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State surveying veterans on transition to civilian employment

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Our View: Please stay home if heavy storm hits region

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Sitting at cousin Claire&#8217;s table on Thanksgiving gave me cause to pause and think about the holidays of my youth.</p><p>One thing for sure, the quality of food remains the best, as Claire served up turkey and all the trimmings, leaving no craving behind.</p><p>Just like it was when we were kids.</p><p>Cousin Mary joined us and she got me to thinking &#8212; remembering &#8212; about those good old holidays of our past.</p><p>It was always about traditions. Everywhere we would go, each home had its own special traditions and memories.</p><p>At my house, we had a real tree, purchased at Last Chance in Lyndwood, and decorated with ornaments from my mom and dad&#8217;s childhoods. The tree sat on a platform with a Lionel train circling beneath and around a Plasticville village. We would make signs for the buildings that reflected local businesses &#8212; Kearney&#8217;s Restaurant, Gordy Lane&#8217;s gas station, St. Mary&#8217;s Church, Host Motel, Stookey&#8217;s BBQ, Joe&#8217;s Pizza, Hacker&#8217;s Supermarket, and more.</p><p>We even made a Plymouth Little League Field, a skating pond and a Town Hall.</p><p>Dad&#8217;s job was to secure the tree in its stand and place the lights on &#8212; lots of lights, multi-colored too, not all white lights.</p><p>Mom and I would hang the ornaments, then the icicles &#8212; some would hang by hooks, the others were those strands of silver. Mom said they were to be placed a few at a time so as not to clump up.</p><p>The end result was always a masterpiece worthy of neighborly viewing. Mom and I would also make strands of red and green circles out of construction paper and hang them in all the doorways and archways. Later mom would bake her famous sugar cookies and decorate them like a master painting a masterpiece.</p><p>These were scenes like most throughout the neighborhood and the town. After opening presents and eating dinner on Christmas morning, we would go to church, then we would go visiting &#8212; that&#8217;s what it was called.</p><p>Off we would go, snow or no snow. Dad&#8217;s car had snow tires and sometimes chains on them to ensure traction. Each home we visited was a treat. Each with their own traditions.</p><p>We talked about those days as we ate our Thanksgiving dinner at Claire&#8217;s house. Cousin Mary&#8217;s house was cool because her dad had a three-foot high platform. The tree was in the corner and a village around it. If memory serves, Aunt Helen and Uncle Tony liked all blue lights on their tree. Different, but yet really cool.</p><p>At Claire&#8217;s house, her parents always had a beautiful tree. Uncle John had unique buildings underneath, including a homemade replica of my house, where he had grown up, and St. Mary&#8217;s Church. Claire&#8217;s brother, Charles, still has those and I look forward to seeing them every year.</p><p>All of our aunts and uncles &#8212; my mom had eight brothers and sisters and dad had one brother and one sister &#8212; went all out for the holidays. It was a time when families and friends gathered to share and celebrate and when traditions were carried on year after year.</p><p>I miss those times. I wish I could remember more about each and every home I visited during the holidays. It was the best of times and doors were always open. Cookies, egg nog, kielbasa, ham, pierogi, nut roll, poppy seed bread, horseradish, turkey, so much more.</p><p>And so tomorrow I will light my tree, place it in my front window and hang my treasured rescued Santa Claus toilet seat cover on my front door.</p><p>You know the story. A few years ago I was browsing the aisles at Bed, Bath &amp; Beyond when I came upon the best-looking Santa decoration I had ever seen. It was a great resemblance of the jolly old elf, and I knew I had to have it.</p><p>So I picked it up and looked at the package, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but this:</p><p>&#8220;Santa Claus Toilet Seat Cover.&#8221;</p><p>What!?!?!?!</p><p>My mind started racing. I could not believe that anybody would make a toilet seat cover in Santa&#8217;s likeness and, besides that, who the heck would even consider putting Santa on their toilet seat? I mean, what kind of message would that send to children?</p><p>Upon further investigation, I determined that I could take this ill-conceived idea and make it better. I purchased the Santa cover and I placed it on my front door &#8211; in a place of prominence for the whole world to see.</p><p>And that&#8217;s where it will be once again this holiday season.</p><p>Let the season begin, traditions and all.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill O&#8217;Boyle </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_Oboyle_Bill-2-1-6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline: Keep those holiday traditions going