Christmas Morning at Fred's!

Busy, busy!  Happy Holidays to all!  We have much to be thankful for in our lives, our family, friends and the love shared by all.  Christmas is always a time of reminiscing, each year a new memory, keeping you wondering where you pulled that one from.  Of course there are the favorites that always surface first, but those small tiny ones you laughed at, are the ones most endearing!

For many years we always opened Christmas morning, greeting patrons as they made their way to and from church services, or on their way to family gatherings for a delightful holiday meal.  Many arrived at Fred's News during the early morning hours simply to pick up their holiday pies or a quick cup of coffee, the newspaper, at the same time assuring themselves, the Fred's News family was awake and functioning, helping them start their day!  In our earlier years at Fred's many of "the brothers" longtime regulars simply stopped by, chatting about the "spiked" Christmas drinks "the brothers" often provided for them.  More than likely it was a hint.... be assured the hint was observed, but liquor was not a "Fred's News thing", at least not during our ownership.  Friendship, undying devotion to our patrons, good food, conversation and stability into their everyday lives, was the fare at Fred's News.

Surprising how busy Christmas morning actually could be.  We thought people merely arrived to say hello, wishing us and our family the very best of the holiday season, when actually for a few hours it reminded you of many of the chaotic weekend mornings!  Early morning often gave us a glimpse into the lives of our patrons...Mary arriving to pick up her paper, checking out the thicker than normal after holiday ads!  Probably  much worse than Black Friday, but Mary loved to shop!  She often mentioned the decorations would be taken down, carefully stored in their special places, all before you could eat the leftovers from the holiday.  Mary's decorations, often up for a month, made her ready to clean up, get rid of the "old, make way for the new, heading into the new year fresh and ready to go!  As for myself,  procrastination at its' best, the decorations staying around for awhile.  The soft glow of the holiday lights during the quiet evenings, always so comforting, I hated to part with them.

Our children's memories of the holiday might not be so endearing.  Yes, they enjoyed the holiday baking of cookies, setting up decorations, even some of the hustle and bustle that is part of the package, but not being able to have their own Christmas morning celebration until after the business of Fred's News was taken care of, often a thorn in their side.  The Egg-Nazi and I often laugh at youngest son Mark's response to the age old question asked by a patron early one Christmas morning, "Merry Christmas Markie, did you get anything good for Christmas?"  Mark, about eleven years of age, not a morning person to begin with, let alone having to work the restaurant on Christmas, dryly remarks, "I don't know yet, we can't celebrate Christmas until after you guys are all gone!"   OMG...maybe now I totally understand why, this thirty-something young man, working over ten years at the"Happiest Place on Earth", Disney, lives by his statement.."I make the Magic, don't ask me to deliver it!!"  God love them all, just as we do...our kids!  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!