2019 December 08 Sunday

2019 December 08 Sunday in Liberty Hill, Texas

No sunrise photo today folks. We were rushing around to get to the mall. We had a stop at our church to drop off supplies for the breakfast bar. We grabbed some food and left.

It is odd not attending worship on Sunday. Five months of the year I preach on Sunday at our campground in Iowa. Six months out of the year I mostly listen to someone else preach … I occasionally fill in. And one month I miss worship service because I’m being Santa on most December Sundays.

This Sunday I was not preaching but I was still ministering. This was “Caring Santa Sunday“. This is my happiest day of the season. I get to bring some joy to the lives of some special needs kids (of all ages). They, in turn, fill me with so much joy.

This year Ella, as she has done many times in the past, assisted at the Caring Santa event. Which is why we were rushing this morning and why we both missed the worship service. Caring Santa starts a couple of hours before the mall stores open. That way there’s less noise and confusion for those who are very sensitive to these things.

Because I began earlier, I also left work earlier. Santa Charlie took over at one o’clock today rather than the usual Sunday schedule of two o’clock.

I mentioned some time recently that Elwin, a friend from Iowa, was visiting family in a neighbouring town. We were not able to make a connection earlier. Today, however, we spent some time with him at his daughter’s home. I told him that it was good to hear someone speaking Iowawegian again. We become immersed in our Texican society, so that when we get back to Iowa, the accent (or lack of one …. maybe?) sounds a little strange for awhile.

After visiting with Elwin, we went to IHOP for a late lunch or early supper (you’ll never convince me that the evening meal is “dinner”).

This isn’t technically a sunset photo. But it’s not often that you can look at the sun without special equipment. Today all it took was a mystical haze in the southwestern sky.

God bless and g’nite.

Some of the over 150 letters to Santa that I’ve received so far this year. And, yes, I read them all. Sometimes I have to bring the parents in when the whispered request is for such as the “western hog nosed girl snake” that a preteen girl asked for. Or when a child asks for a trampoline, I will say that it is too big to carry in my sleigh when it is all assembled. I ask the parents if they could put it together if it I had it shipped to them.

Here is a sampling of some resent days in the big chair.

December 6th

One of my first visits was with a young mask Man 4 years old. He would not come to see Santa unless he was wearing his red mask think Lone Ranger. He wanted a large hatchimal.
My next visit was with a very tall slim young special needs man with mental, physical, and hearing loss. He had a hearing aid and still communicated partially by sign. He was a very happy person. He has a twin brother with autism that mom will bring some other day.

Next was a set of one-year-old twins boy and girl who are not at all happy to see Santa.

I next had a special needs man, maybe 40-ish, who wanted a real boat. I said I only have toys but maybe I could get you a remote control boat. That seemed okay.

A few crying babies, and a few happy babies.

5 year old Noah, with a learning disability, and his 1 year old sister came to see me. Sister would not get near me. Noah was a hugger.

I also had a three-year-old boy with his grandmother the boy refused to look at Santa or the camera. The crowd became very slow. At 1:30 there were four employees and no customers.

That afternoon I had a four year old girl with no hair, I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to spoil a visit with Santa. Around 3 we had a small Rush.

The trip to Lago Vista was uneventful. Finding the home was easy enough despite all the hills and twists and turns of the road. The children were a delight, especially Willoh who was the alpha child in charge. She was like lightning dressed up as a two-year-old.

The trip home was exciting. Those of you who are familiar with the Texas Hill Country and in particular the drive on 1431 west of Lago Vista, will appreciate that drive all alone on a dark night. I traveled every point of the compass and many changes of the altimeter.

• ©2019 Thomas E. Williams

• Day 69 in our Texas home
• 27 days as Santa at Lakeline Mall