Friday, February 3, 2012

THE TRAIN!!

Now that I'm looking BACK on Christmas 2011 from a respectable distance...there is definitely ONE moment that I'll remember....

Getting ready for Christmas always starts with the TRAIN BOARD. A full sheet of 1/2" plywood, built on a 2x4 frame, covered with green felt -- this sucker is HEAVY...so just getting it up from the basement is quite a job...

Thank you, again, Ross...



Once the train board is in place -- right in front of our picture window -- I set up the artificial white Christmas tree, pre-wired with the blue lights. I have never seen another one like it -- and after five years -- I still DO NOT MISS the real tree experience...not even a little bit...
"The Train" is John's American Flyer from when he was a kid...Growing up in Pottsville, Pennsylvania -- receiving this train the year he was 9 -- was a very big deal. And it still gets packed away in the original cardboard boxes every year...


But -- those old transformers can be tricky. John is a skilled electrician -- so he knows what to do. He polished the tracks, checked all the contacts -- but no luck. After several hours -- he broke open the transformer to see if he could make it work. Lillian was being very patient...but a lot of time had passed....she would go from baking cookies in the kitchen, to playing with Sophie in her room....back and forth...all afternoon...



But John NEVER GIVES UP on a thing...and the minute she heard a little train noise -- she was back at his side...

As she ran into the room, she clapped and yelled, "GOOD JOB, GRANDPA!"...

Oh, yeah -- that's a keeper...

No comments:

Post a Comment