SANTA EXPRESS

Presents are wrapped, cookie gift boxes have been filled and are on their way to the neighbors, and I've even cleaned up after my gift wrapping sessions. This feels good. I hope all of you are feeling good about Christmas and looking forward to tomorrow.

This year I started holiday planning earlier than usual and I learned if I really wanted to get things done - decorating, baking, wrapping - then I had to start early. I always waited until after Thanksgiving to get things started. For some, that might work just fine. For me, it doesn't, and it took me a long time to learn that lesson.

I'm going to do a little bit of cleaning and straightening up around here, then we'll attend the Candlelight Service at church. Attending church on Christmas Eve is something I've done for all my life. I don't know how it feels to be home on Christmas Eve. After church, we'll do our annual "Santa run" as we've come to call it.

A fellow church member and friend lives alone on her farm in the country. She's never been married, has no children, and no immediate family members. She was an only child and has lived on her family's farm for decades, caring for her horses, dogs, and a whole bunch of cats.

I don't even know when it began, but Spouse and I started doing this Santa run for her years ago. She had no one who bought her gifts and nothing to put under her tree on Christmas Eve. During the year, I gather small items I think she'll like and usually find a couple of items with roosters on them. This year, Deanna provided the rooster items. (Thank you Deanna!) My friend collects rooster items and always seems surprised at what Santa brings her. I wrap a few gifts for her, add tags that say "from Santa", put a few candy canes in the bag, and then we're off to the church service and to deliver Santa's bag to her door afterward. We used to be able to drop it off and leave without her knowing we were there, but she's caught us a number of times. That doesn't matter. We continue to do the Santa run as part of our Christmas Eve tradition. We all pretend she doesn't know who dropped off the bag of goodies. For us, that's part of the magic of the season.

However you spend Christmas Eve - whether partying with family and friends, curled up in front of a warm fireplace, or attending the church of your choice, I wish all of you a glorious evening and send best wishes to you in this beautiful season.