If I could talk to my Dad tomorrow on my way into work, we'd talk about the Royals. How we took a trip when I was in high school to see them play two games at the K versus the Yanks. My brother Clint loved Ricky Henderson, and in the first game he stole just about every base, and he may have stolen my Big League Chew now that I think about it. At the end of the game I was crushed. Crushed like a boy leaving the cineplex after seeing The Empire Strikes Back. What, you mean Han is frozen? Henderson can't be thrown out? Vader is Luke's dad? Brett can strike out? The world sucked.
But then, something miraculous happened. God granted us a new day. On that day, Brett hit back to back home runs, one down the left field fence, and the other down the right. He took a curtain call, waved to the crowd, and energized them so much a busty blonde several rows in front of us decided to flash everyone around her doing her best Morgana impersonation. Dad tried hiding his sons from the terror of the sagging breasts, but to no avail. They were too glorious to miss to a teenage boy in the 1980s.
And then things really stunk. The Royals were an embarrassment. Occasionally there was something to hang your hat on. Greinke won a Cy Young. We had an up and coming farm league. There was always next year.
And then this year happened. My Dad passed away in January. Months later his favorite baseball team, the Commodores won the NCAA World Series. He would have beamed. Just beamed. For himself, and for his father, Irvin Wilson. Baseball miracles continued. The Royals were decent. Then they were good in an unconventional way. The only team that didn't hit 100 home runs. Last in the league in walks. Yet somehow, through defense, base running, and an incredible bull pen they went on two tears, winning ten games in a row. They had a chance. And there was no one to share it with. No one there who understood the game as well as my Dad, or who had watched me wear Royals gear each spring, only to be mocked by Nashvillians.
Well Dad, it's 29 years later. The boys in blue are in the post season. I know you know that. I just wish I could share it with you. Tell me it was worth it. The wait. The pain. Our relationship was like that at times. Painful. Waiting. But in the end, there were no true regrets. I know how you felt about me, and that you loved me more than I probably ever knew. While I don't have any of your baseball cards, your memorabilia from the 1988 state championship game, or your awards for coaching, I do have the memory of a dad taking his son to see his hero play a game at Kauffman Stadium. I know you know how happy I am with the Royals less than 24 hours away from a post-season game. And I know more than anything that you know I would love to sit with you, just one more time, to see tomorrow's game. I love you Dad. I miss you Dad. I hope you found peace, and happiness, and possibly a Vandy National championship hat to wear up there. And if you have any pull, if you could help us get a lead with Shields through the six, I have faith in our bullpen to squeak one out.
Love you Dad.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
Our Dad
Coach was a father figure to many of you,
But he was our dad, and for a while, Gilbert's too.
He would often save Clint from scary TV shows.
He once spanked Monty for an errant baseball throw.
We loved to look at his old baseball cards,
And were amused at his players when they'd roll our front yard.
Bowling was the sport we most liked to play,
At Melrose or Madison, he'd beat us most days.
One summer to Kansas City a trip we would take,
To see the Royals and Yanks play. Two boys. Their dad. Boy, was it great.
Dad would always disappear at a certain season,
And although we were sad, we knew the reason.
His focus would be on Xs and Os,
In search of a trip to the Clinic Bowl.
We'd look forward every year to each season's end,
Because we knew we'd have our Dad back home once again.
We shared many moments together, some happy, some sad.
We will always remember him as not our Coach, but our Dad.
We love you Dad - Monty and Clint
Sunday, February 24, 2013
If I Picked the Winners
This post should not be mistaken for who I think WILL win the Oscars. This post lists who would win if I were to hand out the Oscars. Granted, there is personal bias based upon my like, or dislike, of films or actors. Also, I haven't seen all of the films with nominations, so some are out of the race for no fault of their own. Nonetheless, here are my winners.
Best Supporting Actor - Every single actor in this category has previously won an Oscar, so the field is quite leveled. My Oscar would go to De Niro. He delivers his best performance since 1997 (Wag the Dog and Jackie Brown) and his turn as a dad with mental illness and gambling problems was genuine, heartfelt, and very unlike most of De Niro's roles.
