Santa's Lists...

According to the people who keep track of such things, today is Santa's List Day.

I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you should be on the naughty or nice list, and instead move on to the idea of lists themselves.

The longer nights and shorter days lend themselves to list making.  What do we need to get the kids, the grandkids, the mailman, the papergirl.  What should we do about our friends at work?

Making lists are helpful before we hit the mall or local stores downtown.  They keep us on track so we come home with the gifts we went after and not bags full of stuff for ourselves.

Just a glance at the list reveals the uncle with a long ________________ next to his name - he's always a tough person for whom to shop.  Will a gift card cut it?  Not this year.

It's fun to make a list of favorite things - like sleigh bells or warm woolen mittens.  Or make lists of favorite TV shows, or what we want for Christmas.  You know, in case someone asks us!

Lists of things we want for Christmas change quite a bit as time passes.  The first Christmas I really remember was either when I was in the first or second grade.  On returning home after the school Christmas service, there was a bright red Stingray bicycle set up next to the tree!  It was winter, so the only chance to ride was short spins in the basement, but it was a great gift.

Years later, maybe 4 or 5, I opened a somewhat mysterious flat and heavy package.  When I opened it, there were five large plates of glass.  What?  They were the building blocks for an aquarium!  My dad helped me put it together. OK, he put it together and I maybe handed him something now and then.

Those might top my personal list of great Christmas gifts, what about your list?  As you think back through the roll call of Christmases past - what gifts stand out for you?

Now that you are thinking about it - it's a good time to start a list of your own.