Christmas memories, gifts and so much more

            It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas at the Parker house.
            We set up our Christmas tree this past weekend and Debbie decorated it.
        We’ve never set our tree up this early. It’s usually after Thanksgiving and sometimes a week or two before Christmas. A few years ago, we set up the tree, but didn’t get it decorated.
           When we first moved into our country home on Thanksgiving weekend in 2006, we set up a small fiber optics tree in lieu of the new artificial tree we had purchased after Christmas the year before.
          With boxes and furniture everywhere, it was next to impossible to set up and decorate our tree in our new home. Debbie bought the fiber optics tree at Target and we set it in the bay window and all was good with the world.
           I’ve mentioned this in past columns, as a child growing up in Oklahoma, my folks didn’t set up anything Christmas until Dec. 15.
           We always bought a fresh-cut tree and one year we purchased our tree in early December. My dad tied it to the clothesline in the backyard so it stood up straight until Dec. 15, when we were allowed to carry it in the house.
           We didn’t get out a box of decorations, lights or set up the manger until mid-December.
           I still have the manger and figurines of baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the three wisemen, the shepherds and some animals that I placed under the Christmas tree as a youngster every year.
          My mom bought the manger and figurines at TG&Y Five and Dime store in Tulsa. The manger still has the price tag on the backside. I think she paid a $1 or two.
          The old cardboard manger is in sad shape. I’ve thought about having a local craftsman make a new one, but I haven’t followed through with the project.
         A couple years ago, our oldest nephew, Gavin, found a wooden manger at a sale and bought it and gave it to us. It’s a nice addition to our Christmas deorations.
      Christmas was always exciting in the Parker house growing up and each year, Santa would give my brother and me an orange, apple and some nuts in our stockings.
       I asked my mom about it and she said it was a reminder of her growing up years in Southern Missouri when an orange, apple and nuts were all she and her siblings got for Christmas some years. Other times they got a set of new clothes, but nothing else.
       My folks didn’t have a lot of money, but they somehow found a way to give my brother and me the best Christmases gifts and memories possible. I can’t imagine getting a pair of pants and a new shirt and no toy or keepsake. I’m so blessed!
       I still have my Allstate (Sears and Roebuck) train set I got for Christmas when I was age 7. It doesn’t work and the box is somewhat fragile, but it’s priceless to me.
       I keep a running list of Christmas and birthday gift ideas on our home computer that I update each year. Outside of some music from the 1970s and several photography books, one of my top gifts this year is life-long fishing licenses for senior citizens. I will never need to buy fishing licenses again.
      Other items include a Tulsa ball cap, tools, postcards, a new frying pan, old board games and some antiques. 
        Anyway, I’m really looking forward to the Christmas season this year and getting our tree set up early is an added plus.
       I kind of feel like a kid again. Maybe it’s because I turned 65 this year. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that life milestone.
        I encourage folks to take time to celebrate and enjoy life. The holidays are a great time to do something good for someone else.
        Some ideas include making a donation to the local food pantry or giving some funds to a local outreach that helps those who are in need. Montezuma, Brooklyn and Grinnell all have wonderful outreaches that help others.
        Another suggestion is to buy a sack of groceries or a gift card for a neighbor or friend in need. Together, we can make a difference in this world and every gift is important.
        As we all know, the real reason for Christmas isn’t the gifts, it’s celebrating Jesus. He is the reason for the season. Spending time with family and friends and enjoying lots of good food isn’t too bad either.
         Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.