MERRY XMAS!

I have heard it said that the use of the word Xmas, takes the"Christ" out of Christmas, but the opposite is true.  The term has been used since way back in the mid 1500's.  X is a Greek letter "chi"  the first letter in the word  Χριστός   which means Christ and for hundreds of years X has been an acceptable representation of the word Christ.  You can find more on the story here.

That being said, the final letter, and the 24th letter in my "Elphabet",  the one that I skipped, is X.  This is for the "Jolly old Elf," the Merry Xmas guy, Santa Claus.  Even though he is often referred to as one, he isn't really an elf.  Maybe it's the company he keeps?  He is pretty magical, though, and has special powers that make even the elves jealous. I believe one of his greatest virtues is that he appears to each child differently.  Is Santa white? black? Asian? Hispanic?  Yes, he is. He is what we imagine him to be, because Santa is the spirit of Christmas. He represents love and kindness and giving. He is joyful and merry.

And so to all of you, thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you have enjoyed my stories.  I wish you a very Merry Christmas, may all your dreams come true.

 

On the wind

When you are inside your house and the wind is blowing, sometimes you can hear a strange moaning sound. It seems to be coming from the windows. The noise can be a little frightening, but it is just Zephyr.  He accompanies the wind. Hiding behind the curtains, he sings an eerie melody. The more it blows, the louder he sings. Don't be scared.  He's just letting you know that you have company. When the wind goes away, so will he.

 

In the garden

In a corner of a secluded secret garden, sits a bearded elf named Yeats.  He is a poet.  Quill in hand, he takes note of the beauty in the ordinary things that surround him.  Yeats sits inside his own walled sanctuary quietly observing what nature has to show.  He examines the steady pace of an ant carrying its heavy load, and notices the glistening dewdrops on the leaves. He watches the ivy grow and the clouds change shapes overhead. Here, he contemplates nature's wonders and record his thoughts. He allows the magic to flow through his pen, creating beautiful poetry.

The entertainer

Gliding gracefully across a silken spider web, Webster displays his remarkable skills.  He is an entertainer,  who thrills the spectators with his daring feats. He is funny, too, making the audience laugh and scream with his hilarious, sometimes frightening antics. He is the perfect showman, a crowd pleaser, and look, he works without a net!

 

Being shy

Meeting new people is quite difficult for some. At times it's better to quietly stand in the background and check out what's happening. 

Violet is a very shy elf.  She hides behind the flowers watching and listening.  She knows it's all right to be quiet and a little distant until she believes it is safe to come out.  Violet doesn't know these new people, if they will like her, if they have the same interests, so she observes for awhile.  Once she feels safe, she'll join in.  She's very chatty once she feels comfortable.

Friendship

Making friends is sometimes a scarey thing to do. Ulf shows how easy it can be.  He is a friendship elf who enjoys keeping company with the toys. He might be found telling jokes to the teddy bears, or sipping tea with the zoo animals, which is really quite hard. Even though they are difficult to find, he plays hide and seek with the toy soldiers, because they enjoy it.  The dolls share all of their secrets, but he never tells.

Traveling

Today I was going to talk about Travis. I decided to skip him, however, because he is never here.  Travis is a traveler, you see and he is often on the road experiencing new places.  He is a wanderer, an explorer, an adventurer. Colorful locations thrill him, diverse foods and customs stimulate him. On his journeys he has made many friends and maybe a few enemies. Perhaps he is a spy doing secret work. I don't know, he is just a hard guy to find. So we will skip him today and move on to .........

Dream time

Sometimes tired children need a bit of help to fall asleep. Riding in on his ebony night mare, The Sandman arrives with his bag of magic grit.  Dusting sleepy eyes with this fine powder, the small ones quickly visit the land of nod. "Close your little eyes and dream."  he softly whispers.

Among the cattails

Poised silently among the cattails is Reed.  The guardian of ponds and marshes, he oversees the ducks, geese and red-winged blackbirds. As  dragonflies flit about teasing the frogs, he stands sentry over the young life in the pond. When the eggs hatch, Reed keeps a watchful eye.  "Shhh,"  he whispers, "the ducklings are sleeping."

Patience

Lovely, warm quilts not only bring beauty to a room, they make cold winter nights bearable.  To wrap up in one with a hot cup of cocoa is quite comforting.  Quilts are made by steadfastly sewing bits of fabric together and Quiltcene is an artist in this craft.  He is a quiet elf who teaches patience. Stitch by stitch each piece is carefully sewn creating intricate designs until it finally becomes a blanket. Quilts can be charming hanging on a wall or covering a bed.

 

Mischief

When shoelaces get knotted up, and toothpaste is squished all over the bathroom sink, blame a mischievous elf named Prank. If the homework paper that has so diligently been done is missing, he probably hid it. Behind many small annoyances, (dripping faucets, misplaced glasses, spilled milk) giggling in the shadows, is Prank.  He isn't being naughty or mean, he's just fond of causing playful trouble. 

 

Artist's note:  I apologize for the bad resolution on this page.  It will be fixed soon.

Cord of wood

Oakly lives near the wood pile.  When firewood is stacked, it should be loose enough for a mouse to enter but too tight for a cat to follow. Oakly's back pack is empty. What do you suppose he carries in it? Perhaps he collects seeds and nuts to feed the mouse who lives in there. They are probably friends.  He looks kind.

Out for lunch

Even chickens have to fly the coop sometime.  Mom and dad birds must search for food or perhaps they are just out having fun. Parents need a break too. When they leave their eggs alone in the nest, a little lady elf, named Nanny, comes to take care of them. She makes sure the babies are protected. She sits so calmly in the nest knitting and warming the eggs.  Perhaps she's humming a pretty tune. The flowers embrace her.

