Remembering Bits From Christmas' Past

Sunday was "Start a Rumor Day". I do that often enough to not need a day, so no rumors from me on Rumor Day. I did wake up today to a more normal newspaper. For the first month or so after Hurricane Katrina hit our major daily newspaper was either out of publication or relate to Mobile Alabama where it published a shortened edition.
But it has been back to routine here in New Orleans and I noticed many advertisements the past few days (particularly in the big Sunday edition) relative to Christmas. I think I am already eager for Christmas. It is my favorite holiday because even a suggestion of it transforms people into humans who exhibit far more angelic behaviors (cell addicts excluded!) than normal.
As one of my favorite Christmas songs tones, "We need a little Christmas" amidst the chaos of the past few months here in New Orleans and throughout the world. So get ready to skim my E mail, I am going to reminisce a bit about childhood Christmas memories. Actually, I would like to hear some of your favorite holiday (doesn't have to be Christmas) memories as well. Tell me yours....
One of my most memorable Christmas gifts as a child (I was 6 years old or so) was my first bike. Every little boy wants a bike, just as every teen wants his or her own car. My new bike (from Santa himself) was a red "Rider" from "Tuffy", the leading kid bike maker at the time. It sheened in the sun that Christmas day as I seemed to fly through my neighborhood (In fact, I merely chugged along slowly as I learned to ride) I remember my first attempt to ride it. It was a success.
But alas! Later that day I crashed and terribly abraded my knee, contusions oozing blood- my purple heart medal in learning to ride a bike. My dad soothed the cuts with bandages and 5 minutes later, limping to it, I got on my bike again. Then there are the tree decorating memories I have filed away in my small brain. My dad (a perfect father- wise, gentle, loving..I was lucky to be his son) always put the Christmas lights on our Christmas tree. And when finished it was a signal that my brother and I could began putting ornaments on it.
We each had our private ornaments, as every year he and I were given a personalized ornament to hang (I do the same for Jane now), But those ornaments and the rest were quickly hung so my brother and I could have fun- throwing tinsel on the tree. I can still hear my mom (a wonderful mom. I miss her very much) tell us, "Don't throw the tinsel on the tree! It looks terrible that way. Hang it properly." But this was Christmas! Who could hang tinsel "properly" at Christmas. We wanted to have fun putting it on. That silver tinsel made the tree look as if it had icicles dropped down from nature's frigid artists.
But my brother and I preferred to throw gobs of it into the tree- kid foolishness, but great fun. We a wanted to see if we could land those tinsel globs in particular areas of the tree. A perfect landing was point in our tinsel toss contest. My mom and dad would sigh when they saw our artistry, rearrange the tinsel and the tree looked 100 per cent better as a result. Are you still there? Maybe not. I think 2 memories are enough to put you to sleep. I will spare you any more to avoid your execution. But I will be the first to say a "Merry Christmas" to you!