“Thank you all, and Merry Christmas!!”

My two friends from childhood just visited me last weekend. We did a lot of fun things, like painting our nails, hand scrubs, eating dinner together, or watching football (they watched and kept me updated of all positions and scores by writing letters on my arm) and even met another Santa and Mrs. Claus! They even had elves that took our pictures! We also enjoyed a lot of time talking and catching up on our other friends and obviously catching up on the current news and talked about their families and my family. Since Christmas is just around the corner, we started talking about Christmas songs and other fun memories. And of course, Christmas movies that gave us a lot of laughs.

When I get done saying my prayers and singing a song that I remember, all the Christmas movies will come to mind. Among the many, you have Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Elf, Veggie Tales: The Toy that Saved Christmas, and the clay animated version of The Little Drummer Boy. Mom would record some off television. When I was younger, I enjoyed Frosty the Snow Man, Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too, and Peggy Fleming the ice skater and Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Oh, how I enjoyed the ice skating show! They would have the medalist of that year’s Olympics skate to the Christmas songs. Scott Hamilton skating to The Twelve Days of Christmas could not have been skating any better. Then you had the classics: White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life and A Charlie Brown Christmas. And let’s not forget Jim Henson’s Muppets Christmas movies.

Out of all the Christmas movies I have seen, the Muppets are my favorite. My all time favorite Christmas movie is A Muppet Family Christmas. This includes all the Muppets from the other shows like Sesame Street (which means Elmo was there) to even Fraggle Rocks. This is classic humor. There are so many great scenes and lines as all the characters gather at the farmhouse of Fozzie Bear’s mother for Christmas. This movie often comes to mind because in one of the scenes, the Sesame Street characters are putting on a play Twas the Night Before Christmas for the others. Ernie and Bert are narrating. Ernie says, “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” Out pops Grover from behind the curtains. He is wearing a hat with mouse ears on his head and is holding an empty bowl with a spoon. Ernie and Bert are staring at him then Grover goes on to explain that he is NOT stirring and note how the hand never touches the spoon. I find this particularly funny because one of my communication objects is a wooden spoon, which tells me when it is time to eat. Because my hands are getting really numb and it is hard to hold things or to even know what some of the other objects are, I could probably hold up the wooden spoon because I can feel it and I am NOT stirring!

The other favorite movie is The Muppets Christmas Carol. Obviously this year is different, so out goes the tradition of watching it with my family on Christmas Eve. I don’t know how the tradition started—maybe it was when I was little I remember going to the Christmas Eve service and hanging around town admiring all the Christmas lights. When we got home we would eat some snacks and watch the movie before singing our favorite Christmas Carols around the Christmas tree before heading off to bed. I will not be going to the Christmas Eve service this year and I cannot even see the lights hanging in my room, but because I can probably quote the movie from start to finish, Christmas eve I will just ask for a snack and then replay the movie in my mind.

Most everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge is “bah humbug”, cold hearted and negative with his ways and words. Christmas Eve he goes home and things start to happen. Gonzo narrates and takes the role of Charles Dickens with Rizzo hanging as his sidekick. Scrooge, played by a real man, becomes scared as the doorknocker transforms into the like of Bob Marley, his deceased partner, warning him of the ghost that will soon visit. Scrooge is soon inside having a bite to eat by the fireplace in his best gown and nightcap. This doesn’t stop the ghost of Bob Marley of telling Scrooge of his doom. Just like they are now in chains, he will be too unless he changes his ways. He will be visited by three spirits tonight starting at the stroke of the clock striking one. Scrooge falls asleep, but at 1 a.m. the Spirit of Christmas Past appears. Looking more like a fine doll, she takes Scrooge to his past. He watches himself grow up and goes to the part where he asks for a job. The Muppet, Fozzie Bear, plays the role of Scrooge’s first boss, but now his name is Fozzie Wig. He is now hosting his annual Christmas Eve party. The young Scrooge thinks that Fozzie Wig is overriding his expenses and tells him. Fozzie Wig tells him that it is Christmas time and it is the spirit of generosity. Then they are in Fozzie Wig’s factory and Fozzie Wig wants to make his annual speech. Everyone gets quiet because in pops Animal and yells “QUIET!!” Fozzie Wig makes an announcement that he has to make a speech. He pulls out a piece of paper and seriously he reads . . . “Thank you all and Merry Christmas!” The “Marley” brothers are up in the balcony and give their comment about the speech . . . Fozzie made a great speech . . . let’s dance. Then, you see the Muppet couples and real people start to dance.

I want this to be my Christmas card to you. I used to love sending out oodles of cards to my friends and all my extended family. I am blessed to have people help me write my cards, Facebook messages, emails and phone text for me. From the last post, I said things would be different and just thinking about Christmas cards reminded me of all of you. I wanted to say THANK YOU for all the encouragement, love, prayers, gifts and visits you have given me this past year! I have reflected on my past although I would have never expected to be in a nursing home, I have seen how God has prepared me for this time even with the heartaches, hardships and changes. It was a great year with so many memories. So thank you all from old friends to my new friends to my family and loved ones and those reading this randomly for the first time! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!