to visit the grave of my father and where some of my mother’s ashes are scattered about. I made sure to take a trip out there later in the afternoon.
The grave is actually in the DFW National Cemetery. It opened a few years after my father passed, but we moved him out there as he stated years before his death when it was being built that he wanted to live long enough to be buried out there. I remember my first trip out there looking at this newly opened cemetery, and one old vet told me that I won’t appreciate it’s beauty of a national cemetery until I’m old enough to have grandkids because by that time there will be many more headstones. That thought has popped into my mind over the last two years as every year I travel out there I’m amazed by the number of new headstones. I guess that vet didn’t realize the number of WWII and Korean vets that were about to die at the time.
I remember my father telling me he spent a lot of Christmases overseas alone. That always made me sad, and as an adult looking back I can see why he always valued having the family together on Christmas.
Since my father’s passing a decade ago, every Christmas has felt incomplete and unfulfilled. I expect it to be this way until I become a father.
Webcams help make family that lives far away feel a lot closer.
I try never to shop or go to the movies on Christmas. I’ve worked a few Christmases and never liked the idea of being apart from family.
On Christmas day I have two friends that will send a gerneric mass text message saying Merry Christmas.
I also have one of my oldest friends call me on Christmas day as he travels back to Mineral Wells America just to tell me a new random fact about our hometown. This year it was the new population sign and the decrease in the updated number.
When I think of the population of my home town, it reminds me of my first trip to Texas Stadium. I remember thinking that if you took the whole population and multiplied it by three it still couldn’t fill the stadium.
Speaking of Texas Stadium, WifeGeeding gave me one of the coolest and most personalized Christmas presents I’ve ever received. She got me two seats from Texas Stadium and even paid the extra cash just to get me an aisle seat with the star on the side. They won’t come until Feb I think.
She also gave me a Cowboys book I’ve been wanting to read. I started reading it and to my surprise little Hardin-Simmons University was mentioned in it.
Last year I was given the Tony Dungy book, and I read that rather quicly and really enjoyed it. So it appears as much as I don’t like to read, I don’t mind reading unless it’s about football.
This is the first Christmas that I can remember in which I didn’t wrap one present. I find the gift bag route much easier, and I filled them with schredded paper of old bills and stuff.
Yes, DogGeeding and OtherDogGeeding also got presents.
Our Christmas tree is stacked with old ornaments from my childhood. It might look a bit tacky but I don’t care.
The Christmas Eve service at church started with a video of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. It was the part where Charlie Brown gets upset at the Christmas production and right when Linus was about to recite scripture the video stopped and a light was shown on a kid on the alter who read the piece. I thought that was well choreographed.
For as long as I can remember on Christmas Eve I’ve always eatened a Honey Baked Ham and these special brown sugar friend potatoes that Mom always use to make. For the last two Christmases my sister made the pototoes which came pretty darn close, and since she’s gone this year I thought it would be the first in which I don’t eat the Honey Baked Ham or those potatoes. Well, WifeGeeding got the ham and did her best to make the potatoes, and she came pretty darn close. I didn’t really know how much that meal really meant to me or the memories it would bring back. It was so very nice of WifeGeeding to give me that gift.
The local news had a story about the Austin Street Centre, which is a homeless center that only operates off of donations as it doesn’t accept funding from the federal or state level. The story focuses upon this choir of homeless people that travels to nursing homes and churches to sing. I was so touched I plan on donating. You can find more details about it here.
Several friends I expected a Christmas card from this year didn’t send one. Maybe it’s the economic times, but either way I was left a bit sad and disappointed especially since we sent one to them.
Lots of commercials for that Brad Pitt Benjamin Buttons movie. Off hand, I just think it’s Forrest Gump in reverse.
Several people think WifeGeeding and Tina Fey look alike. I don’t think so, but I can see how they might think that because both are kinda tall, slender, lanky, wear glasses, and both are brunettes. As a joke, WifeGeeding gave me a copy of Vanity Fair with Tina Fey on the cover but with her face over Tina’s.
And I leave you with 1984 home video of 9-Year-Old-Geeding when I opened the one thing I wanted more than any other that year . . . Optimus Prime. It was taken at a time of innocence and when I really cared about the season. It makes me laugh because of the excitement I had at the time, and my grandma (and by her voice you can tell she was a smoker) asking me who he was, and after telling her hearing her reply, “Ohhhhhh.”
I had the same thought about my father yesterday and realize me using the “excuse” that he is buried a mere 40 miles away is quite selfish, will be going to see him tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing….I am so very sorry for your losses and yet I consider you so blessed to have had people that you cared so dearly for. And my mother who lost so many people right around Christmas (mother, father, son, sister, etc. I never knew my grandparents) she did re-kindle the Christmas spirit somewhat after grandchildren! May you and WifeGeeding have the best year ever! (And yes we give gifts to the dogs too!!!)
OMG that Optimus Prime video! So sweet. My 3 Orange, Texas kids, aged 8 to 11, had that same exact Texas accent until we moved them north at those ages in 1968.
Having never heard your Texas Twang before, I got a big kick out of it y'all! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
The Turkeys from Gobble Hollow
I drove through Mineral Wells today.
Wow! You had so much hair back then. Of course, so did I. It’s so interesting getting older….
I had the same thought about my father yesterday and realize me using the “excuse” that he is buried a mere 40 miles away is quite selfish, will be going to see him tomorrow.
that video of you is priceless. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing….I am so very sorry for your losses and yet I consider you so blessed to have had people that you cared so dearly for. And my mother who lost so many people right around Christmas (mother, father, son, sister, etc. I never knew my grandparents) she did re-kindle the Christmas spirit somewhat after grandchildren! May you and WifeGeeding have the best year ever! (And yes we give gifts to the dogs too!!!)
Loved the video.
Oh my goodness, how cute is that video!
Who doesn’t love old home movies?
OMG that Optimus Prime video! So sweet. My 3 Orange, Texas kids, aged 8 to 11, had that same exact Texas accent until we moved them north at those ages in 1968.