A Funny Christmas Story

This particular gift brought the most laughter.  Jeremy and Jared didn't go shopping until just a couple of days before Christmas.  They hemmed and hawed all afternoon about where they should go.  They finally decided to try Mecca Mall... the biggest mall in town.  On our way into the mall we happened to notice that a brand new Ace Hardware store had opened at the far end of the mall.  We found parking and they spent about 30-45 minutes wandering aimlessly around the mall, while I looked at A-bye-yahs (the local dress).  As I came out of the mall they were standing there all forlorn without a single gift in hand.  I suggested that they should go to Ace... after all they have all kinds of guy things for dad, camping stuff, tool stuff, car stuff etc.

I went to the car while they went to Ace.  After a number of minutes I began to worry that they weren't finding anything and decided to go in (plus I wanted to see what the store was like).  I wandered around the store for a couple of minutes and then spied them cashing out at the register.  They had this HUGE red rose.  Jared whipped it around his back, while I insisted that I had only seen a flash of red, turned around and immediately headed back to the car.  I was thinking "Oh, my goodness!  What in the world am I going to do with THAT?!?".... and then it hit me.

I made are rather sizable investment in silk flowers before we came here.  For the cost of 4-5 fresh arrangements I could have pre-made bouquets for every season and every color scheme.... and besides that, I am my mother's daughter! I have not made an exact count but I have probably 30 or more silk and dry floral arrangements. They occupy the space in 6 very large cupboards.   A few days before our maid, Viji, had walked in with a Christmas gift for me and with great flourish she whipped out 2 bouquets of gaudy red and purple flowers.  I guess SHE had gotten the message that I like silk flowers.

I could just "see" Jeremy and Jared shopping.  I could imagine them saying "Oh, mom will really like this!" and then I started to fantasize about what I would say Christmas morning..."O, boys, I'm speechless.", "this must be the Mother of all roses!",  "ahh, maybe I could make a single flower centerpiece?".    I got to giggling.  I suppressed it long enough to take the boys to another nearby mall and then just about wet my pants in the 20 minutes I had alone, while I laughed and laughed.   I had to climb in the back seat to get a better look at it.

Anyways, I laughed my way to Christmas morning.  The "flower" occupies a place of honor by the front door.