right before
Jan. 9th, 2016 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gfrancieChristmas Eve I was up early again.
I was over most of the jet-lag. Larry the cat came to visit me while I made tea. My sister and I went out to do food shopping together. Before we left we made sure our make-up looked good. Our private shared goals: be the best looking people at the grocery store. I think we had a fun time. She reminded me what we needed, and if we could get it elsewhere. The clerk asked for my ID. I suppose if one is buying beer at 8 in the morning they want to make sure you are all right. I didn't recognize the clerk until we were in the parking lot and my sister pointed out it was Wall of bangs Brenda. Only she didn't have her wall of bangs anymore. For years she had this amazing 80s hair.
We went on our way to the food co-op where we ran into people we knew, and impressed the clerk with the family membership number. (really it is my Mom's but everyone in the family uses it.) And that number is in the 70s. That's right, OLD School member. Back when they were up town in that tiny space with all the feral hippie children running around half-naked and jonesin' for sugar. We went up town to Aldrich's (oldest grocery store in the state) which is so much more swish these days. (they had a fire about ten years ago, and so things got cleaned up big time.) I love the fact that it is still owned by a family. (presently owned by a son, and his parents. The Grandma rang us up that morning.) When I was growing up it was owned by a couple who you saw in the store everyday. John was a big tall man and his wife Pam always looked so peaceful. Like others have said, it is the first place a parent would let their kid walk to on their own. (Pretty much everyone would know who your kid is and keep an eye out for them.) I always think of the forest green walls of the place, and for many years there was an old fashioned phone booth in one corner. You could sit on stools in the window with your food and watch everything go by.
It is funny to think of all these random memories I have of that store. Being about nine years old, coming from the library, and buying squirt soda one day because my throat hurt so bad when I swallowed. (the following day I was diagnosed with having a nasty cast of strep.) When I was seven or eight years old and my mom sent my brother (who was three or four) to the grocery store to buy milk and she said if there was enough change leftover we could buy a treat. And while I was buying a treat my brother stole an ice cream bar. I was completely mortified and went straight home sobbing about what he had done. My Mom took Tom back to the store and made him tell John what he had done. I don't think Tom ever stole again. I saw that they still hold the gingerbread house contest, and that there is still the pretty amazing deli in the back. And plenty of candy to look over. Aldrich's is where I first had whoopie pies, black and white cookies, and really good croissants.
As we were driving towards the fish store we saw a HUGE herd of deer. A bunch of does just hanging out on the street. The deer in Port Townsend will walk right up town like it is no big deal. My sister called out, "Girl Squad!!!"
We arrived at the fish store too early so we went and had coffee next across the road. It was pretty busy. My sister spotted a dog having a slouch on a sofa. It wasn't a little dog either. It was a pretty big dog. Then it got up and went to the door leading into the back. We joked that its break was over and it had forgotten the code to get the door to open. The fish store was crazy busy. Every damn person needing ALL of the fish for Christmas. We were just buying prawns and duck fat. There were a couple of guys I knew from high school who are fishmongers there. Including one that I had made out with in high school. His eyes are still pretty.
We had enough food to feed an army. Or at least the family for a couple of days. So much lovely stuff.
We organized everyone for an outing downtown and to have lunch at Don's Pharmacy. Oh the luxury of growing up in a place where there was a soda fountain in the back of a pharmacy. My best/oldest friend Kurt was in town and he joined us too. Gibsons! Jenners! and a partridge in a pear tree. And this is a place where everyone knows you. The waitress didn't blink when we showed up. She just said hey to my Mom and my brother.
I had a pineapple milkshake. It was amazing. I dream about that milkshake sometimes. It is really two milkshakes because they don't starve you at Don's. The sneezing fit was worth it. It was such a jolly lunch with my family. When wandering around the pharmacy afterwards I ran into a lady who had been the attendance secretary at my school. That lady saw so many fake notes in her time. Her hair has gone snow white but she hasn't aged all that much. It was great to see her. She saw my kids and said, "They are obviously yours! Your daughter looks just like you did as a girl."
My Mom had to say goodbye because she had Christmas presents to finish sewing/knitting. We went wandering around town, looking in shops, saying hey to people. We ended up at Elevated Ice Cream because ice cream in the winter is the best. I had lemon custard ice cream, and quietly bought some stocking stuffers. It was cold and blustery and snowing in the mountains. It was such a good Christmas Eve. My favorite kind of Christmas Eve that is filled with anticipation and lovely calm and company. People went off to do their preparations and enjoy that quiet of the afternoon. My sister, and Auntie went upstairs to watch tv, wrap presents and relax. The kids hung out with Mr. Jenner in the living room. OD'ing on episodes of Garfield, and I began to do cooking for Christmas Eve. It has been years and years since everyone was together for Christmas Eve. My Mom didn't have to cook. She had a bunch of church services to play for but in between all of that she got to have supper with us. My sister and I made the cheese bacon buns, a couple of soups, prawns, and a few other good things. My youngest brother's partner showed up with more things to eat from her work. It was cozy and warm and fun. The best time. My mom had to go off to midnight mass, and I had children to talk into going to bed. I read Miss Biscuit, "The Night Before Christmas". This edition was done by a local author and has local people in the illustrations -including our Auntie who was illustrated as an elf. (which makes sense as she is so little.) My kids love that they know an actual elf. She told the kids, "I am semi-retired at this point."
