HAPPY TIMES TO ALL-

THE LIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

 

Since Thanksgiving I've been begging my true love, Larry, to go with me to select this year's Christmas tree. Every time I suggested we go before dinner, after dinner, he found some kind of excuse to avoid the job. His back was bothering him which meant he couldn't carry the tree into our house-or-he'd rather wait for a fresh shipment-or-since Jimmy couldn't make his regular Thursday night card game, Larry offered to sit in for him.

 

Half a week passed and I gave my husband hell. 'For god's sake, do something, get us started. We can't wait until Dec. 22 to get this place ready.' My semi-lecture shook him up because he squeezed in time to bring up the boxes of outdoor lights from the basement, plus our papier mache' Santa that will be on the lawn again even if it snows. The next morning my nagging began in earnest. I called Larry at work, nagged before and afer dinner. 'Let's get the house decorations done.

 

Larry griped but brought up the tinsel boxes, ribbons, the fake rhinestone covered star, antique and new balls of all colors, angels and stacked them in the foyer. When he thought he was thru for the night, he asked me why I wasn't doing anything. That's when I almost clobbered him with a ten inch frying pan. 'Listen to me, dumkuf, I have to clean the whole house, grocery shop, prepare a festive dinner for twelve, plus for ten kids who will sit in the foyer.

 

He gave in and started to hum while he tried to set the beautiful, veryfull and tall tree firmly in the wooden stand. I was all the help he had and I was too heavy for me. It tipped and buries him on the carpet. Larry pushed, I pulled and we got the tree to stand upright. Together we strung red and green lights that we hoped would still twinkle on and off. I hung the tinsel and my ornate and religious ornaments from the top to the bottom of the tree, breaking only one.
'Larry,' I asked. 'Will you please carry the folding table for the children up here? It's behind Jilly's old bed. Let's get rid of that old thing. I didn't like it when we bought it for her first big girl's room. I'll call Good Will after Xmas. They still do pick-ups.' Larry stopped his work to yell at me. 'Don't you dare give that bed away. One day Jinny will give us a grandchild and will definitely want her bed.' I lost control and laughed like a hyena. Rather than argue, I stopped the discussion, knowing Larry will never notice the bed went bye bye.

 

All the guests came carrying in boxes, shopping bags, ribbons flying loose. Larry and I served egg nog to the adults and creamy shakes to the kids. The children were ready to open their gifts but I insisted we eat first, The 'aws' and 'nos' could be heard outside. I was the cook and knew everything was ready, shouldn't dry out. 'Sit everyone, sit.'

 

The preparations, the expenses, arguments were unimportant, evaporated. We sang Christmas carols while our tricky red and green bulbs winked like heavenly stars. There was lots of female help clearing the tables, stacking dishes, getting the few left overs into plastic bags. Oh, I was tired but happy and satisfied with our Christmas together with family and a few friends.

 

We stood by the front door as everyone was leaving and saw some children pelting our papier mache' Santa Clause with ice cubes. As they ran away the wetness disintegrated Santa. The water must have hit a dangerously exposed line of wiring to the house outdoor lights. Half of them went dark.

 

The moon was at its height, almost round and extra bright. Larry and I were glad the over-used Santa had dissolved and decided we would look for an after Christmas special sale, something new next year.