{"id":35001,"date":"2020-12-25T00:01:13","date_gmt":"2020-12-25T05:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=35001"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:38:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:38:54","slug":"all-that-glitters-by-questfan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=35001","title":{"rendered":"All That Glitters (by Questfan)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bonanza<\/span><\/strong>
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~<\/span><\/strong>
\n* Day 1 *<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Summary:\u00a0 Youthful dreams were lost long ago when a father decided he knew best what his daughter needed, but a second chance comes about in a most unexpected way.<\/p>\n

Rating: G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3,420 words<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All That Glitters<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Katherine reached up and coiled her hair into a tight twist before using the hairpin to hold it all in place. She brushed a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and nodded at the image that stared back at her. The hair was showing more strands of grey than the rich brown it had once been. The face had deepening lines etched into it. Some were what her friend called laugh lines, but some were not. Life had held its share of laughter, but it had also held its share of pain. As she took one last look to ensure everything was in order, she nodded once more before reaching for her coat.<\/p>\n

The weather had turned in the last two weeks and the cabin still needed some repairs to the walls where it had been uncared for in recent years. Katherine looked around once more and tried to withhold a sigh at the amount of work that needed doing before the snow really set in. She would need to find somebody in Virginia City who could come and sort it all out as quickly as possible. The trunks she had brought with her were in various states of unpacking, partly because she had been unsure if she was even staying. That decision was still not really settled, but at least now she needed to stay put until the Spring. \u00a0Her own haste had trapped her in her childhood home for the Winter and she was beginning to regret even coming once more. She figured there would be plenty of time to deal with her things once the weather closed in. It wasn\u2019t like she would have much else to do with her time as she had nobody to come visiting and nobody she planned on visiting either.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet moving or you will miss church altogether,\u201d she muttered to herself as she shrugged on the coat and picked up her hat.<\/p>\n

As she stepped out onto the porch, her eyes were drawn once again to the hills. They had a grey mist over them as the rain had moved on from the early hours of the morning. Those same hills had been her escape all those years ago when her father had refused to listen to her dreams. He told her she was too young to know her own mind and she had just added to his conviction by running off into the woods like a child. Of course, that day the hillside had been dotted with purple flowers and not the current spread of half melted slush. She had plucked bouquets of them and pretended she was walking towards her smiling husband-to-be. It was a silly childhood dream that had blown away on the wind long ago.<\/p>\n

Katherine sighed as she pulled the door shut behind her and moved to the steps. It would be easier to go back inside and warm herself by the fire, but that would do nothing towards helping to decide if coming back had been a good decision or the second worst mistake of her life. The worst had been giving in to her father\u2019s demand that she put aside what her heart wanted and do what a dutiful daughter ought to.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roy stood on the boardwalk and stared as the horse and buggy travelled at a snail\u2019s pace along the main road. The two days of sleety rain had turned the road to a quagmire as the first of the early winter snows melted and refroze again. The hint of more snow hung in the air and Roy unconsciously pulled his coat tighter around himself. The woman driving the buggy was too busy dodging muddy holes to notice the man who stared at her retreating back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can\u2019t be!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmmm?\u201d The sheriff turned to see half the Cartwright family looking intently at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething wrong? You look like you\u2019ve seen a ghost, Roy.\u201d Ben frowned as his friend seemed dazed and shaken.<\/p>\n

Finally, he sucked in a sharp breath and turned towards the two men in front of him. \u201cThink maybe I just did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly he found himself flanked by Ben on one side and Adam on the other. Their concern was obvious, and he quickly shook himself and turned towards his office door.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019. Want some coffee? It\u2019s gettin\u2019 mighty cold out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam followed his father back into the sheriff\u2019s office and watched silently as Roy grabbed three mugs and began to pour coffee from the stove. He was a man of few words anyway, but it was clear to both of them that their friend was avoiding answering.<\/p>\n

