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 |  It's all her fault. |
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Welcome to my blog.
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| Grandpa turned back and headed for the bathroom. In a short time, he came back in wearing his new clothes. “Now that we’re all fancied up, you would think we’re going somewhere. Let’s see if I have any life in them old fiddle strings while we’re waitin’.” He picked up his fiddle and started playing one Christmas tune after another with a break every now and then for something to drink. We laughed and sang. Before we knew it, we could see Mom and Dad pulling into the driveway. “Here we go, boys, everything ready?” “Yes, sir,” we replied. “Then let’s go greet them,” Grandpa said. We opened the door and went out on the porch. The temperature had dropped since I was last out there and the snow flurries had started again. “Merry Christmas!” we hollered out as Mom and Dad got out of the car. They waved and hollered back and my brothers and I went out to see if they needed any help. Dad handed us some bags to carry in. Mom was already on the front porch with Grandpa, who said, “Come on in out of the cold.” As we filed into the front room, Mom said, “What a beautiful tree!” Dad agreed that it was fine-looking. Mom and Dad took their coats off and we all sat in the front room while Grandpa told them how we got the tree. “You climbed a tree and cut this down?” Dad asked while looking at me. “Yes, sir, I did,” I replied. “You used to take Harold and Hayes out to do the same thing, didn’t you, Dad?” my mom asked Grandpa. Uncle Harold and Uncle Hayes were my mom’s brothers. “Yes, we did the same thing,” Grandpa winked, “many moons ago.” Dad had told us to put the bags down by the tree. Mom stepped closer to look at the decorations and noticed the new lights. Grandpa told her that there were more around the front porch. “I didn’t even notice them but I did notice the sleigh in the front yard.” Grandpa told Mom and Dad all about our sleigh ride the night before. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you and Glen hook up Jack and go on a sleigh ride yourselves?” Mom looked over at Dad. He said, “It’s been a while, but a sleigh ride sure sounds good.” “Lanny, you go over to the barn with your dad and get Jack. You know where the harnesses are and can help hook him up,” Grandpa said. Then he turned to my mother, “While you’re out sleigh riding, the boys and I will get Christmas dinner ready.” Dad and Lanny put on their coats and left for the barn. Grandpa told Lenny to get four bricks from the sleigh where we left them last night, bring them in, unwrap them, and put them on the fire. He asked me to fetch two blankets. We went our separate ways to do what Grandpa asked. When we returned to the front room, Mom said, “Your grandpa told me that you boys were really well-behaved and y’all had a great time together. I’m glad to hear that.” “We sure did, Mom,” I said, and Lenny agreed. Through the front room window, we could see Lanny and Dad hooking Jack up to the sleigh. Mom said, “That Jack is just as big and beautiful as ever, I see.” Grandpa snorted. “Don’t let Jack hear ya say that, his head is big enough as it is.” I could hear the bells ringing again and the sound made me smile. Dad and Lanny came in to announce that Jack was ready. “The bricks should be hot enough for a while, let’s get ‘em wrapped up,” Grandpa said. “Bricks?” Dad asked. To my surprise, my mother answered his question. “They’re to put our feet on to help keep us warm. Dad used to put them in the buckboard or in cars that didn’t have heat.” Grandpa and Dad wrapped the bricks up and took them out to the sleigh. Mom got in and I handed her one of the blankets, then Dad got in and I handed him the other. Grandpa told them to take their time and to enjoy the scenery. With that, Dad snapped the reins and Jack began to move. We watched as the sleigh made its way out onto the driveway and down the hill, then we hurried inside out of the cold. |
| My brothers and I opened our first gifts and each of us found a new pair of dungarees. Lanny picked up one of Grandpa’s presents and brought it to him. He opened it and inside was a new pair of bib overalls. We all laughed at the similarity of the gifts. Our next packages contained flannel shirts, different colors for each of us. This time Lenny brought a gift over for Grandpa. He opened the box and in it was a pair of long johns. Grandpa smiled and said, “I sure needed these.” We all had two boxes left. The next one we opened had five pairs of socks each. I brought Grandpa his next gift. He opened it and inside was a cake of Old Oak Rosin for his fiddle, amber color. “Wait before you open the last one,” Grandpa said, “do any of you have any pennies on you?” We looked at one another. Pennies? All three of us nodded. “Well,” Grandpa said, “it’ll cost each of ya one penny to open those last gifts.” We looked at one another again and reached into our pockets. When we had each handed over a penny, Grandpa stuck the coins in his pocket and said, “Good, go ahead and open them.” We opened our gifts and inside were two smaller boxes, a wooden box containing a Norton Arkansas whetstone with honing oil and in the other box was a Case Stockman pocket knife. I looked over at my brothers’ knives and then back down at mine, and realized right away what he had done. Grandpa told me once that it takes time to get a pocket knife broke in just right, with sharpening and such. My brothers’ knives were brand-new, but mine was not. I knew Grandpa had given me his old broken-in knife. That meant a lot to me. I placed the knife in my pocket and didn’t say a word. We each thanked Grandpa and I just had to ask him, “What was the reason for giving you a penny?” “As far back as I can remember, anytime someone gave away a knife, the person they gave it to had to give them something in return. I collected a penny from you so the knife belongs to you as the owner, so that way it won’t turn on you and cut you. I’d rather do that than take my chances,” Grandpa said. The reasoning sounded good to me (and I still follow that tradition, to this day). “Grandpa, you still have one more gift,” I said as I reached to hand it to him. Grandpa opened it and inside was a set of D’Addario violin strings and a heavy hank unbleached white horsehair for his fiddle bow. “I haven’t had Christmas gifts this nice in a long time, all things I need and can use,” Grandpa said. “We’ll save the stockings for when your parents get here and open their gifts. In the meantime, let’s get all this cleaned up and put on our new Christmas outfits, shall we?” We cleaned up the debris from unwrapping our gifts and then each waited for our turn in the bathroom to put on our new Christmas clothes. Grandpa and I were last, so I told him how Mom and Dad gave us the money to buy him something for Christmas and that we had added more with money we had worked for by doing odd jobs. “How did you know what I use on the fiddle?” he asked. “Mom called Mr. Massey and asked him,” I said. “That figures. I always order my strings and stuff through him.” Grandpa paused as if he was thinking, then laughed. “Those Masseys sure can keep a secret,” he said. “Last night when we were at Dewy’s, I asked him if he had gotten those knives in. His wife put them behind the seat of the truck while you all were paying attention to the music.” Lenny and Lanny came back in. “Those clothes fit you pretty good, I see,” Grandpa said. “They’re real nice, Grandpa,” Lenny said. “Thanks again,” said Lanny. “It’s our turn now. You go ahead first, Mike.” I hurried to put on my new clothes and then came back into the front room. “Good fit, who did you ask, Grandpa?” I asked. He chuckled and said, “Your mom.” “We asked Uncle Hayes,” Lanny chimed in. Grandpa laughed and got up to head for the bathroom when the phone rang. He walked to the hall to answer it and when he came back he said, “Your mom and dad just called and said they would be here in about an hour or so.” My Knife from Grandpa ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| The snow blade that Grandpa was talking about hooked on the back of the tractor and set at an angle to force the snow to one side of the road. The depth was adjusted by a lever and with each pass it went deeper and deeper until the road surface was cleared. The tractor also had a bucket scoop on the front that Grandpa used when he had a lot of snow to remove at one time, but it was slower to use than the blade. The tractor was kept in the barn, and just about a hundred yards from the barn was a little building where Grandpa stored his diesel fuel. With the blade in place, Grandpa climbed upon the tractor and in a few moments, the tractor came to life with a puff of black smoke. Grandpa put it into gear as Lenny and Lanny opened the barn doors. After Grandpa drove the tractor out, they closed the doors behind him. Lenny and Lanny went their separate ways to do their appointed chores (milking the cow and fetching eggs). I checked each animal to make sure they were fed and had plenty of water. We were just talking with each other to make sure everything was done, when we heard the tractor coming back to the barn. Lenny and Lanny ran over to the doors to let Grandpa in as I watched from the other side of the barn. Grandpa turned the tractor around and backed it in and my brothers again shut the doors. Lenny asked if he wanted them to take the blade back off. “No, it’s easier to take off than to put on by yourself.” Grandpa looked around. “Is everything done?” “Yes, sir,” we replied. “Good, then let’s get back to the house, we have plenty more to get done.” When we got back to the kitchen, Grandpa told Lanny and I to start cleaning up the front room and parlor; he and Lenny would keep working on dinner. Lanny and I started in the front room, dusting, sweeping, and organizing. Lanny asked me, “What do you think Grandpa got us?” I told him “Anything’s fine with me.” “When do you think he will let us open them?” “Maybe when we get caught up on everything.” Lanny started picking up speed and so did I. It wasn’t long and we had both rooms done (they weren’t that big anyway). We went back into the kitchen to see what was next. Grandpa said, “Lanny, you go and get the bedroom cleaned and might as well pack up your and Lenny’s belongings. Mike, go