I first shared this story locally in the Times Vedette printed edition two years ago. I have also published it in CITYVIEW magazine and in the Daily Umbrella. I am pleased to share it again today. Call it tradition, as that is what this story is all about. 

The piece was written in 1977 by Bob Hullihan, a writer for The Des Moines Register. Michael Gartner, who was the editor then, asked Hullihan to write a Christmas story for the newspaper. Hullihan obliged, and it ran in the Register. Years later, when Gartner co-owned The Tribune in Ames, he ran it there as well.

Seventeen years ago, Gartner reached out to me and told me how much he valued traditions. He then asked that I consider running Hullihan’s story in CITYVIEW. I wholeheartedly agreed to it, but I wanted to add a strong visual element, too, so I asked cartoonist Brian Duffy to draw the images for me. He did, and the combination was truly wonderful. 

The next year, Gartner reached out and asked if I was planning to run the story again.

“Again? The same story we ran last year?” I replied.

“Yes, it is a great tradition that I think you should continue,” Gartner told me. “But it’s your call,” he said.

I reluctantly ran the story again, ironically missing the underlying message about traditions and the changing of the guard that are prevalent in the story. So I read Hullihan’s Christmas classic again. And again. And again. 

Seventeen years have passed, and I have been running that story with various versions of artwork from Duffy every year — and re-reading it each year, too. I expanded the tradition of the story to the Times Vedette digital edition as well, and I hope to continue to do so for years to come. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and can make its reading a tradition for you and your family as well. 

Merry Christmas to all of you, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Call me Bing Crosby. Yes, I am dreaming of a white Christmas — just like the ones I used to know. I dream about this every year, but my dream rarely comes true. It doesn’t look likely again this year, at least not in Guthrie County. Partly sunny. High of 40. Low of 31. No snow. That’s our current forecast for Dec. 25. The days before and after it look much the same. The forecast might change, but probably not much.

I told my wife it won’t seem like Christmas without snow. She replied that we rarely have a white Christmas in central Iowa. I didn’t believe her, at least not until I looked up Christmas Day climatology from the National Weather Service. Here is what I learned, and, yes, Jolene was correct.

The most snow on Christmas Day since 1935 for the area:

• 2009    6.0 inches       
• 1962    2.5 inches
• 1945    1.5 inches
• 2010    1.0 inches       
• 1996    1.0 inches       
• 1984    1.0 inches       
• 1935    0.5 inches       
• 1970    0.3 inches       
• 1978    trace
• 1971    trace

You might remember at least one of those snowy Christmas Days, especially 2009 when winter weather made travel dicey. But what about the years with the most snow on the ground? 

The deepest snow cover on Christmas Day since 1935 for the area:

• 2000    17 inches
• 1961    15 inches
• 2012    10 inches
• 1945    10 inches
• 1951    9 inches
• 2008    8 inches
• 2010    6 inches
• 1948    4 inches
• 1944    4 inches
• 2013    3 inches
• 1962    3 inches
• 1952    3 inches

I vividly remember the snow in 2000 and the drifts we had over our fence in the back yard. I bundled up our then-toddler daughter Sara for some sledding. We had a great time in the snow and an even better time warming up with hot chocolate.

We may not have a snowy Christmas this year, but we can still dream about — and share memories of — white Christmases from years past.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@gctimesnews.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

My dad wasn’t much for gift-giving. He was a single man for much of his life, and he worked a great number of hours. Living in a small town, he also didn’t have access to much shopping. Even if he did, it would not have mattered. Shopping just wasn’t his thing. Us kids knew and understood that. Even so, he gave cards that often had cash in them, which was never expected but always appreciated. More importantly, Dad gave us the greatest gifts — his time and his love. 

On the rare occasions when Dad would give physical gifts, they were wrapped in newspaper that had a slight scent of Folger’s coffee and Raleigh cigarettes. He didn’t have wrapping paper or ribbon or bows, but he did have a subscription to several newspapers, and yesterday’s news came in quite handy. He preferred to use the Sunday comics section so he could add a splash of color, but any newsprint would do in a pinch. 

Several years ago, I wrote a column about the volume of wrapping paper that is produced, purchased and immediately thrown away each year. The latest estimates show that, in the United States alone, an additional 5 million tons of waste are generated over the Christmas holidays, 4 million of which are wrapping paper and shopping bags. 

So where and how did this ridiculous tradition of using wrapping paper begin?

According to allthingssupplychain.com, it was first documented in ancient China, where paper was reportedly invented in the second century B.C. Gifts were wrapped with paper that formed an envelope known as a “chih pao.”

A century or so ago, gifts were typically wrapped in brown paper or fabric. In 1917, Rollie and Joyce Hall, the brothers who founded Hallmark Cards, sold tissue paper as gift wrap during the holidays in a shop in downtown Kansas City. When they ran out, they used envelope liners until they sold out of those, too. A few years later, they started printing their own decorative gift wrap. As such, they are credited with inventing the modern-day wrapping paper.

