Friday, October 25, 2013

Chestnuts Roasting in My Mind (Memoir Challenge Thoughts)

Earlier this year, I had the idea to play along with JaneAnn Mclachlan’s October Memoir Challenge, hoping it would help me overcome an emotional block I’ve been struggling with for several months.

This marks the year I have finally started feeling like my dad’s death is real. Could that be the cause? Whenever I think that could be it, I am brought right back to him and the denial again. He can’t be gone because he’s right here in everything around me. Yesterday it was classical music. Today it’s chestnuts.

Photo of Two Chestnuts on a Plate
Chestnut Brains
They look a little like brains, don’t they?

They are full of flavor and memory; full of being barefoot in a flannel nightie next to the fireplace, waiting for them to roast. Full of excitement of knowing my whole family would be together. Full of placing cookies and milk in the garage for Santa Claus. (I’m not sure why we put them there though I suppose it was near the fireplace.) 

What are your favorite holiday memories?

*****

3 comments:

  1. My favorite memory was "assembling" the Christmas tree. My brother and I had allergies so by the time we were old enough to participate much, we had artificial trees. Dad was always in charge of the construction but we got to help. Christmas carols on the stereo. Sorting out the branches by the color painted on the hook that went into the trunk. A mess of greenery on the floor that gradually worked its way into being our Christmas tree.

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  2. What a wonderful image! I can see all those branches strewn around the floor. I wonder if it has given you a talent for puzzles? Or maybe you already had that knack and so putting the tree together came naturally.
    Thank you for sharing your memories with me! :-)

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  3. Special memories are treasures. This memory is a gem.

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