"I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday, December 21, 2007

SITMT Contest

This is the latest contest from the SITMT swap: New Contest: Holiday memories and Holiday knitting. Contest starts today and will end on Friday, December 21st. All you have to do is write a blog post about the holidays. Include memories from when you were a child, Christmas knitting you are working on this year, and holiday traditions. 5 points for the post. If you include pictures, you will receive 1 point for each photo. Have fun!

My fondest memories are always from Christmas. My parents were married December 25, 1958, so we share their anniversary also. In my household, every box was a chance to make the receiver suffer. We reused every single box we could find.

My best memory is from one Christmas when my mother wanted a new sewing machine. She made alot of our clothes and her old machine was just dying. My father bought her the exact machine she wanted (I can't remember the model anymore). He took it out of the box and wrapped it in a box from some power tool he had gotten for his birthday. Inside the sewing machine box he laid newspapers and a brick. He had purchased a huge bar of Ivory soap and had carefully carved a box with a lid from it. Inside, he placed the most beautiful Ivory and Jade rose pin you have ever seen. He carefully assembled the soap box back together and sealed the package. He wrapped it in anniversary paper and placed it in the box with more newspapers and another brick. My mother opened it, saw the bar of soap and threw it at him with a response that went something like this, "Jimmy Pxxx, I can't believe that you gave me a bar of Ivory soap as an anniversary present. I know that we can't afford alot, but all I wanted was that pin for my blazer." She stormed into the kitchen in tears. It took my brother and I about two hours to come up with some reason for her to open the soap. When she did, the tears started again.

Wow, do you remember the Schwinn Fair Lady? I do. I still have mine. This was taken Christmas Morning 1969 in Memphis TN.

Dad, brother one, and baby sister - 1972 (Memphis)

Baby sister and Brother Two - 1972 (Memphis)

Brother one as an altar boy - 1972 (Memphis - St. John's Catholic Church)

Baby sister - 1977 (Charleston WV)

Brother two - 1977 (Charleston WV)

Knitting has been taking place at this place as well. I cannot post pictures of that until tomorrow, as I will be giving some of it tonight and I cannot risk being discovered. I can tell you that I have been using the BMG footies pattern. If you are on Ravelry, check out my projects. If not, I will link to it in the post with the pictures. I have used Rowan Cotton Glace and Rowan Cashsoft. If you have not made socks with either of these, you should try them. The Cashsoft is DIVINE!

BTW - Next year is my parents' 50th anniversary and the two brothers, the sister, and I have been plotting their party for two years. It will be fun and there will be alot of tears and pictures.

4 comments:

Knitting it Out in an Urban Zoo said...

What a lovely story. Thanks for sharing it...I love the pictures!

Knittymuggins said...

Awwww..... what a sweet story! Thanks for sharing :)

Merry Christmas!

knittymuggins

Anonymous said...

Lisa, what a lovely story, it brought tears to my eyes.

I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I can't wait to see your knitting gifts.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful story, Hope you have wonderous holiday with your family. Pretty washer, too.

Merry Christmas

Your SITM II Pal