Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Christmas Memory (1)

Growing up rural, we didn’t have lots of extra money, but my parents were generous in giving their children wonderful birthdays and Christmas’s.  Presents consisted of both wants and needs, but more than that, the Dugan-Powell Christmas also consisted of (extended) family gatherings and church activities. Great Christmas memories!
Sometimes we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve, but I remember one Christmas where we were to open our gifts on Christmas Day. My younger sister and I shared one of the two upstairs bedrooms. This didn't seem ideal when I became a teenager. With seven years between us in age, she was still into toys--lots of farming toys with animals--everywhere.  But, sharing a room was necessary and wasn’t as bad as I thought at the time.

One Christmas Eve, during my teen years, my sister had a hard time going to sleep. This happened from time to time, but usually because she was scared or wanted a reason to sleep in my bed, instead of her own. This particular Christmas Eve, however, she was just too excited to sleep. More than once, I told pleaded with her to go to sleep so that Santa could come to our house. I had all but given up my coaxing when, right on cue, we hear a jingling noise on the roof over us.

“Is that Santa?” my little sister whispered.

I was just as surprised as she was and at first said nothing. Then I realized it must be our cat with her bell collar on and took advantage of the opportunity. “Yes! Now go to sleep.”
She closed her eyes and soon thereafter fell asleep (or she pretended well). And all because our cat decided to climb on the roof and give a little jingle of her bell collar. Anyway--I think it was the cat.

13 comments:

Jade said...

Awwwww! I just love this story! I can relate to your younger sister. Who can sleep on Christmas Eve? hehe. :)

JoJo said...

I used to pull all nighters on christmas eve out of excitement. I truly did not sleep a wink, and if I did, I was usually awake by 2 AM. That usually made for one cranky kid by 9 AM!!!

Pat Hatt said...

haha helped by a cat, how about that

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Teresa - lovely story - and how lucky your cat wandered across the roof ... or perhaps it was Santa.

Gosh I remember being so excited and waiting for my stocking to arrive - then realising at some stage it had crept in and was hung on the bed .. of course the sock walked of its own full volition! But the little goodies we were given in the sock were such fun - so simple, but so wonderful to bring Christmas Day to a fun awakening .. and no doubt much tiredness all round!

Looking forward to your next parts .. cheers Hilary

Mary Aalgaard said...

What would a cat be doing on the roof?! I think it was Rudolf's bells. Oh, how fun. A great memory.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Santa must be using reindeer cats now!

Jemi Fraser said...

Love this!!! What great timing your cat ... or visitor had :)

Mason Canyon said...

Wonderful story. Maybe the cat had a little help from Santa getting on the roof or maybe Santa forgot his jingle bells and needed help from the cat. :)

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Laura S. said...

This is such a sweet story! You can keep telling yourself it was the cat, but your little sister guessed right: it was Santa! :)

My sister, brothers, and I all slept in the same room on Christmas Eve (usually my brothers' since they shared and there was more room on the floor for me and my sister). It was our favorite night of the year! We hardly slept a wink we were so excited. Women are usually the ones who make Christmas, and my mom needed her sleep, so seeing if Santa arrived wasn't allowed to start until 6am. My dad was like a kid himself at Christmas, and he couldn't sleep either! So he'd usually come into our room at 5am since we were up and wait with us until we were allowed to get mom, hahaha. My childhood Christmas memories are some of my very favorite!

Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

Sharon Himsl said...

Ha-ha. What a darling story. I wonder if she ever knew it was really the cat. Very heart-warming. Thanks!

Misha Gerrick said...

What a lovely story! Thanks for sharing. :-)

Unknown said...

I hope you-all had a very Merry Christmas!

tiptoethruphylsgarden.blogspot.com said...

What a cute story.Sounds like the cat played being a little angel that night,phyllis