Page 10 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

Special Christmas memories shared

By Carolyn Marnon cause he only had a small car and wake up on Christmas Day alone. 47 Christmas shopping. They were old
When thinking about Christmas, there were already five of us taking years later, I have not missed a enough to go around on their own
we all have special memories that al- up most of the room. I still have one Christmas with them. That is the day and they did. Whenever we came
ways come to mind or are part of the of the jewelry boxes from one of our I cherish the most as an adult, across one of us in the store, we
family stories we tell when we are to- trips that contains a ballerina. I be- spending time with my two best would hide what we had picked up
gether. Several Wayne residents and lieve I was 6 years-old when I chose friends, mom and dad. and scurry away. It was a lot of fun. I
several Wayne business owners that item. There were other nieces also remember the trip to Greenfield
shared their own special memories and nephews, but we visited Nono Lisa Nocerini Village at Christmas time. I asked
with The Wayne Dispatch this year. and Uncle Nard every weekend, so City Manager, City of Wayne Bobby to move and he said he could-
he decided to only offer this to the n't because the horse was standing
My most memorable Christ
I remember one year getting ice four of us as we were very close to m a s e s on the side of his boot! Fun times
skates for Christmas and couldn't him. matern a l
are those we spent with my stringing popcorn for the Christmas
t
a
wait to try them out at Jaycee Park. After spending time there, we mas Eve grandparents. On Christ tree. Our dog Lady going along eating
The city would flood the floor of the would head across town to Grandma house on Granny and Gramps' it on the end of the string. Also re-
pavilion, and it would freeze into a Joyce and Grandpa Herb's house, traditional Grosse Ile, our family ate member tying the hall doors together
smooth sheet of ice. Seems to me it my mother's parents, and we would fare, like Polish Christmas Eve so that they could not run into the
would be frozen well before Christ- eat more spaghetti, venison sausage would wish pierogi and kielbasa. We living room ahead of us. And reading
mas. (made by Grandpa, not something I person Merry Christmas to each The Night Before Christmas to them
liked, but the others did) and then of gathered by breaking a piece in their pjs on Christmas Eve. Bobby
Sue Damitio we would open presents with our oplatki, a wafer similar to a com- falling asleep at Church on Christ-
Wayne Resident cousins. Grandma always went the munion host. We would also have an mas Eve. And the year we forgot
extra mile to make one of the pres- empty chair for the (un)expected Bobby's biggest gift in a basement
The fondest memories I have ents fun by adding some sort of guest, King Jesus, who would be closet. I remember Jackie so proud
about Christmas as a child were the game to it. We had a lot of fun with born on Christmas Day. We opened of her gift of a broom, dustpan and
two Christmas Eve family events. On our cousins and we were exhausted presents only after seeing the first apron when she was 3. Scott loved
Christmas Eve we would start at my by the end of the night. I recall it al- star in the night sky, which repre- the art supplies we got for him. Lots
Nono's house where my father's fam- ways snowed hard on Christmas sented the star that led the shep- of fun memories for sure!
ily gathered to feast on a traditional Eve, so Dad would drive us home herds to Jesus' manger. We probably
Italian meal of fish spaghetti. As a (about 15 miles) slowly, playing watched a Christmas movie like Alicia Marnon
child, I did not appreciate that won- Christmas music. I don't think I ever Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Wayne Resident
derful dish, but today, it is one of my made that trip home without falling Frosty the Snowman. If we were able
favorite meals that I look forward to. asleep in the car. to stay awake long enough, we would My favorite memory as a child cel-
My Uncle Nard (Leonard), would On Christmas Day, the grandpar- go to midnight mass on the way ebrating Christmas is when my fam-
take me and my three other siblings ents and some of the cousins would home. Christmases with Granny and ily received a large bag of toys from
to the Holiday Gas Station at some come to our house for dinner. Gramps (and three aunts, an uncle, the Good Fellows. The kindness and
point during the evening to pick out Grandma always made the turkey cousins, mom, dad, and my broth- act of giving has been forever in-
any toy that we wanted. This partic- and mom spent the morning in the ers and sisters) were the best, and I stilled in my life.
ular gas station was also a store so kitchen baking the ham and working hold those memories dear to my Ali Sayed
it had a lot of toys to choose from. on all of the other delicious food. We heart. HYPE Athletics Founder/CEO
Mom and Dad always reminded us always ate at 3:30 p.m. and still
not to be greedy and make sure that today, we eat around the same time. Kim White-Jenkins I have many fond memories of
while we picked out what we loved, That leaves room to nosh on the Helium Studios Artist Christmas in Wayne but love to hear
to be reasonable about the cost. wonderful leftovers later that and Co-Founder my husband tell his favorite memory
Uncle Nard wanted us to pick out evening. of Christmas as a child. He was born
whatever we wanted, but did have I made a promise years ago to my I always remember the year we
size specifications on the items be- mom and dad that they would never took the kids to Sears for some See Christmas, page 14

10 · December 2021 · The Wayne Dispatch