and sweep off the front porch and steps. I already cut a path in the front yard with the tractor.” Lanny went his way, I went mine. I stepped out onto the front porch and looked out in amazement. The driveway was cleared and so was the road, the snow banked up on both sides of each. There were birds fluttering around the dogwood, after the popcorn strings and seedcobs. I swept the snow off the porch and steps and shook the mat in front of the door. I paused again, looking at the sleigh and thinking Grandpa was right; I’ll never forget that ride and the joy that it brought to me. I looked at the tree in the window and it was funny, it seemed almost like a dream, as I thought of how it had only been two days back when I had climbed up that tree to cut it. I placed the broom by the door and went back inside. The smell of the food cooking was mouth-watering. I went into the bedroom and my suitcase was still on the bed from that morning. I packed up my clothes and shut the case and sat it down next to the bed. I looked around the room to make sure that everything was the way that we had found it. When I walked back into the kitchen, Lanny was there, eating. Grandpa said, “Get yourself something to eat to hold you over until your folks show up.” There was so much to choose from, so I had a little of everything. Except the pies, it wouldn’t look right if they had pieces missing out of them. I had to at least smell them though, pumpkin, apple, and blackberry. I settled for some cookies instead. Grandpa announced, “We’re done, all we have to do now is keep everything warm that needs to be. I’m going to fix me a plate too. Come on Lenny, let’s eat.” “This sure is good, Grandpa,” I said. Lenny and Lanny agreed. After we were done eating and our dishes were done, Grandpa looked at us. “Well,” he said, “I guess we need to go into the front room for a spell.” “Yes, sir!” we said. Grandpa led the way and we each took our usual places. Once he’d settled into his chair, Grandpa said “I guess while we’re waiting, you could open your gifts.” “What about yours, Grandpa?” I asked. “Mine?” “Right there,” Lenny pointed to a stack. “Well, I’ll be hanged, I never even noticed. Thank you, boys,” Grandpa said. “Thank us for what?” I smiled, “Are you sure it was us?” Grandpa looked at me and just laughed. “Okay, I asked for that. Each of you get your gifts now and start from the biggest to the smallest.” |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The next morning I was up early like usual. I knew Grandpa was already up, so trying to be quiet as I could, I headed for the kitchen. “Good morning, Grandpa, Merry Christmas,” I said. Grandpa replied the same. He was already preparing food for our Christmas dinner. There were cans of cranberries already open, pies from Dot’s thawing out on a rack, and platters sitting on the counter waiting to be filled with dressing, turkey, and such. I went over to the window and saw that it was snowing, not hard, just a sprinkling of flakes slowly floating to earth. “Not much snow so far,” I reported, “maybe an inch, inch and a half at most.” Grandpa nodded then asked me why I hadn’t gone in to look at the tree. “I can wait,” I said. He raised an eyebrow at me. “It’s Christmas day, Grandpa,” I explained. Our folks will be coming today and then we have to leave. I just don’t want it to end.” Grandpa stopped what he was doing and told me to sit down. He sat next to me and said “Someone once said, ‘All good things must come to an end.’ Did you have a good time?” he asked. Yes sir,” I said, “I had the best of times.” “Is it something you will always remember?” “Yes, sir. I’ll never forget,” I replied. “Then it’s never really gone. The memory will be there as long as you remember and so will I.” Grandpa laid his hand on the back of my neck and gave it a little squeeze. ”Let’s show your folks what a time we had and what a good time they can have and add to their memories. Go and get ready for breakfast now, we have a lot more to do.” “Yes sir.” I went into the parlor to get my clothes and remembered something else I needed to get. I went back into the bedroom and opened the closet as quietly as I could, got my suitcase out, then placed it on the bed and opened it. Inside were the two gifts I had gotten for Grandpa. Back in the parlor, I peeked around the corner to see where Grandpa was, reached down and picked up my clothes and went into the front room. There was the tree in all its splendor, and at the bottom of the tree were three stacks of gifts, four boxes each, plus more for my mom and dad and also there were three socks hanging from the sides of the fireplace. I quickly placed my gifts for Grandpa under the tree and went off to the bathroom to get ready. When I came back into the kitchen, Grandpa said, “I heard you go in and look at the tree.” “Yes, sir.” “Well, you feel a bit better now?” he asked. “Yes, sir,” I said. “Thank you.” “Thank me for what?” He smiled, his Irish eyes twinkling, “Are you sure it was me?” I looked around the kitchen at the food in various stages of preparation. “What do you want me to do, Grandpa?” I asked. “You can start by stringing the beans and I’ll go wake your brothers up,” Grandpa said. I got the colander and a piece of newspaper which I laid out on the table. I piled the beans on the newspaper and started snapping the strings out, putting them in the colander to be washed. Meanwhile, Grandpa went in to wake up my brothers. I heard him say, “Get up, it’s Christmas day.” Boy, the racket they made getting up, thumping and bumping into everything. Grandpa came back in the kitchen and sat down, smiling. We could even hear as they got hung up in the doorway trying to get out at the same time, and of course they made a dash for the tree. Grandpa and I sat there laughing. When they finally came into the kitchen, they were smiling from ear to ear and were wide awake. They both said “Good morning, Merry Christmas,” and Grandpa and I answered them back the same. Grandpa told them to go and get ready for breakfast and to make their beds. Off they went, I could hear them in the bedroom making sounds like they were getting their suitcases out. I knew what they were doing, so I wasn’t surprised to hear them return back to the front room. Lanny came back into the kitchen with his clothes and sat down, waiting for his turn in the bathroom. Grandpa asked Lanny how he felt. Lanny replied, “A little tired still, I guess from being up so late.” “I reckon we all are,” Grandpa said. Soon Lenny came in and Lanny went out. I just about had the last of the beans done, and Grandpa had breakfast almost ready, a feast that included biscuits and gravy, bacon, ham, and sausage. When Lanny came back in and took his place, the beans were done and sitting on the counter and breakfast was ready and waiting on the table. After the breakfast dishes were done, Grandpa had us shucking corn, peeling potatoes, cleaning all the vegetables, and setting the table for Christmas dinner. When those chores were done, it was time to head out to the barn. Grandpa led us from the house at a brisk pace, so in no time we were there. Once inside, he turned to my brothers and said, “Don’t worry about cleaning out the stalls, I’ll catch up on that myself. First thing, I need y’all to help me with the snow blade.” I smiled. I knew Grandpa wouldn’t need reminding about plowing the driveway. Then he looked over at me. “Mike, you go and start feeding the animals.” |
| Moving again, it wasn’t long until we turned to go up the drive to Grandpa’s house. Jack just took us up the steep grade with seemingly little or no effort on his part. “Bring the sleigh around in the front yard,” Grandpa told Lanny, ”so Jack is facing the barn like when we first came out.” Lanny successfully maneuvered Jack and the sleigh into place, perfectly parallel to the front porch. “Let’s get the sleigh unloaded, then we’ll all take Jack back to the barn,” Grandpa said. As we started unloading the sleigh, I was surprised at just how much people had given us. There were jars of preserves, tins of cookies, and several homemade ornaments to hang on the tree. We took everything inside, and when we came back out, I couldn’t help myself, I went over and hugged Jack. He put his head down on my shoulder and I wished him a Merry Christmas and thanked him for taking us about. Of course, my brothers looked at me like I was some kind of nut, until Grandpa went over and patted Jack and said the same thing. Grandpa unhooked Jack from the sleigh and told me to get one of the lanterns. I unhooked the clamp then lifted the lantern from its brace on the front of the sleigh. He let me carry it to light the way. When we got over to the barn, Lenny opened the door so Grandpa could lead Jack inside. We were greeted by Bowl, who seemed happy to see us and Jack. Grandpa told Lanny to turn on all the lights, and then he put Jack into his stall. He told Lenny to get some oats for both Patches and Jack, told Lanny to get some extra hay, and told me to make sure they both had plenty of water. When we were done, we checked all the other animals too. “Let’s get going,” Grandpa said, “it’s getting late and we have another big day ahead of us tomorrow.” He turned off all the lights but the one set he left on all the time and picked up the lantern. Leading us all to the barn door, he paused. “Imagine for a minute,” he said, “a long time ago on this night, a miracle happened in a place similar to this, not as big, but it had animals like these. Those animals witnessed the birth of the Son of God. There was a manger, maybe like that one,” he said as he pointed, “maybe there was hay like we have here. The animals can’t say things so we can understand them, but what if they could talk? We might be surprised at what we might hear and learn from them.” We just stood there in the semi-darkness, thinking about what Grandpa had said. Before we headed out, we all wished a Merry Christmas to the animals, even my brothers. With the moon now peeping through clouds, we crunched our way back to the house. We could see the other lantern still lit on the sleigh and the porch lights reflecting on the snow-covered front yard. I noticed that as Grandpa stepped, the lantern’s light danced and made things appear to move. When we reached the front of the house, Grandpa put the lantern back on the sleigh, then turned if off and went around the other