CHRISTMAS 2021

 

As I sit alone, my memories to keep me company since my family is far away and can't be with me on this day.  I look around and see my many blessings, a warm and safe home, food to starve off my hunger and the decorations of the holiday.

I feel the blessings as I think about our soldiers, far away from their loved ones, often in foreign lands.  I know they miss their families as they continue to follow their paths to keep us free.  They may not have the luxury of a warm safe place and find a place to slumber and dream of better days.

I feel my blessings as I think of those who are homeless and on the streets, with no luxuries at all. They sleep in sheltered doorways with beds from cardboard, if they are lucky.  They seek warmth from wherever they can get it or shelter from the weather, often suffering through cold and rain or snow.  I feel sad when I think that they might be hungry as they go about their days, seeking a blessing of warmth or food.

I may be alone but I am not sorrow laden as I feel fortunate that I have all the things I need.  And I know that I'm not really alone as God is with me each and every day.

So on this day, let's find the love and the compassion as we celebrate our Savior, Jesus, birth, the greatest gift of all the earth.  

Barbara Foster

2021

The Day America Died

January 6, 2021

America has come to its end as a Free country.  The election of 2020 was fraught with fraud and lies resulting in the election of an old senile man and his Communist running mate.   He bragged before the voting started that he had "the Best Fraud Organization" and he was right.  

The saddest part is that many honest Americans stood up and confirmed the rigging and cheating that went on and yet they were dismissed by our courts and even our elected officials.

The dark day also proved who loved America and who hated her.  Millions of patriots marched on Washington, DC to show their support of our President and to object to the election fraud.  No one would listen and then to add insult to injury, our good honest patriots were infiltrated by the disgusting left's army of Antifa and BLM who lead an assault on our nation's capital, escaping the blame so the fake news agencies blamed the honest Americans and condemned the sitting President.  He asked the crowd to protest peacefully and obey the laws which they did until a gang of thugs led a charge that put them in harm's way.

Our elected officials who claimed to support the 45th President showed their true colors of traitors as the vote went on.  Objections were dismissed, just as they were in the courts without allowing the proof to be presented.

Our own Supreme Court refused to see the proof which leads the country farther into this darkest hour. 

We went from a free country with representation to a communist country with no representation.  How can the most powerful country in the world fall to the lowest of all.  Greed and threats of violence to those who disagreed with the agenda of those who wielded the sword of power.

I have had relatives and friends who have served this country to defend the rights we have all had and enjoyed.  But yesterday, they were slapped in the face with the atrocities of the elected officials in Washington.  The rights they had valiantly fought for were tossed out so the new regime will give the orders to take away our freedoms.

How did we allow this to happen?  Each of us must take some responsibility as we kept re-electing the same ones over and over knowing that they probably wouldn't honor their campaign promises but always had the hope that they might.  Not all of us were so gullible and didn't always vote for the same ones over and over but not everyone took the time to really listen or pay attention and now we will all suffer the consequences.

We were warned back in the 60's that one day America would become a communist country and would be taken from within.  The president of Russia at that time was correct in his statement as that is exactly what happened.  Everyone didn't believe him and yet they sat back and watched slowly as his prediction came true.

If you were one to question it, you were considered a theorist and that it would never happen.  The schools even began indoctrinating our children and eliminating any part of history that portrayed the wrong of communism and taught the children that their word was truth and not listen to their parents or grandparents as they were wrong.

America has been slowly dying and we have stood by to let it happen.  I am just one of many who have seen this but what more could we do.  We voted for those we thought were good and supported our laws and our way of life only to be duped.  It became a never ending cycle trying to pick the good over evil.

My greatest fear is that we may never recover as the younger generation does not know history and does not want to hear it.  They have been brain washed into thinking that this country is the evil one and that it must die and start a new life.  I'm sure one day they will wake up and realize what their elders tried to tell them all those years were true and I hope they will be smart enough and strong enough to fight the evil for good again.

Until then, we can only pray that God will Bless America and its people and that we will live in a free society again.

 Our Mischievous Angel

Georgie was born in the spring of 2017.  Her mother was one of our indoor/outdoor cats and was a mischievous little monster herself.  Actually, her mother was a Tortoise that we named Varmit as a kitten as she was in to everything and Varmit seemed to fit.  But once she discovered being outdoors, she preferred it but on occasion would sneak inside and gained a new nick name--Dammit.

Varmit met a charming tomcat when she was outside who was a beautiful long haired combo of Siamese and Rag Doll.  When Varmit had kittens, she had three who looked like the tom whose name was  Curious George but called Georgie,

 When Georgie Girl was just a kitten she hurt a leg and required careful watching so we brought her inside.  

 My grandchildren treated her special and spoiled her to death.  She was a cute kitten and to this day is a cute cat but unlike her father, this rag doll has a ornery streak.  She demands attention all the time, due to the fact that the grandkids were constantly holding her or giving her attention and now they are gone but she still demands that attention.

She thinks by falling down in front of you that you will stop and pick her up and if you scoot her away, she repeats the action.

She joined the indoor family of her grandmother, Sassy and two others unrelated to her, Miss Kitty who thought she was the #1 cat and Shadow, a ragdoll with darker markings than Georgie and much more quieter and refined.

Sassy liked be the #1 cat from her previous household so between her and Miss Kitty, there was a lot of hissing and fussing going on.  Finally Miss Kitty found refuge by hiding under the covers on my bed so as not have to face her adversary.

Shadow continued his daily routine, not bothered by the constantly growling and hissing Sassy or the antics of Georgie.

If we are in the kitchen Georgie is too, right at our feet meowing, hoping she will get a bite of chicken.  Heaven forbid we use the can opener for anything else as she has a fit and has to know what it is and isn't satisfied until she knows.

