Good Mornin’! Good Mornin’!
As Gene always sings, “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane.” We’ve only got nine shopping days left. A phrase that no matter how many days, strikes fear into most folks. Sure, Amazon and the rest of the Internet make it easier to purchase something but how do you find the time to put enough time and thought into Christmas gifts. My grandparents on the Stowers side, Bibbie and Pop, always made a boat load of candy – chocolate fudge, pralines and date loaf. Enough for both sides of the family and then some. I have no clue how that dynamic duo found enough time and the energy to make that mountainous sweet treasure. But I’m oh so glad and blessed that they did. Oh, and I wish I’d been smart enough to be there and take in the wisdom and experience they garnered in making those treats.
The few times I’ve attempted, I forget what I learned on the previous attempt. As a writer, you’d think I’d remember or at least write down what went wrong or right. I do know they had a copper pan or pot that they stirred it all into. I don’t know where that treasure landed when their belongings were divided amongst the family. During the pandemic I got the wild hair to find one and I got a beat up one on eBay and then had it re-tinned just so I would have a candy making pot. Well, it’s still on a shelf waiting to be initiated as I wait for that undetermined measure of time needed to make another candy making attempt.
My grandmother on my mama’s side, Miss Ada Mae Herring made a slew of chocolate candy. One Cool Whip container without pecans and the other with pecans. Pecans that she had picked up herself and shelled and kept in her freezer. I was the “no pecan Cool Whip” grandson. I keep an empty Cool Whip container ready for when I attempt her candy again as well. I’ve actually succeeded once or twice in having it turn out edible and delicious. Maybe I should give that copper pot a go with that generational recipe that she got off the back of the Hershey Cocoa box decades ago. I miss those treasured containers in her fridgerator in Caile. Wish I could go back and hug her once again and swap our Commercial Appeal newspapers for her Jackson Daily and Clarion Ledgers.
I don’t remember my parents shopping much but the mailman always had a bunch of Sears and Roebuck packages coming to Three Mile Lake Road. I remember one Christmas when for some reason my parents went to the post office either on Christmas Eve or morning cause Santa had left my Karate Men (like Rock em, Sock em Robots) game there. I still have that gift. It’s survived my pre-teen and teenage years and moving to five different states and a couple dozen zip codes and apartments/houses/condos. I still have the guns my father gave me on Christmas. They still bring Christmas joy and a smile. They bring my dad back to me. They were and still are perfect gifts for me.
We all know that Jesus is the reason for the season and it’s all about celebrating His birthday. Christmas Eve candlelight service and communion at Inverness First United Methodist Church is always a great and perfect gift for Christmas. I reckon I should get to shopping and stop worrying and give folks Jesus every chance I can, on Christmas and every other day. Now that’s a good Christmas gift – all year round.
