It was that time of year again, Christmas. It has always been the time of year where hearts grow fonder and happiness was in a pure form. You always knew Christmas was near because the fresh outdoors had an aura of joy with the smell of pine scents and cinnamon, as well as the sound of beautiful jingle-bells ringin, RING-RING-RING. The Christmas memories at Grandma’s house were always unforgettable. Christmas Eve was usually the day mother prepared pumpkin pie, which eventually was taken to Grandma’s house for the festivities on Christmas day.
You always knew when Mother began to prepare her special pie because the whole house was filled with the warm sweet aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon. The pies were a dull yet vibrant shade of orange and it was round in shape; the crust of the pie had a golden brown color with a crumbly texture. The taste was rich while unexplainable, the pie had an earthy yet sweet taste to it. One bite alone tasted like a heavenly explosion of happiness in my mouth. After Mother finished baking the pie, we bundled up in winter attire and headed to Grandma’s house.
The journey to Grandma’s house was always exciting, my parents and I always enjoyed seeing the white snow shimmering on the ground like crystalline diamonds. Before the drive to Grandma’s we’d always make snow angels in the teeth-chattering snow for fun. Although beautiful, the snow was so cold it felt like it was biting at our fingers with sharp icy teeth which meant it was time to go. It was always exciting arriving to Grandma’s because I always thought she had the best Christmas décor in the neighborhood.
As we pulled into the chiseled and icy driveway, you couldn’t help but notice the lights. The house was huge and made of gray-ish aluminum siding, it was draped in lights ranging in colors from white, red, and green. There were lights everywhere, they wrapped around the railings of the porch, the thick trunk of a naked tree, and traced outside the windows and front door of the house. It always looked magical. As soon as you walked into Grandma’s house the first thing you would notice besides the loud and jolly Christmas music, was the tall, green, and luminous Christmas tree.
The tree was like the centerpiece of a table. It automatically caught your eye. The tree smelled like fresh pine and was a little spiky due to the strong, thick, and green pine needles. It was decorated in glistening silver and blue ornaments that varied in different shapes and sizes and topped with a sparkly sequined silver ribbon; it was also dressed in white glossy chasing lights. The best thing to see were the presents surrounding the tree.
All the presents were wrapped in shiny bright decorative gift wraps in a spectrum of colors and prints and then topped with smooth coiled shiny ribbons. I always felt the most excitement when I rushed to put on my new pajamas that were specifically for Christmas, so that I could go frost the warm and soft batch of fluffy sugar cookies for Santa to eat. After setting out the cookies and warm milk on the black hard surfaced counter, I would rush up the stairs to fall asleep for the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning. Christmas was always best at Grandma’s.
