Christmas Interview – Mary Newcombe

My guest today is Mary Newcombe, a lady of many talents. One of Mary’s skills is being able to walk into an empty room and visualize it fully decorated; something I don’t have a hope of ever managing.

But besides being a skillful home decorator, it will surprise you to know that she’s an expert with a fire hose. This picture is from her days as a volunteer firefighter in Port Clements on the Queen Charlotte Islands, where she has been known to drive the fire truck to a fire.

She was on the cutting edge of the age of feminism, defending herself against comments from burly, old handloggers who shouted, “What the hell is a woman doing with that hose?”

Later, when she was told about it, she responded, “If I’d heard him say that, I would have turned the hose on him.” And she would have!!

Welcome, Mary.

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes, love to have the break from the dark drab days of winter.

2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

No

3. Have you ever had a non-traditional Christmas dinner? What did you have?  

We were in San Diego for the holidays.  We discovered that all restaurants were booked and full when it came to Christmas dinner.  We had take-away-tacos.

4. What are your thoughts on gift giving? 

Love it.  I generally purchase items that I like at craft venues through out the valley and local stores.  No chain stores on my list.

5. What was the most fun activity you’ve done at Christmas?

Having a cold white Christmas at Tlell, in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

6. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?  Christmas day.  Lorne and I enjoy sharing our stockings together.  Rule #1:  only items that will fit in a stocking.  Which is an interesting feat.

7. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas? 

Coming home from the hospital with my new born daughter.

8. What was the best homemade gift you ever received?

I have a pair of perfect quilted hot pads that my sister Shirley made many years ago.

9. Have you ever given a homemade gift? Tell about it.

Last year I made a calendar for my granddaughter. I loved putting the pictures and mementos together while remembering the great times we had.  It had family events and national/world celebrations marked on the appropriate days.  Did you know there was a ‘penguin’ day in the spring?

10. What would you change about Christmas? 

No Christmas decorating or merchandise in stores until Dec. 1^st,  then bring it on.  Less advertising, how many chocolate and perfume ads do we need to be harassed with?

11. What would you keep the same if you could? 

To pass on to my family the simple joys I was taught as a child.

12. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

‘Oh Holy Night’

13. What do you like best about Christmas?

The bright lights and colours in the dark winter.  The feasting.

14. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

I think it’s a great winter celebration that breaks up the mundane winter.

 

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Would you like to share your thoughts about women firefighters  or homemade gifts? Do you have a job that is “different”?

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Christmas Interview – Barb Harris

My friend Barb Harris tells  about her Christmases in Washington and Montana. Welcome, Barb!

If you’re ever in Wolf Point, Montana, and need a place to park your rig at, come to R & B RV Park and you’ll be well taken care of. Safe, secure, and very tidy.

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.

2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

No. I have always spent Christmas with my immediate family and either my family or my husband’s family.

3. Have you ever had a non-traditional Christmas dinner? What did you have?

No. We always have ham and sometimes turkey too and of course mashed potatoes and gravy.

4. What are your thoughts on gift giving? 

I usually love to give gifts but as I get older I’m finding that I am becoming somewhat of a scrooge. Lately all I’ve been doing is getting a list from family members of what they want and try to get those gifts.  I haven’t been very creative in the gift giving department.

5. What was the most fun activity you’ve done at Christmas?

When we lived in Washington, as a family we had the tradition of going to the mountains and picking and cutting down our Christmas tree. We would make a whole day of it. We started out just us and another family and by the time we left Washington, we had about 4-6 families that had joined us. We would sled, bbq lunch, and drink hot chocolate. It was a blast and a great tradition!

6. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?

Yes, we even have stockings for the dogs.

7. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas?

Probably the best gift has been a pair of hair clips that my Dad gave me when I was 17 or 18. They were for a much younger little girl but I know my Dad picked them out by himself.  I think that has been the only gift he ever bought without the help from my Mom.

8. What was the worst gift you ever received at Christmas?

I got this really ugly brown vest from my grandmother when I was about 8 years old. The only saving grace about it was that we also had this puppy at that time and he got a hold of that present and chewed a hole in the vest.

9. What do you do with gifts you don’t like?

I will re-gift them if they aren’t that bad. If they aren’t something I can give away, then I will sell them in a garage sale.

10. What was the best homemade gift you ever received?

My son made me a candle holder in school and gifts like that mean more to me than any store bought gift.

11. Have you ever given a homemade gift? Tell about it.

I made jelly candles one year and gave those as gifts. It was fun creating different candles.  I put them in wine glasses and they were a big hit.

12. What would you change about Christmas?

I would like it not to be so commercial. I would love to just be with family and spend time together without worrying about how much money I spent.

13. What would you keep the same if you could?

I wish I could always be able to spend the time with our son at Christmas but I know times are changing and with him graduating college and starting his own life, we won’t always be together.

14. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley!!!

15. What do you like best about Christmas?

Spending time with family. You can’t beat that.

16. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

As I get older, it’s definitely more about being together with family than any gift I could receive. I’m not a very religious person but family means a lot to me.

Have a look at this gorgeous sunset Barb ordered in for us while we stayed there.

And to entice those who love nostalgia and history, here’s photo that could inspire a writer. What a story starter this could be:

She stepped off the train and was immediately disappointed to see that the only vehicle waiting for passengers was a dilapidated farm truck. A shiver of foreboding rippled over her. She could just imagine what her new house must look like.

Montana is full of stories. Come out and have look sometime.

Thank you, Barb, for sharing your Christmas and a peek into Montana with us.

Christmas Interview – Sonja Forrester

My guest today is Sonja Forrester.

Some of you may remember Sonja from days gone by, but one thing hasn’t changed.Just as always, she can usually be seen with a cat around her feet.

