Santa’s Helpers Helped Me, Too

My son’s visit was wonderful, but I’m going to put those photos on my other blog, “A Shot i the Light,” since he and Sarah and I got out for an adventure that deserves pictures not reduced in size. Meanwhile, here at Dog Ears Books I’ve had a lot of help getting ready for the holidays.

First the Von Voightlander family offered free Christmas trees to downtown businesses. Kathy Walraven went around taking “orders.” Bruce, my year-round bookstore helper--I appreciate him too much to call him an “elf”--was here on Monday for tree delivery, and he chose a very tall tree, so tall that when it was brought indoors, even before going in the stand, its top was bent over by the ceiling. What to do? Get a saw and take a foot off the trunk? Elizabeth Gallo stopped in Tuesday morning as I was contemplating the project and proposed an alternative: “Cut a bit off the top instead. No one will ever know [well, no one would have known if I hadn't spilled the beans here], and you won’t lose all the fullness of the lower branches." Great idea, Liz!
Just as I was about to suit action to words, in came Ken Wylie, who helped me lay the Green Giant on its side on the floor to facilitate surgery and then join tree and stand and get the tree not only upright but close to vertical.

So many friends to thank! And yes, those are sweepings and trimmings on the floor. I couldn’t stop to sweep before taking a picture of this year’s glorious bookstore tree!



The larger bits of cut-off branches I can never bear to throw out, and this year I was inspired to add them to the basket that holds the bookstore cat. Not a live cat. This one doesn’t catch mice but doesn’t need a litter box, either (nice!). Okay, a Christmas cat seems nice, but something’s still missing. A red bow for its neck? Maybe a bell? Who will bell the cat? I guess I can handle that bit alone. My friends have already given me an awful lot of help.