CHRISTMAS IN RUIDOSO

We had a great Christmas because we had three children,

ages 8,5, and 1 to share the time. Jim and his wife, Mandi, invited her mother Nancy and me to be with them in a great home they rented in Ruidoso. The home was owned by Smiths from Norman, OK. It had two stories and located on the side of a mountain. Nancy gave me BROKE by Glenn Beck and I spent most of my time reading the book. The Wilcoxs went skiing. First time for Mandi, Chris and Brent. Chris snowboarded but Brent and Mandi learned to ski. Jim was an old hand and helped everyone.

On Christmas Eve Jim put up a tree and the boys helped decorate it. It had to have Jim's electric train running under the tree. Chris used the Christmas packages to make tunnels for the train. There was a wood stove in the living room and I helped the boys get a fire going the first night.

On Chrismas day we enjoyed the children with all of their Santa gifts and later opening all of the exchange gifts. I was amazed by the XBox games that the boys got with a Kinetic controller that uses laser beams to recognize the boys as they stood in front of the big TV and interact with the screen characters. What they won't think of next!

Faith at one year old was a charmer. She was everywhere and loved to open her packages. She has a cell phone and was talking up a storm, but I couldn't understand a word. On Christmas Day we went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods with a Hotel, Casino and buffet restaurant run by Mescalero Apaches. I was surprised that the menu included Chinese food under the label of Chow Chow. We stuffed ourselves. Jim took the kids back to the house while we visited the casino where Nancy and I each lost $5 but Mandi ended up making $60.

I opened my gifts and was surprised to get a LM shirt and a Kindle from Mark and Kathy. I have always been interested in ebooks and now I have a reader. It came with Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. I couldn't connect to the internet until I got home but it worked with my router at the house. On the way home on Monday we read our devotionals in the car on the way to Post. We stopped at George's restaurant in Post. We stopped for gas in Synder and from there I read the autobiography to Nancy all the way to Halsell Hill which made the drive a lot shorter.

The morning we left we saw our first wild life. As I started the car to get the frost off a mule deer was just across the street. Then as we went out to leave a huge elk with enormous antlers flopped down on the driveway of the house across the street. I will try to post my photo of him.

IKE CELEBRATES 88 YEARS

Yesterday was Ike Neal's 88th birthday but we celebrated today with a cake brought by Sue and a meal prepared by Nancy. We invited all of our families but the only ones who could make it were Sue's number one son Al and his wife Jeannine. Originally Nancy's son John was coming but he had to cancel. Nancy made chicken cacciatore, German green beans, macaroni and cheese and cranberry salad. We had great chocolate birthday cake with whipped cream.

(The other photos are of the decorations in the living room.)

After a discussion of church's beliefs (Al is pastor of a Cowboy church in Cross Plains) Al regaled us with stories of his getting married to a Turkish woman and her brother's taking Al out into the night life of Istanbul riding in a closed car with friends smoking hashish. Turks like to fight and he saw a lot of it with his new family. He met her in Germany but they went back to her home to get married. I didn't ask if it was an Islamic wedding. He also told about driving his truck of produce into Montreal where they speak French. He was late and the vendor spoke to him in French. He replied in German so they agreed to communicate in English. He hated going into Canada because the highway signs were all in French. We always enjoy hearing Al's truck driving stories. He also told about one trip hauling cattle across the Mexico border and was hassled by the US guards coming back into the country. He says he won't go across either border anymore. This week he made a trip to Nebraska. Said they had some ice but none of the snow we have been seeing on TV.

We are looking forward to Sunday School tomorrow.

CHRISTMAS PARTIES KIWANIS AND SUNDAY SCHOOL

I am behind posting to the blog. December 3 was the annual Kiwanis Christmas party for Cross Plains. The weather was perfect and in spite of my lack of preparation the event went off very well in my opinion. All of the Kiwanians pitched in and made it work. We serve a stew supper with cornbread for $4 that with donations made more money than the cost of what we give away. We make photos of children with Santa that we give to each child with a bag of candy. We gave away 12 large frozen turkeys, 10 gifts of $20 in a drawing. This year we had to pay for a new printer for the photos and we covered everything with some left over to help other children projects.