Georgie loves to play and can't understand why the other cats won't play.  Now she knows she can intimidate them just by walking into the room or by them.  She loves to chase Sassy but it never turns into anything as Sassy will jump up on something to get away and Georgie loses interest.  So it is on to the next victim.  She loves to sneak into the room where Miss Kitty is and hides until Miss Kitty comes out from under the covers and then the chase is on.  However, Miss Kitty will strike back so it never goes far and George walks away like nothing has happened.

It makes no difference if Georgie has been fed, she nonchalantly walks in to where Shadow's bowl is and just noses her way in.  Shadow being the gentleman he is, backs off and watches while she nibbles away until she is caught and chased off.

Then she sits around the corner just waiting for another chance.

She can be a loving cat if she wants to be, but she prefers to see what kind of trouble she can get in to.  She likes to get on the dining room chairs and play with the table cloth and has poked holes in it.

But the fun part comes at night when she has to go to my daughter's room for the night, this is for the protection of the other cats that she has to sleep behind a closed door which she hates.  So we have to come up with ideas on catching the "white rat" as we call her.  She hides under the table or the sofa or behind a chair hoping we can't get her.

Sometimes we flip the can opener on hoping she will think it is chicken and come up to the kitchen and sometimes it works but when it doesn't, then the hunt is on.  My daughter and I team up to try to catch the little rat.  She is clever and fast so sometimes it takes a while and a lot of coaxing.  We try chicken, pieces of cheese or whatever gets her attention to get her to come out into the open enough that we can grab her.

Now sometimes she doesn't realize it is bed time and will rub up against us if we are in the kitchen so we just scoop her up.  She gives us a look and then playfully tries to bite.

She has a sweet little face and a little voice that goes with it.  She never meows loud, but is a soft mew sound, almost as if it is a loud purr.

She is aptly named as is a lot like her daddy when it comes to curiosity.  We think maybe her daddy was taken in by someone or crossed the rainbow bridge as he doesn't come around anymore but we have his offspring to remind us of his gentle soul and hopefully one day she will become a gentle loving rag doll and live up to her breed.

Her mother disappeared also and we are pretty sure she crossed the rainbow bridge, unknown how but she liked to roam and we have predators and cars that speed by so we don't know, only that she isn't here anymore.

I'm sure she would be proud of her little "varmit" who loves to get into things and has fun chasing the other cats. 

 FALL

Fall is not my favorite time of the year.  But it brings so many changes from day to day.

The days grow shorter while the evenings bring a cool crispness to the air.

The leaves of some trees display their brilliant color while others only offer a dull brown.

It is a short lived scene as the harsh north winds begin to blow.

Just as you blow out a candle, the winds blow the leaves from their branches.

The barren branches stretch towards the sky with nothing to hide.

The winds swirl the leaves towards the ground, moving them from left to right.

The pretty flowers of Summer now lie wilted in their pots, Roses from the garden drooping.

The beauty of Spring and Summer have disappeared leaving a dull and barren landscape.

Oh, how I long for the warm days of Summer, the beauty of the Roses and flowers.

Fall has arrived preparing us for the Winter with its freezing temperatures, ice and snow.

Time to huddle inside with hot cocoa and a fire's warming glow.

(c) 2020

2020

When we think about 2020, the first thing that comes to mind is perfect vision.  But when it is the year 2020, it was anything but perfect vision.

In January, word came that China had loosened a virus around the world killing thousands, shutting down towns, villages saying any business that was non-essential would be closed to the public.  It also meant that everyone had to wear a face mask, supposedly to keep the virus from spreading and later deemed it wasn't that important.  They really don't know how it spreads and keeps changing their ideas.  It is a harsh version of the flu but governments have decided to use it and gave compensation to hospitals for Covid 19 patients so amazingly, all other illnesses disappeared and everyone had "Covid 19" on their death certificates.

Along with masks, people were ordered to "social distance".  We had to maintain 6 feet away from the nearest person and stores marked their floors with 6 feet markers.  Lines were long as with everyone six feet apart, there was a lot of empty spaces in the lines.

Months went by with empty grocery shelves and no one really knows why but for some reason, people thought they had to hoard toilet paper and it became scarce.  Little by little it began coming back on the shelves but people were still buying it to stash away.  Grocery shelves were emptied of can goods, boxed dinners and any food people could store.  Even meat became scarce.

By summer, things were returning to somewhat normal with grocery shelves being stocked and people not in a panic were buying within reason. 

As fall arrived, debates whether to open schools or to continue with the distance learning they began in the spring.  Some schools opened and some opened part time and used distance learning.  Those that did open made sure of the social distancing and required the students to wear masks all day at school.

The masks created another hazard, for those who have breathing problems, they couldn't wear the masks and it was also discovered that those who did wear them for long periods of time began suffering from infections of the lungs from breathing in the stale air and germs they created in the masks.  It was a damned if you do or damned if you don't thing.  

People grew tired of the social distancing, the masks and the fact that the virus didn't seem as potent and began to wonder if it was all a hoax or maybe made worse than what it actually was.  There was a lot of debate. Those who thought the masks were the answer were adamant but then those who didn't wear them argued they didn't need them.

People were told not to go to church or not to have more than 10 people at the service.  Easter services were cancelled, 4th of July celebrations were cancelled or postponed to a later date.  Who wants to celebrate the 4th of July on Labor Day?  But that was the rule.  There were restrictions for Halloween and they are saying families shouldn't get together for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

This year was also an election year for President and our congress.  It has ended up in chaos as the Democrat party wants in power so badly that they cheated anyway they could so the election is still up in the air and will be until the deadline as states face legal charges, recounts and investigations.