Best Supporting Actress - I didn't see Les Mis, so I can't give it to Hathaway. I wouldn't want her to have it anyway, as she annoys me greatly. After flipping a coin, and in a nod to my wife, I will give it to Amy Adams.
Best Actress - Wallis is so young, I am afraid if I gave the award to her it might ruin her like it did Tatum O'Neal. While I'd love to award Jennifer Lawrence here for her work in Winter's Bone, Jessica Chastain deserves the award. Looks like "gingers" have the edge in the female categories this year.
Best Actor - While DDL has all but sandwiched this Oscar between his other two, I would give this to Phoenix for his mesmerizing turn as Freddie Quell in the oddly, uneven The Master. This performance is unlike anything on screen this year.
Best Director - This was actually the hardest to choose. If Affleck would have been a nominee, it would have been his to lose. So, I guess I would give it to Russell. No, make that Ang Lee. Scratch that, I feel rebellious and I will go with Zeitlin.
Best Original Screenplay - Since Moonrise Kingdom was all but shut out of the Oscars, it wins here. An original, quirky story of young love in a world in which we grew up in and yearned to grow up in as well. It was quite magical.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poetry may not be my favorite genre of literature, but while watching Beasts of the Southern Wild I felt as if I were viewing a poem, a beautiful poem. Therefore it edges past Argo.
Best Cinematography - Django Unchained gallops away as a winner, predominantly because I am a sucker for westerns, especially westerns with snow scenes. The film might have been too long, but it was beautiful to watch, even during scenes of discomfort.
Best Documentary - How to Survive a Plague gets the Oscar in my book, merely because it was the only nominee I saw in this category. I did, however, see another documentary, although it wasn't nominated, The Queen of Versailles.
Best Picture - Argo gets a slight nod over Beasts of the Southern Wild. Argo had just about everything you'd want in a great film, except for recognition for Affleck with a director's nod. I actually can't wait to see this film again.
Best Supporting Actor - Every single actor in this category has previously won an Oscar, so the field is quite leveled. My Oscar would go to De Niro. He delivers his best performance since 1997 (Wag the Dog and Jackie Brown) and his turn as a dad with mental illness and gambling problems was genuine, heartfelt, and very unlike most of De Niro's roles.
Best Supporting Actress - I didn't see Les Mis, so I can't give it to Hathaway. I wouldn't want her to have it anyway, as she annoys me greatly. After flipping a coin, and in a nod to my wife, I will give it to Amy Adams.
Best Actress - Wallis is so young, I am afraid if I gave the award to her it might ruin her like it did Tatum O'Neal. While I'd love to award Jennifer Lawrence here for her work in Winter's Bone, Jessica Chastain deserves the award. Looks like "gingers" have the edge in the female categories this year.
Best Actor - While DDL has all but sandwiched this Oscar between his other two, I would give this to Phoenix for his mesmerizing turn as Freddie Quell in the oddly, uneven The Master. This performance is unlike anything on screen this year.
Best Director - This was actually the hardest to choose. If Affleck would have been a nominee, it would have been his to lose. So, I guess I would give it to Russell. No, make that Ang Lee. Scratch that, I feel rebellious and I will go with Zeitlin.
Best Original Screenplay - Since Moonrise Kingdom was all but shut out of the Oscars, it wins here. An original, quirky story of young love in a world in which we grew up in and yearned to grow up in as well. It was quite magical.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poetry may not be my favorite genre of literature, but while watching Beasts of the Southern Wild I felt as if I were viewing a poem, a beautiful poem. Therefore it edges past Argo.
Best Cinematography - Django Unchained gallops away as a winner, predominantly because I am a sucker for westerns, especially westerns with snow scenes. The film might have been too long, but it was beautiful to watch, even during scenes of discomfort.
Best Documentary - How to Survive a Plague gets the Oscar in my book, merely because it was the only nominee I saw in this category. I did, however, see another documentary, although it wasn't nominated, The Queen of Versailles.
