December 26, 2006
The Mic Is On: Do you Remember the Time When. . .? What’s Your Favorite Family Story?
Sandy wrote this at 7:00 pm
It’s Like Open Mic Only Different
Here’s how it works.
It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME
The rules are simple — be nice.
There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.
What’s your favorite family story? You have several, don’t you? They are each as different as a snowflake.
We might also talk about
- what happened this holiday season that will become a repeated story
- our most embarrassing story
- stories that make us roll on the floor laughing
- how our memories differ from those of our family members
AND THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey, and Milton the Skinny Moose.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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96 Comments to “The Mic Is On: Do you Remember the Time When. . .? What’s Your Favorite Family Story?”
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Joe said
Hey Liz,
Am I first?
One of my favorites is when they brought my little cousin home from the hospital shortly after she was born.
I sat on the dining room table while holding her.
The table collapsed, everyone panicked.
It was the first time she ever laughed, unhurt I might add and everyone else started laughing. Either from relief or because the baby was so happy for the ride.
ME Strauss said
Hi Joe,
What a great story! You were a hero! How old is the litle girl now?
Joe said
She is a littl older than my son, she will be 31 in March.
Old stories are Ok, right?
Char said
Good evening everyone!
One of my most vivid memories of Christmas as a kid was the year that Santa could not get in the house to leave us gifts - it was the first year in our new house and we had no chimney. We came down looking for our stockings and Santa gifts (one each - unwrapped) and about came unglued. Talk about three very unhappy kids. Calm and cool, dad asked one of us to go get the newspaper. On the front door was a note saying that the stockings were in the trunk of the car in the driveway. I think Mom & Dad got the last laugh that year.
Which brings me to…
ME Strauss said
Hi Char!
What was Santa doing in the trunk of the car? That’s so funny!
Valeria Maltoni said
Hi Liz, hi Joe:
I have two sisters and we’re all close in age. My mom used to spend hours getting us ready to go out in winter especially, all those clothes and layers!
I remember once mom had us all ready to go in record time to play outside — I was 6, my middle sister was 4, and the little one was over 1 year old. Well, we got out and it had rained buckets. So 4-year old Rita trips and falls face down into a puddle. Just like that! We were all back inside in no time. I still laugh thinking about it.
Valeria Maltoni said
Hi Char -
Well, in Italy we have stockings for the Epiphany on January 6. It is tradition to put oranges and small gifts for good children and sugar-coal for naughty ones…. guess what I always got?
ME Strauss said
Hi Valeria!
Face down in a puddle . . . I’m laughing. These stories are great!!
That reminds me of when my cousin got up in the middle of the night and turned left inside of right — missed the bathroom made the kitched trash instead . . . she was four. It was so funny. NO one figured out how she managed to sit there while she was still sleeping. She had no memory of it in the morning.
Char said
So this year we decided our kids were old enough for a bit of fun. We set up two trees - one in the living room near the fireplace and one in the kids playroom. The kids came down the steps Christmas morning and there was nothing. They were a bit upset and confused until the oldest one figured out that Santa had left everything in the playroom. The 8 year old keeps telling her friends that Santa was confused this year.
Joe said
Hey Char, Valeria.
Liz, as long as it was your cousin…
Char said
Valeria - our family tradition is also a small orange in the bottom of each stocking. My 8 year old was absolutely convinced she was getting coal. She spent the day telling everyone that she couldn’t believe that she didn’t get coal.
ME Strauss said
Hey, Joe, she was only four and we were making sure that she didn’t miss.
Joe said
I remember when I was extremely young, that there were oranges in the stockings, but never knew why.
They stopped showing up when I was about 7-8 yrs old. Don’t know why that either.
Valeria Maltoni said
Family traditions are awesome– the kids will treasure them like we do now.
We’re not there yet, but new year’s day we always watched the Strauss concert televised from Vienna. I remember the year the Riccardo Muti conducted, what a gift!
And of course we had the movie “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” playing nonstop around Christmas time.
ME Strauss said
Char,
Coal. What would the poor do with the coal? Become an artist!!! Become famous!!! Raise lots of money and buy her parents a new home!
Joe said
We had a tradition of going out and buying the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
After dinner, we would decorate it, go to Midnight mass and have donuts before going to bed.
Christmas morning, we would all have to open our presents in order of age. Oldest first.
Luckily, I was second born.