The Democrats who have turned to Socialism want to lock down the country, force the people to wear masks and basically quarantine us as we will be limited to where we can go.  Just as our economy was picking up and people were going back to work and the businesses that survived, even though they are suffering, have opened up again so the country is trying to get back to what it was before.  But the Democrats don't want that to happen and want to undo all the good our President has done for the past 4 years.

Our country has taken pride in our freedoms and we are known around the world for our freedom and success, yet the Democrats don't want to honor that and want us to be like a 3rd world country with them being the dictators.  I have a feeling that the patriots and people who love this country will fight and we will see a civil war between the good and evil.

We started decorating for Christmas early this year to being some joy and happiness into our lives.  It inspires us and gives us hope that soon this year will end and with God's blessing, we will be able to live in a free and happy country again.

I know I don't have that many years left but I worry about my daughters, grandchildren and now my great grandson who was born in September, one of the best things that happened all year.  But I wonder what kind of world they will have to live in and it scares me to death.

As we get close to year's end, my hope and prayers is that Good will win over Evil and we can get our lives back on track and be happy again.  And I'm sure I'm not the only one who would just like to erase 2020 from the calendar and from history but it will still be there and maybe it will be a lesson for all of us to not take for granted what we have and to be on the alert so that Evil cannot overtake us.

THE CHRISTMAS KITTEN

By

Barbara Foster

            Tippy was a four month old kitten that lived with his mother and two sisters as well as two uncles and two aunts.  He loved playing with his sisters and occasionally his uncles would play with him.

            He loved playing hide and seek with anyone who would play with him or wrestling.  He thought it was fun to climb a little ways up the tree and wait for one of his sisters or aunts to come by and jump down to scare them.  Of course, that meant he would be chased and usually bowled over when caught and wrestled until he begged to be let up.  But after a while, he would do it again until he got tired of the game.

            Tippy was a pretty kitten with long dark fur.  He had four white feet and white around his face and under his chin but he got his name because of the white tip at the end of his tail.  He knew he was pretty and he loved to be petted but at the same time was a little bit afraid of the big people who lived in the house and who came out to feed him.  He allowed them to pick him up but he still was afraid.  He tried to be brave so they wouldn’t see that he was afraid but also so that his family would see that he was brave.

            When they would put him down, he scampered off looking back over his shoulder as if to say, “Ha Ha, I got away.”

            When Tippy and his sisters were born, it was warm and he never had to worry about being cold but then for the first few weeks he was close to his mother who protected her three kittens and if it was a cool night, she wrapped herself around them to keep them warm.

            Tippy felt safe when he was near his mother.  Even now that he was weaned and could go play on his own.  He still liked to be close to her and at night would lie next to her feeling her warmth but it also meant he would be safe as he knew she would protect him.  His sisters would join them sometimes.

            But the weather was turning cold and all the cats found places where they could get in out of the wind and could huddle together to keep warm.

            One morning when Tippy woke up and looked out from under the wood pile where he and his mother and sisters had slept, he closed his eyes to look again.  What was that?  Everything was white.  He noticed his mother was gone and he made his way away from the shelter he had during the night. 

            “Oh,” he said as his paw touched the white stuff.  It was cold and wet.  He licked his paw and backed back inside to look out.  He cried out to his mother who came running.

            “What is it?”

            “What is that stuff?  It is cold and wet on my feet,” he told her.

            “It is snow,” she told him.  Looking at the other two kittens that were wide eyed now, she told them.  “You will have to jump and run as fast as you can to the area where the food is.  You will be all right.  Just follow me.”

            The mother cat turned and began her jumping as she made her way towards the house where the food would be waiting.  The porch had been cleared so it would be dry for them as they ate and fresh water had been put out since the other had frozen overnight.

            Tippy stepped out, but he didn’t like this stuff, but with his biggest jump, he began jumping as his mother had done followed by his sisters and soon they were all gathered on the porch to eat.

            His aunts and uncles were there too and after all had eaten and got a good drink of water, the older cats looked out over the snow and one of his uncles said, “I guess there will be no hunting until this is gone.”

            Tippy looked up at him, “Uncle Freddie, when will it go away?”

            His uncle looked at him, “Don’t worry little guy, it won’t last to long.  Today will be a good day for snuggling up and sleeping.”  With that being said, his uncle jumped from the porch and headed towards a shed where he had sought shelter the night before. 

            Tippy watched as he disappeared and looked at his other uncle who shrugged.  “I guess I might as well join him.” 

            Tippy’s sisters were complaining they were cold and their feet were cold and wet.  Their mother told them, “Go back to the wood pile and snuggle up.  You’ll be warm soon.”  As they started off, she called out, “Be sure to wash your feet.”

            She looked at Tippy, “You better go with them.”

            He looked up at his mother and then rubbed against her.  He loved her so much.  “Will you come too?”

            She looked around, “I’ll be there in a little bit.  I’m going to look around.”  She hoped she could find a warmer place for her and the kittens.  The snow had started before she realized it and they were caught in the wood pile but it was cramped and if this lasted for a day or two they would need more room to move about.

            She knew her brothers wouldn’t want the kittens to be underfoot all day so she had to find another place where they could at least play.”

            Tippy watched as his mother jumped off the porch and headed away from the house.  He looked towards the wood pile and as much as he hated it, he made his way back to it and found his sisters all curled up together.  He snuggled in with them trying to warm himself as he waited for his mother to return.

            He heard a noise and again went to the opening where he could look out.  He saw the children who lived in the house outside playing in the snow.  He stood there and watched as they gathered the snow up and made a pile of it.  They were putting sticks in the side of it and put a hat on it and then began putting rocks in for the eyes and nose.  He looked at the house as the woman came out with a scarf to give the children and they wrapped it around the pile of snow.  What were they doing, he wondered.

