The Highland View Chronicles: Twas Sunday Before Christmas

On the Sunday evening before Christmas, our church has a mixture of fun and the serious all in celebration of Christ's birth. Various members sing songs, read poems, or do skits as part of the service. As part of our 2008 celebration, I composed the following poem, a new episode in a collection of poems I have written called "The Highland View Chronicles". For those of you who do not know the names in the poem, be assured I consider each of them dear friends. Nothing I have written should be perceived as being a "slap" against any of them.

The Highland View Chronicles: Twas the Sunday Before Christmas

Borrowing rhythm, thoughts, and words from Clement C. Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas”

Twas Sunday before Christmas
When all through the church,
No one volunteering left
Carlie in the lurch.

The banners were hung
On the platform back wall
In hope that someone
Might give Carlie a call.

The members were nestled
All snug in their pews
While Carlie was waiting
For some hopeful news.

Mama House was worried
For her little girl.
See, Carlie’s job kept her
Life in quite a swirl.

Would anyone sing, would anyone act?
Carlie had not a clue.
There might be an upset member
Who turns around and sues!

When out in the hall
There arose such a clatter
I turned in my pew
To see what was the matter.

My eyes opened wide
To the scene in the back.
But my ears heard a sound
Which my brains did rack.

The light in the hall
To the group gave a glow.
It revealed the people
Who stood there below.

When, what to my
Wondering eyes should appear
But Jerry and
All of his family dear.

With this older leader,
Not so lively and quick
I knew in a moment
It wasn’t St. Nick.

More rapid than beagles
His family they came.
And he whistled, and shouted,
And called them by name!

“Now Brandy! Now Jenny!
Luke and Joshua!
On Erin! On Michelle!
On Zach and Anna!”

“To the front of the church!
To the top of the stage!
Now dash away! Dash away!”
Jerry did page.

As dry leaves that before
The wild hurricane fly
When they meet with an obstacle
Mount to the sky.

So up to the pulpit
The Kregers they flew,
With their mother Joann
And their father too.

And then, in a twinkling,
I heard from my past
The screeching of Jerry
When a song he would blast.

As I plugged up my ears
And prepared to cringe
I noticed that Carlie
Seemed to come unhinged.

Catrina played the keys
With such graceful skill
Her music even touched
My hard hearted will.

Though fearful I was
To unplug my poor ears
The song she played
Allayed all of my fears.

As my fingers did leave
Their previous home
The Kregers began to sing
Their voices did roam.

Throughout the auditorium
Their song did rise.
And I marveled as the scene
Passed before my eyes.

A miracle took place
As they each did their part.
‘Twas not with their voices
But within my own heart.

The song was beautiful,
A blessing to hear.
It was not the tune, but
The words in my ear.

The message of the carol
That they sang that night
It made the service simply
Perfect and just right.

The Kregers, you see, sang
About our great Lord.
They filled our hearts and minds
With God’s Holy Word.

“For in Bethlehem town
Christ is born this day”
Are words even I can
Find a means to say.

Carlie was glad, for
the Kregers saved the night.
Each of us thought the
Service was a delight.

Others followed them with
Songs of old Christmas cheer
And the hour passed quickly,
Too quickly for some there.

The pastor then concluded with
A few brief remarks.
Noting that angels had given
The first Christmas “Hark!”.

And then our dear preacher
Offered up a prayer
The service was over
And we were out of there.

But I heard him exclaim,
‘ere he left out of sight’
“Happy Christmas to all
And to all a good night.”


Composed December 20, 2008; delivered at Highland View Baptist Church on December 21, 2008.

Christmas Poem - 2008

Over the past several Christmas seasons, I have attempted to write a new poem each year. I do so in order to glorify the Lord as well as keep my brain as active as possible, attempting to stretch it into arenas in which I do not spend a lot of time. There have been a couple of years where there was no poem. For me, writing a poem is not something I can just do. I must be in the mood and feel the words flow or I get easily discouraged and walk away from the effort.

At any rate, I did sit down Saturday evening after writing a poem for our church, and compose a 2008 Christmas poem. For those of you who are interested, here it is. I checked my meter against Christmas carols and found my meter essentially matches that of "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (meaning you should be able to use that tune to "sing" the following words if you so wanted).

And Jesus is His Name
A Christmas Poem for 2008

Shepherds were there watching their flock
In fields near Bethlehem
When the Angel of God appeared
God’s glory shone on them.
God’s glory shone on them.

“Born today in David’s city
The King of Kings is He.
The Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace
Man’s Savior He will be.
Man’s Savior He will be.”

“Glory to God in the Highest”
The angels did proclaim.
Glory of the begotten one
And Jesus is His name.
And Jesus is His name.

The baby is the Son of God
As well as David’s son.
The Alpha and Omega He
Great God and Holy One.
Great God and Holy One.

