Christmas is about families

The Christmas season seems to hit me with a vengeance in my more advanced years. The season starts too early and then, all of a sudden, it is over. I’m never ready for the season to begin and I am never ready for it to end.
About the only time I do any shopping is during this season and am not much in favor of the tasks at hand then. If someone would ever tell me I would never been about to shop again I don’t think I would mind at all. It just isn’t my style. Am not too long away for having to shop for a car again and that is always at the bottom of my list. I look at a few cars and am ready to give it all up. Thank goodness my better half is more patient.
Earlier this month Crosby had its Christmas Festival, Highlands had its Festival and Tree Lighting and the Star-Courier is coming upon the issue that includes all of the wee one’s “Letters to Santa.” I look forward to that event and it will probably be the same edition that these words are published.

The kids lead the way at Christmas time and that is good. However, it is a time for all of us—for family enjoyment, for gift exchanges, for giving to others who have that need and for giving thanks to the Lord for all the blessings of the past year. The Springer’s have had many.
I had the old Santa Claus thing all figured out when I was amongst the younger set. The Pittsburgh—Wheeling area had a department store chain named Stone & Thomas. The main store in downtown Wheeling had about ten floors and the sixth floor always turned into a complete toy land.
I lived for my visits to that toy land and the huge model train displays. The visits were all too short and ended with a visit to the store Santa. As long as I can remember I always knew THAT was the real Santa. Those at other stores were only his “helpers.” You couldn’t fool me!
Have one more major task before it is time to leave these parts and head for Texas. Will be in the pulpit of my home church on December 30 (my fifth trip there this year) as our minister will be on vacation that last 2007 Sunday. Two days later we will crawl into our aging Cad and head for your parts pardoner. By the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Jan. 6) we should be nestled along Sea Palms Drive, Newport.
It will be good to see Crosby, the daily visits with Sea Palms neighbors, walking Maggie along Sea Palms and Challenger, attending service again with Texas friends at the Crosby Methodist Church and seeing relatively new friends elsewhere in Crosby, Huffman, Dayton, Etc.
You live in a fine community area and we always enjoy our visits.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!!
Such are the people, places and things that have touched my life in my West Virginia home!