Christmas thoughts

Growing up in the Church of Christ, Christmas wasn't celebrated in a religious way.  Everybody but the most strict members had Christmas trees at home, and lots of presents, but it wasn't even mentioned at Church because Christmas isn't mentioned in the Bible.  Still, we had school Christmas programs, and sometimes Mother and I would attend the Christmas programs at other churches.  
Cliff and I have talked a lot about our childhoods and how different they were.  We both have good Christmas memories; Cliff remembers his dad pointing out Santa's sleigh flying through the sky, and yes, little Clifford saw it.  I recall the time my mom and I went to the Methodist Church's Christmas program in Guss, Iowa, and Daddy stayed home with the switchboard.  When we got home, Daddy was sound asleep on the couch and Santa had sneaked in and filled my stockings!  I couldn't believe my daddy slept right through Santa's visit.
Cliff's childhood didn't go as smoothly as mine, but he had good times.  As for me, I never had any worries.  I knew I was loved.  Life was fun.  I didn't have a lot of interaction with other kids, but because I had a good imagination, I always had plenty of cowboys and Indians to play with (in my mind, but still).  On the holidays my sister's family would come from Kansas City and my brother's family from Des Moines.  Mother would go into a baking frenzy.  Good times and lots of food, back when I didn't even know what a calorie was.      

Cliff and I don't normally do presents, but this year I kept finding things on the Internet that I knew he would love, and he said he would feel bad unwrapping gifts if I didn't have something.  So we both had packages to open last night.

me and my nephew Larry

I want to wish all my readers the best of the season.  I hope Santa brings joy to all of you.  If you don't have family around, then enjoy memories of Christmas's past.  I'm not having a particularly blue Christmas, but I love to listen to my favorite version of the song: