The Rock Wall

The first baby prizes are listed on Page 10.

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? With the Christmas parade being so early and the thermometer on a yo-yo, it’s hard to generate a hearty Ho-Ho-Ho.

Rhonda Wallen was in the office Thursday dressed as Mrs. Santa headed for a party for 85 kids at the Roscoe School. I gave her a copy of last week’s Rock Wall about Rudolph to read to them. In walked Santa and it wasn’t her husband, Dennis. It was Larry Lewellin in full Santa costume, beard and all, from the waist up. He was wearing walking shorts.

I told him he’s tougher than me but he said it’s not really that cold. Larry used to live in California, not Alaska, but his digital thermometer got reset somewhere. Maybe his two big Rottweilers keep him warm. I think he said it has been too cold for him to take them on their morning constitutional.  Told him there is an indoor walking track at the Civic Center, but I think that might create problems, don’t you?

-Friday morning I saw an envelope in my basket with the top half of the Christmas card showing. I could only see the smiling or laughing baby from the nose up. I instantly said, “That’s my grandson.”

From just outside my office, Kimball argued, “No, that’s my grandson.”

At the bottom, it says, “So much joy.” Then in tiny type it confirms, “Merry Christmas from Adrian, Cain and Van.” If Merle could read, he might bite someone for leaving his name off.

Davis had Adrian and Van on FaceTime on his phone. Van waved when I said his name, but he never did locate me on the phone screen. Adrian said he’s still a little cranky, whiny, clingy and maybe feverish from his surgery Wednesday. After weeks of ear infections that just wouldn’t respond to medication, his doctor decided to remove his adenoids, what ever that is. So the doctor put him out for 35 – 40 minutes then scraped and cauterized his throat.

It’s too soon yet to judge the result. I can tell you this: I was a sickly little kid until the second grade (in Ms. Kirbey’s room) when the doctor took out my tonsils and adenoids. I remember that I got to eat ice cream because my throat was so sore. And I wasn’t supposed to run and play for a few days. So, when I got a little better, I set up an empty milk can in the yard and would run and hit the top with both hands and jump over it.

I think Dr. Ray at Nevada Hospital did the tonsillectomy and used ether to put me out. I remember that as I was going to sleep, I was being chased by a monster and when I threw a rock at him, I could see concentric black and white vertical rings go out like rings when you throw a rock in the water.  It was many years before I could tolerate the smell of rubbing alcohol.

The upside was that I wasn’t a sick little kid any more, just a little kid.

They didn’t disturb Van’s tonsils so what ever their function, he still has them.

– We had a Christmas greeting in the paper last week but I want to add my personal one here. About six years ago I “slept through” Christmas. Kimball talked to a couple this week who told her they prayed for me while I was in a coma. I know that hundreds, if not thousands, of you did. I was talking to Ron Pitts about that a couple of years ago and he said, “You never know when somebody will ‘hit a lick.’”

So thanks again.

I wish you and yours a peaceful, satisfying Christmas whether you have a big family gathering or it’s just you and the Lord. Enjoy. KL