I gave a speech last week at Toastmasters about "Thoughts of Christmas' Past". I shared a few of my favorite memories of Christmas growing up on the gulf coast. I used an old Irish Proverb that stated "If you seek a thing, you find something different." In the speech I talked about a few traditions like our annual Christmas concert at the foot of the stairs or in front of the Christmas tree. It included songs and playing instruments for a crowd of two, my parents.
I shared how my parents sometimes made gifts that were more special than anything store bought. A couple of those bigger than life gifts were a push car and a sailboat. The push car was made from the canopy of a WWII fighter aircraft. My dad attached it to a plywood base, put two wheels in the back and a joystick steering handle in the front. It was painted bright sunshine yellow and had two seats and tin can jet engines painted black with red exhaust inside. We took it down by the Municpal Auditorium, on a street (8th St. I think, by the Players Theater) that had a small hill where we could ride at the speed of sound (the sound of GLEE that is). Back on our street the neighbor kids lined up for weeks anytime we brought the car out just to push it up and down Temple St. for a chance to get in and steer it themselves.
The sailboat, was "the thing that we sought but found something different". I think it was the year I was in 6th grade. We had finished opening presents which with 5 kids leaves a living room looking like a christmas wrapping explosion. My Dad asked the question "Is that everything?" which immediately clued us in to the fact that there must be something else. But like the proverb stated, we were looking for "something" only to find something else. We were looking for something in the wrapping paper choice of that year. Instead we found something unwrapped but very revealing. There,tucked away behind the christmas tree and slightly covered by the living room drapes was a rudder. Now my brothers and I were in a sailing squadron and knew what it was immediately. But why was a rudder in our living room? That took longer to sink in. My Dad asked us what it was and we told him, however the game went on. "Why is that in here?" he asked with that Bob McLeod grin. "We don't know" was our response, as wonderment captured our thoughts. "Well", he said, "what does go to? "A sailboat" we quickly answered. "Well do you see one in here?" he replied? "No Sir", we answered back. "Well you better look around then". Of course by now we knew the only place a boat could be was outside. We ran to the front door and as we threw it open, there stood the "Snowflake" in all her majesty. My dad had rigged it and put the sail up as it sat in the front yard. I remembered we jumped up and down with sheer delight. the boat While not made completely by my Dad, was painted and rigged by him. It was painted white and had the name painted in ice blue lettering on the prow and the square bow had a beautiful geometric snowflake design. we sailed that thing up and down Sarasota Bay for 7 or 8 years. And I don't remember now what finally became of the boat. But was it ever fun!
Homemade was special to me. It really does show that someone took the time and made the effort to give a one of a kind gift. We all appreciate someone working hard to make a decent paycheck to buy us nice things, but when they make something, design something, craft it just for you...well, that is special!
What special Christmas memories do you care to share?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Oranges ...
I saw a sitcom last week that made a big deal about how they grew up getting an Orange in their stocking every Christmas. It was becasue their Grandma told the story of that being such a special treat when she was child duriing the depression.
Well, we to received an orange or, if were real lucky, a tangerine in our stocking almost every year. But somehow it was just something you kind of expected growing up in the land of "milk & citrus". Everyone we knew had citrus trees or lived in or next to a citrus grove. So our vitamin "C" levels were through the roof from Dec. through Mar. I actually think my mom just gave us oranges so she would have them for the fruit salad at Christams dinner.
I live outside the state now but still in the "Sun Belt", and believe me there is nothing like Florida citrus. What you get out here in the Southwest is a thick skinned, pithy, no-flavored version of oranges or tangerines. Although I grew some tangerines in my backyard in the Phoenix area that rivaled the best I've had. I think it was the "cracker" care and maintenance that did the trick.
What do you remember of the citrus when you lived in Florida? Maybe like my father and great grandfather, you worked in the groves. Share something with us!
Rob
Well, we to received an orange or, if were real lucky, a tangerine in our stocking almost every year. But somehow it was just something you kind of expected growing up in the land of "milk & citrus". Everyone we knew had citrus trees or lived in or next to a citrus grove. So our vitamin "C" levels were through the roof from Dec. through Mar. I actually think my mom just gave us oranges so she would have them for the fruit salad at Christams dinner.
