Bear Paw Meanderings

It is that magical time once again. For 74 years I have been experiencing it. Can’t explain it yet but I really do love it in spite of things going really wrong with the season every so often.

A case in point is that one Christmas I heard of a woman who put a tiny manger scene on her stove so that when she was cooking, she would remember the reason for the season.

I thought that was a wonderful idea. I bought two, one for a cabin and one for the house. I put them up on the stove for years and even looked at them and remembered. Then Mother and I bought a new stove, a glass topped stove and one day the manger scene got too close to a burner and melted, causing damage to the glass of the stove and reminded nobody anymore of anything but melted plastic.

After we got all that sorted out, I decided no more stove top manger scenes. If I need to be reminded of a manger scene, I can go and look at the one in the living room and remember the reason for the season there.

When I look at the beautiful living room manger scene I am always sad because I lost the most beautiful manger scene of all. It was given to me by Grandma Lucke and was made in Germany. The stable, the human-like figurines, and animal and especially the angel were so very beautiful. Alas, that manger is not to be had any more. One time I had a renter and as nearly as I could figure, she stole that wonderful manger scene.

I moped around the house for months until Mother took pity on me and bought me the most wonderful manger scene for Christmas one year. It is not the German set but it came from my mother and that makes it even better! I get double the use from that manger scene. I look at it and think of the reason for the season and mother as well. Neat huh?

Although, really, I don’t need to be reminded too much of the reason for season as I have Christmas music playing throughout the house most of the day. When listening to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” it is easy to get into the right frame of mind.

So, it’s another Christmas. This evening the Christmas lights are on outside of the house and all the inside lights are on as well. There is a huge white tree decorated to the nines in the living room where a fire burns merrily in the fireplace. I am writing these words in the den where there is a smaller tree, decorated and with lights throwing rays on mounted heads sort of like in the Lou Lucke Company all these many years ago.

Time for a brandy... but still time to wish you and yours from me and mine, the very best Christmas ever!