The Year Without Christmas

When we visited Scott, Vicky and Taylor in 1996 at Christmas time, I mentioned that my family had no Christmas when I was 9 years old. (My mother was expecting her sixth child at age 39 and wasn't happy about it at -- so we all had to suffer when she just skipped Christmas.) I had almost worn out the Sears Roebuck catalog and had high hopes that Santa would bring the small toy refrigerator with the play food that I wanted so badly. Taylor was astounded that we had no Christmas then and wanted to know why Santa didn't leave toys for all of us. I told him that I'd write to Santa and ask him to explain. He answered (looks like Scott's handwriting) with the poem that's below my letter.

December 24, 1996

Dear Santa, When I was a little girl, 9 years old, I hung my stocking on a chair (because we had no fireplace). I wanted you to bring a little toy refrigerator with 'play' food in it. When I got up Christmas morning and ran to my stocking, there was nothing in it -- I did not get anything at all for Christmas (and neither did any of my brothers and sisters)! Please tell me why you did not leave anythng for me that year. Jean (Peters) Moss

Dear Jean,

Rudolph had his bulb burn out;
Dasher caught the flu;
Dancer must have overslept;
Prancer lost his shoes.

Comet forgot his glasses, Donner and Blitzen drank too much beer;
They were always wanting to stop and pee;
So I said, "Forget it - we'll catch you next year!"

Santa