I live outside the state now but still in the "Sun Belt", and believe me there is nothing like Florida citrus. What you get out here in the Southwest is a thick skinned, pithy, no-flavored version of oranges or tangerines. Although I grew some tangerines in my backyard in the Phoenix area that rivaled the best I've had. I think it was the "cracker" care and maintenance that did the trick.
What do you remember of the citrus when you lived in Florida? Maybe like my father and great grandfather, you worked in the groves. Share something with us!
Rob
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Chilly Out Tonight
We had a brief (two days) cold snap here in the Arizona desert. But while I wrapped up my citrus trees against sub freezing temps, I was reminded of one of my earlier December chills growing up in Sarasota.
We had recently moved into a huge old two-story house down near the bay in Sarasota. It was so awesome compared to our track home in the Loma Linda subdivision we moved from. However, all was not "merry & bright". With my dad being a firefighter for the city, the first thing to go in the old place on Orange Ave. was the antique gas heaters and all those leaking gas lines under the house.
No gas heat meant that, until we got a fuel oil heater some time later, we were going to heat the house with the fireplace. My dad took us everywhere in the old '56 Ford pickup to get wood. Anyone who cut down a tree would see us there cleaning the place up for the wood we could carry off.
Then there were the infamous "telephone poles." I forget where my dad got these, but there were several of them and they all seemed to be 30 feet long (probably more like 14-16 ft. anyway.) Part of the chores for my two brothers and I for several days was to come home from school and, using a three foot bow saw, cut these poles to fireplace length. My dad made us a jig to make sure the cut sections would fit in the firebox. It's too bad we were only ten to fourteen years old then or we would have bought a round of drinks the day we sawed that last pole. The neighbors toasted, I'm sure, the day we burned the last of those creosote laden gems, too. Boy did they stink. But I think the smell drove the mosquitoes all the way down to Port Charlotte.
One other memory of that first cold winter happened a few days before Christmas. That year the temperature dropped to 19 degrees. My dad left the sprinklers on to help protect the bushes from getting frozen. We woke up to a real winter wonderland. Icicles hung from the branches and ice coated the ground. It is another one of those pictures etched in my memory, seeing the sun shining on that frigid scene and the steam rising as the sun warmed the side yard. I guess it was that cold this past winter or even colder according to my family & friends.
What are your chilliest memories of Florida?
We had recently moved into a huge old two-story house down near the bay in Sarasota. It was so awesome compared to our track home in the Loma Linda subdivision we moved from. However, all was not "merry & bright". With my dad being a firefighter for the city, the first thing to go in the old place on Orange Ave. was the antique gas heaters and all those leaking gas lines under the house.
No gas heat meant that, until we got a fuel oil heater some time later, we were going to heat the house with the fireplace. My dad took us everywhere in the old '56 Ford pickup to get wood. Anyone who cut down a tree would see us there cleaning the place up for the wood we could carry off.
Then there were the infamous "telephone poles." I forget where my dad got these, but there were several of them and they all seemed to be 30 feet long (probably more like 14-16 ft. anyway.) Part of the chores for my two brothers and I for several days was to come home from school and, using a three foot bow saw, cut these poles to fireplace length. My dad made us a jig to make sure the cut sections would fit in the firebox. It's too bad we were only ten to fourteen years old then or we would have bought a round of drinks the day we sawed that last pole. The neighbors toasted, I'm sure, the day we burned the last of those creosote laden gems, too. Boy did they stink. But I think the smell drove the mosquitoes all the way down to Port Charlotte.
One other memory of that first cold winter happened a few days before Christmas. That year the temperature dropped to 19 degrees. My dad left the sprinklers on to help protect the bushes from getting frozen. We woke up to a real winter wonderland. Icicles hung from the branches and ice coated the ground. It is another one of those pictures etched in my memory, seeing the sun shining on that frigid scene and the steam rising as the sun warmed the side yard. I guess it was that cold this past winter or even colder according to my family & friends.
What are your chilliest memories of Florida?
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