Christmas on the Range

Seven kids and 11 adults came to celebrate Christmas at the Tallow Creek School on Dec. 8.

Linden Holt's broken arm meant he couldn't play any musical instruments, but Zora Holt played a piano piece from the movie Frozen and then accompanied them both while they sang "White Christmas." Linden sang a song he'd written himself with the refrain, "Snow, snow, please don't go. If you ride the white horses then don't shout, 'Whoa!'" They had to change their Czech carol a week before the program when Linden had his accident, since the one they planned had a fiddle bit, but the short practice time didn't show. They teased their Grandpa by singing a nonsense carol from his favorite Pogo comic strip. The play was a series of skits from family history, including their great-great-grandmother who, at 15, palmed a horned toad during Sunday services and then shook hands with the parson. When they polled the audience later over a broad offering of amazing goodies including Czech shortbread (Zora's) and homemade chocolate truffles (Linden's), many people indicated a preference for either the great-great-grandmother that failed as a waitress in a hotel in Saco because she couldn't understand the Japanese cook and couldn't tell beef from pork from mutton or the great-great-grandfather that demanded a fair duel after he caught his hunting partner being careless how he carried his gun one too many times.

By far the highlight of the afternoon was when Santa rode up on a beautiful palomino horse. It was our very own cowboy Santa Claus, complete with chaps and boots. That definitely graced the gathering with magic, and the kids were thrilled. The first thing Santa said was, "Tell me you didn't do that with a hoverboard," looking at Linden's arm. Zora immediately leaped to his defense, and explained that he had been helping to move heifers to winter pasture and was being responsible when he slipped and fell. Zora saved a special hug for Leo Barthelmess who, with his wife Darla, owns the school and has so generously allowed us to make so many precious memories there over the past seven years.

Zora also announced her fundraising drive to supply the Hinsdale School Library with Hank the Cowdog books. Just five dollars gets the book of your choice with a dedication sticker in the flyleaf. To take part, contact her at [email protected].