As this is the Santa Season we see that red-coated gift giver everywhere. We have 5 little believers in out family and its exciting to talk with out hopeful grandchildren on the telephone about their expectations. The photo above has ties with our family. The little ceramic Santa that used to wind up and play a Christmas tune is old, as it belonged to my husband's family when he was a little boy and it now has come down through the generations. The wooden, painted Santa was designed and painted by our daughter Riel,

keepsakes of old
remind us of stories told
of Christmases past
decorated with red
our hopes inter twined with that colour
and that rotund jolly fella
we believed
and ah! that gifts that we achieved!
spread around the floor under the Christmas tree
It was such a magical time
blended with church bells chimes.

Shakey was our handsome black cat who loved a reason to celebrate a season. He didn't bother our Christmas tree but hung around it a lot. One evening we started wondering, "Where is Shakey"? We called him; "Shakey, where are you?" We knew we hadn't let him outdoors. We hadn't seen him for a while?! Suddenly David made a loud noise getting up from the recliner and simultaneously we head a rattling noise under the tree and there he was!!! Shakey had been sleeping in a Christmas bag that we hadn't sealed at the top! This story about Shakey is written in the past tense as Shakey is no longer with us. In the fall, he was nearing 18 years old and as he had a weak heart, and loss of appetite and a thyroid problem we said "goodbye" to Shakey.

Your daughter is so talented (like her parents) We don't have any Santa believers any more. :( However, when the eldest grandson was about 4-5, the two of us were having our special Christmas season day (pix coming) and he told me he reallly reallllly needed to talk to Santa. One of our stops was at the mall where Santa sat front and center. Mind you his parents and other grandparents don't do Santa or Easter Bunny emphasizing instead the religious significance. Well, we do both and, after speaking to his mother, I gave in to his insistence, he sat next to Santa, gave him a letter, spoke to him and had his picture taken by Santa's elf - which I dutifully bought to commemorate the event. OOPSIE - his dad and grandparents had a fit. I maintained a visit didn't corrupt him and instead it had led to an interesting conversation between grandson and me. I asked him what was so urgent that he had to talk to Santa, "Well, Grammie, I had to see if he was a real person and he was. And everyone tells me he isn't. Since he is, I needed to tell him NOT to come down our chimney because the wood stove would be going and I didn't want him to get burned". The 2 of us have enjoyed this story ever since.