T'was the night before Christmas...

[Simply Blessed]

'Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch

The pond was froze over & so was the branch.

 

The snow was piled up, belly-deep to a mule.

The kids were all home on vacation from school.

 

And happier young folks you never did see-

Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.

 

Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock,

There came a surprise that gave them a shock!

 

The power went off, the TV went dead!

When Grandpa came in from out in the shed

 

With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.

"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.

 

"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.

Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."

 

"I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom. "With their light,

And the fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."

 

The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.

Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,

 

Uncased his old fiddle & started to play

That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.

 

Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew

Both Pop & the kids were all singing it, too.

 

They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"

Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.

 

They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,

And Pop read a passage from God's Book of Truth.

 

They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,

The youngsters agreed 'twas a fine Christmas Eve.

 

Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;

And when the kids wakened, the power was on..

 

"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"

Said Grandpa - & no one suspected his trick.

 

Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,

He had pulled the main switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!

-anonymous

[S.K.]

now that is just to cute thanks for sharing

[Deb2of9]

I liked that one.

[CrabGrassAcres]

Sounds like a smart Grandpa!

[Amishway Homesteaders]

Copying to put in our 'night before Christmas' book we read every Christmas Eve.

 

NOW this story is just about what we do..............

Nothing says Christmas like a night (or two) without all the 'modern' stuff. Christmas songs coming out of the old crank Victrolia, a fire going in the Pioneer Room (living Room set up to be OLD), homemade Christmas cookies with cocoa or egg nog, and snowing outside so we can go for our annual Christmas snow walk.

Speaking of snow walks we did the annual fruit baskets again this year (19 total) and loaded up the van and headed out to deliver them to friends all around. Crisp air and a light snow was falling as we made the rounds. Love doing our Amish Friends the most because our there most driveway don't get plowed and the animals are all out in the snow covered fields. So we have to park the van by the road and 'hike' in to farms and it just feels so old fashioned - we LOVE it! Came back home with eggs, breads, noodles, fruit cakes, and lots of little goodies. It makes it so Christmassy around here.

Have to do it again on Thursday to visit more friends - this time most will be getting Lori's famous fudge, homemade cookies, candy canes & peanuts and Children’s books for all the younger kids.

 

 

[themartianchick]

That sounds like such a wonderful time, Michael! I just imagine everything looking like a postcard.