That child is the Prophet of old
That Moses did foretell.
The Author of our one true faith
And Finisher as well.
And Finisher as well.

“Glory to God in the Highest”
The angels did proclaim.
Glory of the begotten one
And Jesus is His name.
And Jesus is His name.

He’s the one and only High Priest
Satisfying God’s wrath.
Mediating ‘tween God and man
Praying on our behalf.
Praying on our behalf.

The Father gave the child His Name
And Jesus it would be
To show how He would save His sheeps’
Eternal destiny.
Eternal destiny.

“Glory to God in the Highest”
The angels did proclaim.
Glory of the begotten one
And Jesus is His name.
And Jesus is His name.

409 South Van Buren and Christmas

Recently, my brothers and sister have been exchanging some e-mails related to our earlier home in New Athens. 409 South Van Buren was the home I lived in the first 10 plus years of my life before we moved to the familiar house on Hanft Street. Several of you children should remember the Hanft house, the one across from the school. I suspect Jacob and Mandie might also recall it to some degree. None of you, though, knew the Van Buren home. A few times when we were in town I pointed out the house, which still stands, to some of you.

The Van Buren home was to me what 1504 Carla was to Sonja and, perhaps, Jeremy: the first home they remember. It will also have a special place in my heart.

Below are some excerpts from the e-mail exchanges just to shed some light on my childhood for those of you who may have an interest. To understand them you need some idea of the home layout.

The Van Buren home was a wood frame house with two stories (and an unfinished basement). The first floor had 4 rooms. When you entered the back yard door, you were at the bottom of the steps leading to the second floor. To the right was the kitchen/dining area plus the stairs to the basement. There was also a small half bathroom here. Moving through the kitchen you came to an open room which, for a time, was used by my grandpa and grandma Pitchford as their bedroom. Turning left took you into a living room with a door facing Van Buren. All of my Christmas memories of this house had the tree in this room with my father’s “O” gauge train running underneath and around it. Turning left again led you into another room which housed our television, at least in some of my memories. So the downstairs formed one big circle. There were no doors, therefore, we were able to run circles in the house.

If you went up the steps to the second floor, the first room on the left was my mom and dad’s room. Straight ahead was my brother, Keith, and my bedroom. It had a large window overlooking Van Buren Street. If you took a right at the top of the steps, you would make another right down a hallway. To the left off that hallway was my sister’s room. At the end of the hallway, above the back door, was the bathroom.

When you walked out the front door, you found yourself on a large concrete porch. At that time the porch was not screened in. Bushes and trees surrounded some of it. To me, the porch became a war fort from time to time and a great place for a Kool-Aid stand at others.

That’s the basic layout. Obviously, the room assignments changed over the years as new babies arrived and you will see that in some of the extracts. But what I have written above is how I remember the home.

I hope you enjoy the walk through time.

My initial e-mail:

I was wondering if Keith or Jane can remember what dad put up at the Van Buren house outside. What I recall is:

1. Large blue lights outlining the house (they looked awesome! Always liked the solid blue over the mixed colors he used at the Hanft house).

2. The Santa scene with the flashing Rudolph nose (I think it flashed). He put that on the second story facing Van Buren against Keith and my window. Later this was on the garage door on Hanft for a while.

3. They may have had some of those red bells in the windows but I don't remember.

4. Did they put lights around the windows on the inside of the house? I don't recall
them.

5. Lastly, did dad have the Christmas Card at Van Buren? My gut says "no" but, for some reason, I keep thinking he actually did and put it up on the corner of Belsha and Van Buren.

Jane’s response:

My memory is about the same as yours and I remember being in the small bedroom with the windows blocked by Santa and rudolph. … And I was in that bedroom from as early as I can remember until I was -- what 14 or 15?? I remember being sick with chicken pox in there and didn't Sweetsie have her pups in that chair I had in there?? Or maybe that was a cat earlier. Where did you boys sleep until you moved in there? … I don't remember a card there, but since I was only interested in ME, I don't remember paying much attention to much during my teen years. I do remember those red bells hanging around.

My response:

I don't know where we slept prior to that room. Probably with mom and dad! Those windows were cool because you could look out and watch the cars on Van Buren. I didn't mind Rudolph blocking them because that meant it was almost Christmas. My earliest bedroom memories are of that room at the top of the stairs with the playroom in the attic area to the left as you entered the room. I do recall riding my rocking horse in that playroom one winter. The only room I ever recall you being in was the room off to the right as you got to the top of the stairs, off the hallway which led around the stairs to the bathroom which overlooked the back yard. One Christmas season, I recall being in your room briefly. You were playing some Christmas album (Nat King Cole?). I asked you some Santa question which I don't remember (e.g., "How did Santa get into our house since we didn't have a fireplace?") and I don't recall your answer. At least you didn't tell me Santa was not real. Maybe I was in that room until Keith moved out of mom and dad's room and then the two of us took over your room. I don't recall any of that, though.

Jane’s response:

We seemed to be a bedroom switching family. here is how I remember bedrooms:

First one I was in was the small one at top of stairs. the future one, "the North Room" was closed off because no heat in there.

Grandma and Scotty were in the room off to the left at top of stairs. I used to get into bed with Grandma in the morning … Mom and Dad were in the room to the left as you came in thru the back door. And you babies were in there, too. Your beds were against the stairwell wall. I can also remember sleeping in there when I was sick with measles. Dad wouldn't let anyone else give me medicine and he kept the room dark. He also bought my first record which I believe was stories and songs.

Then, Dad fixed up the North Room (built a closet at one end) and i moved in. With the door opened, it stayed warm enough, but in the summer, I used to close it and the huge window fan Dad built would blow lots of air in. Of course, the other room didn't receive any of it and Dad was always on me to open my door.

Grandma and Grandpa ended up in the room off the kitchen.

These probably weren't all the moves. but these are ones I remember. I too, remember the train room Dad built off the small bedroom. It was really neat.

A question from Cheryl:

Didn't your Dad have to attach a piece of wire from the ceiling to the Christmas tree so it wouldn't tip over? Was it because of a cat or kids? I remember Keith talking about running in circles through the rooms from your Mom.

Another note from Jane:

I would love to go thru that house again.. Yes, the kids always ran around the house in circles. It had 4, what seemed to be, large rooms: kitchen, another room that Grandma and Scotty slept in for a while, the living room, and the next room that Mom and Dad and boys (when babies, I guess) slept in. The rooms were connected by large open arches. And they all had big windows. I loved the front porch, too. Scotty and I sat out there on the steps and played a game he "invented": counting cars. I had one direction, he the other. We would do that for what seemed hours, especially if it was raining. I also performed on the front porch while wearing Mom or Grandma's clothes.

The upstairs bedroom had these 2 big closets. One had a bottom shelf that I liked to climb in and on. I think Mom kept the sheets, etc., on it, but the closets were full of their clothes. I especially liked wearing the pink dress with big black dots. I think they each had one.

The stairs going up/down were in the center of house. Dad put in a half bath outside the basement door; just a stool and sink. then, in basement, he built a shower stall that he used.

We also did the laundry in basement with an old fashioned washing machine. All the tubs were arranged in a circle. The washing machine had a wringer at top that moved around in a circle; so, the clothes in hot, soapy water were put thru wringer into the hot rinse water, which went into a second tub of water, which went into a third, then the basket, which was carried up the back stairs and hung on a clothes line. or, in bad weather, hung on lines in basement. Dad also had a room back in a corner, that he used to develop film. I don't remember him doing that for very long.

We had a big old furnace and at first, coal was dropped down, but then, Dad put in a "stocker"???and maybe it took some different coal.

We had a big radiator in the kitchen, and during winter months, our wet hats and mittens would lay on it. And our wet shoes and boots under it.

The tree had to be wired to the ceiling and the hooks stayed up all year. We always had a dog and or cat but I think it was just the boys always decorating it or checking under it. Dad always had his train under it and maybe the tree stand in the middle of the board wasn't too sturdy; can't remember all of this.

We moved to the new house the summer I graduated, 1960, so Keith was 8, Bruce 10.

As i said, I'd love to go thru that house again and see how, if any, changes were made to it.

I believe we moved there shortly after Mom and Dad married. I only remember a little of living in the house on the other street, so don't think we were there too long.

Christmas Caroling

Every year our church spends 90 minutes or so one Wednesday evening in December singing Christmas carols at the doors of our shut-ins, ill, and/or seniors. Tonight was our 2008 engagement and we had a wonderful time. Pastor Gary plotted our course and Brother Jay served as our leader. I find those of us singing the carols are blessed as much as (if not more) than those to whom we sing.

This year we once again visited the local retirement home to sing to one of the residents. Our pastor guided us up one flight of stairs, down a couple of hallways, and to the lady's door. I always get turned around in this building and tonight was no exception. Brother Jay began our first song and everyone sang with gusto.

While in the midst of one of our songs, the door opened, a lady stuck out her head, and said "Where are you from?". I was down the hallway a bit but didn't recognize the face. We sang a couple of more songs, wished her a Merry Christmas, and was off. The pastor said we needed to go up one more level. As it turns out, no one knew the lady we just met. Our church member lived in the apartment one story above!

So, we had the privilege of singing carols to a complete stranger. It was funny to think about it at the time (still is). But God had his reasons for us stepping up to her door. I pray He blesses that lady in a special way this Christmas for being so polite to a group of strangers singing to her the week before Christmas!