            He continued to watch as they laid down on the ground and moved their arms and legs and then laughed as they got up.  They ran around in the snow throwing it at each other.  Tippy didn’t understand what they were doing or how they could be out in that cold wet stuff.  He was cold and went back to cuddle with his sisters and fell asleep.

            He woke up later and wondered where his mother was.  She should have been back by now.  He went to the opening and looked outside.  He couldn’t see her but decided to go to the porch to see if she was there waiting.  He hated it but soon was jumping and leaping through the snow.  When he got to the porch, his mother wasn’t there.  No one was there.  He looked around and decided he would follow her steps in the snow.

            He jumped down from the porch and noticed she had gone around the house the other way so he made his way, keeping track of the tracks she had made earlier.  He had come around the house and was near the pile of snow the children had made.  He walked around it and looked at it.  It looked strange and he wondered why they had done that.  Oh well, he continued on but now he couldn’t find his mother’s tracks and with the snow, he couldn’t even get her scent.  He sat down and cried out, “Mother, where are you?  Where did you go?”

            There was no answer and Tippy was getting worried.  His mother never left them for long and now with this, he thought she should be there with them.  He had to find her and so he made a jump out into the snow and looked around for her tracks.  He wasn’t watching where he was going and soon he had moved far away from the house.

            It was getting dark and everywhere he looked, it was just white.  He could see the house but it was so far away and now he wasn’t sure that was his house.  It looked different.  He looked around again and called out, “Mother, where are you?”

            Tippy was beginning to be afraid.  It was getting darker and colder and he didn’t know which way to go.  Maybe he should stay right there and keep calling.  Maybe one of his aunts or uncles or his mother would hear him and come get him.  He sat down, shivering in the cold snow and began to cry out.  He continued with his mewing, getting loud at times hoping someone would hear him and come get him.

            It was dark and now he had no idea which way to go.  Everything looked the same.  He couldn’t see the wood pile from where he was and no matter how much he cried out, he hadn’t been able to see anyone or have them come rescue him.

            He shivered and wished now that he hadn’t gone so far.  He didn’t know how he would stay warm out here in this cold snow by himself.  He huddled down tucking his feet under him and wrapping his tail around himself with his nose buried in it to help keep the heat in.  He was still cold and shivered every little bit.  He couldn’t sleep because of the cold and the shivering.  He had to try one more time.

            He sat up and let out the loudest meow he could muster and hoped his mother or someone would hear him.

            He heard a voice and continued to cry.  Someone had heard him and was coming to him.  He cried out again and again as the voice grew louder.  It was the voice of one of the children.  He looked around but there was no place to hide and he didn’t want to be held.  He wanted to find his mother and cuddle up next to her and listen to her purring as he fell asleep.

            The little girl was close now and talking softly to him.  “Come here Tippy.  How did you get out here?”  She reached for him but he was afraid and tried to run away.  But the snow was too much and she reached down to pick him up and held him close to her.  “Tippy, you are cold.  How did you get so far away?”  She was walking back to the house as Tippy kept looking around.

            It felt good to feel the warmth from her but it wasn’t his mother and he thought maybe she was taking him to his mother.  But as they got closer to the house, the little girl stepped up on the porch and opened the door and carried him inside.

            Immediately Tippy could feel the warmth and looked around.  He had never been in here before.  He heard more voices as more people came to the little girl and soon he was being taken from her.  He grabbed on to her, holding on as long as he could but the pull was stronger as he was pulled away from her and held by another child.

            Then a bigger person came over and took him.  She looked at him and petted him and then talked to the children.  Tippy didn’t understand what she was saying but the children began running to another room and he was still being held by the big person as she followed.

            He heard noises and got scared and tried to get away.  But the big person kept hold on him and wouldn’t let him down.

            Then he felt himself being let down.  He thought he would fall and was squirming as the big person bent over to put him on the ground near a bowl with food.  He realized he was hungry but he looked around for his mother and sisters.  He didn’t even see his aunts or uncles.  He looked at the food but then looked around again and seeing a dark corner, he ran as fast as he could to it and hid.

            As the children came close to him, he hissed and huddled down closer.  He wanted to find his mother and he didn’t know where he was.  This was warm and not cold like where he had been but he didn’t see any of his family and he was afraid.  He stayed crouched down for a long time and then when he didn’t see anyone around, he slowly made his way out.  The food was inviting and he slowly walked over to the dish and smelled it and then took a bite and then another and soon was eating.  He ate what he wanted and took a drink of water and then looked around some more.

            He sat down and began to cry.  “Mother.”

            The children came running which scared him and he ran back to his hiding place.  Where was his mother?  Why didn’t she come for him?  He was tired but he couldn’t go to sleep.  He might miss his mother if she came.

            It was quiet again and he slowly came out and ventured a little farther this time.  But when he began to call out for his mother, the children came again.  But this time they didn’t run up to him and walked over slowly and talked to him.

            He sat there looking at them, trying very hard not to close his eyes as he was so sleepy.  He shook his head trying to stay awake as he had to find his mother.  Maybe he could let them know he wanted his mother.  He let out a meow, “Mother, where are you?”  He did it again and the little girl picked him up.

            “Tippy, it is okay.  You can stay in here with us now.”  She was holding him tight and petting him. Soon the other child, a little boy, came over and started petting and talking to him.

            Tippy couldn’t wait and soon his eyes closed and he was asleep.  But he didn’t sleep to long and when he woke, he began his crying again.  He wanted his mother and he was going to find her.  He was still being held but squirmed and squirmed and finally got away from the little girl and went running.   He found the door where they had come in and he stood there meowing loudly.  “Mother, Mother, Mother.” 

