Sunday #2 in Advent

Day 57, "Every picture has a story"

So there is proof that there is a Santa!  I can not believe that I actually got a picture of him.  Here it looks like John is surprised and happy to see him.  AND of course there was Santa way way back in the day too.  Uncle Halvor and Dad used to be Santa.  Dad for Halvor's kids and Halvor for us.  As I look at this picture I think it may be time to sip on my FP infused with Kirkland's Irish Cream and remember a bit this morning!

The year was 1950, or 51 or 52 or 53 as I am not really sure.  Winter had set in early that year.  The roadsides were piled high with snow and the roads themselves were drivable but not all that great. In fact Dad often had to have chains on the car.  We, myself and siblings, were into winter in a FUN way.  It seemed like an adventure when Dad hitched the hay wagon to the Ford and we had to drive down to near Rollof and Hazel's to get hay.  It was cold "for sure" but the western wind could not dampen our winter spirits.  The yard was covered with at least a foot of snow.  It actually was a challenge to jump on my pogo stick and hop to the barn as the snow made it difficult but not impossible.  I loved the challenge.  The barn seemed like a winter haven.  The smell of the fresh hay, and he warmth of the cattle added to an almost magical air of farm life.  Then there was "the hill" behind the 3-holer.  Mind me, we did not use that famous 3-holer in the winter but the pasture was behind that and there was a HUGE hill down to the frozen creek.  If one HAS to know our winter toilet was a 5 gallon pail upstairs which HAD to be emptied before it got too full!  I say creek but by the time old man winter came the creek bed was nothing but a dirt path. BUT wait until spring and it would be full of FUN.  When we wanted to go sledding we had to climb over/through the fence and then it was down and up and down and up!  Later in life I realized that the hill was a TINY hill!  Whenever we got the chance we would head outside to go sledding.  We would use cardboard and wood to slide down down the hill.  The day before Christmas Dad sat in the living room, near the oil burning stove, and complained that the sleet that we had the day before had frozen and he could not get the trunk of the car open.  It was only much much later that I connected the frozen trunk to his drive into town a couple of days earlier.  Christmas Eve came and the excitement made our little home feel like a castle.  The oil burner stove in the living room made it toasty warm.  The cook stove in the kitchen was hot to the touch with the coal that was burning.  Mom had made an exception and allowed us to fry slices of potato on the stove in the late afternoon.  Usually that was reserved only for late at night, maybe after a ping pong game!  As the sun set and everyone gathered around the large kitchen table the aroma of lefsa, boiled potatoes, and venison filled the air with the excitement of a special holiday.  After the meal Mom set the dishes aside and said she would take care of them later.  In my adult life I finally realized that "later" meant she would work all by herself when everyone else went to bed.  She would take out the dish pan, heat water on the still hot cook stove and then work until the kitchen was clean for the next day.  This was a "blessed year" as the top of the cupboard was filled with brightly wrapped presents.  Myself and siblings had spent MUCH time touching and shaking things but really were unable to identify anything.  There were some years when the top of the cupboard was pretty bare!  One by one the presents were brought down and opened.  AND one by one faces lit up and joy spread like the western wind from the across the field.  Then it happened.  Everyone was elated but there seemed to be something else coming but we knew not what.  Dad stood up, near the cookstove, and said everyone should go into the living room.  Our living room seemed to be large enough but when everyone crowded into it we seemed to overwhelm the space.  Mom sat on the piano stood as if she would like to play a Christmas song.  Dad sat in his favorite chair where he read photo or gun magazines EVERY night of the winter and us kids, we just sprawled where ever.  Ronald did get the couch as he was a full 6 feet now and somehow it seemed that he should not have to sit on the floor.  With his deep voice and a hint of a smile Dad said that he had worked at getting the car trunk unfrozen and Ronald should go out to the car.  There was something in the trunk that he should get.  As Ronald left the room we all looked at each other with wonder and puzzlement on our faces.  What was going to happen.  We had already gotten our presents.  There was a new card game Touring,  two new puzzles to put together for New Years, a new game of Monopoly as ours was all but worn out and more.  BUT we waited with anticipation as Ronald slowly untangled his gangly body from the couch and headed towards the door.  It seemed like a life time before Ronald appeared in the doorway of the living room and:

It was a fine fine Christmas and a great winter as we, almost daily, traveled down the steep slope behind our 3-holer on our new sled.  Dave and I even spent time with sand paper and grease to make the runners go FAST.  It turned out to be a splendid Christmas gift, one of the best.

Yesterday was fairly uneventful but there was something done.  I was able to fix a bathroom faucet that needed attention.  I am not used to doing that kind of thing here in Naples as Terry's home is pretty new, 20+ years, and not much needs to be done.  I should also admit that plumbing is not one of my favorite things.  I have not put things back as I want to be sure there is NO leak.

Terry and I did go out for lunch.  There is a new place about 2 miles from here.  I would give the place a B with no complaints but with so so so many choices to eat we will not be going back.

Christmas is FAST approaching and I am not sure I am fully on board.  It seems like I turn my head and another week has gone past.  SOON 2019 will be here and there is one thing I am certain about.  The first or the first couple of checks I write I will write in 2018.  IT IS TRADITION, well of course not really!

My KONA FP is near the end so it is time to sign off.