Christmases when my children were small were perhaps the best of all. Now when I wander through stores I see little faces that remind me of the boys when they were preschoolers and those handsome faces with their bright smiles tug at my heart strings.

There is one memory from those days sweeter than all others and I am reminded of it every time I pass a Salvation Army bell-ringer. I, through a series of life’s problems was left to raise two toddlers on my own. With the help of my parents, a bold lie to the Welfare Department, (Aid to Dependent Children only subsidized mothers who stayed at home.) plus a scholarship to the University that miraculously fell into my lap, I began college.

Money was unusually tight and my first year at the University, I worked through the Christmas Rush at a local store. That helped to buy gifts for the boys, however, it also meant long hours away from them. I vowed I would not work over the holidays again. I was away from my children far too many hours during the school year. I needed to spend the hours of my winter break with them.

So when in my Sophomore year, a post card arrived from the Salvation Army in late November, inviting me to come to a special store that they were preparing and to pick out two toys for each of my children, I thought, “Why not?” The date of my invitation was Dec. 6th at 10AM.

The store was located downtown and leaving the boys with my mom, I climbed onto the local bus. I don’t know what I was expecting. Pride almost kept me away. With a tilt to my chin and a “I can do this for the kids” attitude, I got off at the corner of 9th and Nicollet and walked the short distance to the Salvation Army Store. I entered a brightly lit, warm, holiday decorated old building filled with new toys. A wonderful woman greeted me with “Merry Christmas”. She grabbed a cart, and announced proudly that she was my personal shopping companion. This woman had a remarkable ability to listen and to care. She was like an angel and before you could say, “Santa,” she had steered me to the area marked “For three and four year olds.”

I picked out two toys for the younger of my sons and then said proudly, “My four year old is really interested in Science and well, he is a little advanced for his age.” You would have thought my gifted child was her own grandson. She wheeled that cart around to the “Five to seven year old” area and begin looking for educational toys with a solid scientific bend. There was a chicken in the egg kit showing the developmental stages of an embryo. It went into the cart. There was a math game. It went into the cart.

Two presents per boy, that was what the post card had said so I thought I was through, but no this wonderful woman couldn’t count or didn’t care about rules. She just laughed and said,” But there are so many gifts here, you must take more.” She smiled as though my taking a few more toys would be helpful to her. So into the cart went two or three more items for each boy. I thanked her profusely and she gave me the warm, good-by hug of an old friend.

To leave the store you passed a counter where all the goodies were put into shopping bags. Patiently waiting for mine to be bagged, I looked up to see my personal shopper running toward me, “Here,” she said with a tone of delight in her voice, “You must take this Astronomy Build Your Own Solar System for your son”.

I left the store with a feeling of respect, of honor, of self-esteem that could only come with love, the Christmas spirit, and the helping hand of the Salvation Army. God love them all especially the Salvation Army Lady, who I am sure earned her wings long ago and now bustles busily among the Cherubim and Seraphim, where I am willing to bet, she still doesn’t count gifts and she still doesn’t play by the rules.

My friend Gloria, over at Wildmind posted her color on her site so I just had to try it myself. Both of us felt it was very close to being a correct analysis. I think it tells a lot about personality and blogging. My results are posted below. Take a moment and try it out. Then let me know what color blogger you are.

Your blog is a peaceful, calming force in the blogosphere.
You tend to avoid conflict - you’re more likely to share than rant.
From your social causes to cute pet photos, your life is a (mostly) open book.

Another Thanksgiving is over and I must say this one had a scrumptious meal attached to it. Bob and I went down to our daughter, Kristi’s house and she prepared the most wonderful meal with great turkey, delicious vegetables, and the best sweet potatoes ever. Add friends and family, interesting conversation, and top it all off with pumpkin cheese cake for dessert. Couldn’t have been better.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and feel as well-fed as I do right now. It will be time to hit the old treadmill hard tomorrow. I feel at least ten pounds heavier than I did when I woke this morning.

Here is a photo of Bob and the Turkey early in the day. Just kidding. This is Kristi’s Macaw named Rowdy. He and Bob hung out a lot while the women were all in the kitchen area. (For more photos from Thanksgiving see the New Album. Just click on it and it will take you to other photos. Click on the first one to enlarge it and the other six.)

It is my brother’s birthday so I am posting this photo of him in honor of the day. It is a definite blast from the past and my favorite. It is from his high school graduation in 1948.

Dick is five years older than I am. As a child, I looked up to him as only a five-year younger sister can. He was always the brilliant scholar (still is) that in my mind I knew I would never equal. The words I remember from the nuns at my elementary school were something in the order of, “So you are Dick’s little sister, he was such a bright student, good things will be expected of you.” Or at least that is how I remember it. Growing up and to this day, I have had a special feeling of awe for all of his accomplishments. There have been so many wonderful ones over his life time.

Here is to your birthday Dick. Hope it is a wonderful one. I wish I were there to celebrate it with you. Love from your little sister.

I posted this last year for my Thanksgiving Greeting and because it is one of my favorites, I think it will do again this year. I wrote it for my Granddaughter J. when her pre-school teacher taught the class about Family Trees. Her mother asked me to explain a family tree like ours and this was my answer.

A family tree is an imaginary tree on which very special people you love, like or sometimes even just tolerate exist. Sometimes the tree has only those people who are your direct ancestors, like Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, and Cousins. My family tree has much more.

It is my belief that a Divine Power that I call ““The Great Horticulturist”” helps form our family trees. So many of the branches on my tree are ““grafted””. They are not from the original tree, but have a beauty of their own because they are chosen. All my branches are precious and all my branches make my tree beautiful.

I like to think that the leaves are all the good memories and times that my family produces. Each fall, these leaves turn bright colors and fall to the ground. All winter they lay on the ground and keep my tree warm and alive. Each spring, new green buds appear and they are the promises of love and splendor that my family brings.

My tree stands in a forest. It is surrounded by other family trees. These are the trees of my friends. Without their love and support, their wisdom and joy, I would be very lonely for they support and care for me in so many wonderful ways.

That is why this Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for all of you that are a part of my Family Tree and part of my forest. May the sun nourish you, the winds bless you, and may we continue to grow in God’’s love..