side and turned the other one off. I stood there in the snow, looking at the house and the tree in the window while my brothers waited on the porch. Grandpa came up and stood beside me. I told him this was the best Christmas ever and hugged him. He patted me on the back and as we walked toward the house, he kept his hand on my shoulder the whole way. As Grandpa held the front door open for us, he said, “You know, I think it’s my best one too.” It wasn’t until we stepped inside that I noticed how cold it must have been outside. My face stung as the heat tried to warm it back up. We took off our coats and hats and hung them up. Grandpa pulled out his watch and said, “Well, it’s true, boys, time flies when you’re having fun. It’s a quarter past ten and we have a lot of things that we need to get done before your parents show up tomorrow. So let’s get things cleaned up, including ourselves, and get ready for bed.” We quickly did as he had asked, and soon everything was cleaned up and put in their rightful places. Taking turns in the bathroom, each of us bathed and put on our pajamas. One by one, we came to join Grandpa in the front room where he was sitting in his chair with his feet up. Though it was late, we talked about the events of the day. Grandpa told us how Tom had placed the sleigh next to the woodpile and covered it with a tarp. He also told us how he himself had made the harness with the bells for Jack to wear and how this was something he always wanted to do, but never before had found the time. “We sure had a high ol’ time today, didn’t we?” he asked. “Yes sir, we did.” “It’s funny how things turned out,” Grandpa added, “meeting Mrs. Tomlin and Trish on the road, and the other fellows stoppin’ in at Dewy’s. Everything came out just right.” We all nodded. Everything about the day had been perfect. “Well, lets get to bed, the more we jack our jaws the later it’s gettin’. We need all the strength we can muster for tomorrow.” We all wished each other a Merry Christmas and goodnight. Grandpa said to leave the Christmas lights on all night and off we went for bed. |
| A carbide lamp works by a simple process of producing flammable acetylene gas through the combination of water and calcium carbide. The contraption has two compartments, upper and lower chambers. The lower holds about a quarter cup of crushed carbide, the upper holds the same in water (about two ounces). When the lever on the lamp is turned, the water drips slowly onto the carbide and makes acetylene gas. That gas goes through a jet and when the flint wheel is turned, it ignites. Coal miners used these, also railroad trains and Model T Fords. Once the lanterns on the sleigh were lit, it was just like having headlights on a car. Grandpa told Lenny and Lanny to get into the front. He had taught them how to drive the buckboard that was kept in the back of the barn, and had told me that he was going to teach me sometime this summer. He handed Lenny the reins and told him, “It’s the same thing as the buckboard, except you have no wheels, so you need a wider turn.” Lenny nodded. “Lanny, you can take over on the way back,” Grandpa said. Grandpa and I got in the back. He said to us, “Put your feet on the wrapped-up bricks and pull the blankets around ya, we’re going caroling in style!” We did as he said and Grandpa got his fiddle out and we were on our way. I was so excited and happy, I could hardly contain myself. Every movement Jack made caused the bells to jingle, and he had the strength to pull just about anything, so pulling us was nothing to him. Out of the front yard and down the hill towards the main road, we stopped at the intersection. “Turn right, Lenny,” Grandpa said. With a slight jerk, we turned right. Grandpa started playing “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” and we started singing with the tune. You could have heard us a country mile away. Jack’s heavy steps, bells ringing, fiddle playing a merry tune and us singing at the top of our lungs. Up the road a piece, at the same place where we had seen the smoke from chimneys earlier that day, Grandpa told Lenny to turn right again. After we left the main road, the houses came into view. Some just had a simple candle or two in their windows. Folks looked out as we approached. Some waved, some even came out to greet us, and like Grandpa said, we gave them a Christmas treat. Some gave us something in return for making them smile. A few of the families had little kids who thought we were Santa, and their parents took advantage of the opportunity to shoo them off to bed because “Santa surely won’t stop at our house if he knows y’all are still up.” What a feeling I had while we were doing this. It was so incredibly wonderful, I wished it would never end. I didn’t even feel the cold. We just kept going up one road and down another, occasionally slowing long enough to get a sip of coffee to clear our throats and start again. At some of the houses we went to, folks would bring out their instruments and play a song or two with us. At one house, a little boy of about seven or eight who came out with his parents and older sister, believed we were Santa and his elves in disguise. Because of Jack being so big, he said, “Only Santa would have a giant horse like that!” I can’t tell you how many songs we sang that night, for and with folks all ages, young and old alike. Some had a lot, some had a little, but one thing was for sure, all greeted us with the Christmas spirit and left us with a joyfulness unsurpassed. Even just a wave from a window or porch kept us warm that night. Even Jack knew something special was taking place. He stood calmly and proudly as little children would come over look up at his massive frame, a couple even venturing to hug one of his legs. On this night with these children, rather than being his usual ornery self, Jack leaned his massive head down low so they could pet him. Smile after smile, we traveled along, each home giving us the energy to go further. Eventually, though, it was time to turn around. “Let’s go home, boys, “Grandpa said, “I’m plumb tuckered out and I’m sure you are too.” Lanny took the reins. The moon was bright and followed us, casting a light that made everything shimmer as if touched by magic. The temperature had dropped considerably, but the bricks were still quite warm in the floor board, keeping our blankets toasty. Jack didn’t seem to mind the cold as he kept a steady pace. I asked Grandpa if his hands were cold because he wore fingerless wool gloves. “No, they’re fine,” he answered, “the cold has to get past all of the callouses first.” As we came around a bend in the road, Lenny called out, “Look! You can see Grandpa’s house from here!” Lanny pulled on the reins and we stopped. We were all quiet as we stared up at the house on the hill. For that moment, the quiet surrounded us, broken only by the sound of the trees swaying in the breeze. Into that perfect silence, Grandpa gently introduced the first notes of “Silent Night.” The combination of the soulful and solemn violin music, the crisp moonlight, our joy-filled hearts, and the sight of that house with smoke rising out of its chimneys and multicolored lights on its front porch, burned those moments forever into my memory. When the last note faded back into the silence, Lanny whispered, “Grandpa was right. It is like a beacon of welcome for all to see.”    Sleigh Ride Written by: Leroy Anderson & Mitchel Parish Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too Come on it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling yoo-hoo Come on it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we We’re snuggling close together like two birds of a feather should be Let’s take the road before us and sing a chorus or two Come on it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you There’s a birthday party at the home of farmer Gray It’ll be the perfect ending to the perfect day We’ll be singing the songs we love to sing Without a single stop At the fireplace where we’ll watch the chestnuts pop Pop, pop, pop There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie It’ll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives |
| Lenny and Lanny started saying things like “I wonder what he’s up to” and “Maybe he’s going to bring in our Christmas gifts and wrap them or something.” I was just sitting there, trying to think what a bagful of candy and hot bricks had to do with anything. This would probably stump Dick Tracy, I thought. I kept quiet, trying to listen for hints. I thought I heard the front door shut and Grandpa walking off the front porch. After a short time, I thought I heard something beside the house. I told my brothers, “Hush, listen! Something is going on right outside the wall here.” They went quiet and we heard rustling sounds and thumping. “Whatever it is, it sounds pretty heavy,” Lenny said. “Grandpa must have hid our gifts in the wood pile beside the house here.” I said “I dunno, it kind of sounds like something being dragged off.” Then Lanny piped up and said, “You don’t think something happened to Grandpa and he’s being dragged off into the woods or something?” Lenny rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? There would be a lot more noise than that! Anyhow, ain’t nothing would wanna make our Grandpa mad.” “Will you shut up and listen?” I said to the two of them. “It sounds like bells.” Lanny replied, “Aren’t we a little old for Grandpa to be wrestling Santa for gifts?” Lenny and I just looked at Lanny. He kinda shrank back and went quiet. We heard footsteps come across the front porch and into the front room, so we just sat there, listening really hard. Then suddenly we heard thump thump thump thump, then it was quiet... and then again, thump thump thump thump, then footsteps going outside and then back in again. After a few seconds, we heard the thumping sound again, and the footsteps back outside and back inside. This same pattern of noises went on and on for a while, then finally stopped. Everything was quiet. We strained to hear. Then Grandpa stepped around the door opening and we about jumped out of our skins. He laughed and said, “You boys were trying to hear what was going on, I see. But you stayed put like you promised. Well, time’s a-wasting. Fetch your hats and coats.” We got dressed as quickly as we could. “Come on in the front room and close your eyes tight and I’ll lead