As someone who has just lost BOTH of their parent within 10 months of each other I cherish these vidieos. You are a lucky man to still have your parents with you. Don't ever take it for granted.
Dear Mike & Team and Mike's Mom, I can't tell you the amount joy you bring to me when I watch your videos! Thank you all for coming to RU-vid, Merry Christmas, and be well!
I’m sitting at my sewing machine working on last minute Christmas gifts listening to this podcast. Really enjoying your mom and Chuck’s comments. As for the clean clothes, my neighbor made this observation - leave dirty clothes in basket and they show up clean and folded on the bed. It’s a miracle!!
Oh those icicles. What memories you brought back. Growing up in southern Oregon and going up into the mountain hoping to get up to where the Noble Firs grew, but having to settle for a Douglas Fir because the snow was to deep. Hiking up and down the mountain looking for THE TREE, then having snowball fights with my siblings whole dad cut the tree down. Warming up drinking hot coffee from the lid of dad’s thermos. As for those icicles, us kids would put them on by the clump full and mom would patiently go behind us taking the clumps down and placing them ONE BY ONE on each branch. Then New Years Day having to take each icicle off strand by strand and laying them one by one in an old shoebox for next Christmas.
WOW, I love these videos. My first memory of Christmas was my dad and older brothers didn't get a tree so I, at 10 years old, went into the woods a got a tree. This tree was a Charlie Brown tree, but my Mom decorated it and it was great.
My Christmas tree is not completely and properly decorated without the tinsel! I still have many of the old glass ornaments we used when I was a kid. Thanks for another great video! Merry Christmas to all!
I felt the need to comment at this time because you all brought up so many things. I am almost 57 years old and I have experienced everything you guys talked about except the movie. I work at Hobby Lobby and this year so many people came in and wanted those icycles. I also remember having a tree that blew the tiny little foam balls down the tree so it looked like it was snowing. It was nice to hear the reminiscing and be able to recall all of those things as well. Merry Christmas to all of you and a very Happy new year!
Thanks so much for stirring up my memories. My dad was the biggest kid of the family he bought us toys and education things like chemistry sets and micro scoops, and giant toy bazocas the shot 3 pound plastic bombs for 100 ft and then we had to take turns with him to play with. Oh and the icicles they were my mothers favorite part of the other than the poor old angel with only one wing that always topped our tree, but the icicles were made out of some kind of weird metal I’m not sure it wasn’t lead “may be whats wrong with us “ but anyway she wanted it thrown everywhere over those 300 watt lights that would remove fingerprints if touched. But to end all we had to collect those icicles and repackage them each year. She had a 50 lb roll of Christmas wrapping paper with Santa Claus on it that she wrapped our Christmas in for 35 years oh the memories. I wish y’all the very best Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Fm Mack in SC
My mother would make up our stockings after we went to bed. She would put them outside each of our bedroom doors. Due to our excitement for Christmas morning, we would wake early, but we weren't allowed downstairs until we heard Mom in the kitchen. But we were allowed to get our Christmas stocking. Small toys were individually wrapped, some that were a precursor to a much larger gift to come. A comic book or a Mad magazine. Christmas chocolate coins, a box of McCormick bar toffee, and of course, the famous Mandarin orange stuffed to the end of the toe. I was wonderful. Unbeknownst to us, ❤😊this tradition gained my parents at least another 2 hrs of sleep until Christmas morning began.
Speaking of icicles, my mom had THE couch, the classic aqua with blonde wooden peg legs and end tables in the living room where no one dare trod till company came. That couch had iceicles woven into it and we would pick at them to get enough out to pull it out and would get into so much trouble. Whats even funnier is that precious dxxn couch that always got us in trouble ended up in the cabin out by the pond in front of a working fireplace and sat on by snowy rear ends and slept on during slumber parties. Merry Christmas 🎄 yall!