Char said
Well, both girls do take art lessons, but I think the youngest one is more likely to become an artist - I really need to scan in her drawings of Santa and Mrs. Claus - priceless.
ME Strauss said
Valeria,
Your Christmas was musically far above ours I used set the album cover on the back of lounge chair cna conduct the “Singing Nun.” Alvin and the Three Chipmunks were a big hit with me.
Valeria Maltoni said
Joe,
We had an artificial tree back in the old country, and we did something very similar with Midnight Mass, hot chocolate before bed and gifts in the morning. Except we had only one gift each so it was quick.
The nativity scene was a production — as large as a full dining room table, with mountains in the back, a sky, pastures, pathways and a little creek, etc. Then we would move the Three Kings every day from Christmas to the Epiphany.
Char said
Keep the family tradition stories coming - I love hearing about them.
ME Strauss said
Decorating the tree on Christmas Eve, Joe, that sounds like a movie. Did you do that with your own family?
ME Strauss said
Char, all of the artists in your house. It must be decorated to the nines!
Joe said
Valeria,
Maybe we were just lucky, with a few aunts an uncles, we always had a present from each of them. More to open for a kid in the late 50’s
Char said
No, interior decorating is just not my thing. The house looks nice, but nothing elaborate.
My husband’s family used to get their tree Christmas Eve, too. And their Dad was known for bringing the chainsaw in the living room for that last minute trimming! With 7 kids - they have some stories!
Joe said
Liz,
We would go to my parents house to do it there, but in my own house, we were done all the decorating a week before.
ME Strauss said
Whoa! Char!
Chainsaw in the living room that’s a little bit much for me. But I suppose THAT could be called one kind of decorating. . . .
Char said
Liz - I never witnessed it, but it is one of those legendary family stories from that side. My side of the family is boring in comparison.
What did everyone eat yesterday? Big meals or just munchies? We did appetizers all day long.
ME Strauss said
There was the morning when I was about 8 years old. I got on Christmas and my younger, older brother was playing with the coolest electric train. It was shiny and laid on track all over the large living room floor. He was so patient. He showed me everything, how it worked and what it did. I watched and watched for at least an hour, until I finally got the courage up to ask my 16 year old brother, “Could I play with the train set, please?
He said, “Sure kid, It’s yours.”
Char said
Ah, how sweet Liz! If you like trains, you’d be in heaven here. My husband and son have a 27′x8′ train platform set up year round. It takes up the top floor of the detached garage.
Kian Ann said
Hey hey! Looks like you people really had fun this Christmas!
Over in my area there’s no snow… but what was miraculous was that it was raining for several days, and on Christmas day itself it didn’t rain for the whole day!
HART (1-800-HART) said
Hi everybody ~
I remember my first Xmas with my future inlaws 1997. The kids were 5 & 6, and my brother-in-law kept reminding them that since the fireplace came into the basement, right next to the liquor cabinet .. if Santa went in and drank his liquor AGAIN that year .. he was going to take a shotgun to Santa!
Anyway, the grandparents took the children out driving following radio reports of Santa Reindeer reports .. and, while the parents were bringing in the ‘extra’ gifts from Santa … I went outside and made these two sled marks on the roof, and off to the front lawn, where and then rolled in an area and shook a tree that had snow on it, to clear it. When the children came back .. my brother in law told them Santa snuck into the house all right .. and got drunk! And, we all started to chase him up the chimney too .. but, he left and got into his reindeer and sleigh. He was so drunk, he just fell off the house. My brother in law told his kids that he fired a shot, but wasn’t aiming for Santa .. just the Reindeer .. you know - for Boxing Day Dinner .. but, missed and hit a tree.
We’ve got pictures of the kids faces immortalized on the walls and put it up every Xmas.
ME Strauss said
A train set! Way cool! We’re a Microsoft train simulator family now. It’s incredbile . . . I bet your husband would love it!
Char said
Hi Kian & Hart! Great stories!!
Liz - My son loves Microsoft Train simulator. He designed the layout of their current track on it .
Joe said
I’m glad others have trains.
We always had a platform with trains and a little town under the tree at Christmas growing up.
There were no trains set up this year, but after mom died, pop asked for them for this Christmas because mom like them.
My brothers and sister set up trains for pop this year so he would have the memories.
Sad story, but good in a way.
