Demoted To An Elf

For over forty five years I have been a very faithful hard working Santa's Helper First Class every Christmas season.  I would always have my home decorated for Christmas by the end of Thanksgiving weekend.  I did my Christmas shopping early and had it under the tree.  I made certain that no one I knew went without a gift and always found an extra Christmas gift for someone who needed one.  I thought my job as Santa's Helper First Class was safe forever and ever. 

 I even endured the Bah-Hum-Bugs from Bob with the annual warnings that he didn't need a Christmas gift and to go easy on the money spending.  This year he even brought out our last money account statement showing me that we had lost half of our savings in the money market during this last Stock Market fall a few months ago.  Oh, well!!!  The Stock Market will go up again and go down again,  but I am not going to worry about it. 

Something went really wrong this year I think because Diane and I didn't decorate our home for the Christmas season until the week after Thanksgiving.  On that Friday night Diane said to me,  "OK Elf, get ready to start putting out our Christmas decorations!!! " 

I couldn't have been more surprised!  I asked her if she was talking to me?  An elf?  I had never been an elf in my whole life, except maybe when I was in fourth grade and was able to help Santa put out his toys, dolls, and clothes for my sisters.  That was the year Santa brought me a beautiful, emerald green dress coat that was reversible into a leopard print fur coat.  It was the prettiest coat I ever had.  I also received my last doll from Santa and I still have her in a box packed away with one arm missing, but I have it, so she can go to a Doll Hospital.  The dress she has on is one that Grandma Dora Simons made for her to dress her up for me.

Anyway the next morning, "Bright and Early" Diane called to me and said, "Elf, get up out of bed, it's time to decorate for Christmas."  So Rusty, the orange Tabby Cat and I reported for work to do what Diane told us to do.  The other animals, Maggie, the black dog; Patches, the girl cat; and Bandit, the lazy cat did not report for duty.  Bob told us that he didn't do Christmas.  Natalie found the boxes of Christmas and a small Christmas tree to use to decorate her bedroom and that was the last, we saw of her.

Sean had brought home a brand new tall Christmas tree of the living-dining room area and had set it up on Thursday night.  Sean left and was gone to Arkansas for the week-end Diamond hunting.

The top of the fireplace is arranged with two, three, and four Santas deep of all shapes, sizes, and shades of red.  Some are home made ceramic (my sister, June, made one set of my Mr. and Mrs. Santa), some are cloth,  a couple are from Mexico, some are made with red and green buttons for legs, some fat, some thin, some tall, some short with every one of them unique in their own way.  The top of the sewing machine is filled with an overflow of  Santas.  I haven't found it yet, but I have a very old Coke Cola tiny Santa that I love.

 It would be remissive of me to not tell you that my mother fostered my love for all things Christmas.  Some of my Christmas ornaments are more that fifty years old.  When Mother wrapped our Christmas gifts, she added a Christmas ornament tied on each present with ribbon.  Mother and Daddy would shop after Christmas to catch the ornaments on sale to use on the next year's Christmas gifts.

Diane and I still have to finish decorating the tree, we have only started with only one box of beautiful ornaments.  We have several more to open and unpack.  And - to "Aw and Oh" over as we pull them from the boxes; thrilled once again with their unique beauty or lovely memories of Christmas' pasts.

Well; I may only be a lowly elf now. but I still enjoy decorating for Christmas.  I will try to put some more  ornaments on the tree and try to clear off the dining room table loaded down with Christmas items.

It's beginning to look like Christmas!!!!!!!