{"id":61214,"date":"2025-12-24T21:07:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T02:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61214"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:47:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:47:14","slug":"the-first-thaw-by-puchi-ann","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61214","title":{"rendered":"The First Thaw (by Puchi Ann)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Summary:\u00a0 The weather isn\u2019t the only thing frosty that first Christmas after Marie joins the Cartwright family, but through the magic of story and song, they all find new warmth, acceptance and heartfelt love.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0(6,520 words)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

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Bonanza
\n<\/strong>~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
\n<\/strong>* Day 18 *<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
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 <\/p>\n

The First Thaw<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAssez d\u00e9j\u00e0<\/em>!\u201d Marie exclaimed as she exited the Ponderosa ranch house on her husband\u2019s arm.\u00a0 \u201cIs there no end to icy wind here?\u201d\u00a0she demanded as she clutched her wool cape closer.\u00a0 Ben had warned her, when they passed through San Francisco, that winters could get cold in his territory and advised the purchase of a warm outer garment.\u00a0 Typical of a man, he had not expressed the half of what weather here in the frigid mountains was proving to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is nothing,\u201d Adam scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll get a lot colder before spring comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

She would have expected nothing but discouraging words from the sole person on the Ponderosa who had not welcomed her with open arms.\u00a0 Perhaps he was even hoping that the cold would make her hurry back to her Louisiana home with its more benign climate.\u00a0 Well, she would show him!\u00a0 She had faced much worse than cold wind in her young life: scorn and suspicion, betrayal and even death.\u00a0 Her hand lightly touched her midriff where rested her hope of a son to comfort the loss of her firstborn, a gift whose promise she intended to present her beloved husband on Christmas morning.\u00a0 What were icy winds, compared to that joy to come!<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll get better, Ma, honest,\u201d Hoss said, looking a little worried.\u00a0 Unlike Adam, he rejoiced in having a new mama, but sometimes worried that she might disappear, like his first one had, even before he\u2019d gotten to know her, especially with Adam acting like he didn\u2019t want her around.<\/p>\n

Marie gave him an affectionate squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cOui, mon doux fils<\/em>, I am sure that is so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not soon,\u201d Adam inserted, seemingly not content to leave her any hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf that, I am also sure,\u201d Marie said with narrowed eyes and stiff tone.<\/p>\n

Leading the horses out of the barn, Ben called to Adam, \u201cCome help me get the team in harness, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Adam replied, glad of escape.\u00a0 He still couldn\u2019t understand why Pa had dropped this strange woman with her strange ways of speaking and doing things into the lap of their pretty-much-perfect family.\u00a0 They\u2019d gotten along just fine before she came along!\u00a0 And if the cold weather scared her back to New Orleans, well, that would be just fine with him.<\/p>\n

The team was quickly put in harness, and Adam climbed into the back seat with his brother, while Ben settled in beside Marie<\/p>\n

Looking over his shoulder, Ben said, \u201cYou did a good job with that, son.\u00a0 You\u2019re getting to be a fine horseman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWish you\u2019d let me try, Pa,\u201d Hoss said with a fond glance at the horses, a well-matched pair.<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled as he turned the team toward the road.\u00a0 \u201cI think you\u2019re still a mite short for that job, Hoss, but with your love of animals, I have no doubt you\u2019ll make a good horseman, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie put in with a smile at the boy, \u201cperhaps the finest of all.\u201d\u00a0 She saw, too late, the frown that replaced Adam\u2019s smile and knew she had made another\u00a0faux pas<\/em>\u00a0with him, but did not know how to make it right without stripping his younger brother of the joy he\u2019d taken in the well-deserved praise.\u00a0 \u201cAh, Ben,\u201d she said in what she knew was probably a vain attempt to assuage Adam, \u201cyou have two fine sons in whom to take much pride.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oblivious to the discomfort of two of his passengers, Ben gave her a chiding tsk-tsk.\u00a0 \u201cWe<\/em>\u00a0have two fine sons in whom we take much pride,\u201d he said, emphasizing the first word.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said quietly, knowing that his correction would meet with, at best, mixed reactions in the back seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, dear,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 \u201cWe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss, who, by its frequent repetition had learned that one French word well, guffawed in appreciation of the joke, while Adam met it with rolled eyes, fortunately not seen by either his father or his father\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Snow was beginning to fall as Ben pulled up outside the Catholic chapel and helped Marie down.\u00a0 \u201cEnjoy your service,\u201d he said, giving her cheek a light kiss.\u00a0 As always, he regretted leaving her there alone, but they\u2019d tried alternating Sundays in each other\u2019s churches, and it just hadn\u2019t worked.\u00a0 Neither Ben nor his sons understood Latin, so the entire service had all been meaningless to them.\u00a0 Typically, Hoss, for love of his new mother, had tried to stick by her a little longer, but even he finally gave up.\u00a0 \u00a0Adam, the one member of the family who might actually have enjoyed learning Latin, staunchly refused, lest he give too much encouragement to the French interloper.<\/p>\n