Best Picture - Argo gets a slight nod over Beasts of the Southern Wild. Argo had just about everything you'd want in a great film, except for recognition for Affleck with a director's nod. I actually can't wait to see this film again.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
My Top Ten Films of 2012
Well, another year has come and gone. My boys are older. My wife is more beautiful than ever. My house refinanced at an enormously low rate. What could be better you ask? A great year of film. Yes, 2012 has been a banner year for cinema geeks such as myself. So many excellent films made my task more difficult than in year's past (Well, that and the fact I saw more than ten films this year!).
Anyway, I know the suspense is killing you. So let's get started, and feel free to disagree and exchange your own opinions as well.
10. Life of Pi - I saw this on New Year's Eve as part of a two film evening with my wife. Having low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. We chose to see it in 3D based on the reviews, and I must say I wasn't dissapointed. I will admit I am not an Ang Lee fan, nor was I a huge fan of the book (my wife literally made me read it when we first started dating); however, the film was beautiful. My biggest complaint was that the actor in the role of the journalist was mundane, so much so that it almost detracted from each scene he was in. If you missed this on the big screen in 3D I am afraid you will not be as impressed. For some reason I believe the small screen will not due this film the justice it deserves.
9. The Master - I actually saw this on opening day at Opry Mills. There was only one other person in the theatre ... my wife. Yes, we literally sat through this film alone. While she hated it, I found it quite mesmerizing. I am a fan of Anderson's work, but at times this movie seemed to lack something. It did not lack strong performances from the actors. In fact it contained possibly the finest acting of any film this year. Hoffman (who I love) and Phoenix (who I am ambivalent about) are mesmerizing in their roles, and Amy Adams shines as well. I wanted to like this more, but nonetheless, it made the list. Props go for the score as well ... very interesting work by Johny Greenwood of Radiohead fame. (Beware - This film contains one of the oddest group nude scenes possibly in cinematic history.)
8. Lincoln - I imagine at this point some of you are wondering why I would rank such a film this low. It's not that it is bad, or that it is flawed in any way. In fact, it is pretty perfect. Impeccable subject matter. The world's greatest/most famous director. An actor who can play any role. But when I look back on it, I don't recall it "sticking" with me long after the credits rolled. In fact, the one takeaway I have is that the film should have ended when Lincoln was walking down the hallway. I didn't need to see the assassanation and death. If I ever view this film again, it will be for one reason. Mr. Tommy Lee Jones.
7. Bernie - This film really was top five worthy, and it would have been in my top five in any other year. It truly was a blast. I laughed out loud more in this film than in any film in recent memory. In fact, I laughed so hard I cried. Jack Black, who has never truly impressed me as a true actor, will never be better in a film. He IS Bernie, and if you don't know who Bernie is, all I can say is that you are missing out on one of last year's most memorable characters (actually, there is probably only one other character who is more interesting from last year). If you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to at least watch the trailer to see if it is your cup of tea or not. Hopefully it is.
6. Zero Dark Thirty - I expected this to be in my top three, or at least my top five. However, as you can see, I couldn't rate it higher than number six. I am afraid I hold something against this film, mainly The Hurt Locker, Bigelow's previous war film set in the Middle east. That film was beyond excellent. This film is good, and just a shade shy of great. Chastain is brilliant in her role, and Kyle Chandler always makes me smile, even when playing someone other than Coach Taylor from FNL. In any other year, I would have ranked this the best political thriller of the year.
5. Silver Linings Playbook - This film was not what I expected, but I really liked it. My wife will say it is simply because she thinks I have a crush on Jennifer Lawrence (I don't, otherwise The Hunger Games would have made my top ten). I will admit I think I just have a crush on this movie. There isn't much in it I don't like ... it has DeNiro (in his best role in over a decade) and football - it even had dancing in it which I enjoyed (and laughed at as well). Overall, the movie is fun, and it is a film I will watch again. (It should also be noted it does an excellent job of showing how mental illness can impact a family.)
4. Django Unchained - I admit that I love Tarantino films. The dialogue. The cinematic references. The violence. I like everything about them. While Django is enjoyable, and clearly embodies Tarantino's original style, it isn't his best work. I would proabably rank it as his fourth best film as a director. Regardless, it is one of the best film's of the year. I agree it is too long, and at times it truly needs tighter editing (clearly he missed his long time editing partner Sally Menke), but I can't exclude the film from my top five. I probably was also influenced to rank this higher than other films due to my love of westerns (both traditional and spaghetti). If you haven't seen this and choose to watch it, be warned that the language, violence, and the performances may offend you at times. It's worth it to see Foxx (in his best role since Collateral), Waltz, and even Dicaprio (who has started to get on my nerves as of late) chew up the screen with their riveting performances. (For those keeping track, this was the second part of my New Year's Eve double feature.)
