Waiting World

 

It is a silent night. 

The stars wink at the world, 

As if they share in some cosmic joke. 

The snow has become a hard crust, 

Trees wait quietly for new life. 

Occasionally there is the sound 

Of chilled wildlife 

Crunching through the snow. 

Yet in all the frosty quiet, 

The world waits again 

For Christmas.

Nap Time

It has been such a long December for Santa!  

Now it is time for a long winter's nap!

Day Care visit

This was a wonderful  rowdy, exciting group that Santa visited.  
Santa just loves his job!

Gold Star chili, the nursing home, Dayton and Santa

Santa was invited to visit Gold Star Chili in West Chester on Tylersville Road last night.  Dozens of families arrived to have Supper with Santa and enjoy a cheese coney or 4 way.  It was wonderful to sit for a moment at each booth or table and visit.  Not a group story, but lots of little stories....

How reindeer fly, how Mrs. Claus flew this year, why the sleigh was parked at the golf course down the hill, why West Chester didn't let Santa's sleigh and reindeer come to Gold Star... how the jingle bells were knocked off when Irving the elf landed the sleigh in that sand trap on the 11th hole at the golf course.

It was delightful.

Earlier in the day Santa visited a nursing home, told stories and handed out presents.  Afterward, Santa was taken by a nurse and the activity director to visit folks who were not able to make it to the dining room.

The Christmas spirit is everlasting in the hearts of folks.  They smiled and laughed with Santa.  One dear lady told Santa she remembered him and even recognized his voice from when he would visit her when she was a child.  It is said that hope springs eternal.  The promise of the Babe in Bethlehem's manger is that hope is the message Santa was reminded by several.

So many told Santa they had been good this year.  Several grinned a grin worthy of an elf and told Santa they had been naughty.  Santa would laugh and suspected that may have been the case for them in childhood.

Tears came to Santa's eyes when one little girl early in the day told him that all she wanted was for her broken family to be together for Christmas just on more time.  Santa is just a toymaker, a bringer of smiles and warmer of hearts.

He doesn't know how to heal broken hearts, his tools cannot repair lives shattered or fix a family.  That must be the work of others.

Santa prays for those who do try to make those repairs.  His eyes fill with tears when a little one asks for that, his white gloves wet as he wipes the tears away.

Santa Loot

Cousins,
One of the unexpected pleasures for Santa is the "Santa Loot" that I bring home.  Christmas lists, some written carefully in crayon by little hands just beginning to write, some typed on the computer and signed by hand.  Some have drawings of the item requested so Santa will know what it looks like.

There are drawings, cut outs pasted together... snowflakes, coloring book pages with pictures of Santa, Rudolph or Christmas scenes, some children keeping in the lines, others drawing with the freedom of Picasso, not regarding lines or tradition.

Of course, there are cookies, fudge and even a carrot to take to the reindeer.  Some are in a plastic bag, others gift wrapped.  All are appreciated as Santa goes from home to home.

Mrs. Oh My Darlin' Claus is making Santa a Scrapbook to fill with pictures, notes and "loot" so he can look back next year, during the summer months and remember winter snow, white gloves and happy faces.

Then there are the wonderful things, the loot from the heart.  One little girl had what appeared to be a polarfleece belt or scarf  -had snowflakes on it.  She gave it to Santa and made him promise to wear it as he traveled.  It hangs on Santa's belt now.

Another little girl braided a bracelet for Rudolph's nose out of multicolored string during a visit.

All are from the heart, all tugged at the heartstrings.

Santa Visits!

Just a lovely visit
with a few of 
Santa's friends

Santa is resting up for the big night!

Visions of sugarplums can float through Santa's head also!

Maybe he is dreaming of a White Christmas.

Santa just can't keep up in the reindeer games!

Listen to the Santa Snores!!

No, it is not a Polar Bear!!!

It is enough to break through the icecap here at the North Pole.

Thanksgiving!

Santa has already begun to visit with boys and girls.

It is a wonderful experience, to sit and visit with a little one...





To see the joy and wonderment in their faces...


To listen to their hopes and dreams, their desires...


To know they believe.


To share their magic.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Santa's Red Nose

My, Oh My! Santa must have forgot to wash his hands over the weekend! His nose is as red as Rudolph's! What is even worse is having a cold and feeling so bad you don't even want to watch the reindeer games.

Mrs Claus made hot chicken noodle soup yesterday, hot green tea and now a big mug of hot chocolate... no cookies. "Feed a cold, stave a fever" Santa always says.

Mrs. C. disagrees and slathered Santa's neck and chest with mentholated moose moss.

Santa is getting busy!

Santa is getting busier every day. There are reindeer nuggets with flight enhancers to pick up at the North Pole Emporium today. Rudolph has a cold and his nose is not glowing right now. Elf Ratso suggested Limburger cheese to open Rudolph's sinuses! Santa vetoed that idea. Elves are running the toy making workshops at full speed!

Pre-Christmas visits are filling up! If you want to get on Storytelling Santa's calendar, please contact him early!

santa@storytellingsanta.com or give him a call at 937-371-4071

Pictures!

Santa had the opportunity to visit for Halloween with a neighborhood.

Over 100 youngsters stopped to visit, have an early picture take in their Halloween costume and some gave Santa a hug!





It was a lovely evening!

Invite Storytelling Santa
to your Family, corporate or charity event!
santa@storytellingsanta.com

Santa comes to your home!

It is not too early to contact Santa for a Holiday visit for your family, church, charity or corporate event!

