Dear Reader:

For my door prize at the annual MS luncheon last Friday I won a bag of beautifully carved wooden animals! I was thrilled! It brought back memories of my childhood when mother would ” tolerate ” us kids adding strange play animals to her beautiful manger that daddy had given her on their first Christmas together.

Sometimes late at night if I got up for water or whatever, over the Christmas holidays, I would catch mother staring at the manger from the sofa and hear a small sigh escape her lips-as a child I thought she was frustrated at the interloping bizarre animals joining the manger . Now I know, in reflection, mother was missing daddy and remembering with nostalgia those early years together.

When my younger brother, David, was little, he had a slight lisp and one Christmas he was chosen to-be the wise man carrying the frankincense-mother worked with him every day practicing how to pronounce ” frankincense” orally.

On Christmas Eve when it came time for David to bow down before the ” Betsy Wetsy” Jesus baby doll… he loudly proclaimed …as the third and last wise man-… ” And I bring you Frankenstein !” It brought down the house!

Later that night the doorbell rang and a man from our church appeared with a small package for David. Inside was a toy Frankenstein. David immediately placed the ” monster ” along with the wise men outside the manger.

Even years after David passed at age 21… mother always added Frankenstein to the manger celebration in memory of David! ***Since telling that story I have heard that other little boys thought the same thing.

So until tomorrow… Welcome one and all… including little monsters-especially, perhaps little monsters!

Clearing off Santa’s workshop for Christmas dinners!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh