A heartwarming collection of country holiday stories based on the real-life experiences of the author. Take a journey back to simpler times....

Included within:

"Christmas Eve" - I never knew how poor my family was when I was young. But despite our lack of material wealth, Christmas was always a time filled with joy and wonder. "Christmas Eve" is my story about the lengths my parents took to bring their children the magic of Christmas.

"A Memorable New Year’s Day" - We called our grandmother on my Daddy's side "Granny". On that particular New Year's Day, we drove from Colorado to Arizona to spend the day with her. Arriving at Granny's house was very exciting. But Daddy warned us that at her house children were to be seen and not heard.

"Be My Valentine" - When I was in the primary grades in school, I heard about the symbol of an X on a letter meant “sealed with a kiss”. It was used on Valentine cards, too. So, when a boy gave me a valentine, I looked for an X to see if I might get a kiss. That is what I thought would happen when I was in the first and second grades. You'll be surprised how this turned out.

"My Four Leaf Clover" - St. Patrick's Day in rural America can be exciting. It was for me. This was especially true when I was in the second grade in 1945. My Grandma Doyle was superstitious, which encouraged me to believe in magic. So when I heard that four leaf clovers could bring me good luck, I wanted it to happen. I went for a walk around our hay field on our farm in Colorado looking for four leaf clovers. Just before St. Patrick's Day I got my miracle....

"Old-Fashioned Egg Hunt" - My childhood experiences living on a farm in Colorado during World War II include memories of an ice box instead of a refrigerator, drinking water that came from a cistern, and food cooked on a wood stove. Remembering an Easter egg hunt on the farm has been most peaceful and precious to me. The Easter egg hunt was a family affair with grandparents, uncles, and aunts. The most fun was playing with cousins. I hope you enjoy this hunt.

"Uncommon Celebrations" - Now that I am in my 80s, I sit in my recliner more often, and when I do I reflect on my early childhood. It was a different world then. For example, my grandpa never owned a car. He drove his horse-drawn wagon his entire life. It is for the sake of those memories that I have written some of them down to share with you.

The memories in this series of stories are not as vivid as some. So I have put holidays in the months of May and June together. The stories are 80 percent accurate. Some are overlaps. A little bit of fiction holds it together.

"Celebrating Independence Day" - Americans are proud of their country. We honor Independence Day with fireworks and picnics. Our family was typical when I was a child. I have here some of my most memorable Fourth of July experiences.

"Hallowed Evening" - When I was very small living in Colorado, I remember that Halloween was the night that high school boys would drive down country roads and push over outhouses. Occasionally, they went to a door and said, “Trick or treat”. Rather than getting their toilets hurtled down the hill, farm women would give the boys a cup of hot cocoa, made with pure cream. Those were the homes that played it smart. We didn't play tricks on my family. We kept it clean.

"A Time to Be Thankful" - I lived my childhood years during the 1940s. It was a simple time to grow up. Holidays were important because the rest of the year was a time when basic needs were met.