Christmas in Hope

I grew up having a big family Christmas in Hope, AR each year. My dad had 3 brothers and we all got together at Pappy and Granny’s each year. And with each year there were more of us to attend. And there was one thing that was always for sure. The youngest always ended up in Pappy’s lap.

One of the best things about these gatherings was how we all forgot about any problems we had with each other. I know other families tend to have some fight when a bunch of them got together. But that didn’t happen in Hope.

Another good thing was the food. There was always Duck and dressing, black eyed peas, candied yams, pecan pie and banana pudding. We couldn’t have a family gathering without banana pudding and there was rarely any left by the time everyone went back home.

Christmas always got started at Thanksgiving. Pappy would get the fake tree out of the closet and bring it into the living room. Then the boxes of decorations were left there. Once I got old enough to put up the tree, I started doing that. When Laura was there, she would help. We did this until Sammie Kay and Skipper started putting up the tree. I thought putting up the tree was fun. Watching them was even better.

Because everyone had their own schedule, we rarely had Christmas on Christmas day. And of course, the day before we celebrated. It seemed like everyone took some time to see who had the biggest or strangest sounding present (when shook). While we were checking out the presents, we could always hear Granny in the kitchen telling some tale while she was getting the cooking done.

On the morning of Christmas, the doors to the living room were shut. No one was allowed in until everyone was up and ready. In other words, we had to wait until Uncle David was finished eating his breakfast. I can still see my cousin Laura standing there with her fists on her hips giving him a dirty look because he was taking too long, he just smiled real big at her and wiggled his big ears.

Going into the living room could be crazy. Especially if Santa left stuff for you there. Then as everyone settled down in a big circle around the room, Pappy would pass out the presents. Years later, when his feet began to bother him, he sat in a chair next to the tree and had the younger kids bring him the presents and he would read out who it was to. He was always next to the tree where he could have an unobstructed view of everyone there.

We all waited patiently until all the presents were passed out. Then the youngest was the first to open their big red sock. It was big enough to stick both my feet in until my late teens. I’ve never been able to talk my in-laws or any other families I have spent Christmas with, to take turns. I have always felt that it is better to be able to see each person unwrap each gift. You can miss a lot if everyone opens gifts at the same time.

Our Christmas socks could be filled with practically anything. From what we needed to junk to gag gifts. It could be in your sock. Part of the fun was seeing who could out gag gift the other. My favorite of all time was when Aunt Linda sent me to a nearby pizza place to purchase an Anchovy Pizza for Uncle David. That thing stunk so bad, that I brought it back in the trunk of the car.

As for re-gifting, only the gag gifts got re-gifted. For example. Someone in our family found an old cow skull on the old family land up in Tennessee. I believe that went around for 5 Christmas’s before it got thrown away. It also got sent to some people on their birthdays.

There were lots of things that happened each year. If the weather was nice, my dad and his 3 brothers would play basketball in the driveway. My dad lost his wedding band during one of those games. Later in the evening Uncle Sam and Uncle David would get together and play songs. Uncle Sam on the piano and Uncle David on his electric guitar. You were always sure to hear Ghost Riders and Secret Agent Man.

With each year there were more of us. We eventually ended up with 10 adults and 11 grandchildren in a house with only 3 bedrooms. Can you imagine the sleeping arrangements?

One year my mother went around and asked each of the grand kids what they thought a Pappy was. But she didn’t ask me. She wrote down what each said and in the middle she put what she thought was cute. She quoted me as saying “That’s Right.” I got mad. So I quit saying that little phrase.

What can I say a Pappy was? That is not a simple question to answer. Let me tell this story. My mother built a swing one year based on the design used for the swings on the Harding campus. She, daddy and I loaded it into the back of the pick up truck. We also had someone come over and help. I then started off to get some rope. Dad said what for. This thing was too heavy to fall out. Famous last words. We were half way to Hope when the wind picked it up out of the bed of the truck and smashed it onto the Interstate. It was no easier getting it back into the truck in its broken state than when it was all together. Then I had to ride in the back of the truck to make sure it didn’t fly out again. We parked the truck down the street and then headed to Pappy and Granny’s. Mother was upset and Pappy could tell that something was wrong. He pretty much followed her all about until my Uncle Larry got her to tell what happened. Then everyone heard about it. Mother thought Christmas was ruined. But my Pappy just smiled real big and said, “I think that since you built it, then you would certainly know how to put it back together.” Mother knew he was right and we brought the swing to the house and it took mother about a day to get it fixed.

So what am I saying? I would say that a Pappy would never let Christmas go sour. Kinda like in heaven when God shall wipe away all tears.

And That’s Right!!