Tree Decorating.

A few weeks ago we (Jamie and I) got out our Christmas tree and began the long tedious task of decorating the tree. I remember never liking the decorating of. In fact, one year I was pretty sick and thought that just maybe I would be excused from the "fun". But since it was always a family thing (at least as long as I was home) (who knows what Andy and Joel were allowed to get away with) mom always insisted that I come down and be with the family and just sit on the couch if I was too ill to come off the death bed. Now as I look back at the tradition of, I have tried to get my boys to participate, and they give me at least as much grief as I gave mom.
I also remember the good part, that was getting to make tons of popcorn to string together to put on the tree. We almost made some popcorn last week to make some strings but no time.
And who can forget the age old tradition of hanging tinsel only one strand at a time. By the time it was time for bed we were flinging that stuff from all sorts of angles.

Playing with Grandpa

This isn't a old memory in fact it is a memory that just happened this morning, but a memory none the less. It has snowed here and Analise was saying how excited she is to make snow angels but that she misses Alexis because she is the one who made snow angels with her. Then this conversation took place:

Mom: What do you think Alexis and Amanda are doing right now?

Analise: I think Amanda is feeding Cosmo. And Alexis is playing with Grandpa, cause he died too. But he needs someone to play with.

I don't think Grandpa is making snow angels - Alexis really didn't like the cold snow that much - hence the constant begging to move to Texas, but maybe they are all playing a fun game of volleyball.

Yankee Stadium

I'll never forget the first time going to a Yankee ballgame in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. Mom took us and for the first years I went there, Dad did not go. He went in the later years. But I remember being about 10 or 12 years old and driving all those crazy roads and bridges. Remember when we discovered the short cut through Harlem (or something like that) that allowed us to avoid the traffic on the ______ Expressway or somesuch. But that shortcut took us through some scary territory. We were sure to lock the doors and not to look at anyone! But I digress... My great memory was going there the first time and going up all the steps to the very top of the stadium where our seats were and then finally emerging out of the tunnel and seeing the startlingly green grass field below. Wow! that was something. Of course I remember eating the sausage sandwiches at the game. I remember certain games too, like the one the Yankees lost to Baltimore when someone hit a home run in the late innings right over the 430ft sign in deep left center. It was quite a hike to get to the stadium and in retrospect dangerous to drive there. Remember all the cars that you'd see that had broken down (probably the night before) and now laid there stripped of all tires and anything of value? I think Dad probably thought about that and even though in my growing up years he was not really a fan of the Yankees or of watching sports in general, he decided he should be going to those games with Mom and the family. Later on of course he became much more of a fan.

I also remember watching countless Yankee ballgames at home and if not watching, listening. I remember that Mom would never just watch the game, she was always busy doing other things. Seems like she did a lot of sewing during games and when she'd run the sewing machine it would interfere with the TV reception. We'd all laugh at the commentary on the TV like when Frank Messer (?) would go on and on for a long time about something and expect the color commentator to add something of similar length or insight and Bill White or maybe Phil Rizzuto would just say "yep".

Good memories. Who can forget watching the Yankees play Boston in the one game playoff and beating them because of the Bucky Dent home run. Remember they kept on switching Lou Piniella to the off field in the outfield depending on the batter at the plate and remember Graig Nettles catching the final out on a pop up? I remember watching that in the family room upstairs. Tense times.