We wanted them to know how much that meant. He did not speak, and the boy, confused, looked up and over at us. I love Christmas and stories about Christmastime. Mom made popcorn for us to string together with needles and thread. She’d never had such a wide choice of gifts before.Soon, Pepper selected her first Christmas gift. She pointed to the nativity set in her arms and told him the story, explaining that it was causing a major rift between her sister Joanne and her daughter Mandy. Temporarily, she set aside the emotion of the dispute, and thought logically. Santa thanked the nurse for telling him and then quickly left the floor.

At the mall, we spotted another Santa greeting young believers. When Eileen insisted on paying him more, he said, “I didn’t do it on company time. Alarm and guilt made her eyes wide. Glancing back into the room, she saw that every last present was gone.

But I didn’t say a word.After we finally got everyone in bed that night, my thoughts turned to this unsettling day. We played games by the tree whose twinkles had dimmed.That evening, Kaci said what we’d all been thinking: “I wish Pepper could have helped open presents this year.”We all put down our mugs of spiced tea. Home; Coronavirus; Food, Home & Garden. Beautifully wrapped boxes had gaping holes. Whenever my mom looked over at the tree and scattered presents, she would sigh and warn us, “There won’t be as much for Christmas this year. My dad was not someone to whom we complained about presents (not if we ever wanted to see another, anyway). Basche, I hear you have a large family, and I like to help folks with large families. All the children cheered and went to bed feeling proud.That night, Dena suggested that Harm borrow $300 anyway, so they could give the children a nice Christmas for all their hard work. Jim sat in the rocking chair by the front window where he could watch the happy black dog’s comings and goings.We called the radio station, animal shelter, newspaper, sheriff and several neighboring farms about a lost dog. It had such an impact on me. There was no logical explanation. My sister Joanne was the first to claim the manger, insisting it was the only one of Mom’s possessions that she really wanted.

Struggling to find the right words, she told him that Margaret had died soon after he’d left her room. Hot Offers! “I know you wanted them to look the same, so I added a couple of dings and flaws that were in the original. Our family felt whole—not because we were in the same room, city, or country, but because our love bonded us together.In the new year, Pepper let us know it was time to call the veterinarian. Keep calm and be merry! Finally, the halter was secure, the sheep loaded in the pickup and headed for the neighbors’ barn, and Jerry and I had our fingers firmly crossed.As he handed the rope to Jordan, Jerry reminded him to keep her head up and keep a short rope. I started to plot. He immediately went to work on my car, laboring for several hours while I slept curled up in the backseat. They made the best of it, and we were proud of them.My mother always remembered us at Christmas, and her package arrived from Anchorage, Alaska, in mid-December. She passed the dimly lit living room and then stopped cold. Our ewe just stood there, calm and respectful, as the children adored her.When Jerry unloaded her into the corral, she returned to her old self. Some glitter beyond that. He held up his hand for us to stop, and we rolled down our windows.Santa poked his head through a window and said to our kids, “Oh, there you are! After all, nobody would want to see Santa Claus cry.
Hanging stockings by the chimney with care is one of the most popular Christmas traditions, but many families display theirs without wondering why.No one can be sure when and why the practice started, but some legends give us a clue. Beatrice was the only person on our road with a telephone. Only the tree was still there.Had they been robbed?

It was a huge act. A smiling young man I’d never seen before in our small rural community rolled down his window and asked if I needed help. Hope that’s okay.”Sure enough, the new stable had the same lopsided front gate. I knew if I pulled this off, my presence at her graduation and my grand arrival would be the best Christmas present I could ever give my sister. Sure, I’d lose her on the steep slopes, but I always let her catch up when we went downhill. The attached note read “On the first day of Christmas.” We were thrilled someone was thinking of us, especially after losing our daughter in September.The next night, we checked and sure enough, there was a “second day of Christmas” gift. Much to my dismay, the family had been so busy moving that we had no tree to decorate. Get our best offer! By James Michener, published in Reader’s Digest in 1967. Then, brilliance struck. The base had called to say that a heavy torque wrench had come apart in Johnny’s hand, knocking his elbow out of joint and chipping the bone. Could Mrs. Claus be putting something in his food?I slumped onto the floor. But her tangled legs could not navigate the boxes and shredded wrapping paper on the floor. He would walk through the fields of Douglas fir, Scotch pine, blue spruce, and noble pine, searching for the tallest, prettiest trees.