Carolyn Manning said
Hi everybody. Joe, do you realize this is about the third week in a row you’ve been here first? Wayta go.
We had oil heat and knew nothing about coal, so my parents would put onions in our stockings.
Char said
The trains are a living legacy of my father-in-law. He used to have them set up in his basement and my son loved them. Now it is something my husband and son do together and they always comment on how much my husband’s father would love their latest layout.
Carolyn Manning said
Where is everyone?
ME Strauss said
Hi Carolyn,
I figure they must have a life with their families.. . . or they’re getting ready for the big New Year’s Eve football game.
Char said
It is pretty quiet here tonight.
Carolyn Manning said
Yeah, lots of talking and then I thought I went deaf.
ME Strauss said
Would you like some chocolate that I got for Christmas. I can share since there are so few of us. I have enough to go around.
Chris Cree said
Hey guys! Can’t stay long but I brought a few Klondike bars for the dedicated. I’ve got to start packing for vacation! Yippee!!!
Char said
Chris - I knew you had those Klondike bars for us! Thanks. Where are you going on vacation? Anywhere fun?
Joe said
Hey Carolyn,
I’m still here. It seems I’m hitting the #1 spot a little more often, huh?
Carolyn Manning said
You’re probably up for a record Joe.
Hi Chris. Wasn’t Chicago vacation enough for you?
Did somebody say chocolate!!!!
Chris Cree said
When I was 5 I got a Larry Csonka jersey. That was the same Christmas that I had the mumps so I looked like a mini-thick-necked-football player with the jersey on!
Chris Cree said
Vacation - We’re driving up to Wisconsin to see my wife’s family via Virginia and my family. We don’t like doing those long drives during the summer when there’s no chance of snow. Takes the challenge out of it.
Chris Cree said
Carolyn, Aside from one very nice relaxing dinner, Chicago was unfortunately far from a vacation for me
ME Strauss said
Chris,
Are you sure it was the mumps? You weren’t hiding Klondike bars were ya?
Carolyn Manning said
Nothing like an adventure, Chris.
Char said
Chris - you are coming through my neck of the woods - VA. Enjoy your vacation.
Chris Cree said
Liz, for the record, Klondike bars were not sold in New York back when I was five! It’s a far more recent addiction for me.
ME Strauss said
Chris is changing the world . . . one mile at the time.
Chris Cree said
Char, My folks moved to a place overlooking the Blue Ridge after I got out of school. Absolutely beautiful country there!
Joe said
Chris,
A short detour from VA… You could stop by Philly.
Carolyn lives just north and I just south of the city, we could all meet up.
Carolyn Manning said
And Valeria is near us, too, Joe.
ME Strauss said
Wave ~~~ as you drive by Chicago.
Chris Cree said
Joe, Unfortunately for a Philly visit, my wife has our itinerary for this trip planed down nearly to the minute (which allows us to get the most our of our vacation). It doesn’t even look like I’ll be able to connect with Phil Gerbyshak and we’ll be right near Milwaukee.
Joe said
We will have to set something up for all of us, east coast and mid-west to get together for something…someday…somewhere…
Char said
I’ll check back in later - laundry calls.
ME Strauss said
See you Char!
Enjoy the laundry!
ME Strauss said
so Joe,
Was the shop finished in time for Christmas?
Chris Cree said
Hey! I’ve got to roll out too. Gotta get packing.
Don’t expect I’ll make it by next week as connecting to the internet will be a bit of a challenge.
Hope y’all have a wonderful New Year. Enjoy!
Carolyn Manning said
Bye Char.
Bye Chris. Have a safe and fun vacation.
Joe said
Liz,
99.9% finished. There are some small things that I would like done to call it complete. But, as I said many times, it’s Her Shop.
It is fully functional and looks pretty good though. K’s working down there full time, so I guess it’s really done.
Do you think I should write a finish post for the series?
ME Strauss said
Yeah, Joe,
I finish post might be a great end of the year kind of thing . . .!
Joe said
Yeah, I have a post for tomorrow…
ME Strauss said
Now, maybe we should take a holiday on the night after Christmas. What’dya think?
Carolyn Manning said
Good idea, Liz. Looks like everyone needs a little lay-back time.
I’m finished, anyway. Good night.
Joe said
Good idea Liz and Carolyn
time to go to do-i-zen
Bed becons us all
both large and small
Merry Christmas belated
I think we’re related?