you out.” “Yes, sir,” we replied. We stood in the front room, Lenny to my right, Lanny on my left, all of us with our eyes shut tight. I could feel the cold as Grandpa opened the front door, and again I heard bells. Grandpa led Lanny out onto the front porch first and then he led Lenny out. I heard another sound, something familiar, but couldn’t quite place it. Then Grandpa led me out. As I came out onto the porch, I could hear heavy breathing and the bell sounds were louder. Grandpa said, “Okay, boys, open your eyes now.” I opened my eyes and blinked them a couple times to get them to focus. There before us was the most beautiful sight to behold! Jack, with his huge size, was in his glory, wearing a harness made of jingle bells and behind him was a sleigh. The Christmas lights on the front porch reflected in his shiny black coat and each slight movement he made caused the bells to tinkle and reflect shimmering chrome rainbows of color. In my eyes, there could not possibly be a more delightful image, and I was struck speechless. I realized the sleigh belonged to Mr. Mitchell (Tom); I knew he had two of them. That must have been what he came by for, I thought. That’s why Grandpa wanted Jack outside in the corral, to limber him up. Grandpa was standing beside us, watching our reactions. “Well, boys, what do you think?” Lenny asked, “We’re going sleigh-riding tonight?” “Yep, that we are,” Grandpa said. Lanny said, “This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!” Grandpa just smiled. I kept looking at him and back at Jack and the sleigh. Grandpa asked, “Well, Mike, cat got your tongue?” “Uhhh... uhhh,” I really was speechless. “What were the bricks for?” I finally managed to ask. Grandpa said, “Ya just have to know things, don’t ya?” Lenny nudged me like I had said something wrong. Grandpa was only teasing, though. “The bricks go in the floor boards, in pans there to keep your feet warm, and with a blanket over your legs, the heat will rise to help warm the rest of you.” My brothers looked at me with puzzled expressions, so I said, “I saw Grandpa put the bricks in the fireplace. They were still there if you would have looked instead of stuffing your faces with candy.” I turned to Grandpa. “So that was the thumping sound in the front room? “Yes, that was me wrapping them up and carrying them out to the sleigh.” “What about the bag of candy, Grandpa?” I asked. “That’s coming with us, so if any one comes out to greet us, they get a Christmas treat,” Grandpa replied. “You don’t miss a trick, do you Mike?” he laughed. “Well, lets git going before it gets any colder and causes ol’ Jack to freeze. You boys go and get the thermoses from earlier. They’re in the kitchen and they’re still hot. And fetch the bag of candy, too. We were in and out like a flash. When we came back out, Grandpa was lighting the two carbide lanterns on the sleigh. |
| I asked Grandpa why we had to get home before it got dark. He said, “We have to get the horses in.” I had forgotten about Patches and Jack. “Do you think they’re alright?” “I’m sure they’re alright,” Grandpa said, “but it’s starting to get colder.” We came up on where we make our turn to go up to the house. “Remind me to hook up the snow blade tomorrow and plow this down.” Grandpa put the truck down in what he called ‘granny gear’ and with the help of the chains on the wheels, we slowly climbed the hill. When we made it to the top and turned into the driveway, Grandpa stopped and gave the house keys to Lenny to go in and open the back door. After Lenny got out, Grandpa drove around the back and into the garage. About the time we were getting out of the truck, Lenny appeared with Grandpa’s keys. Grandpa said to him, “Let's you and me go over to the barn and get Jack and Patches back inside while Lanny and Mike get the groceries in.” I asked Grandpa if I could turn on the Christmas lights, and he said that I could. “Oh, and y’all leave the garage door open so I can put the blanket back over the engine when I come back.” While Grandpa and Lenny headed over towards the barn, Lanny and I started carrying the groceries in. When we had gotten all of the bags in the house, we started putting away the groceries, at least the ones that we knew where they went. It wasn’t too long and Grandpa and Lenny came in. I asked how were the horses were. “They’re just fine,” Grandpa said, “we didn’t have much problems with Patches, she was worn out from playing all day. Jack just came right in.” I was glad to hear that they were alright. Grandpa said, “Lets get the rest of this stuff put away then set the table for supper,” and he told us what went where. There was one bag left over and I looked inside and saw all kinds of candy. “Where does this go, Grandpa?” I asked. He looked in the bag and said, “Just set it in the front room for now.” He followed me out there and began placing the bricks right on the fire, leaning them from the grate to the log. I asked what he was doing. “I’m making these bricks hot, that’s all you need to know for now.” “Yes, sir,” I replied. “Let’s get supper done first.” We had a fine time talking over supper about the events of the day, the music, Mr. Massey, and such. We all ate our fill, then Grandpa went into the front room and my brothers and I washed, dried and put away the dishes. When we went into the front room, each of us had a piece of candy or a cookie from the Tomlins. I tried not to think of the bricks, but every now and then I would take a look at them and think What would Grandpa want with hot bricks? As I sat there enjoying the lights, I began to get sleepy. But then Grandpa spoke up and said, “Well, the one more thing that needs tending to, you boys are in for it now.” I immediately shook off the sleepiness and all three of us looked at him, waiting for his orders for whatever needed to be done. “It’s a surprise,” Grandpa said. There was a long pause, during which the three of us fairly squirmed in anticipation. Finally, he continued. “I want you boys to go and get the three chairs from the table and put them in the pantry.” We looked at him as if we were totally lost, but now was not the time to question his orders. “Yes, sir,” we replied. Grandpa followed after us as we went into the kitchen. We got three chairs like he asked and carried them into the pantry. Grandpa said, “Now here’s the fun part. You three are going to sit in those chairs. So before we start, if any of you need to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, do it now. If not, I want you to sit in here and do not come out no matter what you might hear. Okay?” “Yes, sir,” we said. I asked if I could have an RC Cola and so my brothers asked if they could, too. Grandpa said we could, so we each got a bottle from the fridge. Lanny announced that he needed to go to the bathroom, so we all waited until Lanny finally returned, got his bottle of pop, and sat down. Grandpa said, “You boys promise you won’t get up and look?” “Yes, sir, we promise.” We sat there quietly, our eyes wide open and staring at each other, as Grandpa left. |
| As we drove, we looked at the sights, smiling all the way. When we pulled into Dewy’s, we noticed that there were quite a few other cars there. We all piled out of the truck and went up the steps. Mr. Massey had decorated his store with lights and in one window was a tree with toys around it. In the other windows were Santas, elves, reindeer, and such. On the porch were rocking chairs and tables made of old power company line spools with regular chairs for serious games of checkers. Of course the outside of the store was adorned with tin signs which included Mail Pouch chewing tobacco, Red Man, and S&H Green Stamps (which were given out with the purchase of gas from one of the two pumps he had). Mr. Massey and his wife lived in the back of the store. The whole building was about thirty-five feet wide and forty feet deep, counting the living quarters. We went inside and there was an array of things old and new to be found, from different sized washtubs hanging from the ceiling, scrub boards hanging from the four by four supports that went from floor to ceiling, to a CocaCola chest with the bottle opener on the side (which he still kept sodas in, priced at a quarter unless you took the bottle with you, then you had to pay three cents deposit). There was no beer or alcohol of any kind because that part of Kentucky was dry (not counting my cousin Cec’s wares). There was a big potbelly stove right in the middle of the store that did a good job of keeping the store (and the men who were sitting in chairs around the stove) nice and warm. But for the size of it, Mr. Massey and his wife had pretty much what a person might need. He came right up to greet us with a Merry Christmas when we came in. He was short in stature, only around five seven, but had a big heart for people. He always seemed cheerful and very likeable. Even when people first met him they felt they knew him for years. He looked at my brothers and me. Laughing, he said, “Why, you boys have gotten taller! It won’t be long that Mike here will be taller than me!” The other men said “Hey, John, Merry Christmas. Hope you brought your fiddle.” “You betcha I have it," Grandpa said. I knew we were in for some down home Christmas music. Grandpa introduced us to the other men. The only ones I knew were Dave “Stringbean” Akeman, a great banjo player and Mac Wiseman, who played guitar. Mr. Massey pulled up a few more wooden folding chairs near the stove. He told us that anything we wanted to drink was on the house and to help ourselves. After a few plinks and squeaks from tuning keys, the music started. At first they started with traditional bluegrass, then moved to Christmas songs from long ago. Our feet tapping and hands clapping to the music, everybody was having a good time. Mr. Massy’s wife even joined in. It didn’t seem that long but Mr. Massey announced between songs, “If any of you need to get home before dark, ya better git. Daylight is leaving us.” Grandpa pulled out his watch and said, “Just look at the time! Dewy, here’s my list, could you and the boys get it ready for me?” “Sure John,” Mr. Massey replied. “And Dewy...” Grandpa motioned him over and said something to him in a low tone so we couldn’t hear. Mr. Massey just smiled and nodded. He went behind the counter and started down the list, telling us what was needed and pointing to the direction in which it would be found. We went this way and that way, finding each item that Grandpa wanted and bringing it back to the counter where Mr. Massey would bag it. We finally reached the end of the list and everything was ready. Mr. Massey called Grandpa over. “Want me to put it on your tab, John?” “Not this time, Dewy.” Grandpa paid him and thanked him for his trouble. “No trouble, John. Glad I could help and shucks, you and the other fellows gave me and my wife the greatest Christmas gift with your music.” My brothers and I carried out the groceries out while Grandpa was saying his goodbyes to everyone. Everybody shook his hand and wished us all a Merry Christmas. As we went down the steps, we could hear the music start up again. The truck started up fine and we pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the road. Grandpa was smiling and humming and before we knew it, we were singing songs as we traveled down the road. |
