Simple Holiday Pleasures, A Story of Memories

Simple Holiday Pleasures is a look back at the memories of a simpler time. It is a tribute to old fashioned holidays, big family dinners, and the pure joy of the holiday season. This story chronicles the excitement that starts when the turning of the leaves signals to all that Thanksgiving and Christmas are near.

From a table full of delicious food that had been planted, picked, canned and prepared right there on the farm to the beauty and smell of spruce, cedar, and pine throughout the house, Thanksgiving and Christmas were a time to experience more than just customs and presents. They were times for bonding, for learning, and for creating memories that lasted a lifetime.

My dad was in the United States Army, and it was always a priority to get back to our Virginia farm for the holidays. Those memories have stayed with me. I can remember my Grandfather telling stories of when he was a child in the late 1800s and his only Christmas gift was an orange or an apple. The world would call him poor, but he was not poor: he was rich in what mattered—family, church family, community and love. This is my story of the holidays, and the special memories that I want to pass on to my family and all who will share in this book and remember their own stories.