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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2015-12-24, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015. PAGE 19. Watsons mark the holidays Sholdice movie marathon builds to Christmas Eve Continued from page 18 any Hallmark movies there.” When asked for examples, Sholdice said things like Christmas in Connecticut, White Christmas, Jingle all the Way and Christmas with the Cranks or anything that is shown on cable that might not be on the list. Mid-December, the build-up starts for the family, Sholdice said, with films like Scrooged, Trading Places, the original 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Christmas Eve is a three-movie marathon for the family starting with It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1951 release of A Christmas Carol and the pinnacle of Christmas movies and the Ebenezer Scrooge story, The Muppet Christmas Carol to finish it off. “If you ask the Sholdices, that is the definitive version of that story,” she said. “It has the best Scrooge with Michael Caine and Bob Cratchet as Kermit.” Sholdice said that the 1937 A Christmas Carol is a close second to the 1951 version and is watched on Dec. 23. The 1971 version, however, falls flat and if it’s on the list at all, it’s very early in December. Christmas Day features another Christmas staple – the 1983 cult classic A Christmas Story. “It’s more in the background while we open presents,” Sholdice said. Sholdice said that movies aren’t a big part of her family experiences outside of the holiday season. “Movies aren’t a big part of our family outside of Christmas,” she said about the holidays. “Christmas movies, however, I’ve loved as long as I can remember.” Fifteen years ago, however, Sholdice realized there is a definitive way in which you need to watch Christmas movies. “You can’t watch those really iconic, really intensely-themed Christmas movies early or else you’re going to lose the spirit,” she said. “You have to make sure things come in the right order.” That said, sometimes you need to play with the order a bit, as Sholdice did this year. “We watched Scrooged a little early this year to battle the fact that there was no snow,” she said. “I kind of used it to put me in the Christmas spirit.” While she has other Christmas traditions that have come and gone, the films have always stayed. Sholdice used to do Christmas crafting and make gifts for her family members like Christmas ornaments, but that fell by the wayside when she took on the job as general manager because it required a little more time. Now, her family’s tradition includes Cards Against Humanity, a card game she enjoys playing with her family on Christmas Day. “We had always played board games, so one of the kids would get a board game or two and we would play it on Christmas Eve,” she said. “Cards Against Humanity has become the game for the past few years. I buy expansions for the kids every year.” Aside from the board games, Sholdice saves her PC points all year to buy prime rib for dinner. She also still makes her children Sam, who is 28, and Sarrah, who is 25, write to Santa Claus for Christmas. Her extended family also gets together, and the days alternate every year so she can be with her in- laws either Christmas Day or Boxing Day and her own family the other day. In recent years, it has become one of her favourite parts of the holiday. “It’s becoming more and more special and one of my favourite times of the year,” she said. “It’s hard to get together with my brother, sister, mom and dad. Christmas helps a lot.” The family Christmas tree is also special, Sholdice said, because it’s not “a designer tree.” “It’s not colour co-ordinated, that’s for sure,” she said with a laugh. “It’s an eclectic ensemble of decorations, but each one tells a story.” Sholdice said that popsicle angels adorn the tree from her kids when they were in Kindergarten, for example, and a set of mice-shaped bells that have become one of her favourite decorations. “If you see the bells, they may not look like the best decorations,” she said. “They’re missing pieces and they are getting older.” The mice were a gift from her grandmother in 1991, shortly before she passed away. “We were putting the tree up the next year,” she said. “We had an inquisitive cat who knocked down the tree on Christmas Eve and the only thing that broke were those mice.” Sholdice was devastated by the thought of losing the mice, however the tale has a happy ending. On Christmas Day, Mark presented the mice to his wife as a present after he had stayed up all night putting them back together. “They come out every year,” she said. “They’re important.” Continued from page 16 tradition in the Watson home is Betty’s Nativity scene, which has been part of her family’s holidays since she had her first child in 1971. Purchased by way of the Eaton’s catalogue, the modest set has remained in excellent condition over the years, with just one of the donkeys losing an ear somewhere along the way. While the original Nativity scene has remained in good shape, it is no longer alone, as numerous additions have been made to it over the years. The couple’s children and grandchildren have been adding to the scene over the years, namely bringing animals to the table, making for a large, sweeping Nativity scene that spans various time periods, styles and climates. What it may lack in accuracy, however, it makes up for in creativity. Over the years all types of animals have been added. Joining the Watsons’ Nativity scene now are a camel, a giraffe, penguins, a dog and plenty of others that may or may not be physically able to meet in real life – short of maybe a zoo. Ralph has one Christmas memory that sticks out more than the others and, like Betty’s Nativity scene, it stood up quite well over the years. In his home, as a child, Ralph remembers having a rather modest Christmas tree over the years, with a constant atop it: a single flashing blue light. After 50 years, he said, the light still worked, although its blue shine wasn’t exactly as vivid as it was in its early days. Year after year, Ralph said he couldn’t believe that the bulb would make it through yet another Christmas. He also remembers gifts of Massey-Harris tractors over the years – something he couldn’t get enough of. He says that while his brother John still has one of his, Ralph’s is long gone, likely subject to overuse in his childhood years. While Betty’s favourite gift from her younger days certainly faced no shortage of use either, she still has it: a doll, also from the Eaton’s catalogue. The reason it stands out, she said, was that for Christmas she received a beautifully-adorned holiday note explaining that Santa Claus was out of dolls; not a doll. The note promised that a doll would arrive before long and sure enough it did, Betty says, making for a memorable Christmas gift that’s likely about 60 years old by now. 519-523-4825 Dennis Hamm Painting No job too small. Wishing everyone in Blyth & Surrounding Area A Merry Christmas Deck The Halls! www.hdc.on.ca Hensall District Co-operative, Inc. Bringing added-value to your farm since 1937. Best Wishes for the Holiday Season & a Happy New Year from HDC! Best Wishes for the Holiday Season & a Happy New Year from HDC! HDC sends a world of thanks and appreciation to all our members, neighbours, customers, friends & families. HHD s, cs, cu atio or o a stos o a sssst HDC sen n orwHDC sends a w eeci oeciationion to cu totus pprprprpp h s, cuss, cusururourrsrsrsneighbourrs ll appr friends & f hanks , of mer of mm df o m rld of ll o rld of tf thanks our hanks me rld of thanks and oourll ooour memb s, our memberrs om soms,,errsrs ewew oror t NeNeNewNew isis fofoo NNeppyppy ishesfishes fishesfishes fWWWWWWBestBestBestBest a Happya HappyaHappya Happy&&eNeNewwpNeNeweewew oror to NN foiWiWi NewNew tttttt iBeesstiisshheess oorr NNyaHappya Happy t y&& i &a Haappppy Neeww oor fofishesffoffoffoishesfshes fBWWWWWWttt ttBBest NNNNNewya Happyyppyy&&&&wwwwwYwY omHDom HDwwYwY he Holidayhe Holiday omom ww eaea omHom HomHDC!om HDC!roowYYYee tttt earfrear frarfrarfr e Holiday Sease Holiday SeasHoliday SeasHoliday Seasoiday Seasoday Seasohe Holiday Seasohe Holiday Seasohh fff l w y HDC! thth w hhee Holliddaay Seeaassoo ororo y roooooffwYe yy !YYYYeY heHolidayhe Holiday w eeaar f oomm HDCC!! hld Y f t y HDC! t fr tt HDom HHDC!ff y roffrfrffrororrorro he Hohe Ho ear frYeYYeYYYeYYYYYeYYeYYew Y onon ! onn ! on M e rry Chri stma s Jack & Heather VanDorp For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. 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