Ah, Sunday! Who doesn't love a day of leisure, a day that seems to run at a pace much slower than the rest of the days of the week? Such fond memories Sundays hold for me....Sundays are a day to spend with the family, playing together, praying together, or doing....absolutely nothing together. What could be better?
My fondest memories of Sundays are tied to my small but close family. Reading the Houston Chronicle (which was so large this kid could hardly carry it into the house by herself) with mom and dad, laughing at the funnies, eating a late breakfast, and an even later supper, which was usually roast with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. The basics were always the best, never really had too fancy a meal on a Sunday, lest the preparations cut into "together time". I also seem to remember most times the sound of a football game eminating from the television, for nothing else but background noise. It is a sound that to this day I still associate with Sundays and Thanksgiving.
As a preteen, I remember I would either spend Saturday night over at my best friend's house, or she at mine. Whichever house we were at, when we would rise on Sunday morning, the house was always filled with the smell of bacon and eggs cooking, and we were always greeted with "Morning, Glory!" as we sleepily made our way to the table.
On very special weekends, the family would spend time at my grandparents' house in Houston, and later in Goodrich when they moved out that way. A special treat was spending time with them as well as with my great-grandmother, whom we affectionately called "Nanny". Pancakes were the order of the day, as was lots of love and hugs. Grandpa would take us out to his garden (small but utilitarian) and proudly show off his latest crop of tomatoes and okra. I remember feeling like such a lucky girl when my grandma would let me go out to her shed to dive into her comic book stash. For my entertainment, I could choose from Tarzan, The Witching Hour, Tales from the Crypt, The Unexpected, The Twilight Zone, and all the other creepfest-type publications. How I loved them!
On really special Sundays, the family would take a road trip to Crockett to visit Mama and Papa Musil, my other great-grandparents, who lived in the country on, of all things, a farm. This was a real thrill for a city gal. I remember only fragments, as I was so young at the time, but my grandmother tells me that Papa Musil would hook up my wagon to the back of his tractor and wag me around the land, with me enjoying every moment. When Papa would stop, I would slap the sides of the wagon, as if to say, "Giddyup!"
Sometimes on Sundays, dad would play baseball at the park down the road with his buddies. I remember sitting in the stands, thinking that he was the handomest and best daddy a gal could have. In the evenings, we would play board games at the kitchen table. Card games, too - spades and canasta were two of my favorites. The "game night" has been a tradition in my family for many years. It stopped only when mother died. Not since then have we played a single game together. I miss those game nights most of all.
The perfect Sunday song to me has always been "Sunday Will Never Be The Same", by Spanky and Our Gang. This is a bittersweet song that seems to fit the mood of grownup Sundays. Sundays as a child for me were filled with joy and they felt like they would never end. As an adult, so many things take on such a complexity that experiences, and Sundays, just don't feel quite the same anymore.
What are your favorite Sunday memories? What do Sundays mean to you? Do you have Sunday traditions, or are you and your family in the process of forming your own?
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Thanx for sharing your memories, justmyopinion31 and worldturning (I gotta get my feet back on the ground...). Yea, WT, I watched "Butterflies" during the mid-80s and loved it, does anyone remember that wonderful British soap opera? If I rememeber correctly, it came on Channel 9 from San Antonio. I was truly hooked. I finally found DVDs in the "Acorn" catalog, but haven't ordered them yet. Anytime I would mention "Butterflies" to people, they all looked at me like I was nuts. I myself was beginning to think it was a figment of my imagination! But, it was real! If you like British soaps, WT, check out the Acorn catalog, or if you don't get the catalog, try www.acornonline.com. I really enjoy their "all things British" collection and you can also track down hard-to-find DVDs (like "Butterflies'!). Enjoy!
January 7, 2008 at 9:54 p.m.My oldest Sunday memories are of coffee so strong, the aroma would wind its way to my bedroom and jostle me awake. My pop would stand at the stove cooking sausage gravy and biscuits (this was before him and my mom went through their vegetarianism phase). He'd plate it up with eggs & grits. Classical music always played on the radio. The Austin American-Statesman would be on the breakfast table laying open. I miss my pop just thinking about it.
January 7, 2008 at 6:20 p.m.These days, I get up, drink coffee, read the paper and head to 10:30 Sunday Mass. I try not to do any more than the dishes on this day and make it a day of rest.
Pssst...psst....okay, I will admit, at 10 or 11 pm, I turn on the Houston PBS channel and watch the only soap opera I've become addicted to for the past 2 years....The EastEnders. It's a British soap opera about regular folk and not all superficial and pretentious like our sappy/crappy American soap operas. (With all due respect to those who like American soap operas.) hee hee hee
January 6, 2008 at 4 p.m.What are your favorite Sunday memories?
I remember when I was a little girl our Sundays started with church in the morning and then off to River side park we went so I could go on the "Rocket Slide":)
What do Sundays mean to you?
Sunday is a time for family.It's also suppose to be a day of relaxation but know that I'm older and a parent the only relaxation I get in when I'm asleep:)
Do you have Sunday traditions, or are you and your family in the process of forming your own?
Yes,we have Sunday traditions.I can honestly say that Sunday is a good day for my household besides it's the only day that we are all off of work,school,etc.