My favorite Christmas memory was in 1978. That was the year, on Christmas Eve, that we
moved back to New Cumberland from Putnam County, WV. We had bought what was known as
the “ Brandon House” on Ridge Avenue and Ed was starting a new job after the New Year. We
had two little ones, ages almost 3 and almost one, so naturally we decorated our home in
Putnam County for Christmas with a Christmas tree. It was taken down at the last minute and
we packed the moving van to began our drive home. The girls and I drove with Ed’s Dad in his
car. Ed, our dog, and the rest of our things followed in the U-Haul moving truck. Unbeknown to
us, the truck’s heater was broken and Ed and the dog nearly froze to death. He had to keep
stopping for coffee and hot chocolate to keep warm. And yes, the dog was drinking her fair
share, too.
We all eventually got to New Cumberland and had Christmas Eve dinner with Ed’s family. His
Dad had bought a live tree and had it waiting in the garage for us to put up for Santa. The poor
tree was nice and full on one side but pretty bare on the opposite side. We managed to get it in
their house and decorated. The girls were snuggled in bed when Ed and I drove to my parents
house on route 8. It was my Mom’s birthday and they always had a house full on her birthday/
Christmas Eve. We stayed until a little after midnight and went back to Ed’s parents to make
sure Santa came. His parents’ home was on the second floor of their funeral home business.
You opened the back door to go up the stairs. We started up and on the landing noticed a
Christmas ornament. I picked it up and found another, then another on the steps. You can
pretty much guess what had happened. So in the early morning Christmas hours, we had to get
tools out of the garage, rope the tree to the wall then redecorate the tree without waking anyone
up.
That morning the girls and Ed’s parents woke up, saw that Santa had visited, opened gifts and
had Christmas breakfast without ever knowing all that had taken place. Sorry about the hooks in
your wall Allen and Janet! Later we went to my parents to celebrate with family. We had a
wonderful Christmas Day. The next day, on December 26th, our friends, Tom, Howard, and
Jack, along with family, helped us unload the truck and move into our house. That night, amid
all the mess, we decorated a Christmas tree in our new home. Things have changed over the
years. Our girls are grown with families of their own, our parents have passed and after many
years we moved into Ed’s parents’ house. New Cumberland was a great place to raise our
girls, our friends are still great friends, and that Christmas, when we came home, always makes
me smile and laugh.
OUR CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Ed & Leslie Fields
