Christmas Reflections

Well, I guess my holidays are almost over now that the New Year 2009 has arrived.  Some of my Christmas engagements were postponed due to illness of other people, but we did our celebrating (after they recovered).  I was never able to get all of my Christmas cards written and mailed and I do regret that.  I tried. But I just couldn’t get it finished as there were too many other tasks to so.  I’ll have to write something later to send to family and friends who were neglected this year.

It seems only yesterday that I was writing a Beacon Bits column to end year 2007. Yet here it is again, time to write a “year-turning” letter for 2008 and talk about what’s coming in 2009.  It is very early on Friday morning, the day after Christmas, and I am in my office at home seated at my computer.  It is quite dark outside, making it painfully obvious that these are the days of the shortest daylight time of the year.

Beacon Bits (Christmas Story) December 25

“Christmas Underground”

My name is Silas Paul Akin, but everybody calls me “Paul”.  I was named for my father and grandfather, and I’ve always been glad to share their names because they were proud, honest men. We lived on a farm about ten miles west of the Toussaint River near the Lake Erie shore.

“DETESTABLE TESSA”

The two boys rode their bikes quickly along the dusty lane. It was late summer and the earth was hot and dry.  Dust swirled up behind them as they raced along.

Thad and Duke were best friends.  At twelve years old they were feeling the heady effects of freedom.  This was the first summer they had been allowed away from home for extended periods of time without supervision.  It was wonderful.

Thad, especially, was enjoying his summer.  He lived with his mother in a rundown rental house.  She worked full-time and also cleaned cottages and hotel rooms.  Before this Thad had often been alone while she worked. But now he spent his free time with Duke.