            It was several hours later when Tippy finally gave up.  Somehow he was lost and he would never see his mother or sisters again.  And he wouldn’t see his aunts or uncles or play with them.  He was so tired that he gave in the sleep and soon was sleeping soundly.  He dreamed about playing with his sisters, aunts and uncles and being close to his mother.  He thought he heard her once and opened his eyes.

            It was dark and quiet in this new place as he began to walk around and explore his new surroundings.  He even ate some more and took a drink of water.  He noticed a box and went over to see what it was.  He stepped inside it and began to paw around.  He needed to relieve himself and this would work out fine.  When he finished, he covered it up and stepped out of the box to look around some more.

           

            Tippy made it through the night with periods of sleeping and exploring.  He hid though when he heard the voices and the children came running from another part of the house.  He watched as they sat down and was doing something.  He was curious and came out to stretch to see what they were doing.  He couldn’t see but they were laughing at him and Tippy didn’t know what to think.  Was he doing something wrong?  He went back to his hiding place and soon the children were by the door.  This would be his chance.  If they opened it, he could run outside and find his mother today.

            But he never got the chance as when the door opened; the big person was there and grabbed him before he got outside.  He began to cry for his mother and then he saw her on the porch.

            She looked at him and closed her eyes telling him it was okay.  He cried out to her again but the door closed and he couldn’t see her.  He had seen her look and knew she was there and she knew where he was, so why didn’t she come get him.

            He had to see her and noticed a window.  But he couldn’t get up there.  He touched the curtain and then sunk in his claws as he climbed to the sill.  He sat there looking out onto the porch.  He could see his mother, his sisters, his aunt and his uncle Freddie.  He meowed calling to them but they couldn’t hear him.

            Tippy sat there for a long time watching and hoping they would come back and he could be with his family again.  But they were gone.  He couldn’t see them anywhere.  He looked around and the ground seemed a long way down but he jumped and walked slowly into the room where the food bowl was.

            The big person was there and began talking to him.  He was so tired.  He finished eating and walked back into the room with the door and laid down by it.  He went to sleep and had a nice long nap.

           

            As the day wore on, he had explored the entire house and even found the little girl’s bed.  He knew it was hers as he could smell her scent on it.  He even took a nap on it as it was soft and warm.

            Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad, he thought.  It was warm and he had plenty of food and the children weren’t all that bad.  He stood in the middle of the room looking at the big person.  Even she was nice, not like his mother, but nice.  He allowed her to pick him up and he found himself snuggling up against her as she petted and talked to him.  He kind of liked being held and petted this way.

            When she put him down, he meowed, not wanting to leave her.  But she walked away so he scampered after her.  He watched her all day until the children came home.  At first, he ran as their noise scared him but then he came out and soon he was allowing them to pick him up and he liked being held by them.

            Tippy had found a new home.  He would see his family from the window but he wouldn’t be with them anymore.  He missed them but he also liked his new family and he wasn’t cold anymore.  He wondered if his mother and sisters were warm.  He wanted to talk to them to find out but he only saw them through the window every morning.

            He heard a noise one night and went to another door.  It was his mother.  She was on the other side of the door, so were his sisters and his aunts and uncles.  He could hear them all.  He began meowing, talking to his mother. 

            She told him the big person had let them inside as it was getting to cold outside for them and that they had food and water and they were fine.  She asked how he was doing and told him, “Tippy you have a new family now.  They love you and you must forget about us.  We will be all right.”

            “But I want to see you and talk to you.  I want to play with my sisters and Uncle Freddie.”

            “It can’t be.  You have been chosen to be the Christmas kitten and you will live with the new family now.”

            “What is a Christmas kitten?” he asked.

            His mother told him, “Every year when the cold and snow comes, it also brings Christmas, a time of celebration of our creator’s son’s birth.  Sometimes when there are kittens at that time, it is hard for me to keep you all warm and safe and so I make sure that one of you will be a Christmas kitten and find a nice warm home.”

            “But why did you pick me?”  Tippy was almost ready to cry as he wanted to see his mother and be with her so much.

            “I didn’t.  I left but I could see all of you.  I didn’t know which one would come out to look for me when I didn’t return and then I saw you come out and I knew you would be the one.”

            “You saw me and you heard me but you didn’t come get me.”  Tippy just couldn’t understand how his mother would abandon him that way.  “Don’t you love me anymore?”

            “I love you very much just as I love your sisters but I had to give one of you up and I couldn’t decide.  I had to let one of you decide that you were going to become the special kitty.  So you need to love your new family and they will love you back.  I will never forget you.”

            Tippy stood there feeling sad.  He loved his mother and his family but he was also fond of the children and the big person.  He would miss his mother and sisters a lot but if his mother said it was okay, then he would stay here and he would be good.  “Good bye Mother.  I love you.”

            “I love you too.  I’ll be watching you and you can see me when I come up on the porch but we won’t be together anymore.”

            Tippy slept that night dreaming of his mother and sisters but also of his new family.  He woke the next morning and greeted the children and the big person with purrs and rubbing against their legs to let them know he loved them.

            The children were delighted that Tippy had accepted them and now they had their Christmas kitty.

Copyright © 2010

A Christmas Angel

By

Barbara Foster

            It was a cold blustery day but Carolyn pulled the collar of her coat tighter around her with one gloved hand while the other rang the bell incessantly.  She never thought she would be standing on the street ringing the bell to collect money but here she was and she was grateful. 

            She knew that her children were in a warm safe place and that they would have a hot meal.  It was part of her deal with the organization that helped those who needed it. 

            She’d never been a church goer but she did believe in a higher spirit and now she prayed every day that something would come along to help her.  When the cold hit, she had no choice but to go inside the building with the big red sign and shield welcoming all who entered.  The Salvation Army was her salvation for the moment.

            She knew she couldn’t stay there forever but perhaps until this cold spell was over and then they could move on until she found a job and a place to live.  They only had a few meager belongings, a change of clothes and a hair brush, the children’s tooth brushes and a family photo.

