The McCarty Metro - Happy Holidays

Margaret has been on my case to get the Christmas lights up for a couple of weeks now. They are now up, but for some reason she will not talk to me.
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SHARE A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MEMORY FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD

Chris McCarty: YYYYEEEESSSSSSS! NKOTB

Mike McCarty: Do you celebrate St. Nicholas Day? Our family in Grand Rapids never did, and I don't think I know of a single family that did, either. However, this feast day apparently is big in Northern Europe. And, in the '50s, it was celebrated in a certain Detroit household. The McCartys on Sussex. No, we didn't do what the European folks did. Overseas, they celebrate the kindly, generous fourth-century bishop by leaving gifts in kids' shoes on Dec. 6. Good kids get candy or sweets while the bad kids got nothin' or a lump of coal. In the McCarty house, I never remember being grilled about being bad or good. And I never found candy or a lump of coal in my shoes. No, all I remember is candy being mysteriously thrown around the house. Once, I remember I was at the top of the steps in our barracks / bedroom, and as I took a step down, suddenly I saw a pristine-white-gloved hand pitching several pieces of hard candy -- right at me! I even saw a red coat sleeve attached to the hand. Before I ran for the candy, I hightailed it down the steps in hopes of seeing the face of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas. But when I hit the bottom of the stairs, noone was in sight. I looked down the hallway and in the kitchen in our tiny house, but found nothing. So, I headed back upstairs, collected my candy, and pondered what I just saw. Now, I know you're going to relegate this to the stature of a UFO sighting or something.

But there are two pieces of trivia that are permanently tattooed on my brain: Mrs. Noonan's small-curd cottage cheese order when I helped on my uncle's milk route nearly 50 years ago, and, yes, that white glove throwing candy at me on St. Nicholas Day. Now, if only I can delete one of those things from my head, maybe I can make room to remember what I had for lunch or what the names are of all my kids.
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Kathy: "Wigilia" - a Polish Christmas tradition where every Christmas Eve all my family on my father's side (Rzepka's), would get together to celebrate. Every year it was rotated at a different uncle's house.

Kelly McCarty: Singing Christmas songs around Mom's piano. Especially, "Something Barked On Christmas Morning", and Jerry would play the dog. Then Mom would break off into a Beer Barrel Polka and a mean Boogie Woogie, while we all dance around with dish towels on our heads.

Jean McCarty: The annual visit from Reba & Ballard. It was always interesting to see how pie-faced Ballard would be. The last time they came was when Bob & I invited them over about 20 years ago. Ballard staggered in and fell into the recliner. On the way out, he took a header into my shrubs.

Ron: One of my earliest Christmas recollections is that of our aluminum Christmas tree. It looked very close to the picture included here. It came complete with the color wheel, which changed the whole color of the tree. As a young kid I loved to lay under that Christmas tree and watch the tree change colors. The wheel not only changed the color of the tree, but it made the ornaments on the tree change their look as well. Looking back on it now, the tree looks pretty tacky ... I must admit. But I sure loved it as a kid. I have since teased my wife that I was going to buy an aluminum tree off of eBay. She just looks at me like I am crazy. She just might be right!

Shallow: Sitting by the fire waiting for Mom to get out of rehab, smoking pinners with Dad and his biker buddies, doing shots of wild turkey with random homeless women....man I miss being ten.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2010?

Chris McCarty: No cursing in 2010 and to take my rightful place as pick em champion.
Mike McCarty: World peace, get jobs, help Karen adjust to the extra guitar and banjo playing, more family time, more jams
Kelly McCarty: A happy and healthier year. To be a good husband, father, son, brother, and friend. And to grab the pick-em belt and wear it proudly.
Gwenda: Focus on making better choices for me!!