As we ease our way into autumn, it occurs to me why I like this time of year so much. For one thing, August is just too danged hot. And the heat just wears me out.
But also, the leaves will begin to change colors soon and that means the holidays aren't that far away. I start to feel the spirit sooner than most I reckon.
Holidays.....especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.....are definitely my favorite times of the year. And it won't be long until they're here again.
Holidays sort'a make me feel like a kid again. I like the food, the decorations, and especially the visiting with friends and family.
One of the funny things about the holidays is that, with certain friends and relatives, you only see them once a year.....and that's during the holidays. Now, with some folks that's good.....but with some folks, it's not so good.
Now, you take my nephew for instance. He took a job a few years back with a big oil company and they moved him off all the way down to South America. And me and Ma Crabapple haven't seen him since.
But he still thinks of us and we hear from him quite often, especially during the holidays. He always sends us a nice Christmas present and it just tickles us to death to get it.
Last Christmas, he sent us a real unusual present. It was a live bird! Yes sir. A real live bird all the way from South America. It was a really nice looking bird too. A big green bird, about a foot tall, with a hooked beak and a red and yellow top-knot on his head.
I'll tell you something......that bird was delicious. We had him for Christmas dinner, with dressin' and sweet potaters and cranberry sauce.
Yes sir. We really enjoyed that bird.
Well, my nephew called about two weeks after Christmas and wanted to know if we had a good one and I told him we did.
He wanted to know if we got the bird, and I said, "We got'im all right".
He asked me how we liked the bird, and I said, "It was delicious!"
Well, my nephew got mad as a hornet in a hailstorm. Yes sir. I mean, he got down right fightin' mad.
He said, "I can't believe you ate that bird. I didn't intend for you to eat the goldern thing. Why, that bird was worth a fortune. That bird could speak two different languages!"
I said, "Well........he should'a said something'!"