In the early 1980s as more grandchildren came along and my parents went through a tough time after my Dad’s serious illness, we cut back on gifts. We began choosing names. Also, we started playing the “dice game.”

Each person was to bring several gifts valued at about $1.00 each and wrapped in newspaper. They were all dumped into a pile and if you shook doubles, seven, or eleven with the dice, you got to take a wrapped prize. When they were all gone, you unwrapped them, picked out 2-3 to save and put the rest in front of you. Then the dice went around again for about 15 minutes. Doubles, seven, or eleven meant you got to “steal” an unprotected gift from someone else. Certain gifts kept getting “taken” by others. Grandma Gert (Cook) Hanley always looked forward to this game. There were always a few “special gifts.” No one really wanted
them but would actually take them to rewrap them very specially for the next year and someone else would win them. Now the great grandchildren beg to play this game and we will do so at a family brunch the day after Christmas. They think the gag gifts are hilarious but also enjoy the packs of gum, candy bars, popcorn and other things they get to win. Once in a while a package held a $5.00 bill and that caused an uproar. Some of us obtain special gifts all year long to make this game more fun.

We also played this game with my children’s paternal grandparents and the rest of that side of the family. One year Grandaunt Kay Rowan put an old girdle in the dice game. It was complete with garters and that reappeared for several years. I remember my brother-in-law modeling that one year.

Christmas memories are special. I hope we have built them so that my grandchildren remember.

Christmas stockings have always been a favorite of mine. I loved getting the huge oranges in mine as a child. We didn’t have a fireplace or a staircase so they were always pinned to the back of one couch.

Once I was married I made stockings for me, my husband, and as they were born, for our three children. We didn’t have a fireplace in either of our homes but in the second home we had a beautiful wooden staircase with the old fashioned spindles where the stockings “were hung with care.” I really miss that special place in our 1907 house for the stockings.

Now I just do stockings for the four grandchildren. If they are not with me on Christmas morning I call them
and tell them Santa filled them to overflowing. The get their stockings later that day or whenever we next get together. My youngest three live out of town and we sometimes celebrate early but I save the stockings for Christmas morning.

I love that phrase about good things coming in small packages. When I was married my husband and I always put special items in each other’s stockings. Often I would received meaningful charms for my charm bracelet.

As my grandchildren get older and have their own children, it will be stockings for the new crop of little ones. However, that is not in the near future. So, this year on Christmas Eve after the three youngest grandchildren are safely asleep in my bedroom I will fill the set of stockings I have for them at my house. The oldest granddaughter will just have to stop and get hers later that day.

Do any of you have your genealogical society (or maybe more than one) on your Christmas gift list or for end of the year donations?

Does your society have a wish list of books, CDs, databases, or equipment? Add something from that list to your last minute shopping. Have you noticed that no one has been helping with refreshments at the meeting?. Offer to do that for a year. Maybe you could offer to help staff a “Q & A” table at meetings or teach a class.

Has there been a drop in the number of members? Offer to send emails to those with lapsed memberships. Maybe you could offer your technology skills to update the computer that is causing problems or assist with the upkeep of the website.

Might your society benefit from some sort of fundraiser? How about chairing a silent auction in 2011. This means soliciting items for the auction and overseeing things on the day it is held.

You could combine a gift to your society with a New Year’s resolution to get some of your family research into print. Offer to write an article next year for a society publication and use your own research as the topic. It’s a bit of a selfish gift but so worthwhile.

Is your time quite limited due to family, work, and church or school obligations? Any society would appreciate a gift of a check. Whether it is for $25.00, $50.00 or more, it will be put to good use.