Christmas prep in Upside-Down-Land

Our Upside down Christmas has been, well, weird. It's hot and sunny instead of cold and rainy and I don't have my usual holiday traditions to fall back on. To get myself in a festive mood, let me tell you about Aunt Margaret, who is always close to my heart at this time of year.

Great Aunt Margaret and Great Uncle Sherman were from my mom’s side of the family. He was an architect and she dedicated herself to the fine art of keeping a home and a family. Aunt Margaret was proficient in every single craft you could think of. She created dolls, bags, sweaters, stuffed animals and Christmas ornaments. She won awards at the county fairs for her hooked rugs and with a twinkle in her eye, proclaimed herself a “hooker” to whomever asked.  But her creations were never old lady crafts like the Barbie toilet roll holders or crocheted bookmarks you see in church bazaars. She made those types of things too, but hers seemed to transcend kitschiness and were always charming and cute.

This is Aunt Margaret the year Granny gave her a new bathing suit (note the Christmas cracker crown). One of my absolute favourite family pictures.

Presents from Aunt Margaret were guaranteed to be handmade. Every Christmas, I looked forward to her gifts even more than Santa’s and I saved her present until last, every single year. 

And I was never disappointed.

I still have the hand stitched Brownie doll from the one year I spent in Girl Guides. The doll wore an exact replica of the official Brownie uniform, complete with a sash and tiny embroidered badges. There were endless sweaters, slippers and other knitted items – always beautifully stitched and “cool” enough for a picky kid to wear. I have kept every gift she made for me.

Aunt Margaret didn’t like to show her affection in the traditional manner. She wasn’t the huggie sort and would never think of pinching a child’s cheeks. At Christmas, it was customary for the children to go around and give everyone a “thank you” kiss but, whenever I leaned in to give Aunt Margaret the obligatory peck, she would dodge at the last second and deliver a resounding raspberry on my cheek. Her love was demonstrated in every stitch of her beautiful gifts.

Aunt Margaret died many years ago, crafting until the very end. This time of year, I find myself frequently thinking of her as I try to put as much thought and attention into the gifts I prepare for my family and friends as she put into all of her creations.

Our Christmas Tree last year

Our Christmas tree at home is an homage to Aunt Margaret, really. To go on our Christmas tree, ornaments must be home made. I have a few that she made specifically for me – a felt gingerbread man and a mouse in a walnut shell. I have also managed to acquire a few of her other creations: the quilted angel tree topper came from Granny and Grandpa’s tree and somehow, my gingerbread man has multiplied (Megan and Christopher– I might have yours...) Our first Christmas together, Rob and I had an ornament making party and I think of our friends every year as I unpack the boxes: Jane’s stitched figures, Nick’s Santa stuck in the chimney, Sarah’s origami cranes, Steph’s painted ceramics, Irv’s yellow snowflake, Jess' tiny sweaters... I could go on for ages.

I also recognize Aunt Margaret's lesson in the Christmas traditions of my family:

• The holiday inspired (but not always child appropriate) Christmas playlist my brother creates for our festivities every year.
• The care my sister puts into making a spectacular Christmas dinner even though her house is filled with an entire village of extended family members, noisy children and their dogs
• The huge star my dad puts up on the topmost part of the roof every year, risking life and limb so the grandchildren can squeal in delight as they round the corner and see that big monstrosity with the wonky blinking lights
• The gingerbread house my mom makes, a different one each season, staying up until 2am for an entire week to create an architectural masterpiece which no-one is allowed to touch until Valentine’s Day (I exaggerate – that was just when we were kids. Now the grandchildren are allowed to destroy the gingerbread right after Christmas. It’s not fair, I tell you.)

Every year, as I prepare myself for the Christmas season, I cherish the memory of Aunt Margaret’s gifts – both the excitement I felt to receive them and the joy on her face as she watched me open them. Just because we’ll be celebrating Christmas on the beach this year and I won’t be unpacking all of my homemade tree ornaments, doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of all of you. I’ve made Alice’s nut loaf, Granny’s croissants and Sophie and I have built a gingerbread house. I spent last night ineptly wrestling with squares of origami paper, desperate for Sarah’s help to interpret the directions. I don't have my usual arsenal of craft supplies but I've still managed to make a few things for our new Australian friends and family because, for me, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a little crafting.

So, Merry Christmas everyone! May you all be surrounded by family, friends, good music and great food.