~*~ Christmas is only a few weeks away ~*~

~ *~ Christmas is only a few weeks away ~ * ~

Ok, peeps, how about some ideas for stocking stuffers. You know, things the size of a box of candy or new book or RHP SubscriptionReveal Hidden ContentTo help put you in the holiday spirit and giving mood, here's a glimpse of Christmas Past from a short story in verse about one boy’s Christmas Times in New England, sort of long ago, when snow was snow and our sturdy snow forts lasted almost until spring and when each day seemed like a year and, now, those years less than a day and every day was (and still is) Christmas:

One Raspberry Ornament

Yes, I still hear distant sleigh bells at the festive season
when evergreens wear tinsel and bayberry candles glow,
and still glimpse the long signature of thin runner tracks
inscribed again, by moonlight, upon the glistening snow.

Only one fragile raspberry colored tree ornament
survived the sniper action whimsies of our childhood.
Dart guns were the preferred weapons of choice,
suction tips removed with care. Our aim was good...

(From One Raspberry Ornament, Chapter One, McCarthy Street)

Few ideas I've had are a new man-knife for CP; something to pour into that empty flask GBS owns; a copy of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas with original woodcut illustrations for drewnogal; two quart bottles of 'White Out' for Rookie; a photo collection of the Qlympics and female athletes who earned medals for HandyAndy; new kittens for Kewpie and CatfoodTim; for Divegeester a new nickname; for Lady Ale a teaching manual on the instruction of talented children; for Phlabibit a few strings for his (silent) guitar; for Crowley an updated version of gb-away software; for kev a new pair of leather slippers; for Orangutan a primer on basic principles of grammar; for Mercurial a new magnifying glass for closer analysis of thread content; for coquette a Miss Sticky Game Thread Doll; a cookbook for beginners for Mikelom; for Greenpawn34 an MPCD on chess fundamentals; for Robbie a new mouse with an extra long tail to facilitate timely posts in the Spirituality Forum; for sumydid lessons from Blind Squirrel on how to pick winners in the NFL; for Silverstriker a big thanks for the prose competion; for Russ & Chris more subscriptions (to be continued)

gb

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
[b]~ *~ Christmas is only a few weeks away ~ * ~

Ok, peeps, how about some ideas for stocking stuffers. You know, things the size of a box of candy or new book or RHP Subscription[hidden]lol.[/hidden]To help put you in the holiday spirit and giving mood, here's a glimpse of Christmas Past from a short story in verse about one boy’s Christmas Tim ...[text shortened]... anks for the prose competion; for Russ & Chris more subscriptions (to be continued)

gb[/b]

NEWS FLASH! GBS does not own and never has owned a flask. Maybe a book on the birds (the feathered variety) of Eastern North America as his is...well threadbare.

It's October 27th. Let's let the holidays fall in a natural <slower> sequence instead of a WalMart inspired, "Let's start Christmas before Halloween!". Nothing against you, Gramps, my good friend, but these cool days are such a relief from the Texas hot summer that I want to enjoy and savor each one. My wife and I decided 35 years ago that we would start thinking about Christmas after our anniversary date (Dec 3). It has worked out well.

Originally posted by Great Big Stees
NEWS FLASH! GBS does not own and never has owned a flask. Maybe a book on the birds (the feathered variety) of Eastern North America as his is...well threadbare.

and Mikelom is cooking sirloin steaks, with carotted mashed potatoes and salad, and a teryaki home made sauce for Mrslom today!! 😛

-m.

Originally posted by mikelom
...and Mikelom is cooking sirloin steaks...

But what building are you cooking them in????????????????

Originally posted by mikelom
and Mikelom is cooking sirloin steaks, with carotted mashed potatoes and salad, and a teryaki home made sauce for Mrslom today!! 😛

-m.

And Merlot is in your flask?

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Few ideas I've had are a new man-knife for CP; something to pour into that empty flask GBS owns; a copy of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas with original woodcut illustrations for drewnogal; two quart bottles of 'White Out' for Rookie; a photo collection of the Qlympics and female athletes who earned medals for HandyAndy; new kittens for K ...[text shortened]... a big thanks for the prose competion; for Russ & Chris more subscriptions (to be continued

Using Christmas as a pretext for throwing cheap shots? This is really cheesy, Bobby, even for you.

Originally posted by HandyAndy
Using Christmas as a pretext for throwing cheap shots? This is really cheesy, Bobby, even for you.

Please don't hate me for being happy.
.

Originally posted by MontyMoose
But what building are you cooking them in????????????????

I am not in that building, or anywhere close to it. 😉

One Raspberry Ornament

Each December that selfsame decoration seems to appear
by a McCarthy Street front window, now so far away,
across from Varjian’s house and Patty Bevalaqua’s,
next to cheerful Mrs. Johnson and crabby old lady Gray.

That she was strident and mean spirited and hated boys
and kept their footballs there was never any doubt.
There used to be an overhead light bulb on her porch
until a BB shot through some cellar window took it out.

(More from One Raspberry Ornament, Chapter One)

YouTube
.

It is alwayys the same. In October Christams cookies are sold everywhere and we have a bit of a hard time to ignore all that until after Totensonntag.

Also in my youth this was the time to set up ornaments.

Totensonntag is the last sunday in church year with Advent the new one begins, very fittingly I think.

One Raspberry Ornament (Chapter Two)


Mr. Varjian once had a big barn, until a mysterious fire
broke out suddenly one cold November afternoon.
Someone had urged his son to light a matchbook in
the upstairs chicken coop to keep warm, then soon

fire trucks arrived. Bloated hoses like snakes and people
were everywhere. The old barn just blazed and blazed.
Wedged in saplings, near a dump, a safe distance away
we marveled at all of the excitement, quite amazed.

Sure, we felt a few pangs of something between guilt
and accomplishment and fear. It was a terrible thing.
Party line was that we all tried our best to stop David.
No problems but we didn’t see him again until spring.

That winter we were not invited over, as usual, to watch
The Lone Ranger on their television, Saturdays, 6:oo pm.
Dad’s used 5” screen deal with Mr. Eckerly was cut later,
so we toughed it out. Dave couldn’t see us, nor we him.

😉

And all I can think about is those poor roasted chickens. :'(

Originally posted by HandyAndy
Using Christmas as a pretext for throwing cheap shots? This is really cheesy, Bobby, even for you.

Maybe coal for his stocking? In response to his belief that I need to learn how to teach "talented" children...I find greater satisfaction in trying to teach the less-talented and the beginners. There are more of them and I get paid the same amount. 😉

Cheers Bobby you can never have too many slippers.