The first snowfall in Flat Rock used to be around the evening of the first high school basketball game; then for 2-3 weeks, we might not see any more. We would pray for snow on Christmas, but not too much. It was now a few days after Christmas, 1970 something. The family was gathered at Walnut Street for a traditional Christmas gathering, when someone commented that it was snowing. I grabbed my camera and went out in front, staying on the driveway, because snow was already accumulating on the grass. Because of the overcast skies, I couldn't get enough depth-of-field to focus on the house as well as the large snowflakes gently falling. The result was a poor photograph and a great memory.
I cannot that I have all the facts right. Our brains have a way of re-writing our little "memory movies", poetic license, I guess. But this one picture encapsules all the gatherings, like the sound of tearing paper and laughter, the smell of a hundred things to eat, and the taste of Mom's eggnog (with or without rum).
Irving Berlin, a Jew, wrote "White Christmas" because of his memories of his childhood best friend, a Catholic neighbor boy who always invited Irving over to share their Christmas. Irving had moved from New York to Los Angeles as his songwriting career had blossomed.
But Jimmie Van Heusen's lyrics to another song of the season say: "It's not the things you do at Christmas time, but the Christmas things you do all year long."
I likewise believe that it wasn't the snow gathering outstide on the cold ground, but the family gathering inside of warm 29566 Walnut St. that made it Christmas.
To all the descendants of Dick and Billy Calkins. . .Merry Christmas!
A few photos of Christmases past. The left one is 1967 and the right 1966. The tree was always magical to me, even though it took up a chunk of the living room. I loved the soft glow of lights at night and the sparkling metal tinsel. I remember Thom or Lou loved to throw the tinsel on and I liked it to be placed on so it fell straight down and glittered. I loved putting on each ornament with memories of where it came from.
