The Rock Wall

What do you want for your birthday? What do you want for Christmas?

Two questions I heard a lot when I was a kid and after I got over that. With a Dec. 14 birthday, I heard lot, “Since it is so close to Christmas, we’ll just get you one present for both.” It ceased to matter to me long ago.

My normal answer is now “Nuthin.” I did have a request this year, “House shoes.” The pair I have came over on the ark. There’s no stepping into them. I have to pry them on.

Kimball listened. A big box arrived today with size 8 and size 9. I normally wear 8 1⁄2 double wide but she said they didn’t make half sizes. Good thing, 9 is barely big enough. They’re comfortable and warm and I can wear them outside. In fact I have them on right now sitting here talking to you. Can’t think of anything else I need for Christmas.

Kimball needs a new kitchen gas stove. Saturday night a burner would not shut off. She called Rusty Norval who can fix anything and he sent his son, Nick, who lives nearby. Looks like Nick is a chip off the old block. It was an easy fix for Nick. I told Kimball she needed a new stove and she’s in the process of getting one. I told her to stop having doors and walls painted and save money for something we really need. In the South they paint all the woodwork white and that’s what she wants to do here. I spent two three years of my life building her a house. Now it’s time to spend our money on a new gas range.

The old one baked my favorite, a pineapple-up-side-down cake, which I plan to share with Dr. Wyant who told me I’m the only person he knows who also has a Dec. 14 birthday. I’ll have to introduce him to Kenny Smith who grew up around here and was born two years ahead of me on our birthday. I think he followed the survey out west and stayed but he comes back to visit. The cake is sitting on the counter soaking up the good stuff. Like most of us, it gets better with age.

When I first told Dr. Wyant’s new receptionist, Terry, that he told me I was the only person he knew with a

Dec. 14 birthday other than him, she said, “Does he tell everybody that?” Gonna have to watch her. She’s got an ornery streak. KL