My calendar fills up quickly, so give me a call
at 937-371-4071 or email
at santa@storytelling santa.com!

63 Days till Christmas

Only 63 days before the Big Flight. All is going as planned. The reindeer are practicing short hops and flights. Rupert is the head reindeer elf. Rupert has been oiling all the harnesses, shining the sleigh bells.

Mrs. Claus laughed at Rupert just yesterday when he took a sleigh bell off a harness for Cupid. He said it was out of tune! Out of tune. Ho ho, only Rupert.

Rupert has been feeding Rudolph cranberries to help his nose glow. Claims it will also keep Rudolph from getting sick at Christmas.

That is all for now... don't forget the Reason for The Season!!

Christmas is getting closer!

Santa better get his sleigh ready! Not many days left till the Big Ride!

Late Night at the Pole

It is so very late at Santa's Village! Mrs. Claus, the elves and most of the reindeer have been asleep for hours. Santa has been working on the "Naughty and Nice" list for ever so long.

Don't think to yourself that it an easy job. Every child, no matter the age, has a little "naughty" in them and even the most naughty can develop a little "nice".

Santa sipped some hot chocolate earlier and had a snickerdoodle cookie. Snickerdoodles are one of Santa's favorites. Sleep would not come, so after wandering to the reindeer barn, brushing Rudy... Rudolph and making sure each deer had enough reindeer nuggets with flight additives, Santa has come back close to the fireplace.

A good book, a quilt and soft Christmas carols are what is needed!

Half Way mark is passed

Well, the year is more than half over and I didn't even see it come and go. There is so much to be done, lists to check, toys to make, and the diet... yes, the diet. Even Santa needs to eat healthy! You don't think I live on cookies and milk, do you?

Summer

The hint of summer at the North Pole is just a hint. Lots of work to do to get ready for the Big
Ride!

Hawaiian Shirts

Mrs C has accused Santa of complaining.Santa's not complaining, just making an observation.

The Claus family is in Hawaii for a vacation, Mrs C has slathered sunscreen all over Santa.

Santa just mentioned that not one of the shops selling Hawaiian shirts had any with snowflakes, reindeer or poinsettias on them. Just an observation.

Mrs C suggested there might not be a huge demand for those particular patterns... other than Himself.

Santa let out a ho ho ho that almost gave him away. Little Wally Carpenter from Savannah was building a sand castle nearby and looked over at me for a long time. Don't know that he recognized Santa with the beard trimmed.

Early Morning in March

Up early today. Mrs C is still sleeping, the workshop only has the night shift of elves working right now. Later in the year it will be running full force. It is quiet and one can sit and listen to the wind blowing against the windows and along the eves.

It is going to be a beautiful day, cold and beautiful. I think I'll put on my heavy cape and walk up to see the reindeer later this morning.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are lovely tonight. They swirl and dance as a dusting of snowflakes make the village appear to be a snow globe.

I might call Rudy (Rudolph) and get out the small sleigh and go out...just he and I for a flight through the lights. His nose glows better if we take a twirl through the Northern Lights now and again.

Arctic Fox

I was sitting at the window of the workshop this morning, sipping on a big mug of hot chocolate after a wonderful breakfast. As I looked out an arctic fox pup was running around with a scrap of Christmas wrapping paper. Now, I don't like litter around the workshop and I started to get up and go out to get it.

Then I stopped, sat down and just watched in wonder. Even a fox pup can enjoy a gift freely given!

Nick

Headcold

I think I caught a cold from one of the youngsters on Christmas Eve. Seth in Sunbright, Tennessee was sniffling as he slept. It might have been him or maybe Mimi in Chantilly, France. She had a fever and almost woke up.

Hot tea, steam baths and reindeer moss plaster on the chest (that is Roscoe's idea. He swears by reindeer moss for every ailment). Mrs C pops her head in to check on me and I saw Dasher looking in through the window. I thought he was out on the high slopes grazing on reindeer moss by now... I'll bet I know who was Roscoe's helper with the reindeer moss plaster.

I thought it smelled like reindeer slobber.

S.

Sleigh Repairs

Roscoe stopped in to tell me he heard from one of the mountain elves that tend to the sleigh. I think the elf is named Cofortenhorgenstebenin. I always get elf names wrong. Why do you think I call Roscoe "Roscoe"?

Anyway, the mountain elf told Roscoe that one of the runners must have been caught on a heavy railing, pipe or chimney as we flew. The whole front, you know, the part that is curled up decoratively, that curled front was out of line. He was amazed I didn't have to send for the tow sleigh by the end of my trip.

I remember a hesitation from the reindeer as I was leaving San Antonio. I think it was an old ranch house made of adobe. Seems to me there was a pipe sticking up that I thought we would clear.

Mrs C warned me not to eat before the ride. A heavy meal before all those cookies and milk!

Next year I'll be sure to watch what I eat before I fly

Stretch

Santa just needed to stretch his legs the morning. These old bones need a walk to get all the kinks out. Some of the chimneys these days are mighty narrow... and tall! Coming down them can surely be work. The reward is always placing the last present carefully under the tree, turning and for a moment listening to the quiet, the silence interrupted occasionally by a snore or soft breathing from little ones who swore they would stay awake to see Santa.

Santa doesn't often sit to eat the cookies and drink the milk left for him, but he does so appreciate it. Walking just now brings chocolate chips to mine, and snickerdoodles, and ginger snaps, and oatmeal....