I guess there truly is nothing more special than being home for the holidays. To be back in Rhode Island has given me a definite sense of peace that I just didn’t get anywhere else out of the many places I have lived. When I was a kid my family definitely got into the holiday spirit, from decorations to music and of course food. Every Christmas, my Dad took us to Jones tree farm to go walk on the farm and find the very best Christmas tree we could find, of course followed by my mom having hot chocolate ready when we returned home. Decorating the tree was my favorite part we would all decorate eat something amazing and listen to Johnny Mathis (my Mom’s favorite holiday singer haha). As a kid I would lay under the tree and just loved how soothing the lights on the tree made me feel. My Dad would always take me sledding. I would lay on his back and poor guy had teeth marks in his head every time we hit a bump. I once spent a Christmas in Florida and although it was great to be on a warm beach in December it was definitely not the same as the cold, a lit fireplace and watching the snow drop and having a snow day from school. Something about the rugged coastline of New England and the houses with plaques saying “built in 1877″ just always made me feel at peace so thank you New England for all your beauty. Happy Holidays everyone!!!
Michele Ragussis has been featured on Food Network Star Season 8, Chopped, and 24 Hour Restaurant Battle. This blog is her way of getting sharing her experiences, and getting out all of the food and travel ideas that keep bouncing around her head. To learn more about Michele, check out the About Me here.
Perfect! I think you really had a charmed childhood, Michele. With the tree cutting and hot chocolate, it sounds straight out of Norman Rockwell. Johnnie Mathis played a lot in our house, too. I got the biggest laugh out of your dad having teeth marks in his head after sledding with you! I think your dad packed a lot of love into his years with you. Loved reading this! I only wish it had been twice as long!!! Happy Holidays to you!
Thank you Anne have a great xmas….
Yes, being home for the holidays does have a way to make one feel grounded, doesn’t it? Having lived in many countries I can say it has forced me to adapt to whatever climate there was at Christmas time. For me the funniest was living in Sydney, Australia seeing all the tropical foliage around me and sweating in 110 deg heat while everyone sang “..dashing through the snow.. in a one a one-horse open sleigh” haha funny! Love reading your posts Michele and a belated Happy Birthday to you!
Hey thanks Maya I really appreciate that merry christmas..
Well I couldn’t say everything I wanted to on twitter because I ran out of room. Christmas is a beautiful time to me, its about Family, love, singing and wonderful food. I don’t really look at the religious aspect of it all. I’m just more spiritual than religious I guess. My family and I never celebrated holidays because of religious beliefs. So for me to decorated and just feel the joy is something I treasure and hold very dear. This Christmas will be rather different for me, it’s my daughter’s Christmas with her dad this year so I will miss her dearly. And i went through a rather horrible break up. So trying to keep my head up and still be “jolly” this year is rather hard. But hearing good stories and feeling the warmth of others truly does help.
The only sledding I have ever done was back at my old home we had a pond with a big dame and we don’t get very much snow here in Texas so it was just a few inches.. we got a dog food bag and cut it open cause the other side is really slippery haha and we used that down the dame haha yup.. lol but I really enjoyed it. Anyways.. there’s a little but about me =) Thank you for sharing your stories with us. Always a pleasure.
Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a great christmas this year..