| At the next crossroads, Grandpa turned left and there we spotted Mrs. Tomlin and her daughter Trish pulling a sled with groceries on it, so Grandpa stopped. Lanny was sitting next to the door and he rolled the window down. Grandpa asked them why there were out there and where was Silas, her husband. She replied, “The truck wouldn’t start, so Trish and I went on ahead to get the groceries. He was supposed to pick us up so we waited for a while, but I guess he’s still working on it. If anything, we figured we might meet him on the way home.” Grandpa wouldn’t hear of that. He told us to get out and help the ladies load their groceries and the sled in the truck bed. Mrs. Tomlin and her daughter climbed up into the cab, thanking Grandpa for his generosity while my brothers and I climbed into the back. It wasn’t so bad back there, he had a camper shell on it. That was a big help, at least we weren’t in the open air. The only complaint was that the ride was quite a bit more bumpy, but at least we could see out the back window and two little side windows. Grandpa turned the truck around and headed for the Tomlin’s place. It was probably a little more than half a mile there, which doesn’t sound like much, but that’s quite a bit of a walk in the snow and cold for anybody. We turned down Hensley Hollow, the Tomlin’s house was on the right. As we pulled into the driveway, Mr. Tomlin came out to see who it was, wiping his hands with a rag. Grandpa got out of the truck to greet him. “Merry Christmas, John,” Mr. Tomlin replied as we were climbing out of the back of the truck. “Why, who’s this?” he asked. “That’s my grandsons, Silas,” said Grandpa. “Why, they keep getting bigger each time I see them,” Mr. Tomlin smiled and nodded at the three of us. “That sure was nice of you, bringing my wife and daughter home. I told them I’d come fetch them as soon as I got the truck started, ain’t had much luck though.” Grandpa turned to us. “You boys help get the groceries in and see if there’s anything else needs done while Silas and I see about getting his truck started.” “Yes, sir,” we replied in unison. “Where do you put the sled?” Lanny asked. Trish spoke up, “Over in the garage, I’ll show you.” Lenny and I carried the groceries into the house for Mrs. Tomlin, going in through the back door into the kitchen, which was nice and warm. After Lanny and Trish came in with the rest of the groceries, we asked if there was anything else that might need done, firewood brought in or even chopped, or anything in the barn that might need tending to. “No, there’s nothing else that I can think of,” Mrs. Tomlin said. “You all have done enough. Why don’t you go on in the front room and sit down, and Trish and I will fix you something warm to drink and bring it in there. “Yes, ma’am,” we replied. There was a coat rack in the front room, so we took off our coats and hats and hung them up. We sat down on the couch with me in the middle like usual. They had a beautiful tree in the corner of the room, all decorated, and lots of little decorations around. I was warm and cozy sitting across from the fireplace. In a few moments, Trish and her mother walked in, carrying two trays, one with hot chocolate, the other with Christmas cookies. Mrs. Tomlin told us we could have all the cookies we wanted, that she and Trish make a ton of them every year to give for Christmas, and if we wanted any more hot chocolate, all we had to do was ask. We thanked her and she left the room. Trish stayed and Lanny asked her where her drink was. “I’ll have some later,” she said. We each picked a cookie, which was a little hard because there were so many to choose from. There were all different shapes, Christmas trees, Santa sleighs, stars, and wreaths. My favorites were the ones with raspberry filling in the middle of the star. I asked Trish about the different decorations they had, and she was eager to tell us where they came from or who made them. She actually let me hold and touch some of them, while the bumps sat on the couch stuffing their faces. I have always loved to see handmade things. We heard Mr. Tomlin’s and Grandpa’s voices as they came in through the back door. They took turns washing up in the bathroom, then came into the front room where we were. Mr. Tomlin smiled and said, “I see the Mrs. gave you some of her cookies to eat. I’m glad because that means Trish and I won’t have to eat them all ‘til we can’t fit through the doors. She always makes a lot more than we can eat or give away.” He turned around to Grandpa. “Eat some, John, and I’ll get you some coffee, unless of course you want some hot chocolate.” “Coffee will be fine, thanks, Silas,” Grandpa said. Mr. Tomlin started heading for the kitchen when his wife met him halfway with two cups of coffee. He thanked her and taking the cups from her, turned right back around and came back into the front room. Grandpa said, “That was quick,” as he sat down in one of the chairs. He reached for a cookie and chose one of the star-shaped ones with raspberry filling. I just smiled. “Did you get your truck running, Mr. Tomlin?” I asked. “Sure did. With your grandpa’s help, the truck is running like a top,” he replied. “Now eat some more cookies,” he added. I thought to myself, Boy, she must bake a lot of them. If we keep this up, we won’t be able to fit through a door either. Oh well, I had another one anyway. Grandpa said to Mr. Tomlin, “I see you’re all ready for tomorrow, Silas.” “Yep, my wife and Trish took time from their baking to decorate things. Trish and I went to the woods and cut the tree and brang it back.” I turned to Trish and asked if she had cut it herself. “No, Pa cut it, I just helped to pick it and bring it back to the truck.” Grandpa told them about our own tree-hunting trip. Mr. Tomlin turned to look at me. “You climbed and cut the top out?” “Yes, sir, I did.” “Not me,” he said, “I like having my feet as close to the ground as possible. I’m not even too keen on climbing a ladder.” Grandpa stood up from his chair. “Well, folks, we need to go, we have a few things we need at the store.” Mr. Tomlin stood and shook Grandpa’s hand. “John, if any of you need anything, just give me a holler. Sooner or later I’m going to have to get a telephone put in, that will make things easier. Grandpa nodded. “I don’t use mine much, but it sure beats a long ride to find out nobody’s home.” We got dressed for the cold and Mr. Tomlin and Trish followed us out. They shook our hands, wished us a Merry Christmas and thanked us for our help. Mrs. Tomlin came out and gave us a basket full of cookies. Even the basket was handcrafted, woven by Mrs. Tomlin and Trish. With hearts warm and bodies cold, we got back into the truck and headed for Dewy’s store. |
| Lenny volunteered to go get the bricks, saying that he knew where they were. Grandpa chuckled, “You better take your brother with you, they may be heavier than you think and that way it will take less trips.” I knew what bricks Grandpa was talking about, I helped stack them the previous spring. He called them “fire bricks.” Dark red, solid, a little bit bigger than regular bricks, they were made to take heat from a fireplace or furnace. Grandpa used a lot of them to make a trash incinerator behind the smokehouse. There wasn’t any trash pickup out there, those big garbage trucks would most likely get stuck on some of those dirt roads. Lenny and Lanny went to get the eight bricks Grandpa asked for, and returned shortly, carrying four apiece. Lenny asked Grandpa where he wanted them. “On the hearth, next to the tree,” Grandpa said. I helped to restack them on the hearth. “What’s next, Grandpa?” “Well, it looks like we need a few things from the store.” “Are they going to be open on Christmas Eve?” I asked. “Yes, a lot of stores are open late on Christmas Eve to make sure folks have what they need for tomorrow. We’ll go by Dewy Massey’s jot-em-down store to wish him a Merry Christmas. I might even play a game of checkers with him. I’d better bring the fiddle along, just in case.” (A jot-em-down store was one where the store owner knew folks and would give them credit on anything they needed until they got paid. With no interest, he would jot down their names, what they got, and how much they owed.) Grandpa had two trucks. The one he called Bessy was a fifty-six GMC with high rails on the back and it was used for hauling big things like hay or cattle. The other one was an old sixty-one Ford he called Lizzy after the Model T that he drove for years. Grandpa said, “Let’s get Lizzy fired up and let her heat up a bit.” We all went out to the garage to watch him start up the truck. The first thing he did was to open the hood and remove the blanket from the top of the engine. Then he checked the radiator to make sure it wasn’t frozen. He shut the hood, opened the driver’s door, put the blanket across the seat, and climbed in. He pulled the knob for the choke, pumped the gas pedal a few times, checked to make sure it was out of gear, and then as he held the clutch in, he turned the key. The motor slowly strained to turn over the first couple of times, then spun into life. Grandpa pushed the choke knob in and the engine revved higher. He slowly backed just the truck bed out of the garage, put it out of gear, then pushed the emergency brake on with his foot. He waited until he was sure it was going to idle itself, then got out. He smiled and said, “She’s a little slow to start but she’s always started.” Grandpa had us fill up a couple of thermoses to bring with us, just in case we might need something warm to drink or come across someone else in trouble out on the road. When we were ready, my brothers and I went out the back door while Grandpa locked it and went out the front door so he could put up one of his signs and leave a note as to where we were most likely to be. He came around the side of the house and said, “Get in, boys.” I got in first because I was the smallest and the shifter was on the floor. Lenny and Lanny argued over who was going to sit next to the door. Grandpa told them to just get in and they could change places on the way back. Grandpa backed out, turned the wheel, and went around the house as he turned right to go down the hill. I was a little nervous because he had to go slow on the snow and make sure he didn’t slide or the truck would be in the creek that ran under the road. We made it down the hill fine and he turned right on the main road, toward Mr. Massey’s store. It was beautiful out, the snow decorating the limbs of the trees we passed. We couldn’t see most of the houses out there because many were set well back from the road or in hollows that kept them out of view. Except for the smoke from their chimneys, we wouldn’t have even known they were there. |
