Tuesday, November 13, 2012. It is here and we are quickly moving headlong into the holiday season. With more than a dozen appearances already on the schedule, the wife and I are anticipating a fairly hectic Santa schedule beginning this upcoming weekend. Sounds too early, doesn't it? It does but I think that's the trend these days. Seems like I can remember when they waited until after Thanksgiving to go all out for Christmas but that's been a long time ago. This past Sunday afternoon I got out all the equipment to give it a dry run rehearsal. Nearly everyone thinks doing work as Santa is about the easiest job anyone could have. Just sit in a chair and have adorable little children sit on your lap. What could be hard about that? Right? Think again Bucko! I can't be sure what my internal temperature reaches when I am all garbed up but I have melted a pair or two of socks. Adorable children. Most of them are but not all. Many of them are a little on the heavy side. The parents. Most of them are great to work with them. Most of them. When they are out of sorts and expecting that Santa is 100% responsible for making a Norman Rockwell memory with their little brat, well, that can bring some upward mobility to my blood pressure. Fortunately, that's not the norm. And, there are so many precious children that make this a wonderful adventure. The pay is not too shabby either. The photo is from Sunday's dry run. I'm holding the picture made in 2010 of me with our little great granddaughter, our bundle of Madelyn Joy. You might say when I suit up I am employed in the memory making business.
I heard one of our twins, Amanda, talking about how much she loves Christmas and how anxious she is for the season to come. She talked about the decorations, the family gatherings, and the music that makes it such a special time. That's exactly the way I grew up. We always were excited about Christmas. We've played a role in helping to make this memory for her along with the rest of our children and their children. Last week we had a preview Thanksgiving meal at our Wednesday evening potluck supper at the Church. My wife made a batch of our version of cornbread dressing. Nothing speaks more to me about the holiday season than the taste and smell of 'our' traditional meals. Granny Mac would have been proud. My mom would be proud. It was, as they say, just about right. Some folks were still talking about it this past Sunday. Many prepare stuffing made out of dried bread, therefore, their tradition is different. They look forward to it like we do to ours. These wonderful traditions help us to reflect upon the memories God has allowed us to collect. Eating that cornbread dressing brought forth the image of my Granny as she stood over that hot stove. It reminded me of the spread my mom always laid out for us kids. As Bob Hope used as his signature, I also say...."Thanks for the memories....." And, of course, a yum yum or two for added measure!
The past Sunday was celebrated as Veteran's Day. The photo was put up on Facebook by my nephew Todd. The first fellow is my dad. I carry his name as a junior. He falsified his age and entered the Army at age 16. He served overseas in WW2. My mom has shared a few of his stories but I've always wanted to visit with him. That wasn't possible since he left us from a sudden illness at age 31, but, based on his testimony and mine, I will catch up with him on the other side. I know I am who I am today because of what he handed down to me. The next photo is of my brother Donald, a United States Marine. Retired, but still a Marine. He was privileged to serve a number of years as a drill instructor. He also saw action in Vietnam. Donald went to his reward in June of 2011. The last photo is of my stepdad for these past 35 plus years. He has been a most wonderful hero to us all. Retired from the US Army serving in the Military Police, dad saw service in Korea and Vietnam. We thank God that we still have dad to influence and impact our lives. We have a number of others in our family who have also worn the uniform of our country. We thank God for them all. I close with a prayer I copied from a Veteran's Prayer website:
"O Lord, today I thank You for our veterans, for their
willingness to risk all so that our nation might dwell in peace and safety. May
they find the honor and recognition they truly deserve. I pray that You will
heal the physical, spiritual, and psychological wounds some of these veterans
have suffered. Bring a lasting peace to those who mourn the loss of comrades.
Help them to find Your love and mercy, so that they may cope with the actions
they may have had to take while they served our country." Until we meet next time, may God bless each one and may God bless all those who have served to protect and defend our freedoms. Amen. .....More later.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012. It is here and we are quickly moving headlong into the holiday season. With more than a dozen appearances already on the schedule, the wife and I are anticipating a fairly hectic Santa schedule beginning this upcoming weekend. Sounds too early, doesn't it? It does but I think that's the trend these days. Seems like I can remember when they waited until after Thanksgiving to go all out for Christmas but that's been a long time ago. This past Sunday afternoon I got out all the equipment to give it a dry run rehearsal. Nearly everyone thinks doing work as Santa is about the easiest job anyone could have. Just sit in a chair and have adorable little children sit on your lap. What could be hard about that? Right? Think again Bucko! I can't be sure what my internal temperature reaches when I am all garbed up but I have melted a pair or two of socks. Adorable children. Most of them are but not all. Many of them are a little on the heavy side. The parents. Most of them are great to work with them. Most of them. When they are out of sorts and expecting that Santa is 100% responsible for making a Norman Rockwell memory with their little brat, well, that can bring some upward mobility to my blood pressure. Fortunately, that's not the norm. And, there are so many precious children that make this a wonderful adventure. The pay is not too shabby either. The photo is from Sunday's dry run. I'm holding the picture made in 2010 of me with our little great granddaughter, our bundle of Madelyn Joy. You might say when I suit up I am employed in the memory making business.
I heard one of our twins, Amanda, talking about how much she loves Christmas and how anxious she is for the season to come. She talked about the decorations, the family gatherings, and the music that makes it such a special time. That's exactly the way I grew up. We always were excited about Christmas. We've played a role in helping to make this memory for her along with the rest of our children and their children. Last week we had a preview Thanksgiving meal at our Wednesday evening potluck supper at the Church. My wife made a batch of our version of cornbread dressing. Nothing speaks more to me about the holiday season than the taste and smell of 'our' traditional meals. Granny Mac would have been proud. My mom would be proud. It was, as they say, just about right. Some folks were still talking about it this past Sunday. Many prepare stuffing made out of dried bread, therefore, their tradition is different. They look forward to it like we do to ours. These wonderful traditions help us to reflect upon the memories God has allowed us to collect. Eating that cornbread dressing brought forth the image of my Granny as she stood over that hot stove. It reminded me of the spread my mom always laid out for us kids. As Bob Hope used as his signature, I also say...."Thanks for the memories....." And, of course, a yum yum or two for added measure!
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