'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - Just a Minute for 12-24-08 - Wednesday

            Hello There – it’s stocking stuffing time… or so my grandchildren remind me… J           

                       

            Earlier today I was working on the script for the meeting of folks at the Bait Shop and Sushi Bar in Playfair on the Caroliner line … And I dug up an old recollection of phrases that used to occur in practically every letter read on the radio (now this was back in the 40’s when RADIO was KING… [and there was little else besides Tom Mix and movies in black and white.]

           

            Anyway… children wrote letters to Santa… and deposited them with a local main street department store. I don’t know what the special connection was between the Dept. Store… and the North Pole… but there it was and the major local radio station broadcast those letters – for about fifteen minutes around supper time each evening between Thanksgiving until Christmas. The announcer’s name was Irving … and he was my early inspiration to become a radio announcer – although I’m sure I sounded nothing like him – nor was I skilled in music as I believe he was – or anything else.

 

            Those letters from children within the coverage area of that AM five kilowatt station – which nowadays doesn’t have a fragment of any radio programming for children – was what everyone listened to hoping to hear their child’s letter on the air. And for some reason three out of four of those letters ended with a plea for  Santa to bring them lots of “Candy, Nuts and Oranges.”  I don’t know why those three items had such a ubiquitous attraction for the kids…. I suppose my letters to Santa ended the same way.  I don’t think any one of them got on the air in Southwest Virginia.

 

            Funny the things you remember about Christmases past… I guess that’s why Charles Dickens classic is such a holiday favorite. My mother had two mischievous maiden sisters who ran a beauty parlor about 40 miles away… and we would pick them up on Christmas Eve to bring them to our house for Christmas. I must have been less than ten years old when as we were winding down the mountainous roads to home… my aunts would tell me I should hide rather than be seen by Santa and possibly have my presents carried to another house. So I was ducking down all the way home.

 

            Such are the memories of childhood. I know some families are very sensitive about Santa and the elves – and it’s just part of children’s memories for others of us – but I’m thankful we all enjoyed all aspects of Christmas – especially the real Christmas story which gets all the more real with each passing year. I trust this will be a blessed Christmas for you and the most important person in your life – Jesus Christ.

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Barbara and Jack Buttram

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama12-24-08.mp3

 

http://www.jebcovoice.net/scripts/jamt12-24-08.doc

 

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“JUST A MINUTE”

T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

MizP: Just a Minute --  Hit’s th’ nite b’fore Christmas…

Homer: Hit shore is Miz Pearl – An everthang’s quite here in Playfair.

BB: Homer – has you bin over ta' see th’ fellers at the Bait Shop an Sushi Bar.

Homer: Oh yeah Billy-bob – I jest came back frum over the’re… they’s wondrin’ whar you air?

Jack: I saw Mr. Billy out on the lake running his surf boat.

BB: That ain’t no surf boat Mr. Jack… at’s my pontoon boat…

MizP:  Oh we’s about to miss tawkin’ bout Christmas eve.

BB: Yeah b’fore Christmas Eve we kids wrote letters ta' Sandy Claws.

Homer: I ‘member … old Irvin’ Sharpo used ta' reed ‘em on th’ radio stashun…

MizP: I thot he was a reel hansome radio ‘nouncer ‘till I saw him one time –

… he wasn’t handsome – but he sounded good on th’ radio.

BB: Yep – hit’s the old sayin…

Homer: Whut old sayin’ Mr. Bill.

BB: “You can’t tell a book by hit’s kivver.”

MizP: Air you sure that’s whut hit means?

BB: OH … I member we allus ended ‘em letters with --

            And please brang lots of candy, nuts an oranges.

Homer: Wonder why we said tha-ut?

MizP: Jist TRADISHUN I reckon.

Jack: Did you leave milk and cookies for the jolly old elf?

BB: Oh yeah --  an they was gone in th’ mawnin…

MizP: But since Ah’m grown up I know … the real reason for the season is

            Jesus come to be our Saviour.

Homer: You’re rite ‘bout that Miz Pearl.

JACK: So we want to leave you with that message. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus –

The only one who can save us from our sins.

MizP: An .. – we’s all going to th’ candle lite service t’nite at church…

Jack: That’s a good place to be and – time for all of us to say

– have a Blessed  Christmas everyone – I’m Jack Buttram.

(END)

 

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