            After fourteen years of marriage to the most wonderful man who loved and adored his family and made sure they were well cared for, her world came to an end when she opened the door one day to see a police officer and a chaplain.  She remembered standing there staring at them and holding onto the door to steady herself as she felt her legs would crumble.

            Hearing the news that her beloved husband had been killed in a car accident sent Carolyn into a tale spin.  She thanked them for coming and closed the door, leaning against it.  The words echoed in her mind but she still couldn’t come to the realization that James was gone and would not be coming home for dinner.

            Her thoughts raced towards what she would tell the children.  She had to call his parents.  What would she say to them?  “Oh James, why you?  Why did you have to die?”  Suddenly the tears began to fall and she slid down to sit on the floor and sobbed until her body couldn’t take any more.

            Standing up, she sniffled and wiped her face with her hand as she went to the bathroom to splash water on her face.  Looking into the mirror, the reflection wasn’t her, the face all red and eyes swollen until they were squinty lines.  She felt the tears coming again and straightened herself up.  “Carolyn, stop it.  You have to call and you have to be strong.”

            The next few days were like a haze.  Carolyn went through the motions of every day tasks but her mind was blank and she felt numb all over.  The family was gathered and there were times when she wanted to scream and hoped she would wake up from the nightmare.  But it wasn’t a dream, it was real.  James was gone and now she had to figure out how to take care of her children, Bethany who was ten and Jimmy who was eight.  She hadn’t worked since before her marriage and now with the children, how would she be able to support them.

            James parent’s told her they would help anyway they could but she knew that they didn’t have the finances to support them.  Perhaps they could help with watching the children.

            A lady stopped to drop coins into the bucket and Carolyn smiled, “Thank you and God bless you.”  She had done the same thing in the past, in her hurry to go inside a store or on the way out, she would search and drop in a few coins or maybe a dollar or two if she had it and felt generous.  Now, she was ashamed of her selfishness.  She hadn’t thought about the person ringing the bell or what it represented.  It was an automatic reflex.  

            She pondered the donors who had dropped money into the bucket and wondered if they felt as she had.  She hoped they never had to go through the nightmare she did.

            When she entered the building that day, she was embarrassed.  She had never had to ask strangers to help her before, but Sister Jane had been friendly and told her, “Come sit down.  Tell me what we can do for you?”

            It wasn’t what she wanted, but what they could do for her.  She had felt the sting of tears as they welled up but she pull herself upright and told Sister Jane that she and her children were homeless and that she didn’t have a job and she would like to make sure the children got a meal.

“I can pay a little but not much,” she had told her.

            Sister Jane smiled, “We don’t expect pay.”

            “But I don’t want to impose and take away from anyone else,” Carolyn told her.

            “If you really want to help, there is a way.  Perhaps you could volunteer and help around here.  That way you could stay here and the children will be looked after.”

            There was no pay, but the prospect of a warm place and food for her and the children was more than she had hoped for.   “Yes, I would be willing to help anyway I can.  I could help with the cooking or washing dishes or sweeping or….”

            Sister Jane smiled, “That won’t be necessary.  Now, we might call on you to help serve but we have someone who cooks and we have plenty of dishwashers,” she said with a laugh.  “But there is one place we do need volunteers and I will understand if you don’t want to do it.  But we need bell ringers.”

            Carolyn looked at her.  “What do I have to do?”  She had seen the bell ringers all around town and wondered if that is all they did, was stand there and ring those bells.

            “I’m sure you are familiar with the bell ringers.  They stand near a store ringing the bell and collecting money.  The money helps us with the food and bills here so we can help those in need.  It isn’t exciting and can be cold and tiring but sometimes there are rewards for our service to the Lord.”

            Carolyn looked at the children.  “But what about Bethany and Jimmy?”

            “They can stay here.  We have things to occupy them and perhaps they can help out with a few things.”  She looked at the children.

            So here she was standing outside a discount store ringing the bell and trying to stave off the cold.  She had smiled and thanked everyone and remembered to bless them.  Sister Jane told her that was the only thing she really had to do.  For those who put in a large donation, she made sure they knew how much it was appreciated as her voice was more jubilant.  She noticed several people blessed her in return and she wondered why she had never acknowledged the bell ringers.

            Again she felt ashamed of the way she had acted in the past.  She had been selfish thinking only of herself and her family.  She hadn’t thought about those who didn’t have nice warm homes or anything to eat.   And the loneliness.  She hadn’t ever thought about them being lonely, but she did now as she experienced it.  True she had the children, but she was their mother, their protector.  She missed talking to James or the family.  She was alone with her children.

            She had sold the home but after all the expenses; she only received a few hundred dollars.  James father asked about life insurance, but she hadn’t found anything going through the papers in the desk.   They stayed with the Baker’s for a few weeks, but she could tell it was a strain on them and so she told them, “I’m going to find a job and we will get our own place.”  Mother Baker as Carolyn called her said, “You know you are welcome here for as long as you need.”  But Carolyn didn’t think she was that sincere.  It was a gesture.  After all she was their daughter-in-law and the children were their grandchildren, but it still wasn’t home.

            Pappa Baker, James father, told her, “I can’t imagine James not having insurance.  Are you sure you checked everywhere?”

            She told him she had and that even the car insurance company basically only paid off on the car and she had given that money to the funeral home.  There had been some money collected to help the family from his co-workers and friends but again it went to the funeral home so there wasn’t anything left for her and the children.

            Carolyn’s life had changed in that one instant she opened the door and heard those fatal words and she was struggling to try to get some sort of life back for her and the children, but everywhere she turned, it was a closed door.