As he handed over their mugs, he grabbed his own and settled into his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d Ben tried again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019. Just an old fool with old eyes playin\u2019 tricks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was that woman?\u201d Adam had noted the strange reaction to the woman driving past in her buggy. She wasn\u2019t anybody he knew, and the horse and buggy were rented from the livery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat woman?\u201d Ben looked between his son and his friend, who still looked somewhat dazed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can\u2019t be her, so it don\u2019t matter.\u201d Roy took a long drink from his mug as if that would stop the conversation. Ben took the hint and found something else to talk about while Adam quietly observed from across the room. Roy may have joined in the conversation, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Katherine made her way down the steps of the church with her skirt hitched just high enough to avoid tripping on the hem. It wouldn\u2019t do to go tumbling into the mud below and make a fool of herself on her first time there. Well, her first time there in many years. Of course, back then it had been nothing more than a canvas tent stretched wide to try to cover the meagre congregation from the worst of the weather. Some time after she left the small settlement, the church had been built and further additions had been made over the years. Much like the town itself that had sprung up with the mining boom and the growth of ranching. She walked towards her horse and gave it a stroke on the nose. The livery owner had given her one of his gentle girls and she was very thankful for that as she had spent far too much time away from horses.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get on home, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould that be out on the road to Carson City?\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine spun around at the question and found herself staring at a face she had not seen in oh so many years. Just as her own reflection that morning had aged, this one had too, but she would have known his voice anywhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy?\u201d Her voice came out in a squeak and she covered her mouth to cough. \u201cIs that really you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure is. I thought that was you drivin\u2019 past this morning. You haven\u2019t changed a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine laughed outright at that comment. \u201cIt\u2019s been close to thirty years!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you still look pretty as a daisy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile seemed fixed in place as Katherine searched for something more to say. Where did one start after so much water had gone under so many bridges?<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I buy you a coffee? The hotel does a pretty good cake too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy held his breath as he waited to see what she would do. Finally, she nodded her head and smiled again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be lovely. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time he got them settled at a table in the hotel, Roy found himself stumbling over himself as he searched for appropriate conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are looking well, Roy. I see they finally pinned that badge on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He swallowed down the immediate comment that came to mind. That badge had cost him so much – including Katherine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. Been wearing it a long time now, but this is a good town with good people. Well, mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine sipped at her coffee and looked around the room. Who would have thought this would all be here when she finally returned to what had once been Eagle Station?<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe tucked the hammer into the back of his belt and stepped back to survey his handiwork. Roy had asked him to do a favour for an old friend and see to it that her cabin was ready for the snow and he had spent the last two days plugging holes, sawing new pieces of timber to patch rotted planks and replacing shingles on the roof. It was getting blustery again and his hands felt cold in spite of his gloves. Thankfully, he was almost done. The old Harrison place hadn\u2019t been in too bad a state, but Miss Harrison\u2019s father had passed on a good five months ago and nothing much had been done since well before that. He had no idea the old man even had a daughter until Roy had called in the favour. He\u2019d certainly never mentioned her before. Even his pa hadn\u2019t known about her and that surprised him even more.<\/p>\n

He decided he was done for the day and went to knock on the door. There was a fresh pile of chopped wood stacked up against the wall beneath the kitchen window and he figured he\u2019d come back the following week with Hoss and lay up a good store for the coming snow.\u00a0 Before he could knock, the door swung open and he caught a whiff of apple pie.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on in, Joe. You must be thoroughly chilled by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t need to wait for a second invitation and stomped his feet on the doorstep before heading inside. The cabin interior was spotlessly clean, but sparsely furnished. He noted several trunks over on the far side of the room. One was open and it appeared Katherine was still unpacking the contents.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, help yourself to coffee on the stove and that pie should be almost done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine waved him over to the table and kept pulling china plates from the straw in the trunk. It was a dainty painted china set and she carried two plates over to the sink and rinsed them off. Joe settled himself at the small table and noted it was slightly rickety on one leg. Another job to add to the list for next week.<\/p>\n