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild - This was a film I was hoping not to like. I wanted to think some of the Oscar nominations were not deserved. I was wrong, and I am glad I was wrong. This is a remarkable film. It truly is poetic in many ways. From the dialogue, to the imagery, to the sheer cadence of the film itself, this film is a wonder to behold., and it has stuck with me probably more than any other film I saw this year. For that reason alone, it will be worth a repeat viewing ... well that and the performance by Quvenzhane Wallis.
2. Moonrise Kingdom - Seeing this film at Nashville's historic Belcourt Theater was the epitome of a true cinematic experience. The film was made to play there. The theatre was packed (hipsters galore) and from the opening sequence until the roll of the credits you felt as if you had been transported. Many may not care for Wes Anderson's brand of humor, but I do. This joins Rushmore and The Royal Tenebaums as the trinity of Anderson's greatness (I rank it just shy of Rushmore as his greatest work). While Willis shines in an understated role (Norton on the other hand didn't quite impress me here), this film clearly belongs to the two young stars of the film. Much like Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild, this film is carried on the backs of child actors who seem to have been created to live in a Wes Anderson world which I would be happy to visit just once in person.
1. Argo - No, I didn't jump on the Argo bandwagon as a result of its award season success. I loved this film from the day I saw it. I have never been an admirer of Affleck the actor, but he definitely gets my appreciation as a director as I have liked all three of his films immensely. In regards to Argo, the film had just about everything I love about the movies. Yes it had suspense, humor, tight editing, and a smorgasboard of great acting (Arkin, Goodman, Cranston, Garber, Chandler, etc.). But most importantly, it had the "feel" of a 1970s political film, and I am a sucker for that genre (see All the President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, The Conversation, The Parallax View, Chinatown).
So there you have it. Let the debate begin!
Honorable Mentions: Prometheus, Skyfall, and How to Survive a Plague
Anyway, I know the suspense is killing you. So let's get started, and feel free to disagree and exchange your own opinions as well.
10. Life of Pi - I saw this on New Year's Eve as part of a two film evening with my wife. Having low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. We chose to see it in 3D based on the reviews, and I must say I wasn't dissapointed. I will admit I am not an Ang Lee fan, nor was I a huge fan of the book (my wife literally made me read it when we first started dating); however, the film was beautiful. My biggest complaint was that the actor in the role of the journalist was mundane, so much so that it almost detracted from each scene he was in. If you missed this on the big screen in 3D I am afraid you will not be as impressed. For some reason I believe the small screen will not due this film the justice it deserves.
9. The Master - I actually saw this on opening day at Opry Mills. There was only one other person in the theatre ... my wife. Yes, we literally sat through this film alone. While she hated it, I found it quite mesmerizing. I am a fan of Anderson's work, but at times this movie seemed to lack something. It did not lack strong performances from the actors. In fact it contained possibly the finest acting of any film this year. Hoffman (who I love) and Phoenix (who I am ambivalent about) are mesmerizing in their roles, and Amy Adams shines as well. I wanted to like this more, but nonetheless, it made the list. Props go for the score as well ... very interesting work by Johny Greenwood of Radiohead fame. (Beware - This film contains one of the oddest group nude scenes possibly in cinematic history.)
8. Lincoln - I imagine at this point some of you are wondering why I would rank such a film this low. It's not that it is bad, or that it is flawed in any way. In fact, it is pretty perfect. Impeccable subject matter. The world's greatest/most famous director. An actor who can play any role. But when I look back on it, I don't recall it "sticking" with me long after the credits rolled. In fact, the one takeaway I have is that the film should have ended when Lincoln was walking down the hallway. I didn't need to see the assassanation and death. If I ever view this film again, it will be for one reason. Mr. Tommy Lee Jones.