My good friend and long lost brother, Rasputin  has been writing and posting pictures about model trains. He was the reason for me writing about Casey Jones. I told him what he needed to do is to lay some real tracks in his yard and get a caboose to use as a workshop.Well, today I found one for him, and it has the No. 1 Presidential Car too if he wants it. I have a feeling the shippping and handling might be a bit expensive though. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Remember folks, he's going in for an operation on March 20th, this coming Monday. Please keep him in mind and in your prayers. Mike  |
| The white snow with the sun was blinding. I asked Grandpa if he thought we were going to get more snow. “Probably later,” he answered. “I tell you what. While I’m fixing lunch, why don’t you boys go and get the sled out. I’ll holler for you when lunch is ready.” He didn’t have to tell us twice. My brothers started pushing one another to see who got to the sled first. As Grandpa went inside, I just walked around them and waited by the garage. After a few words and a few snowballs, they made it to where I was waiting, and the two of them got the sled. We headed on out to the pasture, and there we stood. In front of us was almost two acres of hill before the fence and the snow was so smooth it looked as if it was painted on. We quickly discussed our game plan. Lenny would be the one to push us off and try and jump on. Lanny was in charge of steering. Me, I was the middle man. With Lanny and I in place, Lenny started running. He jumped on just as we began our descent. We began moving faster and faster down the hill until our eyes were watering from the wind in our faces, laughing and hooting as we went. Lanny called out, “I’m going to turn right, start leaning that way.” We all leaned right and we made a large curve until we stopped. Our faces were red, stinging from the cold air and the laughter made it hard to breathe. We had laughed so much that our jaws hurt. As we turned around and looked up the hill, Lenny said, “It sure looks like a long ways back up.” Lanny added, “What we need is one of those ski lifts.” After about the fourth time up the hill, the climb was getting harder. I said to Lenny and Lanny, “My legs are giving out, I need to stop.” They turned and looked at me. Lenny said, “Get on the sled, we’ll take you to the top. But no more rides until you can come back up yourself.” Lanny looked at him. Lenny shrugged, “It’s Christmas Eve.” So I hopped on. We were a little more than halfway up when Grandpa appeared on the back porch, waving for us to come in for lunch. My brothers waved back and Grandpa went back inside. The next thing I heard was my brothers saying, “Three!” as they let loose of the rope. I wasn’t far enough forward to steer. My legs were in front me and I couldn’t turn around. I was holding on for dear life as I was flying backwards down the hill. My only other thought was to worry about hitting the fence which was barbed wire. The sled started turning itself and I was bouncing all over the place. Then it hit one really large bump and I became airborne. The sled went one way and I went another, and after a few moments of flopping end over end, I finally stopped. I raised up and realized I was within ten feet of the fence. I didn’t even know where the sled went. I was so mad I’m surprised the snow didn’t melt around me. I looked up the hill and saw that my brothers were busy laughing and probably didn’t see Grandpa coming up behind them. I stood up and tried to brush the snow off. When I looked back up, Grandpa was heading down the hill with my brothers who were no longer laughing. Grandpa was asking even before he was close, “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I guess so,” I said. Grandpa said, “They said they slipped, that it was an accident.” I thought for a moment and said, “I guess that’s what happened. All I know is that I went flying backwards down the hill.” “You could have broken something or even gotten tangled in the barb wire fence,” Grandpa said, looking over at Lenny and Lanny while they were retrieving the sled. We walked back up the hill to the house. Lenny and Lanny took the sled back into the garage while Grandpa and I went in through the kitchen door. Grandpa asked me again while we were hanging up our coats, “Are you sure you feel alright?” “Yes, sir, I’m okay.” Grandpa sighed. “I wish those two would show more responsibility. You seem more mature than both of them put together.” When Lenny and Lanny came in, Grandpa just looked at them and shook his head. We sat down to eat and it was unusually quiet. I finally had to say something, so I asked “So what’s the thing that needs tending to, Grandpa?” “Well, there’s more than one thing. I’ll tell you after we eat.” Well, that broke the ice and we started talking and laughing again. When we finished lunch, Grandpa went into the front room while my brothers and I cleaned the table and washed, dried, and put away the dishes. Lenny turned to me and asked, “How come you didn’t tell? Grandpa would have believed you.” “Because it’s Christmas Eve,” I said. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they felt about an inch tall. When everything was done, we went into the front room where Grandpa was sitting. We sat down and looked at the decorations and each of us had our choice of candy. I preferred the peppermints myself, but my brothers liked the chocolates. Suddenly, Grandpa said, “Bricks.” We looked at one another. Simultaneously all three of us asked, “Bricks?” “Yes,” Grandpa said, “we need eight of them.” |
| It’s Christmas Eve! As I awoke, it was the first thought that came to my mind. I quickly and quietly made my bed, gathered my clothes, and brought them into the parlor to lay them on a chair. I took off for the front room and looked all around with a sigh of relief. Everything was still there. Good, it wasn’t a dream, I said to myself. I went into the kitchen and Grandpa was fixing breakfast. “Merry Christmas,” I said, “and good morning, Grandpa.” “Good morning and merry Christmas to you,” he replied. I went over and peered out the window of the back door to see how much snow had fallen since last night. Turning to Grandpa, I said, “It looks to be about an inch and a half of new snow.” He asked me, “Did you sleep well last night?” “Yes, sir. I feel a little sore from yesterday’s fast pace.” “I feel it, too,” Grandpa said, “but once we get moving, it will pass. Go and get ready for breakfast.” Off I went. I gathered my clothes and headed for the bathroom, got all cleaned up, then returned to the kitchen. Grandpa was sitting down at the table with his coffee. He looked at me and smiled. With a chuckle, he said, “Let’s find out if your brothers have as much fire in them as you do.” He got up from the table and headed for the bedroom. I could hear him say, “It’s time to get up, boys,” then I heard the thumping and mumbling start as Grandpa returned to the kitchen. Lenny and Lanny came staggering in, looking the worst for wear. When I hollered, “Merry Christmas!” they just stood there for a moment (the bodies were moving but the brains weren’t awake). After a moment, they both mumbled, “Merry Christmas.” Grandpa laughed. “Merry Christmas and good morning. You boys go and get dressed and try to wake up.” “Yes, sir,” they chimed as they left the room, still dragging their feet and pawing their faces. Grandpa shook his head as he watched them leave, then announced, “We have a few extra things that need tending to after we get done with the barn.” I just smiled. Lanny was the first to appear and sit down at the table. Shortly, Lenny came in and took his place. Grandpa said grace and we ate and talked about last night’s events. By the time breakfast was over, everyone had perked up. We cleared off our plates and put them to soak, got our coats and hats on, and headed for the barn. As soon as we stepped outside on the back porch, the cold hit us. If my brothers weren’t completely awake before, they sure were then. Grandpa swept the steps off, then turned to me. “About an inch and a half, I’d say.” We both smiled. Down the steps we went and towards the barn. Once we got to the barn, Grandpa asked me to put Jack out in the corral. I asked him if Patches could go too, this time. He replied, “Yes, I guess she needs to run, too.” I got the rope, then climbed the stall where Jack was and he let me put it over his head. Patches looked sad and I told her I’d be back for her. I led Jack out to the corral and let him in, then climbed the gate and took the rope off his head. He took off and I watched for a moment, then climbed back down to go get Patches. When she saw me climbing up with the rope in my hand, she seemed excited. She was eager to get out. After a moment, she finally held still long enough for me to slip the rope around her. She led me out of the barn, jerking me and bumping me; I had to watch out so I didn’t get stepped on. She was tugging me all the way over to the corral. Boy, once she got into the corral and I let her loose, you should have seen her go! Jack seemed to be annoyed that she was invading his space while she frolicked around him. She even rolled over in the snow a few times. I watched for a while, then it dawned on me that I had to get to work. I took off like a gang buster, I even got extra hay and brought it out to the two horses in the corral. When I had finally finished my chores, Grandpa was ready to go over to the chicken coop. When we got back, my brothers had done the hay pitching from the loft again, without being told to or making a mess of things. Grandpa was impressed. “What are you two up to, that you’re in such a hurry?” Lenny said, “We seen Mike running around fast, so we thought there must be a reason.” Grandpa laughed. “Well, there might be,” he said. He looked at his watch. “Dang, it’s only eleven o’clock. You boys can sure move quick. Well, I reckon we’ll have an early lunch again.” As we headed out to go back to the house, I noticed that there were no clouds in the sky, the sun was shining, and it had warmed up to somewhere in the lower forties. At least it was warmer than it had been first thing that morning. |
