Beneath the Wraps

  Have you ever broken or spilled something in someone else ’ s home? My family had been asked to join Peggy ’ s family for the annual Bird pageant.   We were gathered in the living room where Peggy has displayed her many nativity sets for many years (but not as many as the pageant) and Peggy was digging through a box of BC looking clothes and passing them out to the children. I had been experiencing dizzy spells and had lost my balance and knocked over a table that where one of the sets was displayed.   I think two of the pieces broke.   I think Peggy thought it was Jaime that had knocked the set over  but I told her that it wasn ’ t Jaime but it was me who had lost my balance.   I apologized and did feel bad as I wasn ’ t even able to replace the set that had come from another country. not the actual set; I couldn't find one that I think I remember

About a year and a half ago, after we cleaned mom’s house, I reclaimed my nativity mentioned here and learned that it was just too large for my small house and my less-than-tidy family.   Last year was the only year I put it up. My family had sent me a wooden nativity the first Christmas I was on my mission.   The nativity consisted of five pieces: Mary, Joseph, two lambs and the baby Jesus.   My brother Patrick had painted each of the figures.   Two years after I had returned from my mission, I had purchased a bunch of Christmas items that went on clearance following the holidays.   One of the items I purchased was a three-piece wooden set with painted camel, the three wisemen and a shepherd.   I added those to my existing nativity.   That is what I used for several years after Roland and I were married. My mom had given me a small nativity sometime before we had moved to West Valley.   It was smaller than my wooden set, and...

Pie Making          I can’t find a reference to mom’s traditional pie making event. I suppose it could have started with her children.  I do recall having assisted with pies at least once in my childhood.   Kayla says she remembers a time when it was just her and Corey that did it with mom.   I don’t think I ever viewed it as an actual tradition until Ellen and Kimball were small.             My mom made a huge assortment of pies on the Wednesday before   Thanksgiving each year.   The grandkids looked forward to assisting with rolling out the dough and filling the pie with whatever they chose.               We’d have apple pie, banana cream pies, coconut cream, chocolate cream, cherry, lemon meringue and of course, pumpkin.   More pies were added to the dinner each time new grandkids wer...

          Many cultures, communities and families reenact the nativity story found in the Bible ( Luke 2 and Matt 1 and 2 )           My mom’s neighbor from across the street has always had a Christmas pageant from as far back as I can remember.  As she had four boys, I would always play Mary – until gradually other families were invited in and the role of Mary was passed off to other girls.           Over the years, my neighbors have been blessed with many grandsons – but not many granddaughters.  The role of Mary had gone to my niece – who (unlike me) quite frankly had become weary of the playing Mary every year.             The last year I remember when Ellen had played Mary was the year our neighbors got their first granddaughter.  There were four children born in the family that year...