My husband, Gary, was disabled, didn’t talk much but enjoyed his television. One Christmas I turned the tv on about half way through “A Christmas Story”. He watched it through 3 and a half times that day. I remember him laughing at all the same lines as it played. When it was about to come on again I asked if he wanted to watch it again. Loudly and with no hesitation he said No. We laughed and I found a new show for him to watch. Of course, we watched it every year but learned his limited that Christmas.
I'm just a wild beast. Mike, I can smell my grandmother's turkey dinner when I look at her dishes. Hey, Mrs. Peggy, I live in a place like you. I will be 71 on Christmas Day. My daughter and I have always loved Mike! Now that I've met you, I bought one of your books for her for Christmas. Can't wait 'till she finishes it so I can read it! Merry happy everyday to all of you from Minnesota!
Absolutely! My mother was exactly the same! One icicle at a time. Took forever. Needless to say, or perhaps it's PTSD, icicles are not a part of our Christmas tree - ever. Love these conversations with your mom. 😊
I love this it brought back memories for me too I remember those icicles they were the icing on the cake for a perfect tree God bless you all have a Merry Christmas❤
I think icicles fell out of favor because cats and probably dogs would eat them and you would have them hanging out the rear end of your cat or dog or have a vet trip!
My dad would go into the woods we owned, every year to cut down our cedar Christmas tree . The scent of it permeated the house, one of my favorite memories growing up at holiday time and still remember the happiness it brought.
Your opening about the wildebeest reminded me of the movie, "Died Suddenly," where people were pointing upward, turning in a circle and collapsing. For just a moment I thought that's what you were talking about! Anyway, Merry Christmas to you, Mike and all your team and your mom and dad, of course.
The memories that your mom has about her controlling mother and the icicles, described my mom’s obsession with “properly hung” icicles on the tree also! That is probably the reason that they are extinct: because mothers everywhere were obsessing over the single icicle thing and ruining Christmas for everyone.
We had a laundry chute, but it was a hole in the floor of the closet in our hallway. We had a ranch style house. The chute led directly to a hand made wooden box that opened next to our washer and dryer in the basement. When I got to the age where I could do laundry and it became one of my chores, I graffitied the door on it in opposition to that chore. I hated doing laundry. But now that I do laundry for my hubby and myself every week and have to carry our dirty clothes basket down the stairs, I miss my parents laundry chute.
I think I was in the third grade, we rented a house that had some acreage behind it. I spend a lot of time back there. But one Christmas, I decided I was going to cut the Christmas tree. I remember going in circles around each tree until I found what I thought was the best tree. I took the saw and cut it down, and dragged it back to the house. I got it back home, and it took everything I had to get it through door! My parents looked at the tree and then looked at me. You could not have found a smaller one, they said I just smiled at them and said this was the best one. So we it stood up, it took up half the living room, and about 2 ft to tall. But I thought it was the prettiest tree I have ever seen!
Man y'all brought back so many memories of my childhood and Christmas. ❤️ We always went to our maternal grandparents house on Christmas Eve and their house had a doorbell in the kitchen. I asked my grandfather why it was there and he explained it was to call the maid that was upstairs to come down instead of hollering for them. Their house wasn't a mansion so to hear they had maids before was very odd to me. But I loved their house. ❤️
A Christmas Story is my all time favorite movie to watch at Christmas. My brother looked so much like Ralphie when we were growing up, and he loved his BB guns!!! I’ve seen several Christmas trees with icicles on them this year, and I love trees decorated this way!!! Enjoyed hearing your stories in this episode! Brought back lots of great memories! Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for bringing so much joy and laughter to us with your conversations!
You'll put your eye out!! Best line in that movie. Reminds me of my male cousins who wanted an air rifle. I relate to the seen where the younger boy is finally in his snowsuit and needs to go to the bathroom. My mom hated when that would happen with us. Ahhh those were the days.
