Here’s how this works. In the paragraph below, we are starting an Original City Christmas story. But, we aren’t going to finish it. That’s where you come in. YOU continue the story by posting a few more sentences (and special twists to the story) using the comments link and then the next person adds a few more after you. Each person needs to begin their part with these two words…. AND THEN… After 50 or so posts, we’ll have a great story that could go any number of directions!
The story begins…
The weatherman was reporting a winter storm warning for the second weekend in a row. With only eighteen days left until Christmas, it was beginning to look like Sioux Falls shoppers might be stuck home once again. By Friday morning, the announcer on the radio gave a lengthy list of cancellations and even Walmart was too understaffed to open their doors. People are resourceful, however, and city dwellers simply put another pot of coffee on and did all their shopping online. Little did they know it would snow and snow and snow and snow…. all the way up ’til Christmas Day. The delivery trucks were unable to bring any of the gifts because the highways were all closed. Pastor Jim was beside himself and determined that this would be the best Christmas ever. He spent the first three days of the snow storm in his basement making himself some snow shoes. He finished late and set them by his front door and went to bed…
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AND THEN he feel into a deep sleep where he found himself in a hammock between two palm trees on a tropical island. He listened as the seagulls flying nearby make their screechy sound and the breeze rustled the palm fronds. The sloshing of the waves upon the shore was comforting and made him feel very relaxed. What a nice place, he thought. After what seemed like hours the breeze turned into a wind and the temperature dropped. He thought that was very strange since he didn’t see a cloud in the sky. Then he started shivering and was abruptly transferred from paradise to reality. To his amazement he found his window had blown open and his bed covered in several inches of snow!
And the next morning he woke to a knock on the door. Pastor Jim came to the door hair as perfect as the night before, admiring his how snow shoes wondering who could be knocking. He opens the door to a cold gust of wind and there is Pastor Steve grinning from ear to ear… Pastor Steve says to Pastor Jim “I know this guy who was able to provide us with some transportation for the day”. He steps aside and there in Jim’s front Yard is a sleigh and with 8 reindeer all hitched up and ready to go. Pastor Steve says “grab your snow shoes and let’s go, we have….
and then he heard a very strange noise that came from outside. ‘What could it be?’ he wondered. After all, we’ve been snowed in for three days,no one can get in or out, who or what could be out there making such a strange noise?
AND THEN.. They were peering past the reindeer into the blowing snow, trying to discover the source of the noise when, what to their wondering eyes should appear, but twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping and four calling birds.
“Don’t those birds sound like seagulls?”, asked Pastor Jim. “Sure do”, replied Pastor Steve, “But for some reason this brings a barbershop quartet to mind.”
AND THEN Pastor Steve adds….”oh, well, I don’t think that thought came from God” (I don’t want to deal with a quartet in my part of the story). As the snow continues to blow horizontally, Pastor Steve yells to Pastor Jim….”Grab your snowshoes, and they’re pretty fancy, by the way, and if you have a trailor for this sleigh thingie, we gotta get all these people and birds who were blown off course back to where they intended on going, to find that partridge in the pear tree, cuz it will really smell when it thaws. As for the seagulls….are you sure they aren’t those seven swans? Anyway, on Dancer, on Prancer, on Donner and Blitzen……..etc.
AND THEN the two of them plugged away through the snow, because the snow was blowing so hard that the reindeer could no longer lead them. They walked for what seemed like hours until they came upon a house by itself, with only one window lit. They were quite cold and decided they should stop and warm up for a bit, so they knocked at the door.
The rusty hinges groaned an eerie welcome as the weathered door eased open. “What’s that smell?” “Jim, put your snowshoes back on, you trying to kill us or what?” Shhhh, I think I hear someone coming…..
“But Jim”, whispered Pastor Steve, “More than I need to know who it is that is coming, I’d like to know how snowshoes can cause smelly feet!….Remember to tell me when this crisis is over!” And they crouched down in the shadows, barely breathing, wondering weather or not the whethered door would fall off its rusty hinges, in that weather……..
Oh, and they were so cold by now, they were about to wither.
whether or not the weathered door was weathering the storm soon became the last thought as the pile of snow formed on the awning gave way from the battle with trying to open that weathered door. Snow shoes or not, Pastor Jim wasn’t going anywhere. Though they come in handy to glide above the snow, they become dead weights with the snow on top of their aerodynamically-designed fancifullness. Even beyond this, the only thought in Pastor Jim’s mind was, “Is Pastor Steve having an asthma attack….oh, nope…just laughing!!”
AND THEN, a shadowy figure from inside the house approached Pastor Jim and Pastor Steve at the entrance of the house. “Oh my gosh! You’re David Beckham!” exclaimed Pastor Steve.