Best wishes to all
with this last call
“Merry Christmas to All
and to all a Good Night”.
Berma Shave
Nite Liz
Nite All
ME Strauss said
Good Night Joe
Sleepy Swell!
Sandra Renshaw said
Uh oh, I missed it??!! Looks like you had fun and swapped some great stories.
Happy holidays to everyone.
Sandy
Becky McCray said
Remember when…. Open Mic Nite lasted till dawn?
Happy holidays, Liz and all the crew!
Sandra Renshaw said
Hi Becky,
Happy holidays to you, too. Everybody must have partied too much over the holiday. They all left early…
Becky McCray said
Hi, Sandra! What’s your “Remember when…” story?
Dr. Mohamed Taher said
Happy holidays.
As a librarian who believes in knowledge sharing, I wish to share something with the librarians families.
My 2007 resolution is a friendly deal to get more comments at my blog and promptly reciprocate.
Best wishes for 2007.
Sandra Renshaw said
Hi Becky,
I remember when I was about 12 and in the middle of the night I went upstairs to see what Santa had brought me. It was a desk — the leg was in my stocking. We didn’t have store-bought stockings, but took one of my dad’s old ones. And of course, we knew who Santa was, but we sure had fun with it.
How about you?
ME Strauss said
Hey you guys!
We were just letting everyone have a break for the holidays. . . .You act like the whole event has died. No way!!!
ME Strauss said
Hi Becky,
Hi Sandy,
Hi Mohamed!
Life is great around Open Comments!!
Sandra Renshaw said
Hi Liz,
We were starting the second session…
Becky McCray said
Hi, Liz. We were just carrying on in your absence!
Becky McCray said
Surely you don’t mind if we carry on while you’re looking away?
Hi, Mohamed!
Sandra Renshaw said
Got here a little late. I’m tired from all the holiday hoopla. We drove many hours today… It was a fun time with the kids.
Becky McCray said
Sandra, I’m trying to picture that desk leg in the stocking!
Mohamed, your comment exchange sounds interesting. Hope you have a successful blogging year in 2007.
Sandra Renshaw said
Hi Mohamed,
I’m curious about what you have planned for 2007 to get more comments.
Sandra Renshaw said
Becky,
They put the stocking on the floor and put the leg in it. It was a desk with drawers and short legs on one side and tall legs on the other side. It was right beside the tree. I could see it in the glow of the tree lights. I was quite excited to get my first desk.
Becky McCray said
Thanks, Sandra. A great story!
ME Strauss said
Of course, I don’t mind. I’m enjoying the story.
Becky McCray said
Liz, I’m finally catching up on the one-in-a-million awards. Congratulations on yet another very nifty recognition program!
Do you ever feel like the pied piper of blogs? (kinda ties in the with 65th crayon thing)
ME Strauss said
Hi Becky,
I’ve never quite thought of it that way, no. But I’m grinning to have that picture now.
Thanks for the compliment on the idea. Sandy did the gorgeous poster, you know! You should give the award to someone!
Becky McCray said
I just went through my sidebar list of friends, and I am at a loss to pick just one! I didn’t even start down my RSS feed list, and time is growing short….
Good night, Liz! And anyone else still here!
Kian Ann said
Gosh… I missed the whole thing again! I was having trouble accessing most of the overseas sites today - there was no Gmail, no Newsgator, and I couldn’t access this blog to join in as much as I was frantically refreshing the page.
From what I heard, my ISP’s overseas lines were disrupted for a long while today.
Guess I will have to join you people the next time round!
ME Strauss said
Becky,
You could sneak in more than one — Ann did. You know I’m easy.
ME Strauss said
Kian Ann,
I’m sorry you missed the evening with us, It was a quiet one. There’s a Tuesday every week.
Marti said
Hello sweetie,
So sorry I couldn’t make it last night. I was a casualty of the Ornament Wars - lol Was exhausted and went to bed at 6:45 pm and slept for 12 hours!
Blessings to you and all of the commenters!
Kian Ann said
Liz,
Sure, but I guess I will probably be able to catch back with broadband speed after a couple of weeks, the Taiwan earthquake has done quite a lot of damage to the lines…
Luckily for myself, most of my own websites are hosted locally… it was terrible day for the people who were doing business online today.
I’ll do my best to catch up next week, if not, the following… or the following .. or the following…