The Okie Legacy

Vol. II, Issue 89, 23 December 2000

OK! It's that time of year for family and friends to set aside their differences and celebrate the season upon us. AND... This MtnMessenger is writing this week from the Snowy, Colorado Rockies where the mountains are feeling the celebrations and decorations this time of year.

COLORADO MTN XMAS... Just down the road a piece I happened to catch a few snapshots of some Colorado Mtn. Christmas scenes. My husband says jokingly, "No wonder California is having brownouts!"

BUT... What the hey! I love this time of year, don't you? I just love driving through the neighborhoods/countrysides to see how we each celebrate the holidays this time of year. Anyway, here are the Colorado Mtn. Christmas scenes I spotted in SW Colorado. Colorado Mtn Xmas#1 -- Colorado Mtn Xmas#2 - Colorado Mtn Xmas#3 -- Colorado Mtn Xmas#5 -- Colorado Mtn Xmas#5 -- Colorado Mtn Xmas#6 -- Colorado Mtn Xmas#7

I want to thank everyone who sent me their memories of Christmas. I have included them in the "Mailbag" Section. Someone even brought to mind the days when people went 'window shopping' with dry snow on the ground and the crunchy sound it made as you walked around the downtown square of Alva, Oklahoma.

Do any of you NW Oklahomans remember the old days when... The Courier used to run an edition with ads from most every business around the square. Each business would purposefully make a mistake somewhere in their window display. Once the error was found and noted in the papers, they were turned in for prizes from the merchants.

This little tidbit was sent in by Henry Marvin whom recalls, "Bill Brand ran a 'den of iniquity' where the teenage boys hung out shooting pool and playing pin-ball and dominoes. He (Bill) placed a compass in the window, with a magnet nearby which caused the direction to be askew."

Beth (Price) remembers the days when they lived on Apache Drive and decorated tumbleweeds in their yard with lights during the holidays. She also recalled sledding down Church Street and Apache Drive.

Besides Apache Drive, we also have another great hill for sledding. It starts at 13th Street & Locust on the westside of town and takes in the whole block down to 12th Street. The City would block auto travel on the side streets in that area of Locust so the sledding participants wouldn't be colliding with the motorized vehicles traveling nearby.

CB Thompson sent me one of his fondest memories of Christmas that deals with bicycles and surprises under the tree when there was a doubt if Santa existed at all. He recalls, "One of the biggest memories was when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was just at the age when I began to re-think my position as to whether or not Santa Claus was real or not. We lived out on east Barnes street at the time. Christmas Eve was the time that we always opened our presents, and so each year at that time, we always knew what presents were ours and would spend hours trying to guess what we got, judging from the size of the box etc. This particular year, while I had my usual amount of wrapped presents under the tree, I was just a bit disheartened because I hadn't gotten a bicycle that year. Afterall, I would have been able to guess by the size of the box whether or not I had gotten a bike, and since there wasn't anything nearly that size anywhere to be seen, I knew that I would probably have to wait until June, my birthday, to get the bike. At that time, Oklahoma was still "dry", and so as most Alvan's who partook of the spirits, they would have to trek up to Hartner, Kansas and make a purchase at the closest legal liquor store. Mom and Dad gathered my sister and me up so that we could make that short trip for the spirits. We all pilled into the car, but first Dad had forgotten the keys and he would have to go back into the house for them. Then we were off. We would be opening our gifts when we returned and so both my sister and I was anxious for us to get back home. On the way, Mom kept talking about Santa and how he knew if we had been good or bad. As I said, this was about the time that I had my doubts about good old St. Nick, so I was taking everything that she said with a grain of salt. Finally, we arrived back home and Sis and I ran to the door of the house, waiting for Dad to open the door. We rushed to the tree for our gifts, and low and behold, right there in front of the tree was this great big beautiful red bicycle. Where had that come from? I was convinced once again that there really was a Santa Claus. I guess that will forever by my favorite Christmas."