Marie smiled indulgently at the man who could never seem to remember to call her service a mass.\u00a0 The smile faded slightly as she entered and approached the confessional.\u00a0 Once she had found a great sense of cleansing and renewal in the process, but that could no longer be.\u00a0 She had married outside her Catholic faith and was totally unrepentant about it.\u00a0 How could she not be when, with Ben, she had found the love of her life and healing from all the pain and sorrow that had gone before.\u00a0 Without repentance, there would be no penance given; without penance, there could be no forgiveness. She could\u2014and regularly did\u2014confess her lesser sins, and the good God knew they were plentiful enough. \u00a0Especially those she committed when a certain son of Ben\u2019s\u2014not hers as yet, much as she wished it\u2014enflamed her Creole temper with his subtle provocations.\u00a0 It was enough to make a saint explode!\u00a0 During a previous confession, her priest had quoted Paul\u2019s epistle and advised her to \u201cbe angry and sin not,\u201d in her dealings with Adam, but today she would have to confess once again that her sharp tongue had not succeeded at that this week, either.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful message, pastor,\u201d Ben said, shaking hands with the Reverend Appleby at the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd blessedly brief?\u201d the pastor said, chuckling.\u00a0 Out of consideration for those in his congregation who would have to travel through the increasingly heavy snow, he had curtailed his sermon to remarkable brevity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, too,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 \u201cI do appreciate getting an earlier start home with the way this snow\u2019s coming down.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pastor shook first Adam\u2019s hand and then Hoss\u2019s. \u00a0\u201cAnd how did the young Cartwrights enjoy my sermon?\u201d he asked, trying to hold back his urge to smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost edifying,\u201d Adam said, testing out a word he\u2019d first encountered the week before when the pastor had preached about how all things were permissible, but \u201call things edify not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the music,\u201d Hoss said, and neither the men nor Adam could hold back their chuckles at that pronouncement.<\/p>\n

The pastor leaned over and said in a stage whisper audible to the people lining up behind Ben to shake the Reverend\u2019s hand, \u201cThat\u2019s my favorite part, too, Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 He looked with some concern at the thickening flakes descending on their heads.\u00a0 \u201cBen, you\u2019re welcome to stay here with my family until this storm blows over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate that, Pastor,\u201d Ben said, \u201cbut I really need to get home.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a ranch to run and stock to tend, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d the Reverend said and moved on to greet the next person.<\/p>\n

\u201cCouldn\u2019t we stay, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt sure is gettin\u2019 cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShh.\u201d\u00a0 Ben said no more until he and his sons were alone, walking down C Street.\u00a0 \u201cHoss, they don\u2019t have room for us,\u201d he explained once they could speak privately.\u00a0 \u201cTheir home is barely big enough for his family.\u00a0 The pastor is kind to offer, but we\u2019d really be putting them out, and we can bear a little cold, can\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Hoss said sturdily.\u00a0 \u201cI just thought it would be good to get somethin\u2019 warm inside us first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight have known you were thinking of your belly,\u201d Adam said with a wide, teasing grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I was thinkin\u2019 of yours,\u201d Hoss teased back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, boys, no fussing,\u201d Ben said, setting a brisk pace toward the livery to pick up their horses and rig.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t, Pa,\u201d both youngsters protested at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then, stop sounding as if you were.\u201d\u00a0 They made record time in reaching the livery, harnessing the team, and driving to the chapel, where he halted the horses and, turning in his seat, said, \u201cOne of you will need to go in and tell your mother we\u2019re leaving.\u201d\u00a0 He could expect no weather-related mercy from her priest, who seemed to follow a more set order of worship than his Protestant preacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, Pa,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n