In today’s world of repurposing, maybe it’s time to take a page from my father and wrap up this year’s gifts with your newspaper of choice. If you need access to some, just let me know.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Those of us who grew up in Midwest communities share many of the same Christmastime experiences. Decorating the Christmas tree. Baking lots of sweets. Gathering of family. Opening of Christmas presents. Eating traditional foods. Attending a Christmas service at a church — and recognizing that the birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for Christmas.

We are also reminded that some of our neighbors today may look and act a little different than we are used to. Different traditions. Different meal choices. Different definitions of family. And a different interpretation of Christmas. Not wrong, necessarily. Just different.

Those of us who honor Jesus should know we need to work to understand and even appreciate those with different views and lifestyles than our own. That doesn’t mean we should abandon, deny or feel guilty about our own traditions and beliefs about Christmas. Unfortunately, we live in a world today when saying something as simple “Merry Christmas” is somehow offensive, which is the exact opposite of the intention. 

For most of us, saying “Merry Christmas” is an uncomplicated invitation to family, friends and people we don’t even know yet to enjoy and celebrate the Christmas season — in any way they see fit. Let there be no doubt, I will be celebrating Christmas, and I hope you are able to as well.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos.” 

Yes, I am listening to “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole as I write this column, and I am reminded that “although it’s been said many times, many ways… Merry Christmas to you.” 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@gctimesnews.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

One of my first bosses, a wonderful woman who managed a gas station I worked at in high school, gave me very firm and explicit directions: All the presidents must face the same way.

Yes, she demanded all the bills face the exact same way in the cash register drawer. Having them all lined up identically in each compartment made them easier to count and less likely to be mistaken for larger bills, she said. This helped to ensure the cash drawer was balanced after each shift… and to ensure I still had a job. 

Her instructions stuck with me. To this day, the cash in my billfold all have the presidents facing the same way. Habits may be tough to form, but they are also difficult to break. 

I am also a fanatic about my keys and where they are. If you are a regular reader of this column, you know they are on a carabiner attached to my beltloop most of the time. Few things drive me as crazy as losing my keys. As such, I have a specific process of where I put them when they are not by my side. And, as such, I have great anxiety when someone borrows my keys.

In today’s high-tech world, recharging has become a daily process. Phones. Watches. Tablets. Laptops. And plenty of other things that start with a lower case “i.” They all need plugged in and recharged. At home. In the car. At the office. Each has its own cord, and many are not interchangeable. I like to have my own cords for my own electronics. My wife and one of our daughters also like to have my cords for their electronics. Yes, they have their own — somewhere. But my cords are apparently easier to find, or they just like to see me get worked up. Probably both. 

I have bought them new cords with the properly aligned cash in my billfold, but they still seem to disappear. “You need to learn to share,” my wife tells me. She is right, but that doesn’t seem to play well with my personal processes.

And she clearly doesn’t have all her presidents lined up.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Take a leisurely drive this time of year, and you will see Santas and snowmen and reindeer — 10 feet tall, plastic and inflatable (most of the time) with enough flashing lights for a Vegas show. Some even have lights set to music. I love the enthusiasm, as I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas spirit (and some popular “Christmas Vacation” movie quotes, too).

Yes, there are a few Clark Griswolds out there, and you know who you are. I used to be one, meticulously arranging lights along the eaves, positioning the ladder repeatedly so as not to overextend. I would put lights on our house, our shed, our fence line, our deck. I loved putting up Christmas lights. It became a tradition. 

“Dad, you taught me everything I know about exterior illumination.” – Clark Griswold

Actually, Dad didn’t teach me anything about holiday lights. He never hung a single bulb outside, at least from what I can remember. My obsession came from within, along with a little help from one of my most traditional daughters, whom I will share a story about in a moment.

“Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.” – Cousin Eddie

I am not referencing the one-year membership in the jelly-of-the-month club with this quote. Rather, I am pointing out my reluctance to take down the Christmas lights. Yes, they are the gift that keeps on giving. For New Year’s Day. And Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And Groundhog Day. And Valentine’s Day. And St. Patrick’s Day. By Easter, if warm weather arrives, I have usually stashed them away. But, as the kids grew older — and I did, too — my fascination with outdoor Christmas lights dimmed, so much so that I did not put any up in some recent years.

“Honey, do you honestly think I would check thousands of tiny little lights if I didn’t make sure the extension cord was plugged in?” – Clark Griswold

Our aforementioned youngest daughter, Abby, thought we should have at least one string of lights on the house somewhere last year. So she pulled a set out of the storage box, tested the lights to make sure they worked, and set them out for me to install. On the coldest day of the year, I untangled that mess and then carefully wrapped it around the deck posts, making sure the bulbs were distanced equally and pleasing to the eye. Then, when I plugged the strand in — you guessed it — nothing. I decided to wait for a warmer day to deal with it. I am still waiting. Easter sounds about right. And, yes, the extension cord was plugged in. 

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-755-2115