"I welcomed in 1997 flat on my back, in a hospital bed -- with my husband by my side, and
our day-old son cradled between us. Since I'm an accountant, I still think of him sometimes as
'Mommy's Little Tax Deduction.' And for once, I didn't have to work New Year's Eve."
-- Tracy Hite
"This is a somewhat tough one for me, simply because I've got warm memories of a whole
lot of recent holidays and a few of holidays past, too. There was the Longest Night when we had
a big group of people all up and awake and talking and making music, and we had a fire burning
so long that it burned up all the ash in the fireplace. There's how my housemate Mimi makes
balloon Aliens every Thanksgiving, and there are the times I've gotten to see my family when
Dar and I go home to Kentucky. Twenty-two people at my older brother's new house this past
Christmas I expect to be a warm fuzzy memory for some time. :)"
-- Anna Korra'ti
"Ah, the one that comes to mind was from when we lived in the house on Elk Lake Drive.
Cathy and Keith were away that Christmas, presumably to Connecticut. Circe and I had the
house to ourselves. I built a fire in the fireplace, we watched movies all night, and slept on the
living room floor in front of the fire. It was wonderful. Gosh, I miss my baby. :-("
-- Carl J Parlagreco
"Taking a vacation alone, my first one in 5 years, to Franklin , NC. Gem mines cover most
of the western end of the state. Other than Jane B. who knows the fun we had. Have any of you
buried your hands in muddy water, pulled out a green rock, had it cut and shipped to you to find
6 weeks down the road you have a 3.5 karat emerald valued at $1500.00, and this is just the first
one? It cost me less than $400.00 for 8 days. Next time Nan is coming if I have to hog tie her."
-- Martin Hartshorn
"Ironically my favorite holiday memory involves a hospital too. My father was being
operated on for bone cancer. He was so sick they wouldn't even let him come home for
Thanksgiving dinner. So we had to bring our turkey dinner to the hospital so we could eat with
him. I think that was the first time I ever saw a microwave oven. I got my sister a boxed set of
Tolkein's trilogy in the hospital gift shop and gave it to her for Xmas. It was kind of a lean
Christmas that year, everybody only got one present, but at least my father got to come home for
Christmas which was all I wanted anyway."
