Long ago Christmas

Saying for the day: Isn't black jack a Christmas tradition?

I’ve spent some time thinking about past Christmases and Christmas at Grandma Lanyon’s in particular. Aside from the food there are a number of things I remember.
First : I read a blog that jokingly said that children should eat at their own table at Christmas and that table should be in a different room. That is the way it was at grandma’s. The adults ate in the kitchen while all the kids ate at a table set up in the living room. One adult was in charge of bringing us food beyond the big bowl of potatoes and platter of turkey that was on the table. We kept the adult busy.
Second: After the meal the adults played black jack in the kitchen. They took the game seriously and played for nickels. There was lots of shouting and somebody always got mad. The kids played a variety of games in the living room. For years I thought it was everybody’s tradition to play black jack on Christmas day. You became an adult when you were old enough to join the game.
Third: Gram had a Christmas village set up on a desk. It was constructed of siff cardboard and painted with something that felt like sandpaper. Each house had a light. In the middle was a church and a manger scene. I loved that display. Gram also had an aluminum tree that you couldn’t put lights on. It was lit with a big color wheel so the colors were changing all the time . I was fascinated by it but my dad looked down on it as “not a real Christmas tree”.
So many memories all tied to Christmas.

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News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my garage where the trains still run and doomsday may be approaching-Petrovich announced last night that he is throwing a doomsday party on the fourteenth . He says that since the town is ending they might as well have one last celebration before it goes. His only problem is where the party should be help. Mayor Trumble has said that it can’t be held at the town hall since the town isn’t going to end. The churches are having nothing to do with this end nonsense so it can’t be held there. The Masons have also refused to let him use their hall. So poor Petrovich will have to have his party at the Fly Inn . They never refuse anybody with money.( Besides he has been good for bar business)
The question in town among Petrovich believers is how will the town end.
Some think there will be a massive earthquake, others a tornado ( but this isn’t tornado season). Some have suggested a flood of biblical proportions but where the water would come from is anybody’s guess. The most unique idea is that the town would just sink into one of the old mines that are under it. There have been some sink holes where entire front yards have gone down into the old mine so that is possible. The most widely accepted idea is that the trains will stop and the town will slowly fade away. Such a sad end. Petrovich is leaning toward an atomic bomb brought in by an Arab terrorist on the last train. He says there are things in the driblet that point to that end.
In eight or nine days we will know. Who is right Mrs. Trumble or Petrovich? Will there be a Pigeon Falls on the sixteenth? Will the trains keep running? So many questions and only time will tell.
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Link for today: Dick Small's Blog-: Remember to leave the words Dr. John in the comment to get those JCPOINTS that the cat dragged in.
It was a sleepy day. Betty was very tired so we didn't do much. I did some Christmas shopping on the computer . I worked at getting the JCPOINTS up to date and am almost there. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GB YA