| As I travel throughout these blogs to see what I can find Receiving help and comments from dear ones who are so kind They fill me with sweet words that encourage me as I go I may not have time to write it but I want you all to know Thank you for welcoming me and making me feel at home Thank you for sharing memories and for the talents you have shown Thank you for being you and to all of you I say Your words are like a warm smile that brightens every day. |
| Grandpa sat in his chair and my brothers and I sat on the floor facing the tree. With the warmth and beauty all around us, we could feel the tiredness from our labors of the day taking over. As I sat there watching the bubbling lights, almost ready to nod off, it came to me what Grandpa said: Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. For some reason, I started to sing. Christmas-time’s a-coming, Christmas-time’s a coming... Before I knew it, Grandpa had his fiddle out and was singing right along. Christmas-time’s a-coming, and I know I’m goin’ home. My brothers joined in and so together we sang and laughed, our feet tapping to the lively beat of the song. It was a good time. When the tune was over, Grandpa announced, “Now that we’re full of the Christmas spirit, let’s go and get full of some food.” As we all got up and headed for the kitchen, I felt a big hand come down on my shoulder. “That was good, Mike,” Grandpa said, “we sure needed that. I wish I had thought of it myself.” We were still laughing and humming the song as we prepared for supper. We seemed to have found new energy as we ate, laughed, talked, and just had us a good ol’ time. When Lanny said, “Hey, look, it’s getting dark!” we all looked out the back door window and then at Grandpa. He knew what we were thinking. “Well, let’s see if those newfangled lights are going to work.” We all jumped up from the table and put on our hats and coats. We hurried through the front room and out the front door and didn’t stop until we were off the porch and a little ways out into the yard. Grandpa stayed behind to turn on the switch. Standing out there facing the house, the tree in the window caught my eye. It was beautiful. The different colored lights gave the front porch a warm, welcome look. Grandpa hollered out, “You boys ready?” “Yes, sir!” we all replied. In the hush that followed, we could hear the click of the light switch, even from where we were standing. And nothing came on. Grandpa started laughing. “That was for the ceiling light in the front room.” With another click, every light came on. We cheered as Grandpa came out to look with us. I was in awe, the lights made everything look so different. The garland and wreaths sparkled with a rainbow of colors as their fronds moved in the light breeze and the snow on the ground shone like millions of multicolored stars. Near the porch, the snow glistened with the color of the bulb above it, then further out the colors collided and mixed until, out by where we were standing, it reflected a soft yellow-gold tone. Even the dogwood tree with its bare branches seemed to have more life, with the strings of popcorn we had hung in it earlier. Each kernel looked like it had a color of its own and the seedcobs shone like Christmas balls as they gently swayed back and forth. As we all stood there together, silently taking in all the splendor, it started to snow. The flakes were huge, about as big around as quarters. As they floated down, they changed colors as they passed the lights, creating a living moving kaleidoscope before our very eyes. It was as though God Himself was pleased and wanted to enhance the scene in a dramatic way that only He could. After a few moments, Lenny spoke up, “With the house on top of this hill, people can probably see these lights from pretty far away.” Grandpa agreed, “This way people will know we believe in Christmas, and just like the star on that night, the house will be a beacon of welcome to all those that see it.” We were all smiling as we went back into the house. We still had to clean up the kitchen and get ready for bed, but maybe, just maybe, there would be time for another song or two. |
| We kept going around the dogwood tree, hanging the strings of popcorn and then the seedcobs. Grandpa filled the birdfeeder and told Lenny to bring the ladder up on the front porch to hang the garland and wreaths. Grandpa went into the house for a moment and was smiling when he came back out with two shopping bags. “This is going to be a first, boys.” We all went over to look. Inside the bag were Christmas lights, all different colors. The box they came in said that if one light went out, the others stay lit, a new innovation at that time. The wires were green plastic stuff, not like the waxed cloth wires of the old sets. The bulbs were the same size, but not as pointy. I also noticed that the red lights on these strands even looked like red. On the old strings they looked more orange. Grandpa went back into the house and came right back out with a hammer and finish nails along with a pair of pliers. Lenny and Lanny went to get the big ladder for this job. There was no outdoor electrical plug, so Grandpa replaced the bulb in the porch light with a screw-in plug socket. With a small extension cord, the Christmas lights could be plugged in there. This meant that with a flip of the switch inside, the lights could be turned on and off without plugging or unplugging. Lenny and Lanny came back with an extension ladder, and Lanny climbed up while Lenny held it steady. I was the keeper of the lights, making sure they didn’t snag. They started in the middle and worked their way out to each end of the porch. Tapping in each nail, they used the pliers to bend the nails into hooks. Each light socket had its own clip for the nail to hold it in place. Once the lights were hung, Grandpa reached inside the door and flipped the switch. It was hard to tell, but it looked like they all came on. We would just have to wait until dark to know for sure. Lenny and Lanny put the ladders away, then came back around the front. We all stood there looking at our handiwork for a moment. “Fine job, boys,” Grandpa said. “It’s sure looking like Christmas time. Now let’s go in and start inside. At least it will be a little warmer for us in there.” Inside, Grandpa pointed at another bag. “There’s more of those new lights.” We eagerly got the lights out and arranged them on the tree. Grandpa had these foil-like stars that went around each bulb socket, probably to keep the hot bulb from touching the tree. Grandpa, knowing which wooden box contained what, opened the one with my grandmother’s favorite lights. Grandpa said they had bought these at Kresge’s 5&10 years ago. I was always fascinated by them myself. They’re called bubble lights and were large on the bottom which was usually painted red or green, and the top was a vial that contained different colored liquids. Once the lighted part at the base got hot, the bubbles would start. Sometimes, that is. Other times they needed a little help. We’d have to turn them upside-down, then right side up again, then screw them back into the socket before they got cold and make sure they stood up as straight as possible with a little help from a bread wrapper twistie-tie. Most of the time that was all it took. Once they are working, they are pretty, but just watching them can make anyone sleepy. The Christmas balls were all different shapes and sizes. Some of them had pictures of Santa and his sleigh. Some said “Merry Christmas” on the side with snowflakes in glitter. Some looked like pine cones, lanterns, or birds. I’m sure most all of them were hand-blown glass. We could tell some were really old by the way they had faded to almost transparent. Of course, some were handmade of wood, or were made of yarn, crocheted into pine cones. The tree top was a star hammered out of light copper. On the back was a place where you could put a small candle that would shine through a pattern that was cut into the star. The bottom of the star could have been made from an old bed or chair spring. It screwed down on the top branch of the tree. Once the star was in place, we clipped one of the lights to the part where the candle was supposed to be. Underneath the tree we placed cotton to look like snow, small mirrors to look like ice, little houses, a church, and a nativity set that Grandpa had carved. To the village we added Santa and his reindeer with sleigh, various small animals, little figurines, and small bristly green trees with wooden bottoms that stood up easily with a slight twist in the cotton. With the tree finished, we went on to the windows. My grandma had these little gold-foil-over-cardboard-folded-fan-looking-things that when opened all the way made a star or snowflake. We used bobby-pins to hold them together and hung one in each window on the front of the house. There was a lace curtain that she had made that went over the door window, it had a snow scene with kids pulling a tree on a sled and a house in the background. It was so beautifully detailed that I was amazed by that curtain. Grandpa had brought in pine branches and placed them on the mantle and fireplace. He left the room and headed for the kitchen. When he returned, he said, “I knew there was something missing.” He held out another bag. Reaching inside, he pulled out a box of candy canes. We each took four and taking turns, hung them on the tree. Reaching into the bag again, Grandpa pulled out grocer’s mix, ribbon candy, soft mint sticks, and chocolate stars. He told Lenny and me to go and get the candy dishes. We were as careful as careful could be because we knew some of those candy dishes belonged to our great-grandmother. The way my grandfather looked at it was, “If you have it, then use it,” regardless of its age or value. We placed the candy in their rightful places. Taking a glance around the room just to see if anything was missed, Grandpa said with a smile, “Everything looks wonderful and is ready for tomorrow, Christmas Eve.” |
