Christmas – The Paragraph Stacker

That time Grandma put balloons in our stockings

My late Grandma Rogers liked practical Christmas gifts. She got each of her five grandsons a shirt, pair of pants, underwear, and socks. She stuffed our stockings with toiletries and snacks including soap, toothpaste, nuts, and an orange. One year whimsy must have struck Grandma. She put a single balloon in each of our stockings.Continue reading “That time Grandma put balloons in our stockings”

Will Taylor Swift and the Rock save Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving fares poorly as a holiday in the 21st century. Some people argue the holiday represents the oppression of Native Americans and the violent seizure of their land and resources by white, European colonists. These people probably have a point. Certainly, our history is more complicated than the cartoonish myth of Native Americans and EuropeanContinue reading “Will Taylor Swift and the Rock save Thanksgiving?”

To Santa or not to Santa and other serious topics of great importance on Christmas Eve

I stood in line to pay at a now-defunct comic shop years ago around Christmastime. A young couple in the shop debated whether they would tell their children about Santa Claus. The mother worried about lying to their kids and what kind of message that sent. I suppose one worries about everything when you areContinue reading “To Santa or not to Santa and other serious topics of great importance on Christmas Eve”