“Yeah, that’s me. I was on my way to Minnesota for a soccer game and we got stranded at the Sioux Falls airport. Luckily, I heard there was a bed and breakfast here. It’s a bit rundown, but is sure is homey. The owners are gone at the moment - but can I get you two some hot chocolate?” asked David.
“Sure thing!” replied Pastor Jim and Steve in unision.
So David brought them to the kitchen. He rumaged through the cupboard and found chocolate mix. Then went to the fridge to get the milk. He gave them each a nice big cup. Together they made some nice hot chocolate, heavy on the chocolate. It warmed them up nice and toasty. Now where are the cookies?
AND THEN, while David Beckham was in the kitchen looking for those cookies, they heard a Strange Noise again…What could it be? The answer came quickly as in through the weathered door came 8 reindeer,still pulling the sleigh, 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping and 4 to 7 birds of questionable species. Clearly they had forgotten they were leading all these animals and on a quest to make this the best Christmas ever!
“Hey, none of that, I don’t know where you pipers are from but ’round here we don’t ….. dude, like do you see what I see?
Startled, they all were, and Beckham whirled around and spoke in a voice of consternation…”Pastor JimBob, Pastor Steve-o…we must get these animals out of here pronto, before we end up knee-deep in….well….knee deep, and Pastor JimBob, therefore, alot of good those snowshoes will do!” As their cell phones were useless due to snow on the transmitter towers, they faced the dilemma as to know which direction to point that sleigh, and to figure out where they were to go in the first place. Maybe the drummers or the pipers would know. Time is fleeing….Christmas is near. Oooooooo……..
And Then, they ALL heard the sound Oooooo….it was the sound of singing!, on the roof!, coming through the chimney!. Then much to their surprise down through the chimney came a barbershop quartet!, made up of penguins! They started singing Christmas carols and everyone joined in. David Beckham said “we’re going to need more cookies” and back to the kitchen he went! When he returned to the crowded room he had enough cookies and hot chocolate for everyone and a great party started. One of the penguins, seeing the small but homey room said “It’s certainly not very posh in here is it?” At which David Beckham began to cry…” I miss my Posh” he said through tears. Pastor Steve put a comforting arm around him and said “We’ll save Christmas yet!” and called for Pastor Jim to start digging out his snowshoes. “how will we ever get out of here?” they said to each other “the doors blocked because of snow and animals” In the meantime, the reindeer had gotten into the rumballs on the cookie platter and they apparently liked them Soo much they ate them ALL! Pastor Jim, with his superior intelligence,(he got to study more than the average person because he doesn’t have to waste time combing his hair) noticed there noses were glowing! ‘So thats how Rudolph does it!” he thought. “I know what to do!” he shouted, We’ll go UP the chimney! ‘Whoever heard of going UP the chimney to save Christmas?’ thought Pastor Steve, but he was willing to try anything at this point because it turns out David Beckham was right about the animals, and it WAS getting deep in there. So the reindeer led the way up the chimney onto the roof…
AND THEN, Pastor Steve-O slipped outside, and looked up into the now clear sky (blizzard let up for the time being), and pondered whether he should look for a star or an angel to lead the pack to its destination, just in case those lit-up noses weren’t bright enough. He would watch for both, and see if StevenMCollins’ assessment is true. “Hmmmmmmmmm”…he hmmmed.
WE INTERUPT OUR PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMING FOR THIS LATE BREAKING NEWS FLASH…………..
Nellie Olson is missing in a presumed kidnapping. The scrawled note found next to her disheveled bonnet said “this one’s for 1/2 Pint”
Stay tuned for further developments, now back to our regularly scheduled foolishness.
Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore! Mr. Wizard, can you tell Santa to hurry up! I am getting cold standing around out here!
The Wizard response: “So, are you Dorothy? Why didn’t you say so! Those shiny red shoes should not be worn in the snow. Now go and get your snowboots so we can get into Santa’s sleigh and fly over to the wicked witch of the north’s house. What??? She’s already dead? Well, why didn’t you say so??”
…hmmm, continues Pastor Steve. What will we do about Christmas? We have the reindeer…but we have no Santa! All at once, he heard a faint grumble coming from a yonder hill. He squinted…but saw nothing. Then, what came into view? Santa! And he was pulling his sleigh by himself while grumbling (Steve could only hear bits and pieces), “stupid reindeer…wandering off…Rudolph’s lucky I found someone else to light my way…presents? How am I supposed to deliver those WITHOUT ANY REINDEER!”