7. Bernie - This film really was top five worthy, and it would have been in my top five in any other year. It truly was a blast. I laughed out loud more in this film than in any film in recent memory. In fact, I laughed so hard I cried. Jack Black, who has never truly impressed me as a true actor, will never be better in a film. He IS Bernie, and if you don't know who Bernie is, all I can say is that you are missing out on one of last year's most memorable characters (actually, there is probably only one other character who is more interesting from last year). If you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to at least watch the trailer to see if it is your cup of tea or not. Hopefully it is.
6. Zero Dark Thirty - I expected this to be in my top three, or at least my top five. However, as you can see, I couldn't rate it higher than number six. I am afraid I hold something against this film, mainly The Hurt Locker, Bigelow's previous war film set in the Middle east. That film was beyond excellent. This film is good, and just a shade shy of great. Chastain is brilliant in her role, and Kyle Chandler always makes me smile, even when playing someone other than Coach Taylor from FNL. In any other year, I would have ranked this the best political thriller of the year.
5. Silver Linings Playbook - This film was not what I expected, but I really liked it. My wife will say it is simply because she thinks I have a crush on Jennifer Lawrence (I don't, otherwise The Hunger Games would have made my top ten). I will admit I think I just have a crush on this movie. There isn't much in it I don't like ... it has DeNiro (in his best role in over a decade) and football - it even had dancing in it which I enjoyed (and laughed at as well). Overall, the movie is fun, and it is a film I will watch again. (It should also be noted it does an excellent job of showing how mental illness can impact a family.)
4. Django Unchained - I admit that I love Tarantino films. The dialogue. The cinematic references. The violence. I like everything about them. While Django is enjoyable, and clearly embodies Tarantino's original style, it isn't his best work. I would proabably rank it as his fourth best film as a director. Regardless, it is one of the best film's of the year. I agree it is too long, and at times it truly needs tighter editing (clearly he missed his long time editing partner Sally Menke), but I can't exclude the film from my top five. I probably was also influenced to rank this higher than other films due to my love of westerns (both traditional and spaghetti). If you haven't seen this and choose to watch it, be warned that the language, violence, and the performances may offend you at times. It's worth it to see Foxx (in his best role since Collateral), Waltz, and even Dicaprio (who has started to get on my nerves as of late) chew up the screen with their riveting performances. (For those keeping track, this was the second part of my New Year's Eve double feature.)
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild - This was a film I was hoping not to like. I wanted to think some of the Oscar nominations were not deserved. I was wrong, and I am glad I was wrong. This is a remarkable film. It truly is poetic in many ways. From the dialogue, to the imagery, to the sheer cadence of the film itself, this film is a wonder to behold., and it has stuck with me probably more than any other film I saw this year. For that reason alone, it will be worth a repeat viewing ... well that and the performance by Quvenzhane Wallis.
2. Moonrise Kingdom - Seeing this film at Nashville's historic Belcourt Theater was the epitome of a true cinematic experience. The film was made to play there. The theatre was packed (hipsters galore) and from the opening sequence until the roll of the credits you felt as if you had been transported. Many may not care for Wes Anderson's brand of humor, but I do. This joins Rushmore and The Royal Tenebaums as the trinity of Anderson's greatness (I rank it just shy of Rushmore as his greatest work). While Willis shines in an understated role (Norton on the other hand didn't quite impress me here), this film clearly belongs to the two young stars of the film. Much like Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild, this film is carried on the backs of child actors who seem to have been created to live in a Wes Anderson world which I would be happy to visit just once in person.
1. Argo - No, I didn't jump on the Argo bandwagon as a result of its award season success. I loved this film from the day I saw it. I have never been an admirer of Affleck the actor, but he definitely gets my appreciation as a director as I have liked all three of his films immensely. In regards to Argo, the film had just about everything I love about the movies. Yes it had suspense, humor, tight editing, and a smorgasboard of great acting (Arkin, Goodman, Cranston, Garber, Chandler, etc.). But most importantly, it had the "feel" of a 1970s political film, and I am a sucker for that genre (see All the President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, The Conversation, The Parallax View, Chinatown).
So there you have it. Let the debate begin!
