Going to the Gingerbread Castle every summer. It was fairy tale like. The gingerbread cookies they made were the best. There was a picnic area too. We always went on the train ride every time we visited. Unfortunately it is no longer there.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
When I was 11 years young my 2 brothers, my parents and I moved to a house in the country. The house had wood stoves on the first floor. Each upstair bedroom had a round hole with a grate in the floor. That’s how our bedroom stayed warm during the winter, plus a heavy blanket or two. Christmas was a big deal at our house. Christmas Eve my parents would put up the tree and decorate it and wrap our presents after me and my brothers went to bed. When Christmas Eve came that year, I went to my brothers bedroom and we gathered around the hole in the floor. We could see presents on the living room floor. Now it’s a year later. Again I went to my brothers bedroom, again we gathered around the hole in the floor. To our surprise we could not see anything. My parents had put a piece of cardboard over the hole. Later my mother told me that our father had heard us laughing and talking and said , Those kids are looking through the hole. So they said next year we will put cardboard over the hole. I would say this is my favorite childhood memory.
My favourite memories are family summer vacations and sundays. With both, time was spent playing with my sisters and parents. I loved the family being together and doing activities with each other.
I find this inspiring and encouraging. Maybe with enough courage I can still forge ahead to make some more happy memories. I agree with quaint. As a child we did not have a lot fancy but well drinking water, a cistern for house water an out house, a commode in the basement, (but we were always constantly upkeeping our utilities). And there were good meals and warm beds and clean clothes and school and vacations, etc.
Favorite childhood memory is my Dad going out on Christmas Eve to purchase a tree, having to fasten it to the wall with fishing line or wire (4 kids under 5 years of age will make you do that!) and decorating it with tinsel. As kids, that kind of meant throwing it on the tree, but my Mom would patiently shows us how best to put tinsel on the tree. We could hardly sleep that night!
Sounds wonderful! And that’s a great idea, to fasten the tree to the wall. I might have to do that. LOL. My mom also got her Christmas tree on Christmas Eve as a child. Her parents had recently moved from Europe, and that was their tradition.
Ellie
Hi Ellie and Mr H. The childhood memory I think of at this time of year was the parcels arriving from Holland for SinterKlaas, birthdays and Christmas. The postman would arrive and bring massive parcels to the door 2 or 3 at a time and my mom would quickly transfer them into her bedroom to unpack and check over. My 2 Omas and Opas would always send extras like tea towels and mitt washcloths that mom preferred. My sisters and I were beside ourselves with excitement on parcel day and always thrilled to know Christmas was truly on its way. I still remember many presents I received that somehow seemed exotic and magical as they came from Holland. I still had some of those gifts all these years later and one SinterKlaas Day a few years ago I gave my oldest granddaughter a leather purse and wallet that was still in great shape and the second granddaughter a silver ring I had been given. The other 2 received silver necklaces. All were equally struck by the meaning of these gifts that came from my grandmother and have cherished them as keepsakes. Thanks for this blog. It has given me fun, pleasure, and joy to remember my own childhood and hear a few stories from you 2 and others. Have a great weekend!!
Yes I did Ellie, several times. And all the other relatives as well. My family were the only ones who immigrated. I remembered it all when I watched your video and you talked about travelling to Europe. I have spent Christmas in Holland. My grand parents came every second year to Canada to visit. They all loved it so much.
Marilyn
Going to the Gingerbread Castle every summer. It was fairy tale like. The gingerbread cookies they made were the best. There was a picnic area too. We always went on the train ride every time we visited. Unfortunately it is no longer there.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Ellie
Sounds lovely! Where is Gingerbread Castle?
Ellie
Anonymous
When I was 11 years young my 2 brothers, my parents and I moved to a house in the country. The house had wood stoves on the first floor. Each upstair bedroom had a round hole with a grate in the floor. That’s how our bedroom stayed warm during the winter, plus a heavy blanket or two. Christmas was a big deal at our house. Christmas Eve my parents would put up the tree and decorate it and wrap our presents after me and my brothers went to bed. When Christmas Eve came that year, I went to my brothers bedroom and we gathered around the hole in the floor. We could see presents on the living room floor. Now it’s a year later. Again I went to my brothers bedroom, again we gathered around the hole in the floor. To our surprise we could not see anything. My parents had put a piece of cardboard over the hole. Later my mother told me that our father had heard us laughing and talking and said , Those kids are looking through the hole. So they said next year we will put cardboard over the hole. I would say this is my favorite childhood memory.
Ellie
That sounds like a quaint house full of wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing!
Ellie
Anonymous
My favourite memories are family summer vacations and sundays. With both, time was spent playing with my sisters and parents. I loved the family being together and doing activities with each other.
Jane
This is a good memory for me as well, family time. Jane
Anonymous
I find this inspiring and encouraging. Maybe with enough courage I can still forge ahead to make some more happy memories. I agree with quaint. As a child we did not have a lot fancy but well drinking water, a cistern for house water an out house, a commode in the basement, (but we were always constantly upkeeping our utilities). And there were good meals and warm beds and clean clothes and school and vacations, etc.
Margie
Favorite childhood memory is my Dad going out on Christmas Eve to purchase a tree, having to fasten it to the wall with fishing line or wire (4 kids under 5 years of age will make you do that!) and decorating it with tinsel. As kids, that kind of meant throwing it on the tree, but my Mom would patiently shows us how best to put tinsel on the tree. We could hardly sleep that night!
Ellie
Sounds wonderful! And that’s a great idea, to fasten the tree to the wall. I might have to do that. LOL. My mom also got her Christmas tree on Christmas Eve as a child. Her parents had recently moved from Europe, and that was their tradition.
Ellie
Eileen
Hi Ellie and Mr H. The childhood memory I think of at this time of year was the parcels arriving from Holland for SinterKlaas, birthdays and Christmas. The postman would arrive and bring massive parcels to the door 2 or 3 at a time and my mom would quickly transfer them into her bedroom to unpack and check over. My 2 Omas and Opas would always send extras like tea towels and mitt washcloths that mom preferred. My sisters and I were beside ourselves with excitement on parcel day and always thrilled to know Christmas was truly on its way. I still remember many presents I received that somehow seemed exotic and magical as they came from Holland. I still had some of those gifts all these years later and one SinterKlaas Day a few years ago I gave my oldest granddaughter a leather purse and wallet that was still in great shape and the second granddaughter a silver ring I had been given. The other 2 received silver necklaces. All were equally struck by the meaning of these gifts that came from my grandmother and have cherished them as keepsakes. Thanks for this blog. It has given me fun, pleasure, and joy to remember my own childhood and hear a few stories from you 2 and others. Have a great weekend!!
Ellie
What a wonderful memory! Were you ever able to travel to Holland to see your grandparents?
Ellie
Eileen
Yes I did Ellie, several times. And all the other relatives as well. My family were the only ones who immigrated. I remembered it all when I watched your video and you talked about travelling to Europe. I have spent Christmas in Holland. My grand parents came every second year to Canada to visit. They all loved it so much.