Ben hesitated a moment in the predictably vain hope that his older son would volunteer, but only silence came from that quarter, silence accompanied by the predictable stiffness at his use of the word \u201cmother.\u201d\u00a0 Stifling a sigh, he said to Hoss, \u201cThank you, son.\u00a0 Now, go in real quiet, since they may still be worshipping.\u00a0 Your ma probably will be near the back, so just sit down beside her and whisper in her ear that we need to leave right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Pa,\u201d Hoss said confidently as he jumped down from the surrey.\u00a0 He returned soon, holding tight to Marie\u2019s hand as he helped her into the vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben,\u201d she said as she huddled close to him.\u00a0 \u201cIt is really coming down!\u00a0 Will we make it home?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we will,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the back seat, Adam pressed his lips together, lest he give voice to the question had surged up within him.\u00a0 Had Pa called his own mother sweetheart or was that reserved for this woman he could barely stand to name, much less think of in terms of endearment?\u00a0 He seemed to remember Pa calling Hoss\u2019s mother, Inger, that, but it hadn\u2019t bothered him because she was really sweet, not all pricky like Marie could sometimes be.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill it be like this all winter?\u201d Marie asked Ben as she huddled, shivering, close to his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be,\u201d Ben said as he turned the team toward home.\u00a0 \u201cWinter can be unpredictable out here, my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie sighed.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we should not come so far to worship, then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be times we can\u2019t risk it,\u201d Ben admitted.\u00a0 He hesitated a moment and then added, \u201cThere is a church closer to home, in Washoe City, but no Catholic one for you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps, then, I might just go with you on those Sundays,\u00a0oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, dearest!\u201d<\/p>\n

She almost laughed at the eagerness in his voice.\u00a0 Certainly, for him, it would be the easier solution, but she could give him no hope of true conversion and the end of their Sunday separations.\u00a0 Catholic she was, and Catholic she would remain, but she could not ask these long, cold drives of either her family or her shivering self.\u00a0 So, perhaps it would do her no eternal harm to worship with the Protestants a few times until the icy winds ceased to blow.<\/p>\n

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*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Icy winds continued, almost unabated, as Thanksgiving passed and December made its inexorable march toward Christmas.\u00a0 Ben chided Marie for her choice of that word one snowy morning.\u00a0 \u201cInexorable implies you don\u2019t want Christmas to come,\u201d Ben explained, \u201cand surely that isn\u2019t so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMais non<\/em>,\u201d Marie insisted, mindful of the little ears listening in.\u00a0 \u201cIt is a most favorite time of the year, but I chose my word well, Ben.\u00a0 It is the swift passing of time toward Christmas that I find so unrelenting.\u00a0 There is much to be done, and for some of it, I need a trip to town, which is looking more impossible by the day!\u201d<\/p>\n

One set of little ears had perked up at the introduction of a new word to his vocabulary, for something new to learn always caught Adam\u2019s attention.\u00a0 While he felt some concern about the Frenchified customs Marie might bring to the seasonal celebrations, for once he was willing to give her some encouragement.\u00a0 \u201cI bet we can get to town enough for you to get whatever you need, ma\u2019am,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ma\u2019am, instead of Ma, but, for now, Marie would take it.\u00a0 \u201cMerci<\/em>, Adam,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWe will make it a most wonderful Christmas,\u00a0oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t bring himself to respond in her language, the way Pa and Hoss already did, the way he himself had to Inger\u2019s soft Swedish \u201cYah<\/em>,\u201d but the spirit of Christmas demanded some concession.\u00a0 \u201cYes,\u201d was all he said, far too softly to convey real boyish excitement, but it was music to Marie\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n

Ben saw the boy\u2019s tentative smile toward his new wife and her more openly radiant one toward his son with pleasure and relief.\u00a0\u00a0Oh, please, God, let us have that one day to get to town<\/em>, his heart cried out.\u00a0 As he looked out the window, though, he wasn\u2019t sure his prayer would be answered, for the snow was falling yet again, heavier and thicker than before.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They did manage to get to Virginia City for that crucial shopping trip, but that could not be on a Sunday, of course, since the stores would all be closed.\u00a0 While the weather was again cooperative the next day, Marie did not think it right to ask her family to make that long, cold drive again so soon.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we should visit your church in Washoe City,\u201d she suggested over breakfast<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Ben asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been two weeks since you could attend your chapel, and goodness knows when the next chance might be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 Having found almost everything needed to create the Christmas she envisioned, she was in such a state of content that she felt no need to confess.\u00a0 Even Adam\u2019s attitude had been better, perhaps in hope of pleasing Papa Noel, if not her.<\/p>\n

