Twenty-nine years ago our small family went caroling in our San Francisco Parnassus Heights neighborhood including the fire station on Stanyan Street and we've gone caroling every year since, days before Christmas Eve. We moved to a second neighborhood also with a fire station and a third neighborhood with a police station. When our children had their run-ins with the law they still came caroling with us but preferred waiting outside the police station. When we moved to Concord we were just in a neighborhood and enjoy the same route each year, food, hot cider and chocolate, and a white elephant gift exchange. One year unbeknown to me I invited cousins who hadn't seen each other in years until they met at our house. The youngest in the group is asked to carry the jingle bells and we have old music sheets handed out at the McLaren Lodge tree lighting decades ago. One of our carolers sings in the Temple Hill Choir. The rest of us have trouble carrying a tune but we have lots of spirit. A daughter learned the recorder, one son learned the clarinet and sax, one son the trumpet and he favored us with tunes one year. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Olie Conklin-Chavez, 64
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