I was watching this the other day with my daughter, and the thought that burbled up in my brain watching it was sympathy for a teacher who had to put all those kids back in that gear to go home again! Love that movie!
@@susanterry4276 My memory of that bundling was mostly for playing outside in the snow. I believe we wore regular coats to school along with tights & pants under our skirts. For those who wore the snowsuits, yes the teachers had to put them together. Oh what fun.
Loved this brought back tons of Christmas past memories at home, and the Christmas Story and wonderful music flowing through the house during the season...
What a lovely walk through memory lane!! Thank you!! I grew up in the Midwest (around the same time I think).... and YES!!! We always had those icicles, Christmas albums playing on the stereo/TV console, and the joy of the laundry chute!! Great time to be a kid for sure!!! Although....as usual, my brother would inevitably be the first to throw giant clumps of icicles at the tree, switch the stereo to 78rpm so that Nat King Cole sounded like a chipmunk, and stuffed my sister's and my toys down the laundry chute!! 😂 Good times!!
I’ve always been The Tinsel Nazi in the family. 😂 No clumps on my tree! Every strand hung perfectly. 😂 I used to drive my younger sister crazy. 😂😂 Merry Christmas! 💜❤️🐝🎄
I still watch “A Christmas Story” every single year. It’s not Christmas til I’ve seen it. I am 80 and I don’t miss it, But I also admit to making sure I see Charlie Browns Christmas, and Rudolph. I also had to put the icecicles on one at a time……..
This is why some people do not fear termites heading up their nose. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year🎉🌲👍🌲⛄☃️🐢💨 Thank you for hours of wonderful family time.
We went up to a forest where we had a permit and cut down our tree one year. After that we went to tree farms around the area and cut down trees there. It was always fun. I miss my parents and those fun days. I remember those terrible icicles. They were terrible to clean up🙀😂. Music has changed. My husband has been playing three different XM channels on his truck radio. One of the stations plays old Christmas music. I am remembering so many songs I forgot. Does anyone remember the Christmas albums Goodyear used to put out. My grandmother looked forward to those coming out every year. I try to make the holidays memorable for my grandchildren. Thank you for the video. Best wishes to all of you.
You hit the nail on the head Mike, we're the same age, so I can surely identify with everything you said. Only one thing...I didn't care for "A Christmas Story", I'm sorry..I know it's strange. Happy Holidays ❤️
The laundry chute reminded me of a house we lived in for a year in Grand Rapids. For $500 the sellers sold my folks a whole house full of really nice furniture (like a Duncan Phyfe dining set that included a tea cart and buffet!). Some pieces we still have today; but the weirdest thing was a laundry mangle - a machine used to iron sheets, towels, tableclothes, etc., I guess. I think mom was afraid to use it; I know I was! 🤭
My grandmother used a mangle all the time. I tried to, and everything came out ironed with new wrinkles! That machine made an artist out of my grandma.
We had one in our basement , I got to iron my dads handkerchiefs and our pillowcases . We also had a laundry chute, a great way to clean up fast. My grandson got to play Ralphie in the Christmas story and he was great.
RE: Laundry chute. I had a fraternity brother in college who would mail his dirty laundry home every week. His mother would wash it, iron and fold it and mail it back. His home was 105 miles from college. True story. You can't make this stuff up.
My first house had a laundry shoot. When my boys were younger, I had to show them why they couldn't go down it, too. Too many nails sticking out from walls inside. Changed their minds for which I am thankful because the youngest would have surely tried.
