FIRST CHRISTMAS
by Mickey
It was a silent night. The kind of night that makes you wonder if you haven't suddenly lost your sense of hearing. Sandy was trudging through the snow that had been falling for the past several hours, coating everything with a thick layer of mother nature's effective sound proofing. Deep piles of the white powder made movement difficult and she was thankful for the snowshoes that she wore.
Sandy paused to locate her bearings. She hadn't expected the day's activity to take as long as it had when she set out that morning to find the perfect Christmas tree for the first noel she would share with her lover. Her quest had taken her over the river and through the woods but the extra effort was well worth the trouble as trailing behind her was a beautiful, perfectly formed, eight-foot tall, spruce tree. In her search, she had wandered far from the cabin and it was only the gentle jingling of the silver bells she had hung the previous day on the cabin's door that was guiding her home.
"Good thing I hung those on the door," she congratulated herself. "Not sure I'd have found my way home without those jingle bells."
Sandy listened intently to catch the sound on the soft breeze and assured herself that she was near the trail that would eventually lead back to the cabin. She took a few moments to look around at the winter wonderland surrounding her and she adjusted the rope draped over her shoulder and tied to the carefully chosen tree.
"Well, we're definitely going to have a white Christmas," her whispered comment sounding loud in the quietness. "And, that's okay," she said as she began walking. "My love will soon be home for the holidays and then you can let it snow all you want."
Sandy soon picked up the trail to the cabin and knew that she didn't have far left to travel. The snow had stopped falling and the clouds had begun to clear. The full moon lighting the dark trail with it's shining glow, it came upon the midnight clear sky and was a welcomed sight to Sandy. She quickened her pace and as she turned a corner on the trail, she was surprised as a deer walked timidly out from the shelter of the trees and stopped when a faint noise was picked up by his sharp ears. Sandy froze not wanting to startle the animal. The young buck turned it's head and looked quizzically in the direction of the nearby cabin.
"Do you hear what I hear?" she asked the buck. At the sound of the human voice, the animal darted back for the safety of the woods.
"Run, Rudolph, run," she called to the disappearing deer, thinking of it's famous cousin that is sung about during the holidays.
Sandy made quick work of the remaining distance to the cabin as there were still many things she had to get done before her lover arrived that evening. The tree needed to be decorated with all the colorful bulbs and lights Sandy had purchased specifically for it. There were lots of packages to wrap with the pretty paper she had bought. There was garland to deck the halls of the cabin and place around the front porch. Up on the housetop and around the porch, she still had to place the strings of twinkling lights waiting in the box by the door. And, she couldn't forget to start chestnuts roasting on an open fire, as these were a favorite treat of her lover.
Sandy was surprised at how quickly the twelve days of Christmas had passed as she awaited her lover's return. As she worked to finish the decorating, she thought of how nice this holiday season was going to be. Unlike other years, she would definitely not be suffering through another blue Christmas. No, this year was going to be different and she wanted to make it as special as she could for herself and her lover.
Sandy was just finishing wrapping the last present, a little drummer boy that would be a surprise addition to her lover's collection of miniature toys, when she heard a car pull into the driveway. Quickly placing the package under the tree, she rushed to the door to welcome her lover home.
Nicky smiled as she drove up the drive, everywhere she looked the cabin was decorated. She parked in front of the brightly lit and decorated porch and before she could switch off the engine, Sandy was opening the car's door.
"Welcome home," Sandy exclaimed as she leaned in for a kiss. "Come on," she said as she began to tug Nicky from the warmth of the car. "Let's get inside."
Nicky allowed Sandy to pull her from the car and onto the porch.
"Boy," Nicky laughed. "I can see you've been busy."
Sandy opened the cabin's door and motioned Nicky to enter first.
Nicky took one step inside and stopped. She looked around the cabin's interior, it seemed that every inch was covered in holiday decoration.
"Oh, my," Nicky sighed.
"I wanted our first Christmas to be special," Sandy said shyly. "I hope I got everything you wanted."
"Oh, sweetheart," Nicky gathered Sandy into her arms and hugged her tight. "All I want for Christmas is you."
HAPPY SOLSTICE..............
1-All I Want For Christmas Is You
2-Blue Christmas
3-Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
4-Deck the Halls
5-Do You Hear What I Hear?
6-The First Noel
8-Home For the Holidays
10-It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
11-Jingle Bells
13-Let It Snow
14-Little Drummer Boy
15-Over The River And Through The Woods
16-Pretty Paper
18-Run Rudolph Run
20-Silent Night
21-Silver Bells
22-The Twelve Days of Christmas
23-Up On the Housetop
24-White Christmas
25-Winter Wonderland