Sonja will share her thoughts about Christmas and let us peek into her home as it was decorated for Christmas last year.

Welcome, Sonja.

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes. Generally, on Dec 24^th, Christmas Eve, but also occasionally Dec 25^th.

 2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

No, I have not. I am fortunate that I have never experienced being completely alone.

3. Have you ever had a non-traditional Christmas dinner? What did you have?

Yes, we had steak and prawns.

4. What are your thoughts on gift giving?

I can take it or leave it. I admit it is fun to open a little surprise of some kind, but more fun to watch the people you are with open their gifts/stockings.

 5. What was the most fun activity you’ve done at Christmas?

Watching the cat react to her new toys. Oh wait…that would be the most fun activity the cat had.  Mine would have been when I was a young child and my parents left little clues around the house until I found my parcel.

 6. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?

Yes, we generally only have stockings. Not too often do we buy “gifts.”

7. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas?

When I was about 4 or 5, I received an “ANNIE OAKLEY” doll. She was my idol in those days.

8. What was the best homemade gift you ever received?

Handmade tablecloth, napkins and placemats. Homemade candles, bath bombs, baked goods. These things mean more to me than any purchased gift.

 11. Have you ever given a homemade gift? Tell about it.

I used to spend hours making gifts for giving at Christmas. There were many lavender sachets for closets and drawers, beeswax candles, bath bombs, clothing that I had made, picture frames that were made from fabric, doll clothes. I once made my niece an entire wedding party’s ensemble for all her Cabbage Patch dolls. Also made her a dress, with another matching one for her Cabbage Patch doll.

12. What would you change about Christmas?

Less commercialism, perhaps more homemade or handmade gifts, more music, family and being thankful for what we have.

13. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

Leise Rieselt der Schnee.

 14. What do you like best about Christmas?

Music and choirs singing.

15. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

It seems to me that there are so many people out there that get themselves very stressed out trying to find “the perfect gift” for someone. Everyone should be happy just to have their loved ones near, food on the table, and a warm bed to crawl into.

My Favourite Christmas Album

Do you have pets that make your Christmas special? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Christmas Interview – Dawn Hill

My guest today is the lovely Dawn Hill of Bellingham, Washington.
1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Have never missed a celebration of Christmas with friends and family

2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

No..but this will be a totally different year as my sweet husband has gone to Heaven..family will be there for me.

3. Have you ever had a non-traditional Christmas dinner?What did you have?

Corned beef and cabbage..for fun, years ago.
4. What are your thoughts on gift giving?

I like to buy a special gift for each person I hold dear..I usually put much thought into this and also buy something I personally find attractive.

5. What was the most fun activity you’ve done at Christmas?

One year we really took a left turn. My husband and I booked a week at a Dude Ranch in Arizona. We rode on horseback, ate around a campfire out on the range and had a delightful Christmas feast in the lodge which was festive with 20-ft. trees.

6. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?

But..of course!

7. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas?

Granddaughter ..Madeleine..was born on Christmas Day!

8. What was the worst gift you ever received at Christmas?

Never did get that “lump of coal”!

9. What do you do with gifts you don’t like?

Goodwill is always happy with this sort of thing:)

10. What was the best homemade gift you ever received?

I love to receive jams and breads..every year some friend does the honors!

11. Have you ever given a homemade gift? Tell about it.

Years ago, when I really did bake a lot, I would make about 10 English lemon breads..from scratch..for friends and family.
It would be an all day event but one I loved.

12. What would you change about Christmas?

Maybe a bit less commercial and also more beautiful Christmas programs on telly..remembering the Andy Williams show and that sort.

13. What would you keep the same if you could?

The magic of Christmas that a sweet child has.

14. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

Oh Holy Night

15. What do you like best about Christmas?

Family and gathering..great food and conversation..remembering what Christmas means to us..birthday of Baby Jesus

16. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

Looking forward to spending this Christmas with my dear family and toasting the one I miss.

Can you guess where corned beef and cabbage is a traditional dish (not necessarily for Christmas dinner, but regional cuisine)?

Have you ever been to a Dude Ranch? Would you like to share your thoughts about it? Please leave a comment.

Christmas Interview – Lorne Finlayson

Are you wishing for the old days? Read Finn’s interview and see if you share some of his nostalgic longings for the Christmases of days gone by.

Christmas Interview with Finn, of “Muck and Finn” Fame

1. Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes

2. Have you ever spent Christmas alone?

I certainly have, more than once

3. What are your thoughts on gift giving?

People just overdo it. The last time we went to the gift opening someone’s place we sat for an hour or more as their child opened gift after gift. It was a gross display of overwhelming the kid with stuff.

4. Do you have stockings either at Christmas, or on St. Nicholas Day?

Christmas. St. Nicholas Day?

5. What was the best gift you ever received at Christmas?

A selection of really yummy goodies from my late sister.

6. What was the worst gift you ever received at Christmas?

A stuffed raccoon

7 What was the best homemade gift you ever received?

Perhaps a pair of mittens that my mom knit for me?

8. Have you ever given a homemade gift? Tell about it.

Back in the day, I made a tool tote for someone. I put a lot of time and effort to make it as good as I could but it just got chucked out. I don’t make things for anyone now.

9. What would you change about Christmas?

I would eliminate the need to give stuff and just enjoy the company of friends.

10. What would you keep the same if you could?

The songs and decorations that one encounters in stores in the lead up to Christmas.

11. What is your favourite Christmas music or song?

I love it all, the traditional carols and the schmaltyz made up songs.

12. Any additional thoughts about Christmas?

What may have been, or could have been is a time to get together and enjoy a feast and good cheer. Increasingly it is just another time of  year to buy junk . There are lessons to be learned by watching the “Returns” line ups at large stores the day after Christmas as folks deal with stuff they have been given.