It was well they made the decision to go the shorter distance to Washoe City that morning since, once again, snow was descending as they left the church.\u00a0 Just a soft, lovely snowfall at first, but by the time they reached the higher ground of the Ponderosa, icy blasts were once more assaulting, making more than just the woman from the deep south shiver.\u00a0 By morning, the snow was knee-deep and still coming down as if there were no shortage of frosty flakes in the storehouse of heaven.<\/p>\n

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*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The snow continued to descend, day after day, with a dull and worrisome monotony, and as the week of Christmas began, the Cartwrights were well and truly snowed in.\u00a0 Ben installed a rope leading from the front door to the barn, so that he could tend to the animals.\u00a0 When Marie saw Adam bundling up to go with him that first morning, she protested.\u00a0 \u201cMais non<\/em>, Benjamin!\u00a0 Adam is too small to fight through such depths.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see to the boy, Marie,\u201d Ben responded, tying a long scarf over his hat to hold it on in the beyond-bracing wind and treating Adam\u2019s headgear to the same treatment.<\/p>\n

Adam was near exploding.\u00a0 He\u2019d expected no better from the Frenchwoman, but it still infuriated him, and now Pa was calling him boy to make matters worse!\u00a0 \u201cI can handle it,\u201d he insisted stiffly, somehow managing to hold on to his temper.<\/p>\n

Seeing the tension building between his wife and son, Ben quickly said, \u201cI\u2019ll carry him over, Marie, and he\u2019ll be warm enough inside the barn.\u201d\u00a0 As his wife appeared to be mulling it over, he snatched up an even more indignant Adam and carried him piggy-back out the door.<\/p>\n

With the wind in their faces, neither boy nor man spoke as Ben made his way, hand over hand, along the guiding rope, but Adam had plenty to say once his father set him down inside the barn.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not a little kid, Pa!\u201d<\/p>\n

The whine did nothing to enhance the case for his manhood, but Ben didn\u2019t let his amusement at that show.\u00a0 \u201cI know, son; I know,\u201d he soothed, \u201cbut I\u2019ve been married three times, and I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s often best to give in, or at least, appear to, especially this close to Christmas.<\/p>\n

A naughty grin twisted Adam\u2019s mouth at the thought of putting one over the woman.\u00a0 That, too, Ben chose to ignore in the interest of Christmas peace on his particular plot of the earth.<\/p>\n

When they returned to the house, Marie had biscuits and hot coffee ready for them.\u00a0 \u201cI am sorry it cannot be cocoa, Adam,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it was the one thing I could not find in town, and I must save what we have for the Christmas baking.\u00a0 You will not mind the coffee for now,\u00a0non<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Adam said with the most enthusiasm Marie had ever heard toward a suggestion of hers.<\/p>\n

Ben, of course, gave his advice in the barn full credit for Adam\u2019s cooperative attitude\u2014well, that and the manliness represented by the drink generally reserved for grownups.\u00a0 His first taste of the coffee brought a pleasant surprise.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, dear, this is very good,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Marie usually brewed her coffee a little strong for his taste, but this had been watered down a bit, perhaps for Adam\u2019s and Hoss\u2019s benefit or, perhaps just in the interest of stretching their supplies.<\/p>\n

Marie understood exactly what he meant, but for the sake of Christmas and the little ears listening in, she held in her irritation.\u00a0 \u201cOuf<\/em>,\u201d she said, needing some small vent.\u00a0 \u201cYou Americans are such . . . such . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWeaklings?\u201d Ben suggested with a grin, and wonder of wonders, he saw a small one sprout on Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Ben, shut the door!\u201d Marie cried as the wind whipped her skirt.\u00a0 She was glad her hands were free at that moment, so she could wrap them around her huddling shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want the firewood in, my love, I have to open the door,\u201d Ben chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said, a touch of chiding in her voice.\u00a0 She did not consider the continuing cold a subject for humor.\u00a0 \u201cBut do it as quickly as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am,\u201d Ben said pointedly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m no fonder of the cold than you, Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMai oui<\/em>,\u201d she said with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cDo\u2014do you think we will have enough?\u201d she asked hesitantly.\u00a0 \u201cI can curtail my baking if we need to conserve our wood supply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t do that!\u201d\u00a0 Dumping his armload of wood into its waiting box, he circled his wife\u2019s shoulder with an unfortunately chilly arm.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of wood, Marie,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cI learned to put in a good supply our first winter here, so bake all the Christmas treats you like, right, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