I wanted to post this Friday night, but my WIFE was hoggin' my computer. Something about a proposal she's writing?  Want to tell y’all a story about CC’s bind He has his little wimmins and he calls dem mighty fine Then one day while he was givin’ a review Tor hit him hard with somethin’ purty cruel. WHAT ME? (blink…blink) Guest Editor! GAWD !!!! Well the first thing ya know, the war was goin’ on CC says, “Don’t wanna do yer weekly harm” Then Tor said back inside of his reply “My pointy-headed little buddy is surely gonna cry.” CC, that is. Guest Editor. Word-flinger. It’s ccstring goes to the "Invalid Item"  Y’all kick the dirt now, ya hear? P.S. Congratulations to my wife, Cassie Reynolds  on her promotion to Preferred Author! |
| We did like Grandpa asked and saved all of the corn cobs, then Grandpa placed them on a cookie sheet and put them into the oven. He said, “I’ll be right back, I have to go and get something from the root cellar,” then went out the back door. My brothers and I finished washing and drying the dishes and were putting them back into the cabinets when Grandpa came back carrying a burlap bag and jars of honey. He checked the oven and said, “They’re just about ready.” We still had no idea what Grandpa had in mind to do with those corn cobs. We watched as he went into the pantry and came back out with the popcorn shaker for the fireplace and a large bag of popcorn. Aha! We were going to string popcorn! This, at least, we understood. Grandpa told Lenny and me to bring four large pots into the front room. We rounded up four big pots and met Grandpa on his way back to the kitchen. “Forgot something,” he said. A moment later, Lanny appeared with lard, a tablespoon, and a measuring cup. “Grandpa said to give you these and to tell you one heaping tablespoon of lard and one cupful of popcorn.” As Lanny started walking back out toward the kitchen, Lenny asked him, “Aren’t you going to help make popcorn?” “Grandpa wants me to help him.” Lenny and I started preparing the pot. He scooped the lard and I measured and poured the popcorn. Lenny put the cover on and lifted the shaker up and into the fireplace. At first we could hear the lard sizzling as it melted, then the pinging sound as the popcorn began popping and hitting the sides and the hinged metal lid of the pot. Lenny shook the pot back and forth to keep the kernels from burning. The pinging sound became more rapid and eventually the lid started to lift. Lenny poured the popcorn into one of the large pots, then we started the process all over again. When Lanny and Grandpa came in, I asked what they were making. Grandpa just said, “You’ll see,” as he reached down for some popcorn. “I see you boys are about done. You and Lenny get needles and thread from the sewing box and start stringing the popcorn.” Lanny took over the corn-popping and pretty soon he was done with the last batch. He and Grandpa took the lard and utensils back into the kitchen to clean. A few minutes later they came back and Lanny said to me in an undertone, “I know what he made and you don’t.” “I’ll know sooner or later,” I replied. Lanny used to tease Lenny like that all the time, just to get him riled. It didn’t really work with me, and that would just rile Lanny up instead. I sat quietly and calmly, stringing popcorn. Lanny tried again. “Don’t you want to know what it is?” “Nope, if I need to know it, I will.” I could see Grandpa out of the corner of my eye, looking around his newspaper. Lanny finally gave up. It was quiet in the room as the three of us strung long strands of popcorn. We each took our turns saying “Ouch!” every now and then as we stabbed ourselves with the needles. Grandpa finally said we’d strung enough. “We put this on first before we put on the Christmas balls?” I asked. “No, Mike,“ Grandpa said. “It’s not for the tree in here, it’s for the dogwood out front, along with the seed cobs in the kitchen.” I looked over at Lanny and smiled. He just smirked at me. Grandpa continued, “This way the birds that are still around have something to eat for their Christmas dinner. We’ll make sure the birdfeeder is full, too.” We all got our coats on and headed outside, carrying our strings of popcorn and our seed cobs. Grandpa went to get the ladder from the side of the house, then directed Lanny to hold the ladder steady while Lenny climbed up. My job was to keep the string from snagging or getting tangled up. Grandpa went back up on the porch and watched us as he whittled. |
| Lenny and I paused to watch Lanny trying to stay ahead of Billy. Suddenly, whap! I was beaned by a snowball! I spun around to look at Lenny and he had his hands in his coat pockets. I looked further and there was Grandpa and Mr. Mitchell walking up the back porch stairs. Mr. Mitchell was laughing. Grandpa hollered, “Remember to show respect to your elders!” Whap! Mr. Mitchell yelled “I’ll remember that, Mike!” as he followed Grandpa into the house. Lenny’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I can’t believe you did that.” “Well, he started it. I don’t see him out here to finish it, do you?” I smiled at Lenny and headed towards the house. When Lenny and I got inside, we washed up and started setting the table. When Lanny walked in, he was mumbling something about “that dang horse.” Lenny and I could tell he must have been thumped by Billy a few times because of the way his feathers were so ruffled. I asked him, “What happened?” He answered, “Nothing,” and Lenny and I burst out laughing. Just then, Grandpa and Mr. Mitchell walked in from the front room. Grandpa asked, “What’s so funny?” I pointed at Lanny. “Ask him.” Grandpa raised one eyebrow at Lanny. “Well?” “Nothing, sir. They’re just teasing me, that’s all.” Grandpa looked at both Lenny and me. I thought it was a good time to change the subject. “Should we set a place for Mr. Mitchell, Grandpa?” “No thanks,” Mr. Mitchell replied, “I got to get back soon and will you please call me Tom?” We looked at Grandpa and he nodded. “You sure do have a nice tree. John said you cut it yourself, Mike.” I stood a bit taller, proud and pleased that Grandpa had mentioned that to him. I said, “Yes, sir, Mr. Tom!” and everybody laughed. Grandpa laid a hand on my shoulder. “Just Tom, son.” Mr. Mitchell spied a platter that was on the counter behind us. “On second thought, I reckon I could have another cup of coffee with one of them biscuits you got there, if you have some butter and molasses to go with it.” Grandpa chuckled, “You know we do, Tom. Help yourself to anything.” Tom fixed himself a biscuit just the way he wanted it, then he and Grandpa went into the parlor, fixed their coffee and went back into the front room. My brothers and I finished setting the table for lunch. No sooner were we done when Grandpa called all three of us to the front room. The tree was the first thing to catch my attention when we walked in. Sunshine was streaming through the windows behind it and the whole tree, though still bare, seemed to glow. Grandpa told us to go upstairs and start bringing down the decorations. We made trip after trip, carrying the wood boxes that Grandpa had made for storing his and Grandma’s decorations. When the last box was set down next to the tree, Grandpa told me to go up and get Grandma’s small sewing box from her sewing room. I went back upstairs, alone this time. The sewing room door was at the top of the stairs on the left and was kept closed. When I opened the door, I saw that everything was just like she had left it. Grandpa must clean this room, I thought, because there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight. Her old treadle sewing machine was under the window that looked out over the pasture. Her tatting board still had bobbins on it from when she had started to make another lace doily. There were bits and pieces of material that she used to make quilts and embroidery hoops for her flowery designs on pillow cases. I could almost see her sitting there in the warm sunny room, transforming something mundane and utilitarian into a work of art. I found the small sewing kit that Grandpa had asked for, then backed quietly to the door. Taking one last look around the room, I pulled the door shut. “Here it is, Grandpa,” I said as I hurried back into the front room. At his direction, I set it down with the other wooden boxes. “Well, John.” Tom, sitting in the chair opposite Grandpa, stretched. “This time I really do have to get going. I still have some chores to get done and the Mrs. is probably getting lunch fixed right about now.” Grandpa told Lenny to go out to the corral and bring Jack back into the barn, then fetch Tom’s horse for him. Tom stood up. “I’ll go over there with you, Lenny, and ride Billy from the barn.” Grandpa and Lanny and I followed them out to the kitchen, where they took their coats off the hooks by the door and prepared to go out into the cold. Tom shook our hands and wished us a Merry Christmas again before walking out the back door with Lenny. As soon as they had gone, we started fixing lunch. Grandpa put a pot on the stove for corn while Lanny and I started shucking the ears. About the time that all the food was prepared and ready, Lenny came back inside and reported that Tom had left on Billy and Jack was back in his stall with food and water. We sat at the table, Grandpa said grace, and we all ate until we were stuffed. After lunch while we were cleaning up, Grandpa announced, “You boys make sure you save the corn cobs.” “For the pigs, Grandpa?” Lanny asked. “No, so we can stick them in the oven to dry them out.” We looked at one another and then at Grandpa. He just smiled. |
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