For the Christmas of
my sixteenth year,
I wanted one thing over all else.
It was my most brilliant idea, too.
***
So much so, I went straight to
the place of my parents work,
and bounding in,
immediately declared that
I wanted a new car for Christmas.
***
My dad and mom both stopped working,
and looked over at me.
My mom put down her coal shovel.
***
“Why do you think you deserve a new car?” My mom asked.
***
“Well, I said, thoughtfully,
“all of my friends have new cars.”
***
But my mom was clever and
prepared for such an answer.
“If all of your friends
were to jump off a bridge,” she asked,
“would you?”
***
“No.” I replied.
***
“All right,” she said.
“But would you for a new car?”
***
PART II
***
That Christmas morning
I awoke to find a long
red ribbon tied to my big toe.
What’s this? I asked myself.
Could it be?
***
Excitedly, I got out of bed
& began to follow the ribbon as it
led me out of my room.
***
The ribbon led me:
***
down the hallway,
into the living room,
past the Christmas tree,
into the foyer
out the front door,
over the moat,
across the yard, and
into our driveway (!)
***
Where it then
double-backed
up and around a tree,
before …
***
going back across the yard,
over the moat,
through the front door,
into the foyer
past the Christmas tree,
through the living room,
down the hallway, and
back into my room.
***
Where,
to my great disappointment,
I discovered that it was
tied to my other toe.
Finis.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I could have toe’d you that would happen! Merry Christmas, George!
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Hah! Thanks, David. Merry Christmas to you, too.
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Love it :) A brilliant Christmassy journey back and forth of the olde tref headquarters to keep one on one’s toes!
Moats… ah, we sadly had to have our grand old moat filled in because of the constant problem with beavers stealing our drawbridge to make dams.
Merry Christmas to you and all!
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Thank you, & a Merry Christmas to you and yours, as well.
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Is it OK to feel a little let down on your behalf, Tref?
Hope you continue to toe your own line in 2021.
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Thanks, VC and Merry Christmas.
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[…] Ribbons & toes — t r e f o l o g y […]
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Thanks, David and Merry Christmas, et al
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Wished for a missile Got a ribbon with a bow Tied to missile toe
When Ma’s shovel shoves Envy’s hot wheels off a bridge Her gift isn’t coal
Good tidings!
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Thank you, COS. Merry Christmas!
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Thank you, Tref, and best of the new year to you and y’all!
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Merry Christmas to you and your family Tref!
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Thanks, B!
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Merry Christmas, Tref! Always follow the red ribbon ;-)
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Thanks, SilkPurse! Merry Christmas!
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Something. . .something. . .about “missle toes”?
Ah, I miss having a moat. My family used to have a moat in God’s Eye, South Carolina, when we lived between the Nivens and the Pournelles.
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Moats are handy if you have enemies! Merry Christmas!
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Hilarious! My parents used to say the same thing. :D Merry Christmas! :)
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Thank you and Merry Christmas, MM!
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Genius! Merry Christmas!
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Thank you, Craig, Merry Christmas!
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Merry Christmas. That made me laugh!
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Thanks, Crow and Merry Christmas!
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Reblogged this on Nelson MCBS.
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Thank you, Nelson and Merry Christmas!
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Thank you… ***** Wish you also a Merry Christmas ****
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Merry Christmas!
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Merry Christmas, River!
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Thank you!
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That reminded me of my parents. Merry Christmas
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Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!
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God bless us every one.
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Well, except for that one guy, and he knows who he is.
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There’s always that one.
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It’s not the destination it’s the journey? :)
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That’s it! Merry Christmas, Snake
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Thank you, Cindy and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
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Love it Tref. Merry Christmas and even better new year to you.
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Thank you & Merry Christmas to you too, 1537. I have a lot of hope for the coming year.
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[…] Ribbons & toes […]
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This tale was a great vehicle for a toetally intriguing yarn!
(yeah, pretty weak on my part, but I’m blaming it on holiday brain)
Hope you had the merriest of merrys!
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Thank you and I did! Happy New Year, Traci! I enjoy your blog and your brilliant photos and I look forward to seeing what you have planned for the coming year
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Hahaha. Awwww….
That reminds me of a scene in the first Transformers when the father starts driving the son through a Porsche lot and he’s like, “Really? Oh, my God, really, Dad?” and the dad laughs and says, “No, of course not!” and drives out and over to a used car lot.
Not as mysterious and winding and charming as the journey as above, tho, of course, lol !!
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Thanks, Seliza
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“Put down the coal shovel”. You’re the best! Later tref, and thanks huh.
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Absolutely.
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Delightfully hilarious!
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Thank you, John
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Oh…my… goodness! Brilliant!
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Thank you, Janny!
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Hahaha you are brilliant!
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Thank you, Diane. Coming from my absolute number one cooking blog, I appreciate it.
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Your writing is so engrossing. I couldn’t even blink because I wanted nothing to interfere with what would Happen Next.
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Thank you, Silver Screenings. I’m a big fan of your blog so that means a lot.
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Great story! We used to do that ribbon thing back when I was a teen, to my brother-in-law’s dismay. But one time the string led to a beer cooler😄
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I was hoping it didn’t lead to a bridge.
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Oh my gosh! That is good Rugby!
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🤣 thanks for the laugh!
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Thanks for reading, Hobo. I appreciate it.
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I appreciate you;)
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Well it’s too late for merry Christmas, but I must tell you, you really know how to crack us up. It was toe-tally worth it
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It is NEVER too late for a Merry Christmas, just very early. Thank you for reading, Shanyu.
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Ha! Sure, why not! My absolute pleasure. Have a fantastic day.
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Thank you, Shanyu
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