Christmas Short V

Every year, a few of us gather in the old “red room” of my great-grandma’s old house.  We’re one of those lucky families who happen to be related to the people living in our great-grandparent’s old home, and though Aunt Cat let go of the “red room” carpet, we all still feel right at home.  As I play Aunt Cat’s old piano, I can remember sitting in that same room years ago staring at my great-grandmother’s collection of porcelain shoes.

Oh, how I wanted one.  Each time I’d ask for one -as children tend to do -she’d always give the same answer, “When I’m dead… you can have them.”
As a child -and as children tend to do -I mentally fist pumped. Her words brought me some kind of hope that SOMEDAY the shoes WOULD be mine. Of course when the day came that she did pass away, I didn’t think once about her shoes. A few weeks later, her daughter-in-law offered me my pick of her shoes, and I wanted so badly to get *just* the right one. I didn’t want to regret my choice.
I was 12 at the time and though a few years had passed since Nunna promised me her entire collection (which I’m sure she promised to most all of the grand kids who asked), I could vividly remember the thrill of the idea: owning one of her shoes.
I could grasp the sentimentality attached to the gleaming porcelain and knew that taking a shoe meant taking a piece of the red room with me for the rest of my own life.  But which one?
I reached out and took her Christmas Shoe, and as I held it between my hands I resolved that though Nunna’s collection was being pieced out -as it should have been -I would one day have my own collection.

I never do put that shoe away -it stays out in display all the year ’round, just like Nunna kept it. During the Christmas season, I do give it front row seating in some place or another. This year it was on the piano. I think it feels more at home near a piano.
It gained two new friends this year, and here is one of them:
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Danny bought that one for my stocking. It’s the second one he’s added this year alone. At Disneyland, I bought myself a Mary Poppins themed shoe and was so thrilled with it, but not as thrilled as I was with the shoe Danny gave me on our 10th anniversary (which we spent at Disneyland with the kiddos).
It was closing time, and I was putting a jacket on Alice in front of the carousel, near the sword in the stone, when I felt a tug on my pant leg. I turned around to find Danny on one knee, holding up a beautiful decorative pillow with a small box on top: the box contained a small glass Cinderella slipper. Here’s a picture of my shoes (shakin’ off dust -that’s why there’s so much of it) and you can see my Mary Poppins shoe right next to my Cinderella glass slipper:
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A wonderful, unforgettable gift that touched me deeply.
It’s amazing how something so small can bring me back to that quiet red room. It isn’t quiet anymore -at least, not when we get together for our annual Christmas sing-off. Sing along? I don’t know… sing-off seems more appropriate.
I didn’t get many pictures, so I stole a few of Aunt Cat’s :)
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I will never get tired of putting my Alice in Nunna-Alice’s things… and parlors.
Here she is kissing her “great JuJu” (great aunt Julie’s nickname coined by Lacy).

Aunt Cat brought a lot of bright and light into the old parlor, and it makes a cheery setting for us all.
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And yes, this is Grandpa’s cheery face. Don’t let him fool you.
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Though we all know Grandpa’s at his cheeriest when he’s reliving nap time on his Old Home Day Bed:
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That man… he truly is the very best.

And now I’ll tell you how his wife and MY very own grandmother gave me a sleeve for Christmas.
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Truth be told, I don’t think Grandma had any idea what she brought to the white elephant gift exchange… Aunt JuJu usually fixes her up with something classy. Like a tat sleeve.

That night we came home pretty festive with a few new hats, a few new toys, and a few good memories. All we missed were a few good people: those who helped build the beautiful parlor and those who have always helped fill it (here’s lookin’ at you, Steve).

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