Just for fun -- tell about a favorite Christmas gift

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

Just for fun tell us about a favorite Christmas gift you received. It could be a memory from your childhood or more recent. It can be spiritual but not necessarily -- it might just be as funny as wanting your two front teeth! And, it doesn't have to be your very favorite of all time, but I can be.

So, what's your Christmas gift memory?

[Doris Grant]

Recent one would be my digital camera and printer my husband got me last year. Years ago one of my favoite gifts was a big coloring book with a big box of crayons.

Doris

[Vivian Cornwell]

Many years ago I received my mother's china doll for Christmas. The doll was made in Germany, in approximately 1912. I still have the doll and Cindi is waiting to receive it. Ha.

There is a sad part to the story though. My cousin came to visit and was looking at the doll. This doll has a bisque face, lower arms and hands. The rest of the body is kid leather with jointed knees. My tomboyish cousin was trying out one of the jointed knees and cracked the leather open. Sawdust came pouring out of the knee. For years after that the doll was wrapped in a blanket and kept in a box. A few years ago I took it to an advertised repairer of dolls. Well, she didn't do a very good job but I have the doll on display now, not in a box. She has her original clothes and shoes. To me the doll is priceless.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

A friend told about a while elephant gift of the tail of an old stuffed beaver. As a joke, they wrapped that dried up old tail and added it to the while elephant gifts. Everyone got a good laugh out of that beaver's tail.

The next year, the "winner" of the beaver's tail the year before brought it back and that started a tradition.

Over the years, people who got the tail came up with all kinds of ways to wrap it so that people couldn't guess what it was. It became the highlight of the adult's Christmas party at that church.

[Diane Likens]

There are far too many wonderful, thoughtful gifts I have received over the years to come up with one that's the most special. I do have a very fond memory, though, of a gift I gave and then I wound up feeling special.

As a child in a family of 10, there wasn't much money for "extras" like Christmas gifts for our teachers. I can't remember what my budget was the year I was in the fifth grade. I do remember, though, that I absolutely adored my teacher.

I remember watching her open all of her gifts from other children in the class -- beautiful Christmas ornaments, scarves, sweaters, etc. -- feeling ashamed of my gift. When she opened it, though, and the other children started to giggle about the box of tea bags and bottle of Jergens hand lotion, she pointed out that, although she appreciated all of the gifts she'd received, I had obviously paid attention and thought seriously about the perfect gift. After all, she NEVER came to class without a thermos full of hot tea and she was constantly putting Jergens lotion on her hands (The ORIGINAL SCENT is available again! What joy! I am swept back all those years when I smell it!). I was SO THRILLED to have brought her happiness!

This wonderful teacher died a few years later of brain cancer. She couldn't have been more than 29 or 30 years old. It was a horrible loss. Terri -- you remember Mrs. Crossett, don't you?