Camoflauge Christmas

When I was growing up my mom would hide a present on the tree for me to find every year. It was usually some kind of jewelry, but it could have been a special ornament or trinket as well. It was up to me to figure it out. Sometimes I would hunt for hours...sometime a few minutes.

My great dream present when I was a kid was a horse. One year my parents told me to go out and see was was tied underneath the balconey. I couldn't believe my ears! I raced outside and looked over the railing to see a perfectly saddled, horse tied to the post - a 12 inch tall plastic one that is. Disappointment can not describe what I felt that Christmas. Laughter and mirth were what my parents were feeling though.

How was your Christmas?

Thanks to my mom, mine turned out just as I had hoped. I went to see her and even though she doesn't decorate or cook, we had a good visit. She gave me enough money to get some tires and a much overdue oil change. That is a load off my mind. I got her a manicure set for people with arthritis and a smorgasboard of different kinds of licorice - her favorite candy. My sister was not in attendance which made the day that much better.

I stopped on the way home and ordered the Chinese feast that I have been dreaming about for the past couple of years. I picked at it and I fully intend to pick some more over the next couple days. Eddie was nice enough to fry a bunch of chicken up for me. I told him I would take care of the sides but I was much too tired to cook anything at all. Normally I don't eat fried chicken but it's a holiday so "what the hell". I might as well enjoy myself.

I am surrounded by all my beautiful decorations. Unfortunately they are surrounded by squalor because I have been unable to do much since the stress test on the 14th. It was a good thing I had my decorations up before then. I tried to keep the dishes done but that endeavor was unsuccessful as well as the other housekeeping chores that need to be done.

I worked three times since the heart stress test. I took too many breaks and went home early twice. I will try to work again Monday. Wednesday is the heart cath. We'll just have to see what happens after that.

Why Can't I Find the Christmas Star?

One Christmas Eve when I was around 8 years old, we were pulling in the drive-way after making our Christmas rounds, I asked my dad a question. I had been looking for the Christmas Star which the Bible said was over the baby Jesus' manger when he was born. Actually I had been looking for it for several years, I just had not said anything to anybody about it.

"Daddy, why can't I find the Christmas Star?"

"Why Pam? The sky is full of stars. What are you talking about?"

"No Daddy, I mean the Christmas Star, the one the wiseman followed to find the baby Jesus."

"Oh, that star. That star was only out the night that Christ was born. It was there so that men could find Jesus. If you want to find Jesus now all you have to do is look into your heart."

"Ok, Daddy."

That darn cat!

One year I had a cat that knocked down the Christmas Tree 3 times. The third time I did not redecorate it! I just stood it up and left it that way until the day after Christmas. It was negative 30 that year and I had to bring all my animals in the house for Christmas: 2 greyhounds, an otterhound and her 8 puppies, a samoyed, a minature husky and that cat. Nobody caused any problems other than the cat!

Other than that it was an excellent Christmas! That was the year that my foot was run over by a truck and I spent 9 months in bed. My husband had to do all the major holidays for us while I just laid back and watched. He did a very good job and that is the year that I learned that he actually enjoyed the holidays. I had finally rubbed off on "Old Scroogie".

I called him "Scroogie" because the first year we were married he complained so much about my preparations for Christmas that the next year I threatened to divorce him (and I meant it) if he ruined another Christmas for me. He was so bad, I even had a Santa hat made for him that said "Baa Humbug" on it which he proudly wore!

It was also the year I learned to bake a turkey upside down. When Bobby first put it in the oven that way I laughed at him and told him it was wrong. He told me he was cooking it and he was doing it his way - so I shut up. The surprise came when he served me a perfectly cooked turkey.

The Frenzy began last Saturday!

It happens every year. The shoppers hit the stores in the last week before Christmas and they don't even care what they buy - as long as they buy something to put under the tree. The merchandise is strewn all throughout the store because there aren't enough employees to go behind people and pick the stuff up.

It is a marathon. Standing at the cashier, niceties practically forgotten as an endless line of shoppers wait to pay for their purchases. I must say people seem to be in a better mood this year. I have yet to have a crazed shopper's tirade directed at me because we had the nerve to run out of scotch tape or pokemon cards that no kid has asked for in the past 3 years.

I have noticed the quiet smiles of gratitude as I wish customers "Merry Christmas." For the past couple of years I dreaded to even mention the words because the tirade about political correctness from people who were actually happy to hear the words was worse than listening to someone who didn't celebrate the holiday. (93% of Americans celebrate Christmas)

I did wish a lady a Merry Christmas the other day and she thanked me but told me she didn't celebrate the holiday. I proceeded to wish her "the most wonderful day ever" with a big smile. She smiled back at me and told me she would. She said it was her first trip to our store and she really enjoyed it. I told her is was a pleasure to have her and to please come again and she assured me that she would.

I keep my head down and my chin up until the frenzy ends on Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas to All!