2019 December 13 Friday in Liberty Hill, Texas
gracious good morning to you! May your day be filled with wonder and joy. The sun is shining and the birds are singing … or at least making a racket.
he toll road was relatively free of traffic this morning.
I saw one vehicle stopped by the police this morning which may account why the majority were traveling closer to the speed limit.
s of 1:00 p.m. we had a slow but steady stream of traffic to see Santa. As usual I had more visits than the photographers had photo sales. I don’t understand why they aren’t trained in any sales techniques. I don’t understand why they don’t take photos of those who “just want to talk to Santa”. It is digital photography, you have not incurred any expense by clicking the button on the camera. It costs the potential customer nothing to look at the image on the screen. If they don’t want to buy it, you’ve lost nothing. If they like the photo, you’ve turned a profit. What am I missing here?
round 1:30 I received a call from the district manager for Cherry Hill (the photography company) asking if I would be willing to go to San Antonio and cover the evening set at Rolling Oaks Mall. I said yes.
was willing to drive the hour and a half (if traffic was good), work until 9 p.m., drive the two hours home, and be back at Lakeline Mall at ten o’clock tomorrow. I was willing, but not wanting to do it. I never received a “go ahead” and at 4:30 the set manager said he was told that it was covered and I could go home. Whew!
he items I brought home yesterday for the food pantry, were taken to our church today. Ella made arrangements for a friend, who was going there tonight, to take them. I’m glad that was taken care of.
God bless and g’nite.
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- Day 74 in our Texas home
- 32 days as Santa at Lakeline Mall
trip in from Liberty Hill’s to work today was mostly uneventful. However there were a string of fire trucks that we’re coming up behind me but turned before they got to me. I wonder where they were going? I pray that wherever they’re going everyone will be safe.
or some reason unknown to me, the door to our dressing area has not only been unlocked but standing wide open for the last few days. Now I know that maintenance also uses this for storage. So I can only assume that they are the ones opening it. But I do wish they would shut the door again when they are done. Because if I set out there in my Santa suit, and kids go by, it can be confusing to them.I had a grand day today. Several bus loads out special needs adults were in the mall shopping today and many puff then came to see Santa.
hree years ago Ian, an 11 year old boy with Downs Syndrome, came to see Santa. Though he can talk, it was difficult to understand him, so he also communicated partially with 
ast year we were closing the set to change Santa’s when I saw him standing in line. I waved him in, got the pictures and again visited for a short time while mom looked at photos. Again, he didn’t want to leave. He told her he was going tho sleep in my chair.
oday his mom brought Ian for photos. Today, when she was ready to leave, he went with her. However, an hour or so later, she came to thank me for the joy I give to get son. I said that he gives me so much joy also. Ian parked himself on my lap and was ready to stay again. It took some persuading for him tho go with her.
n my way home I stopped at Wal-Mart to get the groceries that I had ordered online before going to work. I also went in to get Ella’s prescriptions. The pharmacist had been at the Wal-Mart back in Iowa so I told her that the temperature back there was 29°.
felt rather proud of myself for remembering the groceries AND the medications. That is until Ella asked where the pizza was. I had forgotten that she had ordered pizza for me to pick up.God bless and g’nite.
ou call it haze but I say it is fog. And not just an ordinary fog. This is the fog that drifts slowly around Dracula’s castle. This is the fog that Stephen King would write about. This is the fog I had to drive through this morning.
made it to work, thank you for asking. Before I made it to work, I made it to the Over The Hill Gang building in Liberty Hill to drop Ella off for a Grandies meeting. She reports that only 6 people showed up (I suspect the fog got them) so they cancelled the meeting and went out for breakfast. One of our friends drove her home afterwards.
here is no way today could have been called a busy day at the Santa set. That being said, it was busier than a usual Wednesday. The goal for today for the photographers was over $3,500. By noon they only had about $2,800 to make it to goal. As I said it wasn’t a busy day.
here was a tiny girl of not quite three who I heard coming before I could see her. She was coming from behind the set and I heard her yelling Santa. When she came around the corner and saw me she charged me like a football player intent on making a tackle. She smiled for the photos, then turned to me and said “five”. She held out her hand for me to “give her five”. She then did a fist bump and the last thing that she did was touch my nose and go “Boop”. What a delight!
nother toddler cried when he was taken away from his visit with Santa. While his mother was looking at the photos, he came back to me. And when Mom came to get him a second time he was screaming and hollering he did not want to go.
God bless and g’nite.
he litter pick up crews were busy this morning on my six mile commute into Liberty Hill. I don’t think they pick up the dead deer carcasses, however, and there are plenty of those littering the side of the road.
RVing Fulltime with Tom and Ella 