Christmas 08,

Just a little boy standing in the storm....
He was just a little boy standing in the storm with his nose pressed firmly against the glass..His looked like he could "will" himself inside. He was nearly a part of the Christmas window he'd stood so long. He was staring. He was wishing. He was filled with hope. If there was a Santa, Perhaps; just perhaps he would bring him his hearts desire. He knew there WAS one. Wasn't he sitting on a white throne attended by elfs in the OTHER window? Were there no children lined up to speak with him? He had already told his wish to Santa. If he told anyone else....Would his wish go up in smoke, like his Birthday wish had done? He watched Christmas Fairies cavort in the window. The toy soldiers stood at attention on their wooden legs while the train went steadily around and around and around. The Christmas tree bore brightly bubbling lights in red, blue and green.Gaily wrapped Packages were strewn about,beneath it's boughs, as if in wait for a small child to come and tear them asunder. An angel dressed all in white stood at it's top, holding candles aloft to light the way to another little boy in another time, at another place.. Silent, seemingly alone he stood. He seemed to be dreaming. He wasn't ragged or worn. He was not dressed with any sort of style. BUT, he was clean!. He was clean and his hair was combed. He was there with hope in his heart. His only thought was what he wanted Most for Christmas.He held his hands tightly clenched in snow damped gloves while he stood. His Snow covered lashes barely contained the look of avarice in his big blue eyes. His "watch cap" as his Daddy called it; was cocked a bit to one side so his blond hair showed how much he needed a hair cut. He had no boots, only basketball shoes covered his cold feet. Yet, he stood on. He waited patiently while the roar of cars slithering through ice covered city streets seemed not to seep in to his mind at all. He had tried prayer, He had yet to be answered. He was going to try Santa. There was only one thing he wanted for Christmas. Perhaps Santa could provide. He'd tried talking to Jesus in Church. He'd seen the Baby Jesus in the Manger out front of the church and stopped to talk to him personal like. The stone baby was not listening. Santa was flesh and Blood. Perhaps he would hear....Perhaps he would have the answer to his only Christmas wish. Nay! It was more of a Christmas Prayer. He stood rooted to the ground in front of the festive window. He didn't take his eyes from the angel. Not even the Santa on the corner got his attention, now.....He was sure she "winked" at him! Maybe the stone child in the pretend manger was listening after all. Maybe the animals in the manger were going to talk about him tonight. Maybe....Just Maybe, his Daddy would come home from Something called the "Tet offensive" whole and safe after all..... Today an old man stands bent with age. His hands are worn with hard work. His gloves are ragged, his feet are cold. He stands before the same window. He stopped to pray before the same stone child. He even gave the ancient wooden sheep a small pat on the head as he walked slowly away. It seemed to him he had done this all before in his long ago past. He'd stood at that very window, Wishing, praying.....His old faded blue eyes filled with tears. The cane he grasp shook in the cold. The cars he could not hear were not so big. They didn't growl so loud or sound so fierce. Still they slithered along on wet iced city streets. People didnt' seem to see him standing bent in prayer as he had been so many years ago. Then he had prayed to the angel atop the tensil covered tree. Now he knew, He had no doubt at all. The Santa at the corner would not help him the Santa who now rested on the same Shopworn throne in the same window was of no use at all. Nor, were the stone statues going to answer his prayers. Still he prayed as he had prayed before. He prayed now for the safety of his Grandson. That was then That was Viet Nam. That was a country in a jungle. His prayers were answered then.... Would they be answered now...Would his Grandson come home safe from this desert country. Would He help to free people who were locked into horrors we were blessed to never see !! When he was done would he too come home? The little boy, now old and worn, still prayed as he did then......He still stood stark still as he had then....The Tall toy soldiers had new coats of paint. The sugar plum Fairies wore new costumes.....and he prayed for the safety of a new loved one....That he too would be home for the Next Christmas, He prayed that he be kept safe to come home to his sons. He prayed while people who seemed not to notice walked past, people who seemed not to see, people who listened to the strains of "Santa Claus is Coming." Just as those others had so many years ago.......Once more the Angel at the top of the Glittering tree seemed to wink at him, before he ceased his vigel and walked slowly toward home...still whispering his prayer of HOPE and love as he did when he was a boy....Who's Daddy was in a different war, in a different time, in a different world.....When an Angel's "wink" seemed to confirm that God was smiling upon him.....Perhaps God still smiled.....ONLY time would tell!

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web laughinginthespirit.blogspot.com

How to get the old man to work around the house! Who was guilty? you decide!

A sweet little old lady with white hair and a dazzling smile told me this story.....Nope ! It wasn't Mom.......she would of never of told this story on herself!

