Winter barely came the year I graduated from high school. Christmas day and the day after were both in the mid sixties, and that’s what gave us the idea. A friend of mine gladly undocked his boat; we donned our swimsuits, and headed for Jackson Lake. Well, I did it, went skiing over the Christmas holidays in Georgia. But although it may have been 67 degrees that day in Jackson, the lake water was a lot colder! I didn’t tarry too long on those wooden boards, but I did make a memory; and just as I can tell you what I was doing when Kennedy got shot, I can recall the weather from Christmas, 1959.

~ Beverly Wittler

  Christmas was fun at our house. I grew up in the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood. I had 4 brothers and in one block the 12 houses that lined the streets housed over 25 kids all near the same ages.

  Decorations started coming out Thanksgiving afternoon. By the time school was let go for the holidays, the street looked like a Christmas village. The kids would take candles, no not the kind you buy now, put in batteries and they flicker – but true – be careful or you will get burned – wax candles. 

  We would take the candles, wrap the bottom with aluminum foil and the weekend before Christmas, we would gather – usually at our house – and go Christmas caroling. 

  All of the kids came very excited to knock on each door. And there we would stand, our candles glowing, singing 3 or 4 holiday tunes and be rewarded with candy canes, hot cocoa, cookies or just smiles and love. We were full of joy. It brought us closer together.

  I miss those days. I am happy to say that I am still in contact with many of the Shellnutt gang. I would love the opportunity to gather again, light my candle wrapped in aluminum foil, and sing loudly with the gang.

  Christmas. Don’t let the time go by without making memories, and remembering those you love. Be thankful for the blessings we have. Be humbled by the gift that passes all others as you remember this season. Stay healthy.

~Kay Embrey

Heritage Bank

  One of my favorite Christmas memories is the first year we participated in the Holiday Open House, in 1999 or 2000. Back then my mother and father ran the Antique Mall in Downtown McDonough, the storefront that is now Kirby G’s. Like all the other stores we set out a table of cookies and snacks, and had a coffee percolator set up for people coming in. I still remember how all the different stores smelled, hunting down the best snacks and looking at all the items for sale. Though it was missing this year for understandable reasons, the Open House in the Square in McDonough is always how I know the Holiday season has arrived.

~Derek Adams

Pierce Pharmacy Management

  My childhood Christmas memories are clouded by spending several Christmas days in the waiting room of Kennestone Hospital while my mother visited our Father who was a patient! In spite of that I have always loved everything about this Holiday. From the true meaning of the birth of my Savior to the bright lights, holiday songs and foods. People tend to have a general good humor in the weeks leading up to the big day.

    My very favorite memory of all is way back in 1981 when my boyfriend Dan and I decided to make our relationship a permanent one. We told our family  on Thanksgiving that we had decided on forever and we were going to start planning our wedding ASAP. On December 6, Dan’s aunt passed away and we had the opportunity to buy her home at 78 Atlanta Street (now Atlanta Street Bridal). Dan surprised me by suggesting that since I loved Christmas so much and our families were going to be together anyway, we should just get married on Christmas Eve! My amazing mother, with less than two weeks’ notice, put together the perfect wedding. And we went home to our own home! In two weeks we celebrate 39 years of marital bliss! The only other Christmas that topped that one was ten years later, when God blessed us with our daughter!

~Monterey Thompson

Thompson Market

  Dec. 19, 1999: A moving truck arrived at our Ohio home. The crew packed and loaded into the evening. Dec. 20, 1999: I drove from our house to Georgia. Dec. 21, 1999: The moving crew unloaded the boxes and furniture into our new house and left. We were HOME in Henry County.

  A month earlier, my husband had left Ohio for his new job in Georgia, leaving me with two small energetic daughters and lots to do to move and prepare for Christmas. The girls were worried that Santa wouldn’t find them. They wrote letters, and my mom told them she had told Santa where they’d be. They seemed assured. But I had my own worries that he’d find them.

  I was relieved when the movers unloaded a couple of boxes with smiley faces drawn on them. That Christmas in Georgia was a wonderful one. I don’t think I worried at all about Y2K. I just wanted to be sure our girls enjoyed the magic of Christmas.

~Terry Briggs