THE CHRISTMAS MY FAMILY REMEMBERS MOST

It all began on Tuesday, December 23 sometime in the 1970's, when we gathered at my cousin Jane's house to celebrate Christmas with my father's side of the family. Present were Preston, Jane's husband, and three children, my sisters and their husbands and children, and my aunt and uncle (Jane's parents) and my parents as well. We had a wonderful time eating and making merry and enjoying each others' company.

The next day, Wednesday, was spent doing all the last minute shopping and cooking. Then that night the genius, our three children and I all celebrated with the genius' side of the family. We gathered at my in-laws' house for a superb feast consisting of turkey, dressing, scalloped oysters, cranberry sauce, etc. We were quite satisfyingly full when we started for home.

Once home, we saw the children off to bed fully intending to be awakened by them before dawn once again. However, some of us didn't make it through the night. Ashley and I were in the bathroom losing the delicious meal we had downed the night before. We were up most of the rest of the night and by morning Brenda and the genius were joining in. Jim IV felt queasy and got worse throughout the day, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

We made the decision to camp out on the king-sized bed and open our presents. We proceeded to do so, but periodically, one or the other of us would have to interrupt to run to the bathroom. This went on throughout the gift opening process, and to some extent, throughout the day.

Meanwhile, my parents and my sisters' families were experiencing the same thing. We were supposed to meet at my maternal aunt's and uncle's lakehouse to have our big dinner, etc. as we had for several years, but no one could come! My aunt and uncle, their children, and my step-grandmother all waited in vain for us to arrive, but we were all sick! Out of seventeen of us who had eaten at Jane's house, fourteen were ill.

We checked it out with Jane and they admitted to having had a stomach virus earlier but were well over it by the time we came to their dinner. It must have been a very potent and stubborn virus because we all caught it!!

Whenever anyone in our family is asked to name his/her most MEMORABLE Christmas, everyone names this one. I don't know why but we always seem to define events by the negative aspects of it. I wonder why.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE, AND MAY YOU ALL REMAIN WELL TODAY!!!