Honorable Mentions: Prometheus, Skyfall, and How to Survive a Plague
The Films I Saw in 2012
Well, it is Oscar weekend. One of my favorite TVweekends of the year (especially if Alabama football stinks, which luckily hasn't been the case for several years). So, for those of you that know me well, I love movies. This past year my wife and I saw more films than the previous year (thanks to Mimi and Grannie for babysitting).
Currently, I am trying to narrow down my top ten films of 2012. It was an excellent year for films, so this year it isn't as easy as the past few years to rank them. So, for starters, here is the list of films I saw last year that I have to choose from ...
Argo
The Avengers
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Bernie
The Campaign
The Dark Knight
Django Unchained
Flight
The Grey
How to Survive a Plague
The Hunger Games
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Prometheus
The Queen of Versailles
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty
Out of these, I can clearly say the worst film I saw was The Campaign. So much promise, so little to like.
Stay tuned!
Currently, I am trying to narrow down my top ten films of 2012. It was an excellent year for films, so this year it isn't as easy as the past few years to rank them. So, for starters, here is the list of films I saw last year that I have to choose from ...
Argo
The Avengers
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Bernie
The Campaign
The Dark Knight
Django Unchained
Flight
The Grey
How to Survive a Plague
The Hunger Games
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Prometheus
The Queen of Versailles
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty
Out of these, I can clearly say the worst film I saw was The Campaign. So much promise, so little to like.
Stay tuned!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
My 12 Memories of Christmas, #11
Little Debbie's Christmas Tree Cakes. I am not sure how long they have been in existence, but I remember them from my childhood. They may just be the most perfectly manufactured, individually sealed Christmas treat ever marketed. First, they are a moist delicious white cake. Second, they have a nice, sweet hardened frosting -- but wait, there is also a softer white filling inside as well. The two compliment each other like pine tar compliments George Brett's bats (ok - I will admit, that was bad, but each of these entries needs a true Montyism). The kicker is the green sparkle. It adds just the right bit of texture. The final plus, it is the perfect size. Just right for an after dinner indulgence, or even a midnight snack.n Simply unwrap and enjoy.
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I am stretching my knowledge here, but I remember an ice cream treat my dad used to buy us at Christmas. I remember they were individually wrapped, and for some reason I want to say there were two different shaped treats. One was a Christmas tree and I believe the other was a Santa face. If I recall correctly, they were on a stick. One of them may have had a peppermint taste, but regardless, they were good. I would love to know who marketed them, and it would be a most joyous holiday surpirse if I were to stumble across one of these frozen goodies to share with Samuel. I think he'd like it too (as well as Harrison, if he could get over the coldness).
The Russel Stover hollow milk chocolate Santa Claus. Clint and I got one of these every year for Christmas, and we always received it on Christmas Eve at my grandparents house (my dad's parents, Pop and Grandma). It almost always stuck out of the top of our stocking. We knew Santa hadn't come yet, and that Grandma probably filled the stockings, but we always looked forward to seeing Santa's head sticking out of the stocking as if to say, "come on and bite my chocolaty good head right off!." I remember as I ate it, small crumbs would fall into the base of the Santa, and as I approached the bottom, I would ceremoniously "drink" the broken chocolate remnants before finishing off Santa's boots. (I also always received Hershey kisses at Christmas, but these would only qualify as a Christmas treat due to the fact they added green and red foiled kisses to the bag.) I would be remiss if I didn't include a shout-out (or a Ho!Ho!Ho!) to the Russell Stover Mini Santas as well. I used to love popping them out of the plastic tray and eating them whole. I even remember the metallic taste of the wrapper if I wasn't careful and didn't unwrap it completely.
Sweet and Sassy sugar cookies. They were red and green. They weren't fancy. There was no icing or sprinkles normally. They were just good. Again, we received these from Pop and Grandma Wilson, and I fondly recall my dad enjoyed these as well. In fact, just last month on my 40th birthday, my dad bought me a bad of sugar cookies from Sweet and Sassy (these were colored for Thanksgiving, naturally). The recipe hasn't changed in over 30 years, and that suits me just fine.
