3 more days til Santa comes

It's getting close to Christmas eve when that jolly ole man arrives. When I was little, he would come early in the evening before we went to bed and we would get to take one toy to bed with us. We didn't have heaters or central heat, just a big fireplace in one room, so I'm sure that's why Santa arrived at night at our house so we wouldn't be getting up too early on Christmas morning. I remember one Christmas we were all gathered in Mama Wilson's room around the big fireplace when we heard a noise outside (the wind was probably blowing hard) and they told us to be real quiet, that it was probably Santa arriving. A little later daddy went out to see and came back to the room and said it was Santa and he had left toys under the tree in the "front room". I remember that one of my younger sisters got a metal gray cat on wheels and everytime you pulled it it would say "meow" over and over. I was glad when the voice box wore out! I probably helped it along...


James loves Christmas and still believes in Santa. He's pictured here with Santa at the Elba Christmas festival on Dec. 8th (James' birthday). We are spending Christmas at home this year - alone. Our son Bill and his 3 girls are en route to London today to spend 8 days with relatives of Bill's deceased wife Barbara. s, CA for Christmas with her friend Chad and his family. Our son Ron and his wife Cindy and their other daughter Allison are at home in Austin this Christmas. Another granddaughter from Austin, TX is in Bear Mountain Resort, east of Los Angeles.  Ron is working so other employees can be off for Christmas this year. So we are here without any of them this year. It will seem strange not to be with any of them at Christmas. We saw everybody when we were in Austin in October and Florence, SC in November.

Tonight the three of us will be in a live nativity at our church downtown. I'm not sure what part we will be playing. Maybe the old shepherds! James said I don't look like a shepherd or wise man and I'm too old to be Mary. I'll just cover up my head and be a donkey or something!