Friday, December 23, 2011

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

One of Santa's spies seen in a sycamore tree in Copley Square, Boston MA

I don't have any recollection of Santa before the age of seven or eight and by that time I was old enough to know he likely wasn't real. I do not remember putting out a stocking when we lived in South Africa. I remember Mom decorating a palm branch and spending the holiday at the beach with our family. An over-dressed Santa didn't seem to be a big part of a summer-time Christmas but when we returned to Canada, my brothers and I anticipated his arrival with great excitement. We listened to the radio to hear NORAD tracking his sleigh and woke up early to open our gifts.

Santa sign in Boston's North End

The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge MA has many Santa portraits available in prints, books and other gifts. We really enjoyed this stop on our trip last week. The artist captured the magic of a child's Christmas imagination in many paintings. Norman Rockwell published many poignant Christmas pictures which capture an adult's heart too.

Our children sent hand-written letters to Santa and I still have some of them in a scrapbook. Today's child has email and texting options as well and Santa has to keep up with the latest technology! After all there are three stages in life;- you believe in Santa, you don't believe in Santa and you are Santa.

gonna chk my list 2c 
if ur nawT or nice
bgfgs!!!!!! hhh

sc

5 comments:

  1. We have snow this morning! Merry Christmas!

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  2. I believe that everybody has a little "Santa" in their hearts. You don't have to be jolly fat man in a red suit to understand the meaning of "giving" and the pleasure one gets from it! I love being Santa!

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  3. Norman Rockwell's art so typifies the culture of the times.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  4. I've been to that museum too! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  5. I was a very dedicated true believer. My worst Christmas ever came when I awakened before my parents had arranged the gifts under the tree. When I saw the absence of gifts, I thought of all the naughty things I had done. I was six at the time. My parents sent me back to bed and when I awakened Santa had come and had left a beautiful doll.

    That Christmas has served as something of a benchmark for me. I don't think I have ever felt so sad and so alone. When I feel down, I remember my six-year-old self and realize it isn't all that bad after all.

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