Saturday, December 7, 2013

Just 'Fore Christmas

The Mighty Hunter
(who hunts pop cans)

Our son and grandson were out last week for the funeral of a friend. Afterwards, they came back to the house before heading home to the Twin Cities. Our grandson had time to shoot his BB gun at a few pop cans.

When talking about Christmas, this little guy and I got into a discussion about the people who aren't having such a wonderful Christmastime this year. I explained about the people in the Philippines who were homeless because of the great typhoon. I explained about Samaritan's Purse*, an organization that helps poor people around the world. He got a sudden pang of conscience and remembered his little Ziploc bag of pennies he'd laid on the kitchen table. A pensive look came over his sweet face, and after a few minutes he said,

'Grandma, maybe I can give some money to the poor.'

........LONG PAUSE.........

Then, with furrowed brow,

'Let me think on it.'

I love that child, and he totally cracks me up! :-)


 ***

According to CharityNavigator.org:

* 87.7%  (Percent of Samaritan's Purse budget spent on the programs and services it delivers)
   69.8% (Percent of Heifer Project International budget spent on the programs and services it delivers)

***

The photo above reminds me of the poem, 'And jest 'fore Christmas, I'm as good as I can be.'


Jest 'Fore Christmas
by Eugene Field
1850-1895

(From my 1949 set of Childcraft)



Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill!
Mighty glad I ain't a girl---ruther be a boy,
Without them sashes, curls, an' things that 's worn by Fauntleroy!
Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake---
Hate to take the castor-ile they give for bellyache!
'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain't no flies on me,
But jest 'fore Christmas I 'm as good as I kin be! 

Got a yeller dog named Sport, sic him on the cat;
First thing she knows she doesn't know where she is at!
Got a clipper sled, an' when us kids goes out to slide,
'Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a ride!
But sometimes when the grocery man is worried an' cross,
He reaches at us with his whip, an' larrups up his hoss,
An' then I laff an' holler, "Oh, ye never teched me!"
But jest 'fore Christmas I 'm as good as I kin be! 

Gran'ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man,
I 'll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan,
As was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon's Isle,
Where every prospeck pleases, an' only man is vile!
But gran'ma she has never been to see a Wild West show,
Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she 'd know
That Buff'lo Bill an' cowboys is good enough for me!
Excep' jest 'fore Christmas, when I 'm good as I kin be! 

And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemnlike an' still,
His eyes they seem a-sayin': "What's the matter, little Bill?"
The old cat sneaks down off her perch an' wonders what's become
Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum!
But I am so perlite an' tend so earnestly to biz,
That mother says to father: "How improved our Willie is!"
But father, havin' been a boy hisself, suspicions me
When, jest 'fore Christmas, I 'm as good as I kin be! 

For Christmas, with its lots an' lots of candies, cakes, an' toys,
Was made, they say, for proper kids an' not for naughty boys;
So wash yer face an' bresh yer hair, an' mind yer p's and q's,
An' don't bust out yer pantaloons, and don't wear out yer shoes;
Say "Yessum" to the ladies, and "Yessur" to the men,
An' when they 's company, don't pass yer plate for pie again;
But, thinkin' of the things yer 'd like to see upon that tree,
Jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!



 The Cousins
Summer, 2013
That's a lot of boy!! 


***


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16 comments:

MadSnapper said...

those cute as pie cousins look like trouble in the making.. adorable.. jest fore Christmas is here and I am being good... oh yes...

MadSnapper said...

oops forgot to say i laughed out loud and the let me think on it...

TexWisGirl said...

love those cute boys! what a sweetie.

Terra said...

That is one of the cutest poems I've ever read. And those four boys are cute too. We give money to Samaritan's Purse, that is a great operation that reaches worldwide.
Did you know that the head of the Red Cross gets a salary of $650,000, that is so outrageous; I changed our giving to Samaritan's Purse.

Donna said...

Cute little fella!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

wow, you need some little girlies in that family. ha. ha!

what cuties!! i bet they will turn some eyes (heads) in their adult years for sure. ha. ha!! ( :

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

What cuties those boys are! I remember that poem from way back in grade school! I think some boy had to learn it for the Christmas program.

Noelle the dreamer said...

Your grandson's comment was priceless Judy!
I will check the site you mentioned, thank you!
Praying all are warm! Br....

Susie said...

Loved your poem...so funny. Your g.son has a good heart. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

Terri D said...

Loved your post today (every day!), Judy. Great response by your g'son, and I love the photo of the cousins. The poem/story - very cute!! It's true! Aren't we all just a little nicer around Christmas? ;)

Empty Nester said...

And you just cracked me up! He's just precious!

Vee said...

Have always loved that poem! Your grandson is a handsome one. Wonder what he'll decide.

EG CameraGirl said...

Cute kids! They are at such adorable ages. ;)

Unknown said...

Let me think on it.. lol.. that is so cute!!!

Muffy's Marks said...

He is cuter than a bug's ear!!! I am still chuckling at 'let me think on it' Cherish these days!

J_on_tour said...

Thought I'd drop in jest'fore Christmas !!
Great poem and nice family shot.

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