Christmas doesn't happen without me!

By SAVANNAH CUNNICK

I am and always have been a true Holiday Buff! I enjoy the decorating the most and JD and I have really dolled up the front of our cabin with lighted reindeer, presents, trees and snowmen. We already had all of the pieces from year to year but we rearrange them for a different look each season. The gift giving is not as important. We feel that if we have our health and each other ... those are the best presents we could ever receive! JD is a wonderful husband and just a few minutes ago he said: Savannah, I need to have a serious talk with you...so, he came over to me with a very serious demeanor....looked straight into my eyes and said: I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Honestly, that just made my day!

I wish ALL of you a very Happy Holiday. Even tho, we have a bit to go yet before Christmas Day and New Years Eve, I want to start now sending out my festive greeting to everybody! We are all decorated at the Short Mountain Trading Post and quite a few folks have been taking their family pictures in front of our fireplace and outside in front of the barn and wagon! Most of our vendors are offering fantastic sale prices on all their items and lots of our visitors have walked away with some wonderful deals.

The Trading Post will remain open as long as the weather permits and it doesn't get too cold. So far, we are looking at some really nice week-ends, so c'mon out Thursday through Saturday 11:00 to 4:00. See you soon!

I wanted to take a few moments to thank some special people. My friend, Sue Stancil paid me a visit and contributed some catfood to our herd of kitties here at the barn. Sue is very active in the animal shelter project here in Woodbury. Hopefully, they find a building soon where they can start taking in stray animals and placing them in loving homes. I am happy to see the overflowing amount of folks who are animal lovers. It breaks my heart to see an animal mistreated, abandoned and starving. Anyone wishing to help their project, please call me at 615-464-7824 and I will send you in the right direction.

A huge thank you goes out to Annette Reed for her generous clothing contribution to the Feed America First Warm Winter Clothing project. Your Christmas card and message is very much appreciated. The very pretty card from Ocie Knox in Murfreesboro was a pleasant surprise. Thank you, Dear.
Both these ladies have told me how much they enjoy reading my column every week and so look forward to the Cannon Courier arriving in their mailbox.
I enjoy writing my column and chatting with all of you. It is certainly my pleasure as well.

Well, here we go....Aunt Martha had warned Uncle Festus not to grow his beard too long around Christmas time. His hair is gray and his beard comes in white.

Sure enough...Festus came rushing home all out of breath and slammed the door behind him. It turned out that Martha was right about her warning about growing a big white fluffy beard...it turned into a child magnet. Kids were chasing him all over the park and whenever he sat down on a bench in the mall, little ones would sit next to him and proceed to list all the things they wanted Santa to bring them this year. I will tell you that Festus DOES make quite an impressive St. Nick. even though Martha said he is in the process of shaving it off as we speak!

Every Christmas, I have given JD little stocking stuffers from the cats and dog. He always says: How did they know what I wanted? I say: I'm not really sure, but they are really exhausted toting those shopping bags home from the store! So, what did I see on television the other day? An adorable ad showing a large dog carrying presents home from Walgreens in BIG BAG. On Christmas morning, this couple open these gifts marked : From the Dog and then suddenly stop and look at each other as if to say: What has just happened?!

A word to the wise: when we DO get some snow...never ride a sled or a toboggan too close to a barbed wire fence. Cousin Clarence in all is glory made that mistake last year and ended up tearing off the whole one side of his snowsuit clear down to his underwear. Once again, he did a ridiculous thing that made me laugh and made Clarence mad at me that I did so. The cell phone video of the whole thing was priceless....especially the look on his face when he felt that sudden chill with half his clothes missing. It was a clean rip from his collar to his boots....a might bit breezy, eh Buddy! He certainly had one doosey of a cold from the whole thing. He has since traded in his sled for a snowboard. He never could skateboard...I'll let you know WHAT happens WHEN it happens as soon as he tries it out on this winter's snow!

Aunt Polly and Uncle Pete recently put up their Christmas tree! Pete asked Polly to put shotgun shells and big bright lights on it this year. He always liked the western shotgun tree that I made for JD last year.

These two relatives bought a home right next to us and have been here for about two years now.

Well, Polly went down to the gun safe and pulled out close to a dozen loaded shotgun shells. She doubled up on the strings of white lights and tinsel. It turned out pretty nice and she kept the tree on all day, so by the time Pete came home from work that tree was really cookin'! Oh, did I mention: MY shotgun shells were ARTIFICIAL....

That night while JD and I were eating dinner next door to them....there was a horrific explosion. It sounded like a war zone and when we looked out the window...there were huge sparks flying out of Aunt Polly's living room windows and front door. Uncle Pete was screaming for a fire extinguisher all over the neighborhood while Aunt Polly was trying to put out her smoking apron and catch the cats and dog who were scared to death that hunting season had been extended.

The moral of the story is: Uncle Pete never asked Aunt Polly to decorate ANYTHING again, and the only SHOT that Uncle Pete ever asked for again was a SHOT of SHORT MOUNTAIN MOONSHINE.

Well, it looks like my holiday season is off to an interesting start....I warned you about my relatives...it's a never ending story, so they say!
I must sign off for now and go turn on MY shotgun tree for JD. Have a wonderful week! Love your family, help your friends, take good care of your pets, drive carefully and keep dancin'! Many Hugs,

Savannah