This is,Her narration as close as I can remember, she's been dead and gone for several years...Besides, It's not like she was gonna' tell me the story again so I could write it for anyone else to read!!....Outta' the blue, she told me like THIS!

"I don't want you to be shocked by this.I was asleep, and I felt like I had to fart....I had no idea, it was anything but a fart...you know Laura, I have to take Milk of Mag every night to keep that working :any way!" I was a little shocked, for her to blurt out this story as she did. That is, with no prompting from ME. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

"Well! I let 'er rip!" She smiled a big wise, old lady grin!" When I realized just what happened I was so disgusted.There was no use to run to the outhouse, I'd done the deed already...back then we didn't have no showers or tubs....we barely could afford rags!" She scratched her head a little."I sure used the heck out of that one!"

" I remember plain as day!" She had me at that entrance! She didn't need to embellish with truths about the depression era!"An old flower sack stood in for a wash cloth! We made lots of things out of flour sacks, We made curtains, night gowns and under drawers! When they were all worn out, we made rags out of them, there was rags to wash with, rags to dust with...and rags to tie your hair in curls! The stink that night would of curled your hair without them rags!"

She went back to her story."I was so quiet when I got outta' bed..I barely moved the blankets back, and slipped out of that bed......I lived in fear of wakin' that old man of mine! I really did NOT want to give him ammunition! He was always givin' me a bad time about any little thing! He enjoyed giving me grief! Remember, that big tomato you sent up here for us! It was huge, and red, and sweet. That mean old Fart ate it, every bite. He ate it in front of me and didn't give me one bite! I was still mad at him for THAT!" She was smiling again, I knew something interesting was coming!

" I got out of that bed and slipped soundlessly out of that room I fairly ran in to wash up.....wheweeeee! It stunk!.... I was sure It was all over me, but Somehow it seemed to me I MISSED my night gown....hummmmm!!! I wondered how that happened....while I stripped it off and took me a "wash".... I like to never get that smell out of my nose! Wow! I scrubbed and scrubbed and I could still smell it....Maybe I stepped in it!

"Ewwww! I thought," How embarrassing.The old man ain't ever gonna let me live this one down!!! " I thought that all to myself.After all, I didn't want to wake him up, talkin' to myself!..You know how you do sometimes! I was just amazed I didn't get my night gown all soiled....I was gon'na put on a new one any way! Maybe, there was some on it somewhere I didn't see.....I sure could smell it!"

"Mind Yah!...I wasn't ever gonna tell anyone this story....I was just gonna sneak back into bed and keep my mug shut......Don't you be tellin' anyone....Well! Anyone that knows ME!" She actually winked!

" I put on a different night gown cause I fancied could still smell it. I tip- tip- tippy- toed back to bed. I was quiet as a mouse! I really didn't want to wake up that old man!" She gestured with her hands about tippy toein' it up to bed...

She was nearly whispering."I folded the blankets back real careful like, so as not to wake him. Then I 'bout gagged....cause I got a real whiff!.... I threw back the bedding.....What A MESS!"

"Wake up! Old man! You done Shat the bed!" I whopped him with what ever came to hand.I beat him with an old rubber slipper, that fit over his "Romeos!" I was mad as a hornet....How dare him make a mess like that! He done got it all over me, Too! I was just to mad to think about what I was doing!"

"Up till then,Hubby was still sleeping like a rock..When he came to life it was with the realization .That he was sleepin in a stink so bad it would curl his eye brows!..The trap door on his long johns was down and it was Full! WHY that "S.O.B."...I thought to myself ...

I think that is when it dawned on me," 'twas my farts woke me up....My churning stomach...What was the chances of both of us having "green apple quick step" in the middle of the night? Somehow it flew over there and Filled up his drawers! It made some big stinky spatters on that bed , Too!"

I was beside myself with embarrassment!" She wiggled in her chair, she was still embarrassed to think of her actions.

"I couldn't back down NOW! I'd already woke the sleeping logger! What a wakin' up he GOT! He was stinkin' and smellin' and beat and battered! I knew in my own mind it was NOT his stink! I wasn't gonna' tell him that though; it was to damn late to wake him up gentle like!" She reddened like a school girl!

"So what could I do?" I Told him." Get Your lazy arse up and go wash!" Really Laura, I had to fix that bed...."

"I wasn't gonna sleep in my own stink!......" But of course I wasn't gonna' tell him who's stink it really was!

"Now the old man is gone, I'm kinda' ashamed of myself I didn't tell him it was me.....but, I really needed those shelves put into the root cellar....And he was so ashamed for "poopin'" on me---- he was sure good to work around the old place for a few days!He even mowed the lawn and got that new screen door up I'd been a-wantin' for a couple years!

Sleep well....and be careful of that Milk of Magnesia!

Laurel....

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web laughinginthespirit.blogspot.com