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My sister at the Marshall Animal Shelter when she was four.

Aw, look how cute she is with the fluffy kitty and happy puppy! When my parents told me they were taking my sister to the pound, I was very excited! But it turned out they weren’t gonna leave her — just take a photo for our local newspaper, the Marshall News Messenger. Oh well. Maybe next year…

Hehe, jus kiddin, love ya, sis!!!

(Historical Note: My father, who worked at the paper for quite some time, used to refer to it as the Marshall News Mess. As a loud-mouthed child, I was sworn to secrecy on that nickname, but I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations on that swear has expired by now. Fingers crossed.)

My little home town of Marshall, Texas puts on a pretty darned extravagant lighting display every Christmas season which they call The Wonderland of Lights. In addition to the city-sponsored decorating of downtown, entire neighborhoods coordinate displays that draw more tourists through town every December than Marshall has residents.

My sister and her kids still live in Marshall. This year, while driving through just such a neighborhood one evening, one of my four-year-old nephews (we’re not sure which one — they’re twins) spotted a Nativity Scene display in some random yard and excitedly pointed out “Look! A Christmas Farm!”

And now, for the rest of my life, I’ll always think of any nativity scene the same way.

Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla, Wash., and Kalamazoo!
Nora’s freezin’ on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!

Don’t we know archaic barrel,
Lullaby Lily boy, Louisville Lou?
Trolley Molly don’t love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!

…Walt Kelly holds a special place in my heart. And big holiday thanks to my mom and dad for making damn sure I was familiar with Pogo Possum at a very young age.