Dear Reader:

Yesterday morning was chilly and rainy… and I left the house after 8 in the morning for dropping off gifts, one last run to the grocery store, fill up with gas and give my ” weak” tire some more air so the tire pressure would hold up to get me to Mt P Christmas Eve and Day! Whew!

Yet… this was the day that wonderful stories flew… popping up all around me-reassuring me that people are so good and giving and Christmas brings out their blessings.

Yesterday, December 22, was mother’s birthday so my mind was pulling up constant memories of this extraordinary woman… I was honored to call mother.

And then came the wink… many of Honey’s gifts were items that helped promote and recognize others who have overcome disabilities to find a way to give back while providing a life for themselves.

(Honey knew I would appreciate this story because of mother.) Clara Jane, after once traveling the globe, is now confined in a wheelchair without the use of her right side. But in spite of this… she has developed a new love… the craft of ” Single-Handed Embroidery.” Amazing! Each piece is signed CJ, with gratitude for every customer’s purchase. ( Mother would have loved her)

On the way back from the grocery store I pulled into my neighborhood nearest gas station to fill up and see if I could get more air in my weak tire.

As I was filling up… the rain had picked up and I was about to talk myself out of getting more air since the tire place down the street was packed with people lined up to get air….

I pulled over to the air center at the gas station to see what I could figure out-but it was a dollar twenty-five in quarters needed to operate it… and I had just cleaned out all my car change ( for the annual birthday jar I give Tommy. ) I only had my card and this particular air machine didn’t take cards.

I must have looked wet and discouraged because suddenly the man in the large work truck ( getting gas next to me) came rapidly over and asked me what the problem was…” I got it” he grinned… quarters and time to check that air in your tire and get it ready for our ” Polar Express” air coming tomorrow! Tire pressure is important in cold weather… we are just spoiled by our normal warm winters. There you go… have a good day!”

I could feel my eyes welling up as I thanked my ” Santa” for his kindness… He just climbed back in his truck, waved and called out ” Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!”

First thing today… I called Walsh ( Kringle Dingle) to wish my middle child Happy Birthday … for some reason the whole Dingle clan has lots of birthdays in December… Walsh now for me and next week Tommy -my ” baby.”

If you ever watched the “Golden Girls” you might remember the episode called ” Grab that Dough” when Dorothy entered the air vacuum to see how much money she could grab on a televised game show.

So until tomorrow… I started reflecting at the end of the day yesterday on all the true and truly amazing stories that befell me and how if I had stepped into a Christmas vacuum… I would have grabbed as many stories as I could tuck away in my memory as a precious Christmas keepsake! More precious than money-Christmas 2022!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh