COLUMN: It's Just a Country State of Mind: A Brown County Christmas

When I was a little girl, my grandparents lived out in the country in Brown County. They lived in a beautiful, rustic cottage on a piece of property that used to be known as the "Underwood Stables." It was known as a horse farm. But to me, it was the place where I spent the holidays with my grandparents.

My grandfather worked for the Underwood family, taking care of the horses. Their cottage overlooked a lake on the property, which was quite visible through the picture windows in their living room. The walls of the cabin were made of knotted pine, and the floors were made of pine as well. It was a pleasant experience for me when I entered their house. The aroma of my grandmother's pumpkin pie baking in the oven permeated the air and mixed with the smell of the pine. It was the scent of Christmas to me.

One particular memory I have is of a Christmas when I was five-years-old. It was a considerable drive to get from my family's house to my grandparents' house. I was rather small for my age, which meant that I could barely see out of the windows of the backseat of my father's car as we made our way past the wooded landscape. The ground was layered with fresh Christmas Eve snow and everything was white. It was a picture that was worthy of a painter's brush.

What I remember most about that Christmas was our arrival at my grandparents' house. My grandmother met us at the door and ushered us into their warm living room, where we were greeted by other family members. A Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room, decked out with lights and colors and was loaded with packages and surprises underneath.

The extra beds were made up for the grandchildren to sleep in, and my grandmother always gave her granddaughters a new set of flannel pajamas to keep them warm on the cold, winter nights.

The grandchildren were allowed to open some presents on Christmas Eve. The anticipation was too much for us, and we would not leave the adults alone until we were granted permission. "Just one," we would say.

Later in the night, sleep would be long in coming as cousins lay side-by-side, whispering quietly into the night. But soon the natural inclination for sleep would finally take over, and the household would grow silent in the cottage. Early the next morning on Christmas Day, I was awake before the others and had the privilege of accompanying my grandfather to the stables to feed the horses. I can remember the smell of the horses and my grandfather brushing the horses' manes. My grandfather lifted me up on his shoulder so I could see the horses better.

When we returned to the house, we had breakfast, and we all just enjoyed the presence of one another's company. It was there, in that little cottage, where I first learned about family, tradition and of the importance of both.

In those early days, my grandparents helped provide me with a sense of security by sharing their love, and by teaching me the value of family togetherness. Later, they would move from their Brown County home to Monroe County to be closer to their grandchildren. But I will never forget those early memories of Christmas.

Now, when I think of Brown County, I think of my grandparents and the presents under their Christmas tree. I think of the turkey, with all of the trimmings and fresh pumpkin pie. I think of the memories from my childhood of Christmases past. I think of coming home.

Merry Christmas to all!

Have a great November!

~ Susan