The next day I got up and left early to get to a Kiwanis clinic held at the 4-H Center at Lake Brownwood. Our Lt. Gov. owes me one hour. He said the meeting would be 9 - 3:30. I got there at 8:40 and only he was there. I asked where everyone was and he tells me the meeting was at 10 but he said 9 to get us there early. I apparently was the only one with that message. I used the time to make a phone call to Ken Davis. He is at home but using a walker. He was in the hospital for several weeks. I enjoyed meeting other Kiwanians from Abilene, Comanche, Coleman, San Angelo, Breckenridge, Granbury and even one from Oklahoma City. I touted Cross Plains Robert E. Howard and the best small Library in the US. Told them that we would have an international rocket launching contest next year also.

After Sunday School class we held our annual SS Christmas party at my house. Nancy made all of the food and hor'd'oevrs. Members brought desserts with Russ Miller bringing sweet potato pie from potatoes he had grown and pie he had made. Nancy started with armidillo eggs, bacon wrapped artichoke hearts, wonton wraps filled with refried beans and cheese called Mexican Hat cups with lots of dips and chips. I lighted about 20 candles to brighten up the room. We had chairs and tables for everyone to eat the ham and potato casserole, green beans and cranberry salad and then the many desserts.

Jane Bonner had prepared an exchange of the gifts where we all stood in a circle and passed them from right to left as the story used the words right and left. It was a lot of fun that we all enjoyed. I gave my 25cent tours of the house for most of the attendees had never visited me before.

Thursday I met with Mark for lunch before meeting with the doctor that performed my colonoscopy. Mark had gotten up at 1 a.m. due to his work at Lockheed. And that night he and Kathy were hosting the monthly dinner for the parents of patients at Cook Children Hospital where they have served as volunteers for many years. I met with the doctor and she explained how I should eat a lot of fiber, which I do. She listened to my heart and lungs and told me that I was in better health than she was.

I admit that when I ate with Mark I have started having a problem with my right hand being a little shaky the last couple of weeks. I thought it was just stress and it may be, but it is aggravating to have to hold my right hand with my left to get a spoonful of liquid to my mouth. But what do you expect at my age?

Tonight I called Faith Wilcox to wish her a Happy Birthday. One year ago she was born while I was having my first date with Nancy. We will be with them in Ruidoso for Christmas, the Lord willing.

DECEMBER IS HERE!

I finally finished reading Elmer Kelton's last novel. A good finish to his set of stories about the early days of the Texas Rangers. Unlike so many authors he doesn't have his Rangers pursue some of the famous outlaws of the day. He has them tackle the many problems related to feuds between land owners that lingered from the Civil War. He brought in a new Ranger that was from the old school of shoot first and ask questions later. He has a little romance but that was always hard for Elmer to write about.

Nancy and I are involved in getting ready for December events. This Friday is the Kiwanis Christmas event held every year for Cross Plains. We serve a stew supper to raise a little money to pay for the gifts that are given to the community. Each child gets a free photo of their visit with Santa. We give away 12 frozen turkeys and four cash gifts. We have a program of Christmas music to start the season.

Then Tuesday night Nancy and I are hosting my Sunday School class. Nancy is preparing all the food except for desserts that others are bringing. We decorated the artificial Christmas tree I bought at the Lord's Acre and Nancy has brought out all the other Christmas decorations and tables. The piano has a creche on it with figures from her collection. We moved the painting of the cowboy riding the fence line from the bedroom to over the fireplace. It now matches the painting over the piano of the young woman out in the field in a western scene. And Mary Barton's painting looks good over the bed. We are looking forward to having a large crowd for the party.

Nancy has also asked her children and mine along with Ike and Sue, Al and Jeannine to come for a meal December 18. Her son John and his wife Carol is coming but Vicky says she can't make it and haven't heard from her other son, Ernie. Don't know what the weather will be by then. So far it has been great.