A Holiday Party

This is the season for excitement and wonder, especially if you're a child.  I used to be a child.  My sister was also once upon a time a child.  As I've stated, our household was generally crazy with family and friends continuously running in and out, our mother cleaning, our mother throwing fits, screaming, flinging objects through the air at the drop of a wrong word, pitching tirades that lasted all day, declaring outrageous rules, etc.  But somehow, most of this (not all) would calm down a little bit (and I say this in spite of my previous post) in an attempt to enjoy the holiday season.  For many years in the 60's, my parents hosted a holiday party.  Mind you, in the 60's life was quite different.  First and foremost, children were chattel.  We were the property of our parents.  Today's children are very different - they're placed on pedestals and every move in the family depends on the child's mood and preference. This was not true way back in the 50's and 60's.   In our family, we were never asked anything, other than, "Why can't you be like so and so??"  We were yelled at, screamed at, and shouted at.  Every now and then we were chased by our mother who wielded a large object.  Any object.  She wasn't picky.  We learned to be quick.  When party season came, we were never invited to be a part of the festivities.  We weren't marched out and paraded around to show the friends how lovely and well mannered we were.  "STAY IN YOUR ROOMS AND DO NOT COME OUT.  I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOUR FACES!!!!"  On party nights, my sister and I learned to entertain each other - mostly she would flip matches, and I would pray the house wouldn't catch fire.  And one of us would sneak in the kitchen when everyone was downstairs in the rec room and steal treats.   Our mother had spent a lot of time and money cooking and mixing for her friends and she didn't want it spoiled by having her kids hanging around while they were enjoying themselves.  Our dad was only expected to put on a suit and show up.  This was the holiday season!  This was the time to bring out the good stuff -  the cheese puffs, pinwheel sandwiches, creamcheese ball, pronto pups, celery sticks, chex mix, nuts, olives, and hundreds of other canapés Mom had slaved over for days. And musn't forget the mixed drinks.  The mixed drinks made these parties legend.  We had an uncle who was a bandleader.  When he got a few drinks in him, he also became a singer.  And after a few more drinks, he became drunk.  And when he became drunk, he would begin a sneezing fit that would last for about an hour.  At one of these parties, my mother threw him out of her party for "trying to ruin" it by sneezing.  Sadly, he was too drunk to know he had been thrown out, and he slept it off in a bedroom.  Wow, did she let him have it the next day.  Fortunately, he knew her and her temper and with blue air hanging above his head, he left as quickly as he could.  These parties had lots of spirit for sure and I remember lots and lots of laughing and that made me want to be there.  I've said many times that humor was the only way to survive that household and I do believe that.  I also like to think that even though she made herself miserable preparing for these parites, my mother found some fun entertaining her friends.  But, seriously, how was that possible??  How could any of them have any fun?  After all, my sister and I weren't there!