“SANTA!” cried Pastor Steve. But what was that glowing object in the sleigh that seemed to be lighting Santa’s way? Why…it’s the blinding style of none other than…Posh Becks, aka, Victoria Beckham! She was wearing sequined boots with a space age snowsuit that was so bright, it lit up everything around it.
‘Of course!’ thought Pastor Steve, ‘Quick thinking Santa! David will be thrilled to have his Posh back too…’
Suddenlythe back door fell in, and Pastor Jim came sailing in from the back porch, yes, there was one, sliding across the kitchen floor on his stomach, all iced up. He had found the reindeer, but rounding them up and harnessing them was another story. They were not in good shape, as they had been gorging themselves on another round of rumballs that were gifts that had fallen from Santa’s sleigh on his arrival at the B&B. So, with stomachs reeeeealy full of rumballs, these fellas were feeling pretty happy, out there just a singing and whooping it up with the penguin quartet, and could barely stand up, let alone fly. They seemed to like the song, “Mr. Sandman”. Anyway, so Pastor Jim picks up the coffee urn, hoping that a little caffeine might perk those normally obedient little buggers up. They had to get Santa on the road, or sky or whatever, but before that happened, they had to cool him off….he was really steamed at his team for leaving him in the lurch with the sleigh. Pastor Jim suggested to David and Posh that it would be nice if they would kindly lift a finger to help. ( Pastor Jim by this time was getting just a little bit huffy!) “This is like…..a long drawn out fairy tale….Will it ever end?” he murmured as he walked out into the darkness, coffee urn under one arm, and eight green and red coffee mugs under the other.
And while pastor Jim was doing all this, Pastor Steve was wondering whether or not the weather would hold,the penguin quartet and the eight reindeer continued to sing Mr Sandman, (really off key!, and why eight male reindeer and 4 male penguins would be singing a song about the man of their dreams no one knows!), the 12 drummers drumming and 11 pipers piping began tuning up to accompany the carolers, the 4 to 7 birds of questionable species were flying above everyones heads, David and Posh were having their happy reunion and suddenly a strange noise was heard! Pastor Jim dropped the coffee urn and cups in surprise, looked at pastor Steve and said “what is that strange noise?” Pastor Steve replied “I don’t know but it seems to me there are an awful lot of strange noises, strange smells, strange birds and singing in this story!” Suddenly up over the hill came the source of this new strange noise! It was a giant snowplow! Driven by none-other than Julie, the church administrator/secretary! “Thank God!” Pastor Steve and Pastor Jim cried in unison, for they both knew nobody could ever really get anything done without her help.
(Just to keep things less confusing…..the quartet is a mixed quartet, and doesn’t everyone know that there were FOUR PAIR of reindeer? Oh my, yes!)
AND THEN, yep, wouldn’t you know….Julie to the rescue! Not only had she bravely manned the plow in such inclement weather, but because she knew that all stores had closed their doors due the impossiblity of any kind of travel, and trucks laden with Christmas supplies and gift items for those stores were stuck at all of the rest areas…..she had loaded up the cab of the plow (Bob helped) with all kinds of craft supplies, like beads, egg cartons, popsicle sticks, hot glue guns, colorful pieces of felt, plastic poinsettias, flamingoes, colored pipe cleaners, Fiskars paper edger scissors, Sharpie markers, glitter glue pens, and everything imaginable that she knew would make many beautiful gifts for absolutely everyone on the planet. And after she had finished giving instructions on what to make and how to make it, the pipers, maids, drummers, Posh and David, and even Santa and a couple of elves who’d sneaked a ride in the back of his sleigh, thinking their work was done, were merrily being very creative as they worked on the assembly line. Pastor Jim was hastily making package bows, using a snowshoe as a “loom” to weave the ribbon, while Pastor Steve worked on his Christmas Eve sermon. And there sat Julie, laptop on lap, typing up the labels. And while this was all taking place, to the pa rum pum pum pum beat, everyone knew in his/her/its heart that this would be the merriest Christmas ever! The penguins who had been so quiet and secretive about their project in their corner of the room, suddenly jumped up and waddled as fast as they could over to Julie, and placed upon her head a golden crown that they had made with the Fiskar scissors, golden glitter glue, and poster board, with many colored beads scattered randomly around the crown. She humbly smiled and thanked everyone, not missing a beat on the laptop. Everyone there but she knew who the hero of this adventure was going to be! Things quieted down as everyone worked ever so diligently, as the 4 to 7 birds of questionable species continued to glide back and forth above the heads of those below, singing those lovely bird songs, and doing other things that birds do………….. If all continues to go this well, there is going to be a Christmas!!!!
There will always be a Christmas! How could there not be?!!!!!!