Warren St. Memories

Coming from the crisp, cool winter air, I race to the door. Welcomed with a sweet aroma of wintergreen and peperment, or whichever candle happens to be burning in the hallway, i hang up my coat and make my presense know. There is a comotion sounding from the kitchen and i move closer to find out what is going on. My aunts are in every corner of the kitchen. one getting something from the fridge, one stiring the contents of the pot on the stove, one washing dishes or cutting veggies, (i cannot tell from where i stand). My grandma has some of my cousins help set the table and i am greeted with hugs and kisses and luckily in this family, no cheek pinches. a few toddlers are meandering around trying to get to the cheese and crackers and i nestle myself at the kitchen table to hear all the happenings of life in my family or the old tales of "Back in the day" or my personal favorites, "when grandma and grandpa weren't looking we..." and in the later years, when there were more ppl living far away we would pass the phones around with some distant relative on the other line, wishing them a merry Christmas and wishing they were with us.

so much joy filled the air.

I remember i havent seen Gramps yet, but i know where to find him. as soon as the basement door is open i can smell it already. an aroma so calming and pleasent to me no. the sweet smell of pipe tobacco and cigars. as i come down the stairs, i see a few more cousins, the boys, have already been joined by my brother zach and are wrestling in the back corner of the basement beside my Uncle's old ski looking workout nordtrack thing. gramps makes sure to tell them to settle down every so often just to throw in that "responisible grandpa" word in case grandma or my aunts come down and see the sight. but really, he is just smiling, watching his football game, completely at peace in his Lazy Boy. I greet him with a kiss on the cheek and join him on the couch. not much conversation, just his wonderful company. theres something about being around him that just made me feel so safe and warm, as if nothing could harm me.

a few minutes go by and my attention span for this barbaric sport goes right out the window in time for my uncles to meander down the stairs, and just to be in thier company i stay and listen to the football and fishing jargain.

My little cousins tracy and emily join me and i find myself dragged off up the stairs again. both of thier imaginations going wild and trying to throw me in the middle of it. it passes the time and thier cute little kids so why not! truth be told, i loved it. we would explore the upstairs where our mothers used to share a room, or even sneak up to the attic and take a peak around. it was good times, they were both so much bolder then i, even being so much younger.

the poker chips, o the poker chips...and that old drum...along with some other old toys that had to be as old if not older then our parents. we would play with them all the time. we would play with them for hours, switching back and forth trying to come up with some new use for them.

The tree! always seemed like the biggest tree ever to us kids. all the gifts around it, our brothers trying to see if they could get away with opening thiers just a little. and it always happened, just as they were almost successfull, we would hear our moms call us up to wash for dinner.

By this time, Val, Jimmy and Kimmy would have arrived and joined the ladies in the kitchen so it was always great to run and give them a giant hug. My brothers are the best huggers ever. i think Zach learned it from jimmy! They got to sit at the grown up table, while i, who felt ages older then my little cousins was confined to the kiddy table.

man, i always wanted to sit at the Grown up table. at the kiddy table, i could see all the grown ups, and sorta hear thier stories. alas, this was how it was so o well, ill just enjoy it! after filling up with all the delicious holiday goodies from who i think are the best chefs in town (my grams, and aunts) we kids would get really excited because we knew what was next!

Sparkling Apple (or grape if we ran out of apple) Cider and Dessert! which was always followed by PRESENT time!

our eyes would brighten and we would race down the stairs...there always seemed to be a casualty in this as the boys would plow over the girls to get down there first, slipping between the railings on the way down onto the couch and jumping infront of the tree. so anxious to get thier own gifts and pass out everyone elses, sometime shaking them for you to see if it was something good.

paper everywhere, thank yous and huggs and modeling of the new jewlry, or sweaters. so many camera flashes, we were all seeing stars.

I miss the years of Christmas on Warren street. I cherrish the memories i have with my aunts and uncles and cousins and especially with my grandma and Grandpa. THinking back, i wish i had soaked that time in more. the memories fade, locations change, people move away. But i will alway thank the Lord for those Christmas's together. Me, the silent observer of each beautiful member of my family, Loud. Irish. Honest. and Loving.

Merry Christmas to all those familiar with Warrent St. Christmas's. You made every year special to me :)

what is your favorite Christmas memory?