i’m sitting in my sister’s great room up on the mountain, Signal Mountain outside of Chattanooga. It is Christmas Eve.

Maureen, my sister Martha, and her husband Todd are getting ready for the 5:00 Children’s Christmas Service at the Signal Crest Methodist Church. The Duff’s three grandchildren and one great granddaughter are in the Christmas Drama. Christmas Eve Dinner at the Duffs will follow. Martha will play the bells at the midnight service. Right now, Martha and i are the only ones who will attend both.

After all, she is my sister.

i have put the wood in the fireplace for lighting when the crowd returns from the service. There will be 13 of us. The Christmas tree lights are on. The sun shines through the multiple trees on the down slope on the back of their home. About the same number for the fabulous Christmas Eve Dinner at the Duffs.

i sit thinking Christmas memories. My wife and sister have already sparked one memory. The crew came last night for Martha’s spaghetti and Maureen’s salad. Before the bunch got here, i watched the two in the kitchen as i helped set the tables. It took me back. Growing up, our Christmases were at our house, our aunt and uncle’s house in Red Bank, another suburb of Chattanooga, or at our other aunt and uncle’s house in Lebanon. The three sisters, Mother, Aunt Evelyn, and Aunt Bettye Kate jointly prepared the Christmas dinner. Whomever was the hostess was the head cook, but all three contributed. Watching last night’s preparations, i was taken back to over six decades ago.

It was a lovely memory. i will entertain many more before we leave on Friday to stay overnight near the Nashville airport to catch our flight back to the Southwest corner on Saturday.

i hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas filled with cherished memories.