A Coalminer's Christmas

My darlings, I don't know about you but this season brings so much beauty! Homes are so inviting with their lovely Chirstmas decor. It's enough to lift your holiday spirit to the hilt! I grabbed something today that brought back Christmas memories when I was a youngster. I grabbed hold of a wall calender with those pocket leaves that a local funeral home passed out. If memory serves me correctly, I think these calenders disappeared in the late 1970's. So I got myself some ice tea in a mason jar and thought I would share some of those memories

This calender reminded me of some of those things brought into the Adams household at Christmas time. Dad was famous for bringing in some of what I consider long gone holiday items. That type of calender was one item that was usually an annual item. Actually, he would bring home several of these from local businesses with whom he was in good standing. Usually these pocket leaf calenders came from the Farmer State Bank or the nearby feed mill. Dad and Mom used those pocket leaves to put paid and unpaid bills in them. It is also about this time that the feedmill would give Mom her Farmer's Almanac, something she faithfully follows to this day.

Dad, would frequent turkey shoots in his spare time around the winter holidays. He must have been pretty good because he always brought home a slab of smoked bacon wrapped in that infamous brown paper. Not that we needed the meat since we lived on a farm. But since we were in hog killing season, that slab of bacon put a hold on the Saturday morning butchering for a few weeks. For Dad, being famous for gun sports, he just enjoyed the thrill of winning the best shot.

Dad was pretty well known for some of the best farm raised pork and beef. This is something he was dead serious about that he did have an ego when it came to his livestock. Therefore, he knew he would have no trouble selling a side of beef or pork to get extra money to pay bills and have a good Christmas. People knew when snow was on the ground and temperatures became frigid, the Adams were the ones to contact for the best pork and beef. So he would take orders during the holidays, gave the promise date to deliver the meat and set the money aside.

Dad may break out the moonshine for what he called a holiday drink. He made the best toddies with that stuff. Mother never touched the stuff as she destested alcohol. Dad's boss always gave him a gallon bottle of Canadian whiskey with a pump. I confess, I would sneak in that stuff and do my own holiday drinks. Later in my life, Dad told me he knew I was the culprit. In those days, Coors Beer was hard to come by in the Midwest and Southeastern Kentucky. Dad would get a case of Coors when his employer sent him to Colorado. He saved the stuff until his hunting and fishing friends came by during the holidays.

Dad's employer always took great care of him around the holidays. He always got a big bonus which meant more stuff for us kids at Christmas. In those days, the only state of the art electronic stuff available were small transitor radios. Needless to say, one Christmas I did ask for and got a white transitor radio enclosed in black leather. I used that thing until 8-track tape players came onto the scene. My oldest brother got one of those jet air hockey tables when he became a teenager. I fell in love with that thing that I would beg the rest of my brothers to come and play a game with me on that table. I found the secret to winning in jet air hockey; my brothers are right handed and I am left handed and this is a huge difference. Some of them eventually figured out that I excelled at the game because I played left handed. Some of my brothers outright accused me of cheating. Of course today, I'll admit that I only excelled at two sports: jet air hockey and tether ball because I am left handed.

In addition to Dad's Canadian whiskey and his bonus, his boss would give him a ham or turkey. Again, this gave us a stay on hog killing season coming up. We were never hungry, especially around the holidays. All that Dad expected in return during the holidays was a big dinner and his homemade candy, especially peanut butter fudge. He did not have to worry about me with that as I was and still not much on fudge. My oldest brother sure enjoyed it and to this day he makes chocolate fudge and passes it out as gifts.

I think what I enjoyed the most at Christmas time was that family and friends would call on our parents. I loved when they would visit and visit for hours. They would come in with a gift of cookies and food for the Adams family. Most of all they would stay for hours. Dad also made a point to call all of his family long distance during this time. He loved to stay in touch with family. Many of them have passed on and many have made it to their elder years. I still make an effort to stay in touch with them.

Finally, a church we went to would pass out treats after the Christmas play. This consisted of a small white paper bag with candy, apple and orange. This little country church still carries out this seasonal treat to this day. I always break away from my own church schedule to visit this little church for that traditional treat. I would rather be in this little country church than in the malls.

As for Christmas decor in the Adams household, we just put up a tree. Oh Mother would put a few Christmas candles and plastic things on the kitchen table but that is about all. When I was little, I saved money and bought this little plastic Nativity scene of which I still have to this day. I still love Nativity Christmas cards. I would get sad when the tree had to come down because it meant the end to all month long fun. It also meant we had to return to school.

Dad never so much as helped decorate the Christmas tree, sang one carol, posed for a family picture nor attended church services during Christmas. However, he did make sure that we had the best Christmas. He did what he did from the heart and I loved him for it. Thinking back on this, Dad never really got much for Christmas because he honestly did not want anything. As a matter of fact, Dad just gave and gave without understanding that Christmas is about giving. The irony of it all, I got him a pullover shirt and a hansome wallet one Christmas. Strange was that he wore that shirt to special functions then it became a favorite. He treated that wallet like it was better than the next man's wallet.

As I sit here, my mason jar now empty, I think how I really miss the traditonal stuff we did around the Christmas season. Our hearts were really into Chirstmas back then. Today, all of these traditional things are gone. Most of all, Dad has been gone for many years but he bent over backwards to have the best Christmas for all us and not one credit card was never used for any of this. As a matter of fact, most coal miners and farmers never heard of credit cards. Dad really aimed to please everyone. When Dad opened our home and asked you to stay awhile, he refused to accept 'no' from visitors. When Dad left I think he took tradition with him. That wallet I got him? I have it in a small white oak box along with his driver's license and his solid gold Elgin pocket watch. I think the commercial side of Christmas as we know it today would not appeal to Dad. Businesses really don't pass out much in terms of calenders. Employers really don't do the bonuses, turkeys or hams. Farmer's Almanacs can now be purchsed for five dollars. Turkey shoots are only in the minds of those who participated in them. As a matter of fact, today a farmer is not permitted to sell small portions of meat like a slab of bacon to anyone. It is little wonder I can handle what is called meat today in the stores. Today's Chirstmas is so worldly and politcally correct. You know what? You can have it my darlings. The dern Thawt police can't take Christmas past from me nor can they rewrite it for me.

Until the next dive bomb, meow.