Lamar Thames

OK, that is enough dillydallying. Let’s get this thing done.

I am referring to my annual Christmas column. At least the one I used to write when I was the editor of a North Florida community newspaper. It was about Christmases past and present and contained images that ranged in my mind from the good, the bad and the ugly of Christmas.

Notice I have used the word Christmas four times already, not holiday. America’s national holiday is Christmas and it is about both giving and receiving and Christ’s birthday. As well as it is about Hannukah and all the other religions that celebrate their deities in some way. Let’s get over this idea of we have to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Celebrating the plurality as well as the original intent of the day is what makes this such a wonderful and great national.

So, Merry Christmas to all. Now let me try to entertain you with some of my holiday merriment.

Emma loves to watch the Christmas train as it makes its rounds under the Christmas tree at Nana and Papa's house.

First, the good has already occurred. It happened recently when my granddaughter Emma came running up to me and squealed, “Papa’s home! Can we turn on the train now?”

It was a night I had to pick up my grandson from basketball practice and meet up with my daughter at our house. Emma had obviously been instructed to wait until Papa arrived before the train could be turned on but she didn’t wait a second before popping the question.

“Of course, we can, Emma,” I answered. We proceeded to the living room where the Christmas train was assembled under the Christmas tree and I showed her how to turn it on and let it make all the sounds of the season that we all enjoy so much: “Ho, ho, ho” and “Merry Christmas,” as well as ringing the train’s bell and Santa shouting, “All aboard.”

Emma is the just the latest in the line of grandchildren who have enjoyed the train and one of these days we hope there will be one more. We haven’t gotten a commitment on that score, but we keep our fingers crossed that we will be blessed with one more grandchild who will someday enjoy the tradition of the Christmas train at Nana and Papa’s house.

***************************************

In years past, I have had some sort of calamity with either the Christmas tree or the decorations, both inside and outside.

Read the rest of this entry »