Messages from the Other Side
By Kim Hutchinson This was my first Christmas without Dad, and I was feeling rather blue. Because of my lack of enthusiasm, we chose to limit our decorating to the main level of the house. Despite sadness, it gave me pleasure to display the charming painted wooden Christmas ornaments and Santas that my father had carved. After we finished decorating upstairs, I went downstairs to do laundry. Suddenly, a flash of yellow caught my eye. Much to my surprise, I saw one of Dad's carved ornaments - a little yellow fishing boat with Dad's name written on the bottom - hanging on the handle of our wood stove, near the bed that Dad slept in when he stayed with us. I assumed that Steve had brought the wee ornament downstairs…