Work at Home Grandmothers

We are just a matter of days away from Christmas, and many families will be gathering to celebrate the day. Christmas is a beautiful time, but it can also be a time full of memories that may make you feel a little melancholic.

I have memories from my childhood of my dear Grandmother at Christmas time. My grandparents would come to be with us from the Boston area each year, and spend a few days at least. I remember them sleeping on the fold-out couch in our living room, and running out to the living room to jump on top of Grandpa who never seemed to be upset at us doing that. He was always so patient, and loved to tickle and play with us.

My grandmother usually was up and about by then. A day or two before Christmas we would take out all the good silverware, and the silver salt and pepper shakers that were only used on special occasions and clean them with silver cleaner, then give them a good polishing. Christmas always meant a turkey dinner, and my Grandma was the best at picking those bones clean and making a soup after the holiday. She also made our traditional Scotch Shortbread…I share more about that on a Squidoo Lens.

The last Christmas that I have a clear memory of was also the year that my youngest brother was born, my grandmother stayed with us to help care for us while Mom was recovering…my brother was a “New Year’s Baby”, born on January 1st. This was also the last Christmas, I believe, before my grandmother had her stroke in her later 60’s. She lived many years after that, passing away at the age of 90 thanks to the wonderful care of my grandfather. She was still able to visit at holidays, but not with the same energy as years before, but always a wonderful part of our traditional family gathering. I guess the melancholy comes for most of us from either to high expectations for the day, or in my case, missing those that used to be with us at the table that have gone on. But that doesn’t mean that when we gather on Christmas day, there won’t be plenty of love and laughter.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Treasure your family, and have patience with one another this beautiful time of the year.

I think of my Grandmother at this time of year, because each Christmas, for as many years as she was able, she made Scotch Shortbread.

She came to America from Scotland through Ellis Island when she was 12 years old. I shared a bit about her in another post. I’ll have to edit in a link to the information about the ship she arrived on with her mother, sister and brother. Her father came over first, and set up a business, then sent for her. I have letters that my great-grandmother and great-grandfather wrote to each other…she was unable to come over as quickly as great-grandpa hoped she would, because their little 5 year old daughter, my grandmother’s little sister, contracted Leukemia, and did not survive. It is heart-wrenching to read the letters, and how my great-grandfather wished he could be home with his little girl in her last days. But that wasn’t to be, and very shortly after her passing, my great-grandmother packed up my grandmother, her sister and her brother and boarded a ship for America.

Well I have gone off on a tangent, haven’t I?

It was a treat each year to have my grandparents with us for Christmas as they lived in the suburbs of Boston, 5 hours away. I have carried on her tradition of baking shortbread each year, though my sister has said she wants to give it a go this year. I’m hoping she’ll say she’s too busy so I can make it as my donation to our dessert gathering

I did write more about this, and have our recipe at another spot on the web, “Grandma’s Scotch Shortbread and Scotland“.