Finally, Katherine set the pie on the table between them and cut a large enough slice to keep Hoss happy. As she handed him the plate, she apologised that there was no cream to go with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a milking cow yet. Another thing I need to organise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe noted the tired look flit across her face before she brightened and settled in her seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we can help with that, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no! You have done more than enough for me already. Your father has been very generous in allowing you the time to come and help me. I do appreciate all that you have done as my fa \u2026 this place certainly needed some help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe wondered at the hesitation. \u201cI have to be honest, ma\u2019am, I didn\u2019t know Mister Harrison had any family. I knew his wife passed a long time ago, but I didn\u2019t \u2026 well \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t know about me because my father disowned me when I chose my own path in life after his path \u2026 failed to live up to expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe held up a hand to forestall anything further. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to pry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not. It was a long time ago and there is no use holding a grudge. It doesn\u2019t change anything, and it makes one bitter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I s\u2019pose it does.\u201d Joe shovelled another spoonful of pie into his mouth to avoid commenting further.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father thought he was doing the best for me, but he had no idea what would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine seemed to drift off somewhere else for a moment before pulling herself back to her guest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever been in love, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d He grinned at her as he scooped up the last of his pie.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course you have! A fine young man like you would have a special girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could respond, she patted his hand. \u201cWhen you find the right one, don\u2019t let anybody stop you from marrying her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I haven\u2019t exactly found the right one yet. But I\u2019m enjoying looking for her!\u201d He grinned before thinking and suddenly sobered as he realised she wasn\u2019t smiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found the right man, but my father thought a lawman was not a suitable match. He said that we would never have two cents to rub together and I\u2019d be left raising children alone. He sent me away to stop us from being together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe felt her hand reach around his fingers and squeeze it. \u201cMake sure you follow your heart, young man, and don\u2019t let anybody stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Joe rode towards home, he found himself stuck on the strange conversation. It was still nagging at him when he arrived home and sat down to eat with his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe looked up to see his family all watching him. His fork was full of potato and gravy and yet it had stalled halfway to his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know Miss Harrison almost married Sheriff Coffee back when he was still a marshal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Three voices echoed the same question and Joe dropped his fork back on his plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me. Back when he was first deputised at Eagle Station. They wanted to get married and her pa said they couldn\u2019t, and he shipped her off back to family in California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told you that?\u201d Ben looked at his youngest son as he began to connect the dots of Roy\u2019s strange behaviour in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure did. She said her father didn\u2019t want her married to a lawman and since her mother had already passed, he didn\u2019t have any choice but to send her back and get his sister to make a good match for her. Except she didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t what? Go back or make a match?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she went back with some family that was travelling that way, but her aunt married her off to some fella with money that treated her real bad. Said he beat her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe held back as he recalled the sadness in her eyes as she described the loss of a baby after one of those beatings. It had almost cost her life and she wished it had, at the time.<\/p>\n

Hoss growled at the comment and found his fists clenching of their own accord. He couldn\u2019t abide the idea that any man would lay a finger on a woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where is he now?\u201d Adam hadn\u2019t missed either of his brother\u2019s reactions.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot himself shot in some business deal gone bad, years ago. Miss Harrison has \u2026 she said she didn\u2019t want to carry his name anymore so she went back to Harrison .. anyway, she\u2019s been teaching to support herself ever since. She said she couldn\u2019t come home to a father who allowed her to endure that and did nothing to stop it. She only came back once she heard her father had passed and named her in his will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Angus never mentioned her, but it seems he never really forgot her.\u201d Ben had certainly never heard his widowed neighbour talk of a daughter before. And he sure as heck had never heard Roy Coffee mention her either.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roy slid out of the saddle and pulled his hat into his hands. He twisted the rim between his fingers as he wondered what on earth he was going to say once he knocked on that front door. There was a good supply of firewood so he couldn\u2019t use that. Joe had seen to it that all the holes were plugged up and there was no smoke drifting out through any gaps. The chimney flue must have been unblocked as there was a steady stream of smoke rising into the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, you will catch your death of a chill if you stand out there any longer. Get inside and get some hot coffee into you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked up to see Katherine leaning out the window and he smiled at her. She sure sounded like a teacher as she pointed towards the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, ma\u2019am!\u201d<\/p>\n

