Christmas Candle Tradition

Christmas 2017

GIFT WRAPPING

So it came to pass as the excitement of Christmas approached
a gift wrapping table was set up in the back bedroom.

The Old Farmer's Wife helped the little ones wrap their packages.

The older ones wrapped themselves! 

The Old Farmer was many things, 

but he was not an artist when it came to wrapping packages! 

Fortunately the Old Farmer's Wife helped out.

 

Guess which was from The Old Farmer to The Old Farmer's Wife?

Christmas On Main Street

The Old Farmer's Daughter would like to say how much I enjoyed

the past couple weeks on her school's facebook page. 

We have been remembering our small town and the stores on Main Street
It was fun to remember many and learn of some I didn't remember.

Go Starpoint! 

So there came a time when The Old Farmer

and The Old Farmer's Wife decided I was old enough

to go Christmas shopping by myself!  

I was dropped off at the corner of Main Street
just above the bridge (widest bridge in the world! at that time).

The street was decorated for the holidays. 

My heart was pounding with excitement! 

With some trepidation I set off up the street.

I had $10.00 and 5 gifts to buy. 

First stop the menswear store to get a tie for The Old Farmer.
Second stop the 5 and dime.
Evening in Paris gift set for The Old Farmer's wife.
Then some gifts for the brother and sisters.
Life saver's gift book? Pez? 
A dollar went a long ways then!

All to soon the adventure over and I waited on the corner

for The Old Farmer's Wife to pick me up.  

Are all those celebrating ready for Christmas?
What are you doing for the holidays?

The Desk and the Rat

I believe I mentioned the backroom of the farmhouse in the past.

Originally it was the kitchen area with a big old cookstove. 

You would come in the back door to this room to warm

yourself by the fire in the winter, and dry your clothes and boots! 

Or when you awoke on a cold morning would hustle down
one of the many staircases to get warm.
There was a narrow back stairs that came down directly here too. 

So now it was kind of a catch all room. 

There were the laundry tubs at one end 
...and the washing machine. 

A big double freezer in the middle. 
Various boxes and cabinets here and there.

And the big roll top desk at the other end. 

The desk had history. 

The family had been in the printing business 
for three generations. 

This was the great grandfather's office desk when 
he printed a local Ohio town newspaper. 

It came to pass that there was rustling heard in the clutter of the back room. 

The Old Farmer observed papers chewed up in the desk drawer

for the makings of a nest! The hunt for the miscreant was on! 

Of course all of us were in on it including the old beagle, our hunting dog,

perhaps we were supposed to circle the area so the "mouse" would be cornered. 

The Old Farmer's weapon of choice was a broom. 

He cautiously opened the lower desk drawer. 

Out burst the mouse who had transitioned into a RAT!

All chaos broke loose, the Old Farmer swiped at it with the broom,
the dog leaped forward, the rat ran between leaping feet, scurried

around the boxes, the Old Farmer all along trying to smack it with 

the broom, while usually hitting the dog who was right in the fray. 

Eventually the culprit was back in the corner behind the desk and
was dispatched to the great beyond.