AFTER CHRISTMAS

"The tumult and the shouting dies,"
The families with their gifts depart;
Now comes the yearly sacrifice,
Taking the Christmas tree apart.
Removing the lovely decorations --
Taking down the outside lights;
Finding places to store the new things --
How dull the scene will be tonight!

But lovely memories linger on --
The Holy Family in its Creche;
The dear old Christmas carols sung --
The hope for better years of Grace.
Then once again we'll gather 'round
To celebrate the Christ Child's birth.
And say in heartfelt unison --
"To men of good will -- Peace on Earth!"

I found this poem amongst the memorabilia that has come to me, typed on a small piece of paper. All I know about it is that it came to me through my Aunt Ethel and the first line is a quote from Rudyard Kipling. (Not all questions can be answered through online searches.)

Having adjusted over the years to a quieter celebration, we had a lovely time. Nick and Hallie arrived the evening of the 23rd. On the morning of Christmas Eve, we visited friends in the neighborhood where Nick and Hallie were able to resolve a few pending computer issues. Our friends (who are great-grandparents) related that they had been the beneficiaries of a "random act of kindness." The husband went to Costco to buy a pumpkin pie, and as he headed for the check-out, a shopper behind him called to him -- "Sir, sir! I'm buying that pie for you." She would not take no for an answer and sent him through the checkstand ahead of her so that she could pay for the pie and send him on his way. Leaving our friends, we said to ourselves that we would remember this visit as a highlight of this Christmas.

After turkey sandwiches for lunch, we headed out again -- this time to the Bernina shop where Hallie bought Foot #37 (1/4-inch patchwork foot), which was on my Christmas list. She said she thought we should patronize the local shop. The friendly clerk there told us that she had been busy enough to make it worthwhile to be open that day, which was good to hear. We also walked through the shopping center where I found a decorative topper for our gift to Hallie -- a vanilla jar candle. It's hard to give Hallie anything. She lives in 600 square feet and wants nothing. And when I offer to get her clothes, she tells me how much money remains on the gift certificates from Macy's and Nordstrom's that she has earned at work.

Christmas Day I mentioned to Hallie that one of my goals for 2009 was to get an iPod. When she saw that I was serious, she began downloading our CDs to iTunes, and this morning the four of us went to Wal-Mart where Mike and I selected and purchased our iPod. I hope I learn this new technology -- just like I hope to learn to use the camera, my organ, my sewing machine, and the car -- my New Year's resolutions.

Hallie and Nick left today forenoon to see Nick's mother in Connell, WA. So, it's just the two of us again. It was a good holiday, we have things to look forward to, and I'm ready to get on with it. KW

CHRISTMAS EVE 2008

HANG UP THE BABY'S STOCKING

Hang up the baby's stocking,

Be sure you don't forget,

The dear little dimpled darling

Has never seen Christmas yet.

But I've told her about it

And she opened her big, bright eyes,

I'm sure she understands it,

She looked so funny and wise.

But look at the baby's stocking!

Why anything so small

For such a darling baby

Would just hold nothing at all!

I know what I'll do for baby,

I've thought of the very best plan!

I'll borrow a stocking from Grandma

The longest that ever I can.

And you'll hang it by mine, dear Mother,

Right here in the corner so,

And write a letter to Santa

And fasten it onto the toe.

Write: "This is the baby's stocking

That hangs in the corner here,

You've never seen her, Santa,

For she only came this year.

But she's just the blessedest baby,

And now before you go,

Just fill her stocking with goodies

From the top clean down to the toe.

My Aunt Ethel, my dad's sister, sent this poem to me the year Milo was born (1977). She wrote: "This little song has been in the Dobson family for as long as I can remember and was sung to each baby who had just entered the family circle. I remember we sang it to Vance (my dad) and Shirley (the youngest), and I feel sure it was also sung to me." An online search revealed the original poem was written by Emily Huntington Miller and published as sheet music by Oliver Ditson and Company in 1870. The words are a little different than those Aunt Ethel wrote from memory. KW

WORTHLESS OLD STUFF

They say the longer you keep something, the harder it is to get rid of it. Here are a couple of broken-down old boxes that are truly a case in point. They belonged to my mother. We couldn't toss them when we cleaned out her house, so I took them. I couldn't part with them when Mike and I moved from Broadview, so they have kicked around out in the shed, gathering even more dust. Last Christmas I resolved that I would review their contents, then throw the whole works away. So, one January afternoon I tried to follow through but just couldn't do it. I tried again a couple of weeks ago to no avail.

"The boxes are shot," I said to myself, "so if you care about the contents, you have to at least find new boxes." It wouldn't be easy -- these boxes were particularly suited for their contents. The square one is the size of the old flat-fold wrapping paper box, though it says on it "Delray of Boston" and "A Rexall Product." You don't know about flat-fold wrapping paper, you say. Well, wrapping paper used to be mostly flat-fold, as I recall, and personally, I think there was something to be said for that – more variety, easier to handle, easier to store. But I digress. The larger, rectangular, box is decorated with flower carts and nosegays. It makes me think of a tablecloth box, but a tiny tag says, "Cosmo H&H, LILAC, #4-4PC." Perhaps it held a fancy set of sheets.

So, what's in these boxes anyway? You ask. The square one was Mother's Christmas tag and sticker box. I think she spent more time adding to it than taking from it. One card dates back to her high school years while the stickers are surely from the '40s and '50s. I'm sure Mother liked these things – sweet-faced Santas and angels with eyes twinkling mischievously. I like them! And as the years went by other tags, keepsakes, bits of this and that were added to the box until it's practically a timeline in itself. The larger box is even more precious to me, containing every advent calendar I ever had. Mother loved advent calendars. Yes -- most all of the contents are paper, most of it "mine," all of it saved by my mother.

I've told you how I love boxes and containers. If a store, such as Ross or JoAnn's, carries boxes, that's where you'll find me, wondering if I can sneak yet another box into the house to store photos, fabric, old dolls. If Mike notices, he says nothing. After all, his interests also involve lots of paraphernalia, some of it unsightly. I leave him alone.

So yesterday, I counted myself blessed to find at Ross two sturdy cardboard boxes in Christmas designs to replace the broken-down old ones. I was especially grateful to find the larger one which is adequate to the need. And today I made the switch. Trips down memory lane can be wearing, but I didn't linger long over the task.

And I have to tell you – I was so excited to find my window wax stencils. But that's a post for another day. KW