Lo & behold I say un 2 U - tis the 25th day of December - Christmas Day.
Not much going on here; how about there? I'm sitting here by the computer reading nonsense & looking at Facebook posts that are not what I'm looking for. My dog Sadie is on my lap with her front paws on the window sill looking out over the neighborhood, hoping for someone to walk past, preferably walking a dog, so she can bark at them.
It's been a quiet morning. Daughter is at work. Her dogs have gone to visit their Uncle Thomas while my family comes to visit with their dogs. Some dogs can be a bit pushy with other dogs. Sadie stays here because she is my dog and this is her home. Come the 27th, she turns 11 yrs old, I believe. She doesn't care either way.
Years ago - after I first started teaching -- say 6 or 7 years in -- Christmas rolled around and we were pretty broke as teachers. The wife was staying home with our new borns while I taught for a teacher's salary. She would get mad at me every year because of the expense of Christmas - the tree - children's presents - and worse - presents for all of my family and her parents. I had several tense moments over this.
Now, remember that as I take you back to my first teaching gig in Sudan, Texas. I am not a social person. I have trouble interacting with adults. You might say I am a bit intimidated by others. And I was worse when I was in my lower 20s. One year the Sudan H.S. teachers decided to have a Christmas party. We were to bring one gift each. Who knows what I took. They did a game where the gifts were placed in a central pile and in order, we each pulled out a gift. But, people who followed you could steal your gift or choose a new one. I've heard of this being called White Elephant something. I simply call it the grab bag. We played party games and had the grab bag.
One of the party games was answering questions. My question was to name one of the Beatles. You'd think that would be easy. Not for me. I'm the fresh out of classical music school void of any social experiences and popular music. They could not believe that I didn't know any of the names. This was traumatic as you can tell since I still remember the event after so many years. But, I regress. The grab bag made an impression on me.
Back forward. My wife's mad at me for wanting to buy presents for family who I know will be getting gifts for us. I remembered the grab bag. Now my family was one mother (a female as you might guess). my father, and 3 brothers. We got my mother a gift. I started buying little things that I could wrap trying to not spend much.
'When we went home, I threw all the wrapped gizmos on the floor and introduced my father and 3 brothers to the game. It was a success. Tools - flashlights - candy - etc.
That started something. The next year each of my family threw things in the pile and my wife and I joined the fray. Now that would have about 1965 or so. The grab bag has stayed in the family continuously since then. As my brothers married and had children, all were included. It worked pretty good for large family gatherings.
Saturday, my kids and their kids will be here. Two of the g-girls are bringing boyfriends (sigh) as they should. It is another sign of aging. 12 of us will continue the festival. and so it goes.
Our rules: draw numbers from a bag - #1 selects first from the pile on the floor. If you touch a package, it is yours. You can point out something on the bottom and pull it out carefully trying not to touch anything else. #1 opens and displays. Depending upon gift, all oooo and ahhhhhh or laugh. Now, #2 selects a package - #2 can steal #1s gift or pick a new gift from the pile. If #2 steals, then #1 gets to rechoose from the pile. Both are opened -- oooos and ahhhhhs and / or laughs. #3 turn: select from pile or steal from #1 &/or #2. If a steal happens, #1 or #2 goes back to the pile again.
We have installed a 3 steal rule. Once a gift has been stolen 3 times, it remains with that person and is safe. Everyone gets to pick or steal. Numbers are replaced and redrawn, Sequence starts over. Being #1 is not the best location. Being last is the best. At the end, there may be an odd number of gifts with some left over on the floor. Usually, we redraw and let those who have the lowest numbers choose from the pile. No stealing at this point. One year, we just let the youngest children finish up the pile.
I remember one year, my brother Marshall - the oldest - not prone to follow rules, he would steal from people items which he thought his daughter would like. That is not in the spirit of the game. It all worked out - nobody ever gets mad or unhappy. Some years, when my family leaves to go home, I find certain questionable gifts left behind under a chair or behind a cushion. Not all gifts are great gifts. As I tell them each year:
All that glitters is not gold. All that is gold does not glitter. In the words of Dennis the Menace, "Wrapping paper is pretty, but it is what's underneath that counts." One year a blue sofa pillow was left behind. My wife latched on to it. Now it is a permanent resident of her rocking chair.
Enough of this ramble. A bit of family news. I had colitis last September or October - who remembers that far back? Doctors made me do a colonoscopy 2 days before Thanksgiving. I passed. The doctor was pleased with his view and how clean I had cleaned my system ahead of time.
My wife is a bit unsteady on her feet at time. I got a walker type thing and put it in the shower. Then, I took a shower chair that I found in an estate sale and placed it in the shower. She goes in - sits - cleans. About a week past, she scooted forward on the seat to plant her bare feet better for standing, she slid off the front of the little stool. It was about a 15" drop down -not bad - but her back hit the chair as she went down. Now we have a deal on her wrist. Press the button and an alarm rings throughout the house.
I nearly had a heart attack when she pressed that button sitting on the floor of the shower. My heart went thumpedy thump thump thump. Stepping into the bathroom I asked her what she was doing on the floor. She told me nicely. We struggled together and pulled her up off the floor. She did not hit her head. The back, right side, hurt.
2 days later after much moaning and discussing, I couldn't stand it anymore. It was my day for my annual wellness check with our doctor. I took her along. The second the nurse saw my wife struggle to stand up, all was wonderful They worked my wife into the schedule - we were sent to the Xray place in Belton - a drug was prescribed for pain. Long, too-long, story finish: She broke 2 ribs in that trip to the floor. So, drugs have been taken - pain is less - we are on the road to being cured.
With that, I say MERRY CHRISTMAS.
May your New Year be filled with blessings. I'm sure mine will be.
Aside note: I am NOT going to proofread this. Lazy, that's me. Not enough OCD.
mIkE m December 25, 2025
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