Then Christmas came. Early.
I was over most of the jet-lag. Larry the cat came to visit me while I made tea. My sister and I went out to do food shopping together. Before we left we made sure our make-up looked good. Our private shared goals: be the best looking people at the grocery store. I think we had a fun time. She reminded me what we needed, and if we could get it elsewhere. The clerk asked for my ID. I suppose if one is buying beer at 8 in the morning they want to make sure you are all right. I didn't recognize the clerk until we were in the parking lot and my sister pointed out it was Wall of bangs Brenda. Only she didn't have her wall of bangs anymore. For years she had this amazing 80s hair.
We went on our way to the food co-op where we ran into people we knew, and impressed the clerk with the family membership number. (really it is my Mom's but everyone in the family uses it.) And that number is in the 70s. That's right, OLD School member. Back when they were up town in that tiny space with all the feral hippie children running around half-naked and jonesin' for sugar. We went up town to Aldrich's (oldest grocery store in the state) which is so much more swish these days. (they had a fire about ten years ago, and so things got cleaned up big time.) I love the fact that it is still owned by a family. (presently owned by a son, and his parents. The Grandma rang us up that morning.) When I was growing up it was owned by a couple who you saw in the store everyday. John was a big tall man and his wife Pam always looked so peaceful. Like others have said, it is the first place a parent would let their kid walk to on their own. (Pretty much everyone would know who your kid is and keep an eye out for them.) I always think of the forest green walls of the place, and for many years there was an old fashioned phone booth in one corner. You could sit on stools in the window with your food and watch everything go by.
It is funny to think of all these random memories I have of that store. Being about nine years old, coming from the library, and buying squirt soda one day because my throat hurt so bad when I swallowed. (the following day I was diagnosed with having a nasty cast of strep.) When I was seven or eight years old and my mom sent my brother (who was three or four) to the grocery store to buy milk and she said if there was enough change leftover we could buy a treat. And while I was buying a treat my brother stole an ice cream bar. I was completely mortified and went straight home sobbing about what he had done. My Mom took Tom back to the store and made him tell John what he had done. I don't think Tom ever stole again. I saw that they still hold the gingerbread house contest, and that there is still the pretty amazing deli in the back. And plenty of candy to look over. Aldrich's is where I first had whoopie pies, black and white cookies, and really good croissants.
As we were driving towards the fish store we saw a HUGE herd of deer. A bunch of does just hanging out on the street. The deer in Port Townsend will walk right up town like it is no big deal. My sister called out, "Girl Squad!!!"
We arrived at the fish store too early so we went and had coffee next across the road. It was pretty busy. My sister spotted a dog having a slouch on a sofa. It wasn't a little dog either. It was a pretty big dog. Then it got up and went to the door leading into the back. We joked that its break was over and it had forgotten the code to get the door to open. The fish store was crazy busy. Every damn person needing ALL of the fish for Christmas. We were just buying prawns and duck fat. There were a couple of guys I knew from high school who are fishmongers there. Including one that I had made out with in high school. His eyes are still pretty.
We had enough food to feed an army. Or at least the family for a couple of days. So much lovely stuff.
We organized everyone for an outing downtown and to have lunch at Don's Pharmacy. Oh the luxury of growing up in a place where there was a soda fountain in the back of a pharmacy. My best/oldest friend Kurt was in town and he joined us too. Gibsons! Jenners! and a partridge in a pear tree. And this is a place where everyone knows you. The waitress didn't blink when we showed up. She just said hey to my Mom and my brother.
I had a pineapple milkshake. It was amazing. I dream about that milkshake sometimes. It is really two milkshakes because they don't starve you at Don's. The sneezing fit was worth it. It was such a jolly lunch with my family. When wandering around the pharmacy afterwards I ran into a lady who had been the attendance secretary at my school. That lady saw so many fake notes in her time. Her hair has gone snow white but she hasn't aged all that much. It was great to see her. She saw my kids and said, "They are obviously yours! Your daughter looks just like you did as a girl."
My Mom had to say goodbye because she had Christmas presents to finish sewing/knitting. We went wandering around town, looking in shops, saying hey to people. We ended up at Elevated Ice Cream because ice cream in the winter is the best. I had lemon custard ice cream, and quietly bought some stocking stuffers. It was cold and blustery and snowing in the mountains. It was such a good Christmas Eve. My favorite kind of Christmas Eve that is filled with anticipation and lovely calm and company. People went off to do their preparations and enjoy that quiet of the afternoon. My sister, and Auntie went upstairs to watch tv, wrap presents and relax. The kids hung out with Mr. Jenner in the living room. OD'ing on episodes of Garfield, and I began to do cooking for Christmas Eve. It has been years and years since everyone was together for Christmas Eve. My Mom didn't have to cook. She had a bunch of church services to play for but in between all of that she got to have supper with us. My sister and I made the cheese bacon buns, a couple of soups, prawns, and a few other good things. My youngest brother's partner showed up with more things to eat from her work. It was cozy and warm and fun. The best time. My mom had to go off to midnight mass, and I had children to talk into going to bed. I read Miss Biscuit, "The Night Before Christmas". This edition was done by a local author and has local people in the illustrations -including our Auntie who was illustrated as an elf. (which makes sense as she is so little.) My kids love that they know an actual elf. She told the kids, "I am semi-retired at this point."
Then Christmas came. Early.