            She had a job at a local fast food drive-in and they had a little two room apartment above a store front.  The children were in school and it was tight but they were surviving.  Then she lost her job and they had to move out of the apartment.  There was no where to go.  She couldn’t go back to the Baker’s so they lived on the street.

            It wasn’t too bad during the warmer weather.  The hardest part was making sure the children had clean clothes to wear to school.  When summer came, they found a spot near the river where they set up camp.  Jimmy was thrilled but Bethany complained the whole time.  Carolyn hated leaving the campsite every day as she was afraid someone would take the few things they had but she couldn’t leave the children alone as she searched for work.

            But there were no jobs available and the little money she had was gone.  They foraged through the dumpsters.  The one behind the grocery was the best one as they would find vegetables that were old but still good enough to cook into a soup, and occasionally they were fortunate to get day old bread or rolls.  She wasn’t proud of what they were doing, it was survival.

            A familiar face appeared and Carolyn pulled the coat tighter hoping she wouldn’t be recognized.  It was a friend she hadn’t seen since the funeral.  But Judy recognized her.  “Carolyn?  Is that you?”

            Carolyn smiled, “Hello Judy.  How are you?”

            “I’m fine, but what about you?  What are you doing here?”  She looked at the woman she’d known for years and was shocked to see the thinness in her face and the dark circles under her eyes.  Gone was the perfect hairdo and makeup and the twinkling eyes.  She could only see despair and wondered if Carolyn was as needy as she looked.

            “I’m volunteering.  You know they are always looking for someone and I feel it is a good cause.”  How could she tell her she was only doing it in exchange for a warm place to sleep and food for her and the children?

            “Gosh, I haven’t seen you since….” She hesitated, “I mean, I wanted to call but you know how things are.”

            Carolyn managed a slight laugh, “Yes I know.  With working and taking care of the family, it seems like the days just fly by.”

            “Right,” said Judy.  “Well, I hope you and the children have a Merry Christmas.”  She walked into the store.

            Carolyn noticed she hadn’t put anything into the pot and wondered if she was like she had been only last year.  She looked at her watch.  She still had two hours to go.  She rang the bell and continued to thank those who did donate, even if it was change.  Every little bit would help.

            Carolyn was so cold.  Her feet felt numb from the coldness and her hands were cold even though she wore gloves.  She shivered and kept moving around to keep the circulation going.  It wouldn’t be much longer and someone would be here to relieve her.  She was looking forward to returning to the shelter to get warmed up and get a nice hot supper.

            A tall gentleman in a heavy parka which was pulled up so his face was mostly hidden stepped up to the bucket.  He took out his wallet and Carolyn couldn’t help but notice the $50 bill he folded and put in it.

            “Thank you sir and may God bless and keep you.”  Carolyn felt she needed to let him know just how grateful she really was.

            The man started to walk off and turned back, “Sister, I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and that the New Year will be good to you.”

            Carolyn looked at the man seeing only the eyes looking at her.  She felt as if they were burning right through her and a warm feeling flowed through her body.  She didn’t feel the cold and for the first time in a long time, she felt a peace come over her.

            She started to say something but he had turned and disappeared.  She looked around but didn’t see him.

            She noticed a card lying on the ground and bent to pick it up.  She looked at the card which only had a number on it.  On the back it said, “Call this number and you will find what you have been looking for.”

            She looked at the card again.  There was no name or anything to identify it and she wondered where it had come from.  She remembered the man and again looked for him.  He must have gone into the store so she would watch for him and catch him when he came out.

            But Carolyn didn’t have a chance to see him again.  Her relief arrived and told her, “Go to the shelter and get warmed up.”

            She didn’t argue but would have liked to find the mysterious man who had so generously donated and to ask if he had dropped the card.

           

            Carolyn spent the evening with the children as they told her about the stories Sister Jane had read to them.  She felt ashamed that she hadn’t given her children the education of learning about religion or going to church.  They were so excited about the Bible stories and Jimmy told her, “Mom, I knew it was Jesus birthday, but man did they ever have to go through some bad times.  Kind of like us right now.”

            His words hit Carolyn as if someone had knocked her down.   Maybe it had been her pride or self pity, but she realized she really hadn’t tried that hard to get a job and support the children and herself.  She’d been so reliant on James and maybe she thought everyone would take them in and care for them.  She could see the foolishness of her ways now and the vision of the strange man came into focus.  She pulled the card from her pocket.  Tomorrow she would call the number.

            That night as she slept, she dreamed.  James had appeared and told her, “Carolyn, I’m sorry I had to leave you and the children but I’m here with you.  I’ve been watching over you and I know you can do it.  I miss you all so much but I can’t be there to protect or care for you, so you need to call the number on the card.”  Carolyn woke up and looked around.  She sat up and looked again.  She laid back down and remembered the eyes she’d seen earlier.  They were James’s eyes staring at her. 

            She told herself it couldn’t be.  James was gone but she knew now that it was his eyes that had stared at her and gave her that warm feeling all over.  He’d told her in the dream to call the number.  Who was it she was to call?  Why did he appear as a ghost?  Carolyn tried to sleep but the thoughts of what was happening kept going through her mind.

            The next morning, after their showers and breakfast, Carolyn asked Sister Jane if there was a phone she could use.  She told her, “Someone gave me this card yesterday.  I have no idea of who it is.”

            Sister Jane looked at the card and the writing on the other side.  “I would say an angel has given you a gift.  You may use the phone at my desk.”

            Carolyn sat down and carefully dialed the numbers.  A woman’s voice answered the phone.  A-1 Insurance, this is Jill, how may I help you?”

            Carolyn wondered why the number would be to an insurance company.  She said, “This is Carolyn Baker and I found this card with a message written on it to call this number.”

            “Mrs. Baker, please hold on.  Mr. Ingram will want to talk with you.”

