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<\/a>A sentimental Christmas memory<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n This past weekend I celebrated an annual tradition – putting up Bob’s Christmas Birthday Tree.\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0today is brother Bob’s birthday<\/strong> and like most kids who had the misfortune to be born around the holidays, his birthday usually morphed into a birthday\/Christmas celebration.\u00a0 In his case, his birthday was the day our mom chose to put up our Christmas tree each year.\u00a0 So really, between getting screwed out of a proper birthday party and being a middle child it’s really a wonder that he didn’t develop a twitch<\/strong>.\u00a0 This year as\u00a0I put up my tree\u00a0I thought about a friend’s comment last week –\u00a0that she hated the holidays because it brought back such sentimental memories.\u00a0 This time of year does make us miss those who are far away and especially those who have shuffled off this mortal coil, but I guess I have the opposite reaction.\u00a0\u00a0I admit\u00a0not all Christmases are created equal,\u00a0<\/strong>but I love that the holidays cause me to pause and reflect on the special ones I’ve had over the years.\u00a0 One of my favorites is of\u00a0the year our daughter came home from her freshman year in college.\u00a0 We made\u00a0plans to attend\u00a0Christmas Eve church services followed by dinner\u00a0at a swanky restaurant, but as the hour approached we all decided it was too much effort<\/strong>.\u00a0 Instead we\u00a0donned\u00a0our jammies, ordered Chinese takeout and watched “Christmas Vacation”<\/em> on TV.\u00a0 <\/em>Now THAT was memorable – we still laugh about it today.\u00a0 <\/em>And of course, some of the best Christmases were spent watching our grandsons when they were toddlers, racing out on Christmas morning amazed\u00a0 <\/em>that a tree that had been barren the night before was now laden with intriguing boxes<\/strong> and bows, confirming their notion that Santa Claus really DOES exist!<\/p>\n Singing, as usual<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n My fondest\u00a0memories\u00a0seem to be of “coming home”<\/strong> to\u00a0our parent’s house for Christmas.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I pondered that this weekend as I was putting the Santa Claus with the fake nose and glasses on my tree (somehow it always reminds me of Bob).\u00a0 As I think back, Christmas seemed so easy<\/strong> then.\u00a0 Our mom did all the planning, shopping, wrapping, cooking, serving, and I’m embarrassed to say, cleaning up.\u00a0 Like a lot of young adults, college and our careers took us in different directions, but most Christmases we\u00a0gathered at mom and pop’s and immediately began to act like little kids.\u00a0 We laughed, drank, ate, drank, sang, drank.\u00a0 On Christmas Eve mom would put out a large buffet and around 5 o’clock friends would begin to arrive to share in our “spirit”.\u00a0 Usually those spirits flowed until the wee hours<\/strong> of the morning, and then our parents\u00a0would arise on Christmas morning to prepare for the arrival of our grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins for brunch.\u00a0 Our father often commented that he felt like “a hippopotamus in three feet of mud”<\/strong> on Christmas morning.\u00a0 But mom would always put on a spread and Dad would fix his famous Christmas Ice Cream Fizz*<\/strong>.\u00a0 Again, we kids were of minimal help.\u00a0 So of course<\/em> I think about\u00a0those years as fun –\u00a0 I didn’t have to\u00a0do any of the work!<\/strong><\/p>\n A jolly man indeed!<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n This pattern held true for many, many years right up to my favorite Christmas memory.\u00a0 In 1981 we gathered once again at mom and pop’s house –\u00a0\u00a0 Jack left his restaurant in\u00a0Tahoe<\/strong> for a night, Bob and Linda came up from Orange County<\/strong> and I made the one hour trek from the East Bay.\u00a0 It was a Monday – I remember that because we had Monday Night Football on\u00a0and Don Meredith kept singing “Turn Out<\/strong> the Lights”<\/strong>.\u00a0 For whatever reason, we were more giddy than usual that year.\u00a0 Then at some point after dinner\u00a0someone suggested that we serenade the neighborhood<\/strong> with Christmas Carols.\u00a0 GREAT IDEA!!!!\u00a0 Mom\u00a0didn’t approve of our shenanigans and I’m sure had images of being run out of town.\u00a0 But the rest of us grabbed another drink and off we went.\u00a0 Now you need to know that Bob and Linda actually performed professionally at that time\u00a0and are both great singers.\u00a0 Jack and I can carry a tune.\u00a0 As for Pop…well, let’s just say that dad had more gusto and enthusiasm<\/strong> than actual talent.\u00a0 But he was an extremely good judge of character so he knew which neighbors would find us amusing and which might throw old shoes at us.\u00a0 So off we traipsed, arm in arm around the neighborhood singing our hearts out.\u00a0 Most everyone laughed, some gave us cookies and some even offered to refill our glasses (which was really not necessary at that point).\u00a0 We sang for about an hour, which I think is how long it took us to run through our Christmas Carol songbook.\u00a0 Then we collapsed in gales of laughter<\/strong> at home.\u00a0 The next morning, sure as rain, Pop was up making us his Christmas Ice<\/strong> Cream Fizz<\/strong>.\u00a0 We didn’t know it at the time but it would be the last Christmas\u00a0we would spend at mom and dad’s house.\u00a0 The next year Bob and Linda were expecting\u00a0their first child and from then on, when we could, we gathered at their home in Southern California.\u00a0 But I’ll always remember with fondness the rollicking good time we had that final\u00a0year.<\/p>\n Hopefully you have some wonderful memories<\/strong> that sustain you during this holiday period.\u00a0 If so, consider yourself lucky.\u00a0 And finally not to be forgotten – please join me in wishing a very happy birthday<\/strong> to\u00a0my very special brother.\u00a0 Hopefully he won’t have to put a tree up today.<\/p>\n *As a special gift to our readers, once again this year I am providing the recipe for Pop’s Christmas Ice Cream Fizz.\u00a0 Trust me, it will make that time you have to spend with your brother-in-law that borrowed your lawnmower and\/or $5000 much more bearable.<\/p>\n POP’S CHRISTMAS ICE CREAM FIZZ<\/strong><\/p>\n Fill a blender 1\/4 full with ice cubes<\/span><\/p>\n Add 6 jiggers of gin<\/span><\/p>\n Add 4 scoops of French Vanilla ice cream<\/span><\/p>\n Add 1 small bottle of soda water (the size you get in a 6-pack)<\/span><\/p>\n My brother Bob adds an egg so the white adds some froth, brother Jack doesn’t add an egg. \u00a0Personally, I’d add it just because you can then claim it’s a protein drink.<\/span><\/p>\n Just blend it well and –\u00a0voila –\u00a0<\/span><\/em>you have a concoction sure to put a rosy hue on everyone and every thing!<\/span><\/p>\n Our mom served them in a wine glass with a dash of nutmeg. \u00a0As we got older we would conspire with Pop and ditch the wine glass for \u00a0a chilled beer mug from the freezer. Saved having to go back for seconds…or thirds.<\/span><\/p>\n Pop, near 80 years old, still making magic<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson This past weekend I celebrated an annual tradition – putting up Bob’s Christmas Birthday Tree.\u00a0 Yes,\u00a0today is brother Bob’s birthday and like most kids who had the misfortune to be born around the holidays, his … read more<\/a><\/a><\/a>