The Life Saver Christmas Book. While I am not a huge fan of these candies today, I see they are still marketed, so somebody likes them. Every time I see these on the shelf at the grocery, I remember receiving these on Christmas Day in my stocking. Clint and I would often open these up and trade for the rolls we preferred. At the time, I don't think either of us ever wanted the "brown" roll, but if I had to choose some to eat today, those might be my first choice.
King Leo peppermint sticks. I associate these with my father as well (until now, I never noticed how much of these memories involved him). I believe he would either buy these or would receive them as a gift from either students or a coworker from Goodpasture. They came in a large, blue tin, and the sticks stood on end. I remember that as I ate them, I always tried to model the stick of candy so that it resembled a fat, sharpened crayon. As the candy began to sharpen down, parts of it would hollow out which kept me from ever creating a sharp, pointed candy cane "crayon."
Sorry to end this so abruptly, but I must confess, after all of the writing about Christmas treats, I think I should go treat myself to something sweet right now.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
My 12 Memories of Chrsitmas
My original intent was to briefly blog about one special Christmas memory for 25 days. However, it is December 4th. So instead of backtracking, I am doing what any great teacher would do, and that is modify my assignment (I do have a 504 by the way, so accomodations are allowed). I suspect this site will not be of interest to anyone, nor will it be visited. But I would like a record of this so that my sons might see this and know what Christmas meant to me as a child.
Memory one - was our family Christmas tree. All trees are different, which is what makes them great. The ornaments, the lighting, the tree topper, they are simply the characters, descriptive words, and symbolism of your tree's (or family's) story, and all play an important role from the decorator's viewpoint (author) and the viewer's (reader's) eyes. Boys, I had to throw on my "teacher" hat for a moment to let you know that literature has also been an important part of my life.
We never had the opportunity to have a real Christmas tree, and that was my fault. I think it saddened my dad to a degree, because he often had one growing up. Due to my allergies, this wasn't an option for our household. To this day I can't have one, so I have to settle for plastic needles instead of the smell of pine.
While clear lights are the rage today, we always had color lights. Reds, greens, blues, and yellows illuminated our tree. These weren't the stars of our tree though. The true excitement occurred minutes after the tree had been turned on once the bubble lights had warmed up and the liquid began to dance like a science experiment. My dad grew up with bubble lights, and I am lucky enough to have put a string on my tree every year as an adult as well. They remind me of an earlier age, a happy time. I remember sitting and just watching them, amazed at the brightness and activity.
I never had a themed tree. We had an eclectic mix of ornaments, most with some type of sentimental value. To me, this is what a Christmas tree should be. We had ornaments we "baked" in the oven using little crystals and a metal frame (I remember a Santa face and a candle in particular). We had Sesame Street characters (Big Bird and Cookie Monster) and a Muppet ornament that was a large ball. We had handmade wooden ornaments from Mrs. Potts, one of the dearest women I have ever known. She personalized an ornament every year for me (and Clint). These were almost always sports themed (baseball glove and football helmet ornaments stand out in my mind). She gave them to us every Halloween when we visited her. I remember we had our own special bag of candy and we always visited and played fetch with their dog's favorite tennis ball. I cannot forget my favorite ornament. It is a large, somewhat tacky Santa in his pink striped pajamas. He is standing on a scale, and he doesn't look happy. I don't know why this ornament resonated with me, but it did. I always put it on the tree, and it was always placed on a low branch (naturally) on the left side of the tree. You can see it in pictures, and you can see it on my tree today. It has to be over 30, or even 40 years old. Over time, Star Wars, Alabama, and George Brett ornaments made their way to our tree as I got older. Luckily Bethany allows me to keep these on our tree, or my tree, which is located upstairs. We have the luxury of two large trees, the beautifully decorated one in our living area by the fireplace and the Monty's "He Won't Let-It-Die" tree in the bonus room (thank you, B, for allowing me to continue to live vicariously through Samuel). By the way, that last Santa pic above is a cross between a killer clown and the current (fad) Elf on the Shelf. I think he might try to harm me, but he has been around a LONG time, so I don't dare hide him.
