Raising The White Flag!

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 12TH.

    RAISING THE WHITE FLAG!

   It started yesterday when my son-
in-law paid a visit. My wife asked if
he'd mind bringing some boxes from
our shed onto the front porch. He
graciously agreed and got the job
done. It is highly lightly I will spend
the day filling them and carrying them
back to the shed.
    It was bound to happen! My surrender.
   December 25th and "Russian Christmas"
have come and gone. So I got the word.
The Christmas decorations would be
coming come down!
    Regular readers know I try to milk
the holiday for all it's worth. But all good
things must come to an end.
    So today, with unseasonably warm
temperatures gone and our first inch
of snow expected, we will be repacking
and storing the Christmas stockings, the
snowman and Santa heads, and, finally,
the Christmas tree.
    At least I won't have to get on the
ladder to take out the staples and bring
down the front porch lights. I never
got around to putting any up this year.
 My wife rigged the light strings on the
flower bushes in our back yard.
    By tonight our neighborhood will
look strangely dark. That's the sad part.
    Of course there are other "holidays."
January12th, for instance, is "Bean Day"
and "National Poetry At Work Day."
And neither require special lights or
decorations.
     Hope you've got fresh memories of a
"Bright Christmas" and that all your NEWS
is good!