The Best Gift for My Parents (EVER!)

Christmas 2012 was awesome. First, we had the perfect amount of fresh snow, and second, my family lives within a two mile radius of each other so the snow didn't stop us from getting together. We always go to my parents house for a Christmas breakfast, and the grand kids exchange gifts. It's always casual, low key and a great way to spend Christmas. I like the late breakfast party, because then you have the whole rest of the day to hang out at home and let the kids enjoy their new toys, without being on a schedule.

This year was much the same. The breakfast was wonderful and the kids enjoyed opening their gifts, but then my brother brings out a large present for our mom. She opens it slowly and we all discover my brothers genius gift idea: a really nice record player. It took a couple of minutes to hook it up to their  high quality stereo system (if you came to one of my parties back in the day, you would agree) and VOILA, we were ready to rock.

My folks have a shelf in their living room that is full of some of the best records from the 70's and 80's. All these albums have just sat on the shelf for years and years, waiting for the day that a new record player would appear. Well yesterday was the day and they got some serious play. My mother has every Barbra Streisand, and Linda Ronstadt record known to man. There were also plenty of Elton John, Foreigner, Bob Seager, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Carpenters and Heart to be found. Even some obscure stuff like Ambrosia and April Wine, that I am not to familiar with. She loved these records enough to keep them, despite no longer owning anything to play them on. Tucked inside one of her Elton John records, was a copy of People Magazine from 1975, with Elton on the cover. That magazine has been in the family longer than I have!


She's had these great old records for so many years and sadly, I think I had a lot to do with the demise of the original record player. I recall it being taken down to the then unfinished basement many, many years ago. The unfinished basement was my own personal roller rink way back when. I played our autographed Tiffany record over and over again while I skated all over the basement concrete. Though I couldn't find it yesterday, I'm certain we had a Wham record that was also on my roller rink play list as well.

The new record player was the main attraction at the Christmas morning celebration. Hearing "Barracuda", blast through my parents speakers, was an absolute joy. We followed it up with "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and they even let me have a moment to dance to "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany. It was AWESOME!!! My dad put on an old Bob Seager record and it was so nice to watch these old songs fill him with memories. He was listening to a lot of those old songs on an 8 track player in his truck when he and my mother were first married. Songs and smells are so great for taking you on a vivid trip down memory lane. My parents were so happy with the gift my brother brought for them. I don't know how he came up with a such a great idea, but he did and he knocked it out of the park. No one could ever top that Christmas present. I love my family and I'm so thankful that we live so close to one another. It was a wonderful Christmas.