Just because you can't see him doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Anyway, receiving the presents aren't that important to me as much as giving something special from the heart to someone else.. AND doing it all year round! You know what I mean? Just to gather with family and friends and enjoy each others company. To see and learn how others celebrate this time of year is what feels my heart.

o OAKIE'S MAILBAG & LINKS

"Linda, I Wonder how many remember the days when people went 'window shopping'? The Courier (Alva) used to run an edition with ads from most every business around the square. Each business would purposefully make a mistake somewhere in their window display. Once the error was found and noted on the newspaper ad, the papers were turned in and the persons correctly identifying the most errors received prizes from the merchants. This was usually done with the dry snow on the ground which crunched as you walked. For some reason there is one error which sticks in my mind. Bill Brand ran a 'den of iniquity' where the teenage boys hung out shooting pool and playing pin-ball and dominoes. He placed a compass in the window, with a magnet nearby which caused the direction to be askew. Memories!" Marvin Henry
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As to the cold... "We got winter in all its glory about ten days ago and have had five nights when it was down to -35 Celsius with a mean wind. I don't know what that translates to in Fahrenheit (at -40 they are equal) and that translates into staying inside with a fire going, except when absolutely necessary. We really got "spoiled", the last four or five years we haven't had any winter to speak of in this area. Merry Christmas to you and your family and all your 'four legged friends'." Willi

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"Linda, Even though it has been many years since I lived in Alva, I can see what Scott was describing so clearly. As you know, us Price's lived on Apache Dr. and I have so many fond memories of Christmas time there. The Christmas Decorations we made out of tumble weeds to put in our yard, I will never forget. Sledding down Church Street and Apache Dr. are still so vivid to me it makes my nose cold to think about it. Wow! What a blast from the past. Thank you so much for reminding me of some of the best times of my life. Have a very Merry Christmas,." Beth Price-Spoerle
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"Hey Linda, Here's hoping that you and your's have a wonderful Christmas holiday. We here in North Carolina are doing our best. I was a member of Neuman's Boys Choir and still have many fond memories of those times. I still talk of the many activities we did way back when. Fred (Neuman) taught me a lot about life. I'll give you just a little bit of memories about what I remember of Christmas in Alva when I was a child. One of the biggest memories was when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was just at the age when I began to re-think my position as to whether or not Santa Claus was real or not. We lived out on east Barnes street at the time. Christmas Eve was the time that we always opened our presents, and so each year at that time, we always knew what presents were ours and would spend hours trying to guess what we got, judging from the size of the box etc. This particular year, while I had my usual amount of wrapped presents under the tree, I was just a bit disheartened because I hadn't gotten a bicycle that year. Afterall, I would have been able to guess by the size of the box whether or not I had gotten a bike, and since there wasn't anything nearly that size anywhere to be seen, I knew that I would probably have to wait until June, my birthday, to get the bike. At that time, Oklahoma was still "dry", and so as most Alvan's who partook of the spirits, they would have to trek up to Hartner, Kansas and make a purchase at the closest legal liquor store. Mom and Dad gathered my sister and me up so that we could make that short trip for the spirits. We all pilled into the car, but first Dad had forgotten the keys and he would have to go back into the house for them. Then we were off. We would be opening our gifts when we returned and so both my sister and I was anxious for us to get back home. On the way, Mom kept talking about Santa and how he knew if we had been good or bad. As I said, this was about the time that I had my doubts about good old St. Nick, so I was taking everything that she said with a grain of salt. Finally, we arrived back home and Sis and I ran to the door of the house, waiting for Dad to open the door. We rushed to the tree for our gifts, and low and behold, right there in front of the tree was this great big beautiful red bicycle. Where had that come from? I was convinced once again that there really was a Santa Claus. I guess that will forever by my favorite Christmas. I have many, many more memories. Again, thanks again for such a wonderful newsletter." CB
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"I appreciate what you put in your last e-mail to all of us about me and what I was doing for the Cherokee Strip Museum! I've already heard from the Waynoka Historical Society about this. They are interested in the consortium idea. I haven't had time to reply to them yet, but I will as soon as I return from Texas after Xmas. I went to that web site that you posted in that e-mail (the one about the 12 Days of Christmas), and YES--it WAS about the English Catholics! Glad to know that. Hope you have a glorious christmas." Pat Steed - http://www.alvant.alva.ok.us/plsteed/xmas.htm
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"The Story Behind The Twelve Days of Christmas... People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that lasts for days beginning December 25 and until January 6 - the Day of Epiphany. From 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: The surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality." www.cvc.org/christmas/12days.htm
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"Hi, ParisTimes! I was surfing geocities and checked out your site at geocities / paristimes. I have a good friend with a really similar site, and I passed your url along to her. Have you ever seen a weblog? I was noticing your writing style, and I think the weblog format might really work well for you. I just started one recently, and I am actually thinking of dumping my homepage in favor of just having the weblog, since I'm enjoying it so much more than maintaining my homesite. Anyway, I really just wanted to say thanks for an interesting site!" Bianca - www.geocities.com/Bianca_Broussard
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Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings &
See Y'all next week.
Linda "Oakie"

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