By Andrea Brandt
Anyone that knew my mom, Cathie Hostetler, knew she loved Christmas. The decorating, parties, family, and everyone in a happy and festive mood. I think the season fit my mom and matched her caring and fun-filled personality. Growing up, Christmases were always magical. Some of my favorite memories and traditions are those involving Christmas. One involved the family trip to San Francisco the day after Thanksgiving. Mom and her sister, Claire, loaded all the kids in the car and we headed for the sophisticated city to see it in all of its Christmas finery. The first thing we did was to line up in front of Gump’s department store windows. Each had a beautiful Christmas scene and had kittens and puppies playing in it that were available for adoption. They were so adorable. For full article, please purchase a copy of The Paper.