New growth

It is interesting to wonder how all the new little plants in a forest start to grow.  Seedlings take root beneath looming trees, mushrooms sprout on fallen logs, ferns unfurl their curly little heads.  Well, slogging through the dense undergrowth is Mushinka.  As he moves among the bushes, seeds and spores fall into his pocket and the wind blows pollen onto the rim of his hat.  He distributes these seeds along his path.  Add a bit of sunshine as well as some water and as if by magic, new growth begins.

 

Laundry day

Nobody likes doing laundry. It ranks up there with washing the dishes and making the beds. On occasion, however, a handy elf named Lynn N. comes by to help.  His job isn't so much to wash the clothes, but when they are hung outside on a line to dry, he makes sure they stay there.  The wind can whip up the sheets and blow them away, so Lynn N. holds them tightly.  Shooing the birds away also keeps the clothes clean. Breathing in deeply, Lynn N appreciates the clean, fresh smell of the outdoors. What a great way to dry the clothes.

 

Lost items

I don't know about you, but I am always losing things.  There is no mate to my favorite socks, the keys are missing and I only have one glove.  Living somewhere inside the house is a busy little elf named Keeper.  He collects things that have been misplaced, decorating his home with these lost treasures.  His fashion is quite comical because he dresses in found clothing.  A hair clip, an old sock and a winter hat often make up his wardrobe.  Keeper will return things he has found if you ask him nicely and leave something in return.  He likes cookies.

Harvest time

Halloween is only a sweet memory, and Jack is gone for now, but in the Fall he can be spotted hiding among the cornstalks in the fields.  Jack of the Lantern is an Autumn elf.  He helps with the harvest and is often found in the pumpkin patch nurturing the young plants.  At the end of the season, he finds the very best pumpkin to carve for a home. Leaving a light glowing from within, keeps the pesky rabbits away.
Jack also paints the leaves, then blowing them from the trees, lays a carpet of gold on the ground.

When the the snow comes

When it is winter and the colors are a muted blue and brown, Ione drifts in on an icy wind.  She blows snowflakes that dance merrily in the sky.  Her frosty breath makes shiny gems that dangle from bare branches. Ione softly whispers the magic that is winter, "You can walk on water."

 

Newsman

Peeking out from an open mailbox is a reporter named, Herald.  He is in there searching for a good scoop. Herald publishes THE ELF GAZETTE, the most widely read newspaper in the elf community.  He listens to conversations, reads a lot and asks many questions gathering articles for his paper. He is a curious guy, always on the lookout for a good story.

 

At the Beauty Shop

When I was growing up, a place where you got your hair cut was called a Beauty Parlor and the women who worked there were known as Beauticians.  Today we refer to them as Styling Salons, Stylists and Technicians. The dictionary defines "salon" as: a large room, such as a drawing room, used for receiving and entertaining guests. I think that is an apt description as visiting a Styling Salon can be especially engrossing.

This is Groomhilda, an animal beautician.  She combs and cuts the tangles from the little critters' hair.  As she cleans and fluffs them, the animals tell her all the current gossip.  The bunnies keep up on the latest  buzz. Groomhilda is very environmental.  She saves the fur, spins it into yarn and knits sweaters for her coatless friends. 

In the deep, dark woods

In the mysterious deep forests a stalwart elf stands guard.  He is the caretaker of the woods and woodland creatures.  His name is Forester.  It is his job to clear off dead leaves so the small trees can grow up tall like their parents.  He helps the squirrels gather pine cones to take to their homes and stops the birds from quarreling.  He loves the forest because it is home to so many animals and he works hard to keep it healthy.  When it is windy, Forester enjoys watching the trees sway back and forth. "Hold on tightly!" he shouts to the little critters who live in them.

 

When the lights go out

Hello Addie, Emmy and Colt, Olive and Zeke, and all of Jenny's kids,

Today as most of the U.S. is gripped in a frozen blanket of winter we are reminded that sometimes the power goes out.  There are no more video games, no TV, no lights.  It becomes very quiet.  This is when our good buddy, Edison shows up.  He illuminates the darkness lighting candles and oil lamps and even flashlights. Edison reminds us to enjoy the quiet. Get out a board game to play with your family.  Put together a puzzle. Build a fort out of blankets. Snuggle.

Edison looks like he's made of wax, but he's just blending in. I love the soft candlelight that surrounds him. His quizzical look and tiny pipe amuse me.

A crisp, clear morning

The perfect kind of morning to see Dawn in the unclouded sky. Dawn is lightening fast.  He darts from star to star snatching them and putting them neatly in his satchel. It is his job to put the stars and moon away when the sun comes up.  Even though it's a lot of work, he does it every day.  Sometimes, perhaps because he's distracted or maybe he's a bit too tired,  he misses a few and they can still be seen in the morning light.

The smell of cookies

In my house, cookies come in a box, because to tell you the truth, I can't bake at all.  So, when Cookie comes to visit I am very excited!  This little elf is the best chef.  She makes the most delicious tarts, pies, cookies and cakes.  I love her a lot, but not because she is such a good cook, it's that she reminds me of my Grandmother who was warm, comfortable, extremely forgiving and she could cook anything.  This wonderful elf always makes it feel like home.

 

When it rains

Today, I want to introduce you to my good friend, Brook.  We see a lot of him around here because it rains so much. Brook guides all the rainwater into rivulets and streams and helps it reach the sea.  This keeps the water in a channel so it won't overrun the ground and assures that it is fresh and plentiful.  The fish and frogs appreciate this.