            Carolyn waited until a deep voice came on the line, “Mrs. Baker, this is David Ingram.  We have been looking for you.”

            “Looking for me?  Why?”  Carolyn hadn’t applied at an insurance agency while job searching.

            “It is in regards to a policy on your husband, James Baker.”

            “A policy on my husband.  I didn’t know he had any insurance.  We couldn’t find anything at the house.”

            “Would you be able to come to my office today?  I think we need to sit down and I can go over everything with you.”

            “Yes, I can come.”  She got the address and told Sister Jane about the call.

            Sister Jane told her, “Leave the children here.  I’m sure it will be easier to discuss business without worrying about them.”

            Carolyn thanked her and headed for the address she’d written down.  She walked in seeing a young woman at a desk.  “Hello, I’m Carolyn Baker and I was supposed to come talk to Mr. Ingram.”

            “Yes, I’m Jill.  I talked with you earlier.  Wait just a minute and I’ll tell him you are here.”            She returned and told Carolyn, “Go right in.”

            Carolyn went into an office just off the entry way.  A middle aged man sat behind the desk.  He looked up, “Mrs. Baker, have a seat.  I think I have something that will help you a great deal.”

            Carolyn sat down still not sure what he was going to tell her.  They had looked all through the papers but found no policy so she had no idea what this could be about.  “I’m not sure you have the right Mrs. Baker.  I never found an insurance policy after my husband’s death.”

            “You are Mrs. James Baker, who lives at 319 Hickory.”

            “We used to live there but I had to sell the house.”  She couldn’t tell him she was homeless now.

            “That explains it.  We had sent a letter but it was returned.  Jill happened to see the obituary of your husband and recognized the name.  We searched the files and found the policy your husband took out a few years ago.  I had a call from a Mr. Duane Baker who said he was your husband’s father but he had no idea of where you were.  He was checking with all the agencies on a policy and I told him we did have one, but I couldn’t give him any details but that I needed to speak with you.”

            Carolyn thought this must have happened after she left the Baker’s.  “We stayed with my husband’s family for awhile but then I got a job and we moved out.”

            “Okay, that explains it.  He said he didn’t know where you were living now.”

            “What kind of policy did my husband have?”

            “It was a whole life policy and you were the beneficiary.  That is why I couldn’t give out any information to anyone but you.  How did you find us?”

            Carolyn was at a loss.  “It is a strange story, but someone gave me a card with this number and said I was to call.”

            David looked at her and smiled, “Well, I don’t know who it was but I’m glad they found you.”

            Carolyn felt that warm feeling again as a vision of the hooded man stood in front of her with those piercing eyes.  How could she tell him that she had been visited by the ghost of her dead husband?  It was ridiculous and she really didn’t believe it but then again there was no explanation.

            When Carolyn walked out of the insurance office, she felt like she needed to pinch herself.  Never had she dreamed that anything would make things right again, but Mr. Ingram had given her a check.  She looked at the check.  James had a $50,000 life insurance policy but was double indemnity if his death was by accident, so she had $100,000.

            Was she still dreaming?  Was it James who had come by yesterday and dropped the card for her to find?  This couldn’t be real.  She began walking towards the shelter.  She knew once she was there, she would wake up and realize this was all a dream.

            She was already thinking of getting new clothes for the children and herself and even some Christmas gifts.  She had a lighter step until she neared the shelter.  She stopped and looked at the building seeing the men and women who were going inside or coming out.  She felt the check in her pocket and knew that she couldn’t just go shopping. 

            The money was for a new start for the children and herself.  It would get them a place to live and the things they needed until she could get a job and she knew she could now.   She went inside seeing the children listening to Sister Jane.

            Watching them, she felt a hand on her shoulder but when she turned there was no one there.  The warm feeling came over her again and she knew James was there.  He would always be there to watch over them, but there was something Carolyn had to do for herself.  Seeing the look on Bethany and Jimmy’s faces, she knew that she had been given a gift and the angel who had appeared to her and given her the money they would need was small in what she felt right now.

            She closed her eyes and prayed, thanking God for what he had done, taking her family from the depths of despair to starting a new life.  One in which he would be a part of.   She opened her eyes to look at the cross on the wall with the depiction of Jesus.  He had given his son so that she could be free and live, just as he had taken James; he had also given her the hope she needed to continue.

            Later as she talked to Sister Jane expressing her feelings she didn’t feel shame but it was a feeling of love and warmth.  “I want to repay you for what you have given us.  We can get our own place now and I know I’ll find a job.”

            Sister Jane patted her hand, “Carolyn, you have already repaid us.  You have come to understand God’s love and why we celebrate this time of year.  Just keep God in your heart and he will never leave you.”

           

            Every year at Christmas, Carolyn makes time to volunteer to ring the bell.  To collect the funds needed to help those who are without.  Never again did she look upon anyone feeling pity or disdain, but feeling their despair and knowing that one day their Christmas angel would appear to help them find their way back.

            The faith she had pushed aside, feeling comfortable with her home and family was returned after she faced the lowest point in her life.  When she found the shelter, it was her last hope and now she knows that she was guided there by a higher being and her faith has been restored.  Her life has changed.  She doesn’t walk by the bell ringer now without dropping in change or a dollar or two or more if she has it.  She never knows when she might be the Christmas angel for another person just as she had been visited by her Christmas angel.

            Bethany and Jimmy learned as well, that Christmas is a time for giving, but not all gifts are in brightly wrapped packages and each year they visit the shelter to read to the other children or sweep or whatever they can do.  They are giving a gift of love which is more precious than a gift of merchandise.

           

            May we all have a Christmas angel to remind us of this wonderful holiday, the birth of Jesus and the love that God gives to us each day.

Copyright © 2008