This is the time of year when I most turn my thoughts inward and into the past. My very early life was my happiest time and I choose to keep those memories alive.
I was an active little kid who enjoyed being outdoors, no matter the season. Both my brother and I were coordinated and could participate in most activities. Winter meant skating, skiing, snow forts, and snow in general. Living only 45 minutes from Stowe meant skiing on Sundays after early church. It was a family event. I give my parents credit for learning to ski as adults so they could take us skiing. We rooted for Stowe’s own Billy Kidd during the Olympics.
After we moved to the outskirts of Albany, from Burlington, one of my prized possessions meant nothing here. I was the proud owner of a Moriarty hat. They were made and sold in Stowe from 1956-2006. Their hallmark was a high peak and thickly knitted band around the head. They would later be known for their stripes. Mine was a solid maroon color, fit snugly, and was very warm.
Holiday season was wonderful in Vermont. There was usually a fire in the fireplace in the living room. It was warm and inviting. My favorite chair was adjacent to the fireplace and was perfect for practicing my ski jumping technique. Special treats were also present in the living room during this time.
Another holiday focal point for me was the angel chime thingie. If you lit the small candles, the angels would turn due to the heat. Don’t ask me. I just enjoyed watching it turn.
No self-respecting Christmas tree in the 1960s was bereft of tinsel. Tinsel adorned every tree, many to the extreme. Our trees were no exception though we practiced a bit of restraint. Tinsel was messy stuff. I’ve never really liked it, truth be told.
One year I received a two-seater toboggan for Christmas. I felt very grown up though i might have been in 4th grade. My first time riding it down a huge hill at Albany Muny Golf Course made me so nervous that my older brother offered to accompany me for the ride. I laughed and giggled all the way down the hill, even becoming airborne from the bump halfway down. I felt brave at the bottom only to realize my brother had fallen off halfway up the hill. I’d done most of it myself! The toboggan was also helpful in warding off blows from the metal saucers that were often out of control. Those saucers were deadly. Since it was metal, if you touched its surface with any mucus membrane (lip, tongue) it became stuck. And I mean stuck. Being hit by one of the edges could knock a kid out.
I could go on and on but I will stop here. My grandparents had a series of LP records entitled the Great Songs of Christmas. I’d play them in their basement while I was shooting pool. It was a great time to be alive.
One of our family record albums featured “The Whiffenpoof Song.” My grandmother Pringle was from New Haven and well versed in the Whiffenpoof tradition as it began at Yale. “From the tables down at Mory’s, to the place where Louis dwells/ to the dear old Temple Bar we love so well…”
Five boys from the Yale Glee Club would meet at Mory’s Temple Bar (where Louis tended the bar), to sing unrestricted from the conventions of the Glee Club. The group is comprised of 14 male students and has been in existence since 1909. During the school year they sing every Monday night at Mory’s.
Stories Are For Eternity 