Rural Routes, Blog Version

SANTA’S HELPER

Santa’s helper has taken up residence in my house.

She has commandeered my office for her purposes and I will miss her when her job is done.

She assures me that not all of Santa’s helpers are female. As if I were concerned that the big guy were not an equal opportunity employer. Nothing could be further from my mind.

This particular helper is answering letters from Santa.

“What are kids asking for?” I asked her.

“Oh, a wide variety of things,” she said.

“What kinds of questions do they ask?”

“Oh, a wide variety.”

“Like?”

“How cold is it up there in the sky? How old are you? How do you make toys at the North Pole? How is Rudolph doing?”

“How old IS Santa?” I asked.

“Older than you,” she replied.

MIKE

At several area craft sales this season, I have seen handmade mittens repurposed from woollen sweaters and lined with fleece.

One vendor had a box of each size lined up on the table in front of her.

At the extreme left was the “Children’s” box, following by “Small”, “Medium” and then “Large”. At the end of the line was a box labelled “Mike”.

“Mike?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s my nephew,” she said. “Last year, none of the mittens were large enough for him and he complained. This year I have made sure there are plenty of extra large ones. Just for Mike.”

DON’T LET THE PEACOCK COOK DINNER

I am way behind in listing the books I have read. Perhaps that shall be my New Year’s Resolution: to write one blog just to catch up on book blurbs, and then to start off fresh. Yep, that’s what I’ll do. Watch me.

But in the meantime, I do have one book to talk about.

“Don’t let the Peacock Cook Dinner” did not take me long to read. It was written and illustrated by Timothy Q. Norling and published in 2016 by Ballyhoo Printing of Lewistown, Montana.

Timothy was 10 years old at the time he wrote the book. According to the back cover, it is “the first in a series of “I can do it myself” books where Timmy shows his young readers, ages 4-7 years, that we all need help”.

Obviously it is a take off on Mo Willem’s “Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus”, which happens to be one of my personal favourites.

I was told that the cost of publishing was covered by Timothy’s grandmother and I couldn’t help but think what a grandmotherly thing that was to do.

Her gesture highlights for me the kind of love for family that shines bright, especially at this time of year.

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