I'll spare you the long story.

A really good friend carved these Santas for Don and I. For the last several years we haven't decorated for Christmas because we were either in Tijuana, Hawaii or Branson for Christmas. Every year we got out these Santas if we were here at all. So, yesterday when another friend sent this poinsettia, I thought the Santas would be nice near it. I went and got out the three that you see hanging from the bow; they were in the top drawer in the dining room and I didn't even think of the two that are standing. I just thought I had the Santas. Yesterday was the hardest day I've had. It seemed like everywhere I turned I'd run into something that threw me into a sobbing fit. I had even gone to a web site on grief and signed up for an online support group. Trish called to check on me and I couldn't hide from her that I was crying; I could hardly talk to her. We both cried for a while and then kind of talked ourselves out of it. While we were talking the screensaver took over the laptop and the pictures of the contents of the house that Don had taken for insurance on Sept. 1 started rolling. There was a picture of a drawer opened and there were those two standing Santas; I thought, "How did those Santas fade just since Don took those pictures?" As soon as I hung up from talking to Trish I went to look and see if there were more Santas; sure enough, there were those guardian Santas! I was elated, mind you on my worst day, ELATED! It felt to me like Don took me to those Santas. He always loved those Santas because they reminded him of our great friend and his incredible talent. I think he didn't want me to have a Christmas with only 3 of the collection of 5. I'll never forget that there are 5 Santas in that collection, again. It was the lift I needed. I don't know if it was Don that took me to those Santas or if it was God . . . maybe a joint effort . . . all I know is that it was the lift I needed. Today has been much brighter!

I hope if you click on the picture that the Santas will show up better. The hanging ones are really awesome, too, but they just don't show up as well as the painted ones do. It's a shame because they are all really pretty. The poinsettia is gorgeous. It was one of my mom's thrills and I love them, too. When Don and I were in Hawaii we loved how poinsettias grew in mass like daffodils and irises do here. This poinsettia with the Santas is the perfect Christmas decoration for me. No way I was going to get out our tree with all the memories that are on there. I thank our friends for providing for my Christmas decor and I thank God for friends who come to me with His love. I thank God for letting Don take me to the complete set of Santas. That seems so trivial, but I've sobbed over less and it's so nice to be elated instead of sobbing!