As she pulled the door open and stepped aside, he noted again that she was wearing her hair twisted into a tight bun as usual, but wisps of hair floated around her face. She looked flushed and a smudge of dirt trailed across her cheek. She wiped her hands on her apron and headed for the shelf to pick out two cups.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is the unpacking going?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost done. I just need to get those trunks into the barn so hopefully Joe can do that next time he drops by.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was done with the work you needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is, but he has made a few social calls since. He likes my apple pie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine glanced up as she poured milk into her coffee and dropped a sugar lump into Roy\u2019s. She almost giggled at the look on his face. They were both far too old to be dealing with jealousy!<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a lovely young man. He has been extremely helpful, and I enjoy his visits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmmph.\u201d Roy took a sip of his coffee.<\/p>\n

Katherine slid into the seat across from him and debated speaking out her train of thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told me about Mary. He said she was a good woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy managed to hide his surprise behind another slurp of coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad. You deserved a good wife.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod just took her home too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t say the same about my husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy felt his insides clench at her words. Angus said she had made a good match and that was the last they ever spoke of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRoy, Papa was wrong. My aunt chose a man who valued money and status over all else. He gave me costly things and swanned me around for his business dealings, but there was little in the way of love.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff sat with his hands firmly clamped around his cup; afraid that they would give away his thoughts.<\/p>\n

Katherine moved from the table and reached for a small wooden box on the mantle. She pulled out a dainty gold hairpin that was dotted with violet coloured glass that formed small flowers. It may as well have been a priceless bejewelled version if sentimental value was weighed in the balance. She turned back towards him and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember giving me this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCourse I do!\u201d The words came out more abruptly than he intended, and he immediately regretted them. It was the last Christmas he ever saw her, and it had been given as a promise of marriage just as soon as he got an official posting. Of course, her father had quickly put a stop to that plan. He blinked repeatedly as his breath caught in his chest. He was surprised to find it still hurt after so many years had passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had strings of pearls and fine gold jewellery, but none of them held a candle to this. Every time I wore it, I felt close to you in some way. Remember? You said these were the purple sage flowers you knew were my favourite.\u201d Katherine ran a finger over the glass and smiled. \u201cIt always reminded me of you, and you reminded me of all that was good and decent in the world. This pin brought me comfort in some of my darkest moments when I wished I would never see another morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy stared at her, unable to put his scrambled and angry thoughts into words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know if you would still be here when I came back. Not after all these years. If you had been married with a family, I intended to simply sell up and leave quietly. But then, I heard that you were widowed, and I thought \u2026 well \u2026 I hoped that perhaps you could see your way clear to being my friend again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never stopped. I never forgot neither.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katherine slid back into her seat and reached for her friend\u2019s old and gnarled hand. It felt good.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roy stood at the mercantile counter and stared at what was sitting under the small glass section that Will Cass reserved for his most expensive merchandise. The shrewd businessman always pre-ordered a selection of items from the catalogue and hoped and prayed each year that they would sell by Christmas Eve. The most organised of locals would always order ahead as some shipments could take months to arrive from the East, but there were always those who needed time to save, or found themselves sparking a new girl, or just decided they wanted to buy something extra on impulse after a winning hand or two at the saloon.<\/p>\n