Ah Yes, "Icicles", or as we knew them, Tinsel! Made the Trees look Great! One of the Funniest things I saw as a young human was watching one of our cats walking around the house with a piece of Tinsel hanging out of its Butt! 😁 Performance Art to an 8 year old boy! 👍 Good times in the late 60's!🥰🎄 Merry Christmas! Mike in San Diego. 🌞🎸🚀🖖
Always music playing in the house ❤ Remember " Sing Along with Mitch "? The best .... And I grew up in Cleveland, where The Christmas Story was filmed - Higbees was a real department store! The neighborhood where the house was, still looks the same ,,, great memories! Oh, and the intercom 😅
Icicles...? My grandmother had that stuff on her tree, but we always called it tinsel. I even remember the little boxes it came in labeled "tinsel". My grandmother had blown glass icicle ornaments, so tinsel and icicles were two completely different things for us. Shiny-Brite ornaments, the big colored light bulbs, glass icicles, bubbler lights, the tree covered in tinsel, and half the room covered in gifts stacked halfway to the ceiling are my memories of Christmas Eve at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Singing carols around the piano with my teen aunt playing accompaniment. Good memories.
I love that Peggy had the kids do a play! I always tried to make Christmas more than just a greed- fest for my kids, so one year I had my son (5 years old) act out King John’s Christmas while I narrated it and it turned out to be an unforgettable performance: He was so stricken with stage fright, that halfway through the performance, he threw up! 😂. Thankfully, it was only his doting grandma that he barfed on!
My monthly allowance from age 9 was accrued from cooking and doing the laundry for the family. Taught me work ethics and techniques along with the love of food! Thank you MOM...I miss you even today!
Our intercom did have a built-in AM/FM radio. Dad insisted on putting the lights on the tree. He required the icicles to be hung one at a time and the ends had to be even. Early on, we had no stockings. The old movies of those Christmases confirm mother used her wrecked nylons for that purpose. It was really neat because in addition to fruit, candy, etc., they were also big enough to hold Roman candles! Looking back 70 years makes me miss those times.
The laundry shoot in my closet floor when I was a young kid. I learned I could slide down about 3/4 of my body and there was a small ledge around the edges I could stand on. My Mom can in one day and saw me half way down the shoot, bout had a heart attack ! We had icicles too, we called them tinsel ...the good old days.
I was born in NY, and we lived in an old Victorian style house, and there was a laundry chute there and we loved it. My mom was never happy to see my brother's army men in the pile of dirty clothes, but we didn't do that to her very much 😂. Then we moved to Virginia to a newly built house (1969) and no more laundry chute. Those were the days! Merry Christmas to all of you and I look forward to more TWIHI next year!
First off i want to say you really should have your mom and dad on more often i absolutely die laughing old people are hilarious!! Also how are the pellets in Chucks buttocks? they really do work you have to give it a little time I've been doing it for a year. God Bless everyone and Merry Christmas!!!! Keep those funny videos coming!!
Icicles…we put them on the tree, as well. Then we carefully saved as many as we could for next year. I finally was able to purchase some. Merry Christmas to you three and your dad, too. ☺💕
Thirty years ago, there was a moose in central Nova Scotia (where I live) that had been affected by some sort of parasite that had bored into its brain. Apparently it drove the moose mad. I didn't have the pleasure of witnessing Moosey do the circle dance, but I did get a glimpse of the poor critter once, and it definitely looked a little rough around the edges. I always thought it was local malarkey, so, your tale of the wildebeests was a touch reassuring!
My husband was determined to get a huge tree this year. He is 65 and has been a long time dream. Had to get the son and nephew involved as he is unable to stand long in his own now. But....he got an 18ft tree (had to cut 3 feet off lol). He is a happy boy 😅 we decorated with the icicles
I’ve listened to all your podcasts on IHEART on my cell phone and have to tell you some of them 3 times had to share with my wife she finds your times with your Mom delightful if you keep Chuck around for a little longer she would like that
My sister lived in an old mansion house that had an intercom system similar to that, but hers had a radio in it. Luckily for her it was only on the first floor because the house was converted into apartments. In my family if a joke can be played on someone it is. My 63 year old brother told my sister's 3 year old that she could climb the Christmas tree and put the star on top. He has grandchildren around the same age, I wonder what he tells them.