Our tree was also decorated with gold garland. I think it looks tacky now, but it was part of our tree, and at the time, it had to be included. It did match our tree topper, which was a gold star with yellow and orange lights illuminating it. I have no idea what happened to our star. It may have met the same fate as Ralphie's special leg lamp, although for different reasons.
I loved Christmas, and I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving and my birthday to end so my dad could assemble our plastic festive tree and line the tree with a mix of colored mini bulbs and large bubble lights. Once his work was done, Mom allowed Clint and I to put our marks on the tree, which made it "ours."
If by chance anyone reads this, I would love to hear your comments about your childhood tree. What resonated with you? What made your tree better than anyone elses?
I hope to find a then pic and compare with my now pic and see just how close me memory is.
I love you boys. Love you a lot.
Memory one - was our family Christmas tree. All trees are different, which is what makes them great. The ornaments, the lighting, the tree topper, they are simply the characters, descriptive words, and symbolism of your tree's (or family's) story, and all play an important role from the decorator's viewpoint (author) and the viewer's (reader's) eyes. Boys, I had to throw on my "teacher" hat for a moment to let you know that literature has also been an important part of my life.
We never had the opportunity to have a real Christmas tree, and that was my fault. I think it saddened my dad to a degree, because he often had one growing up. Due to my allergies, this wasn't an option for our household. To this day I can't have one, so I have to settle for plastic needles instead of the smell of pine.
While clear lights are the rage today, we always had color lights. Reds, greens, blues, and yellows illuminated our tree. These weren't the stars of our tree though. The true excitement occurred minutes after the tree had been turned on once the bubble lights had warmed up and the liquid began to dance like a science experiment. My dad grew up with bubble lights, and I am lucky enough to have put a string on my tree every year as an adult as well. They remind me of an earlier age, a happy time. I remember sitting and just watching them, amazed at the brightness and activity.
I never had a themed tree. We had an eclectic mix of ornaments, most with some type of sentimental value. To me, this is what a Christmas tree should be. We had ornaments we "baked" in the oven using little crystals and a metal frame (I remember a Santa face and a candle in particular). We had Sesame Street characters (Big Bird and Cookie Monster) and a Muppet ornament that was a large ball. We had handmade wooden ornaments from Mrs. Potts, one of the dearest women I have ever known. She personalized an ornament every year for me (and Clint). These were almost always sports themed (baseball glove and football helmet ornaments stand out in my mind). She gave them to us every Halloween when we visited her. I remember we had our own special bag of candy and we always visited and played fetch with their dog's favorite tennis ball. I cannot forget my favorite ornament. It is a large, somewhat tacky Santa in his pink striped pajamas. He is standing on a scale, and he doesn't look happy. I don't know why this ornament resonated with me, but it did. I always put it on the tree, and it was always placed on a low branch (naturally) on the left side of the tree. You can see it in pictures, and you can see it on my tree today. It has to be over 30, or even 40 years old. Over time, Star Wars, Alabama, and George Brett ornaments made their way to our tree as I got older. Luckily Bethany allows me to keep these on our tree, or my tree, which is located upstairs. We have the luxury of two large trees, the beautifully decorated one in our living area by the fireplace and the Monty's "He Won't Let-It-Die" tree in the bonus room (thank you, B, for allowing me to continue to live vicariously through Samuel). By the way, that last Santa pic above is a cross between a killer clown and the current (fad) Elf on the Shelf. I think he might try to harm me, but he has been around a LONG time, so I don't dare hide him.
Our tree was also decorated with gold garland. I think it looks tacky now, but it was part of our tree, and at the time, it had to be included. It did match our tree topper, which was a gold star with yellow and orange lights illuminating it. I have no idea what happened to our star. It may have met the same fate as Ralphie's special leg lamp, although for different reasons.
I loved Christmas, and I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving and my birthday to end so my dad could assemble our plastic festive tree and line the tree with a mix of colored mini bulbs and large bubble lights. Once his work was done, Mom allowed Clint and I to put our marks on the tree, which made it "ours."
If by chance anyone reads this, I would love to hear your comments about your childhood tree. What resonated with you? What made your tree better than anyone elses?
I hope to find a then pic and compare with my now pic and see just how close me memory is.
I love you boys. Love you a lot.
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