Will watched the sheriff from across the room and couldn\u2019t decide what had him so focused on the glass cabinet. It wasn\u2019t like he ever bought much in the way of gifts and he wasn\u2019t a man who indulged himself, so it was a mystery as to why he had been standing stock still for over twenty minutes. The store was busy with actual paying customers and the sky was threatening another dumping of snow before closing time, so he was more interested in those who would actually put money into his till. Finally, there was a lull in the flow of people and curiosity got the better of him. He walked around to the far side of the counter and tapped on the glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething got your eye there, Roy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy looked up and began to shake his head before he slowly began to nod. \u201cThat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will thought he\u2019d misunderstood when Roy\u2019s finger tapped above a delicate gold jewelled hairpin. There was a silver serving spoon on one side and a set of conch buttons on the other side, but neither of those seemed like something the sheriff would want or use either. For some reason, he looked slightly embarrassed as he pointed again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hairpin. Can I see it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Will smiled as he pulled the pin from the tray and handed it over. It looked out of place in the older man\u2019s hands as he turned it back and forth.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you gift wrap this? With a ribbon?\u201d Roy handed it back as Will nodded silently. He didn\u2019t trust himself to speak what was running through his head. Never in all the years he had run his mercantile had he seen Roy Coffee buy anything like it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. What colour ribbon would you like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPurple. If you got it.\u201d It was still the colour of her favourite flowers. Another detail he had never forgotten from some other life.<\/p>\n

As Will went to search for a piece of ribbon and the box the hairpin belonged in, Roy found himself standing and looking around the store as more customers came through the door. It had been many years since he had put much thought into a Christmas gift and he still wasn\u2019t sure he should be buying this one.<\/p>\n

He and Katherine would be attending Christmas lunch with Ben and the boys and he had arranged to collect Katherine by eleven the next morning. By the time he left the mercantile with his package tucked safely in his pocket, he was still second guessing himself.<\/p>\n

Would she see the intent in the gift? It was a far more extravagant version of the one he had given her all those years ago with delicate jewel chips embedded in the gold instead of the much cheaper glass he had been hard-pressed to afford back then.<\/p>\n

Would she even want a worn-out lawman after all she had been through?<\/p>\n

Was he simply an old fool who had left it too late for another run at marriage?<\/p>\n

Why couldn\u2019t he lie down to sleep at night without rehashing that day she had left the settlement and never returned? And why he hadn’t stopped her.<\/p>\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The smell of pine needles still hung in the air and mingled with the aromas wafting from the kitchen. The Christmas tree and decorations had been removed once the pine began to shed its needles into the new year, but the scent lingered on. The festive swags had been replaced with delicate lavender coloured ribbons twisted around the length of the stair handrail. Neither of them had wanted anything fancy and neither of them had been willing to wait for the Spring when more guests could attend. Ben almost laughed as Roy fidgeted with his string tie for the hundredth time, much as Joe always had since he was old enough to wear one. It was an honour to stand by his old friend\u2019s side even if that meant his current duty was stopping him from pacing in front of the preacher. Across the room, two of his boys also stood waiting and a handful of friends milled around. Ben smothered a laugh as he caught Roy taking another look at the clock. It was a quarter past the hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hasn\u2019t changed her mind. Some things just take a little extra time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Roy could answer, there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs. He looked up to see Katherine waiting on the landing with her arm looped through Joe\u2019s. She was dressed in a simple cream lace dress with her hair swept up to the side and a jewelled hairpin holding it in place. It had been far too long in coming, but suddenly the years melted away before him as she turned towards him, smiled and began to descend the stairs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Person: <\/strong>Roy Coffee\u00a0 (I wish I had known this before I picked the gift!)<\/p>\n

Gift: <\/strong>a jewelled hairpin<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Link to: Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar – Day 2 – The Remarkable Tin Soldier by McFair_58<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Youthful dreams were lost long ago when a father decided he knew best what his daughter needed, but a second chance comes about in a most unexpected way.
\nRating: G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3,420 words<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9743,"featured_media":5835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,23,40],"tags":[1062],"class_list":["post-35001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-u","category-drama","category-challenges","tag-advent-calendar","wpcat-7-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1117,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61190,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61190","url_meta":{"origin":35001,"position":0},"title":"In Loving Memory (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The longing of Christmas past memories. 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