Christmas cards are funny things, aren't they?  We received one today in the mail that had me completely stymied...from the sender's address to the photo picture inside.  And there were no names listed outside of "The L------ Family".   I had never heard of the L----- family before.  I know very few people who live in the town they live in locally and we've already received cards from the people we do know there.  And we have never, ever received a card from this family before.  Huh.

But then I took a closer look at the only adult in the photo and I finally realized he was related to me.  In a roundabout way.  The grown child of step-relatives with his two toddler half-sisters, tho it's such a collage of images of the two little girls floating all over the place I thought, "Man, these people, whoever they are, have a lot of kids!!"  At least I think it was the same two little girls....then again, it might be a mixture of yours-mine-and-ours since I don't really know them.  I bet you never would've guessed that.  Well, once I halfway recognized the young man it finally dawned on me who the card was from and I had a moment there of feeling totally stupid.

Writing about this just brought back a funny story about my Dad.  I haven't thought of this in years, but Christmas cards made me think of it so I'll share it with you tonite.  My parents had moved out here to the Pacific Northwest a few months after they married, right after World War II, coming all the way from New Hampshire.  Back in those days, that was one big move.  They packed everything they owned in the back of my Dad's old sedan and drove across country in about a week's time.  This was back in the days before Interstate highways, remember.  Once they arrived and settled here I believe my Dad made one trip 'back home' for a death in the family, but it was 22 years later before my Mom and we kids ever had a chance to go back to New Hampshire and meet family.  Anyway...my Dad had a cousin named Peg who was married to a man named Tyler and every Christmas a card would arrive from them with a little note of news tucked inside.  I believe they lived somewhere in Massachusetts but I'm not sure.  I don't know if my Mom had ever actually met them, but she faithfully sent a card to Peg and Tyler every year, too.

Now we jump ahead.  Many years ahead.   Before my Mom died and afterwards, my parents and then my Dad had the money to travel and made several trips back to New Hampshire.  On one trip after my Mom had died in 1989 my Dad decided to go visit Peg and Tyler, whom he hadn't seen in probably 50 years.  And my Dad NEVER ever called anyone ahead of time...ever...to let them know he was coming to visit, my brothers and me included.  He had a way of just popping up on your doorstep.  So he pops up on Peg and Tyler's doorstep.  If I remember right, it was summertime and Peg was out working in the yard when my Dad drove up and walked over to where she was standing.  My Dad was one of the friendliest, most gregarious men in the world and he began chatting with Peg like he'd known her forever.  And she very graciously talked with him too, even inviting him inside the kitchen for a cold drink because it was so hot outside.  Dad sits down at the kitchen table with Peg and they're just talking away when Tyler walks in.  He gets in to the conversation, too.  I don't know how long this went on before Peg finally spoke up and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you." She turned to her husband and asked, "Who is your friend, honey?"  Tyler's mouth about dropped down to his knees and he said, "I don't have a clue!  I thought he was some friend of yours!  I was just going to ask you the same question!"  For once in his life, my Dad was absolutely speechless!  I guess he hadn't realized just how much people can change in 50-odd years...I know from photographs I have of him he didn't look much like his younger self as he got older...he put on weight after he quit smoking, he wore glasses...what was left of his hair was sparse and silvery.   Once he introduced himself, tho, they had a wonderful laugh about it all.  I sure wish I could've been a fly on the wall to witness that one, tho!

And that is my Christmas story for today.  It brought a smile to me as I sat here typing away.  And that warm, fuzzy feeling Christmas stories should bring to a person's heart.  Ah, Dad...you were priceless.