Much as he relished Christmas treats, Adam wasn\u2019t about to give \u201cthe woman\u201d any encouragement, but Hoss immediately said, \u201cRight!\u00a0 Whatcha gonna bake, Ma?\u00a0 I favor sugar cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, I can bake sugar cookies, Hoss, and for Christmas Day, I hope to make a\u00a0Buche de Noel<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 It was for that she was saving their small supply of cocoa.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bush?\u201d Hoss asked, eyes widening.\u00a0 \u201cWhy we gotta eat bushes for Christmas?\u00a0 Ain\u2019t we got enough meat and taters to last?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tittered into her hand.\u00a0 \u201cNon, non<\/em>,\u201d she said when she could speak.\u00a0 \u201cBuche<\/em>\u00a0means \u2018log\u2019 in French.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t eat logs, either, Ma,\u201d Hoss protested.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re even tougher than bushes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u00a0mon fils!\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0She was trying desperately not to laugh, but failing miserably.<\/p>\n

Ben gave her a chiding look, but added, \u201cIf you\u2019re concerned about our firewood supply, my love, we\u2019d best not eat it!\u201d\u00a0 Adam\u2019s expression was openly curious and slightly frustrated as he waited for the teasing to stop and the edifying\u2014he did like that new word!\u2014to begin.<\/p>\n

Marie brought herself under control and said, stooping down to Hoss\u2019s level, \u201cIt only looks like a log,\u00a0mon cher<\/em>.\u00a0 It is a cake we French people bake only at Christmastime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love cake!\u201d Hoss declared.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t we all just know it?\u201d Ben hooted.\u00a0 \u201cYou save some of that bush or log or whatever it is for the rest of us, son!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, I ain\u2019t that selfish, not even about cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, son; I know.\u201d\u00a0 The affectionate ruffling of his hair told Hoss his father was only teasing.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I help make the bush\u2014I mean log\u2014Ma?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cThat cake is somewhat hard to make, and I will need all my concentration for it.\u201d\u00a0 Seeing his disappointment, she added, \u201cPerhaps you could help with the cookies?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah, I\u2019m good at cookies!\u201d Hoss exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt eating \u2018em, he means,\u201d Adam said with a mischievous grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m great at that!\u201d Hoss cried.\u00a0 \u201cSo, can we start now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s have breakfast first,\u201d his father suggested dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Hoss said, only slightly deflated.\u00a0 As soon as breakfast was over, though, his mind ran on the cookie track once more.\u00a0 \u201cSo, can we start now?\u201d he asked again.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Marie laughed lightly.\u00a0 \u201cI must wash the dishes and, perhaps, rest a bit before I make more messes.\u00a0 I thought to bake the cookies this afternoon, after lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay.\u201d\u00a0 Though Hoss was obviously disappointed with the delay, he was such an easily pleased child that he willingly changed his plans for the sake of others, especially someone as beloved as his new mama.\u00a0 \u201cSo, can I go outside and build a snowman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d both his parents responded, Marie with a shiver of fear and Ben with a nostalgic chuckle, for he\u2019d both been a boy himself and was now the father of two.\u00a0 \u201cLook out the window, son,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a driving snowstorm.\u00a0 Trust me, boy, you do not want to out in it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess not,\u201d Hoss said with a sigh, though his face still conveyed other hopes for the near future.\u00a0 \u201cWhat we gonna do, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna read,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Then, catching a look at his father\u2019s face, he reluctantly added, \u201cIf that\u2019s okay, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we might tell stories,\u201d Ben suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cStories!\u00a0 Yeah!\u201d Hoss exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too early for\u00a0A Christmas Carol<\/em>, Pa,\u201d Adam said anxiously.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s for Christmas Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I know, son,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll keep to that tradition.\u201d\u00a0 Having been a boy himself, he knew how important traditions were to youngsters, especially since there\u2019d been very few in his childhood home.\u00a0 \u201cI thought we might share more personal stories this morning, about our Christmases past\u2014no ghosts needed,\u201d he added with a grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainement pas<\/em>!\u201d Marie declared, turning from the sink and putting her soapy hand on her hips.\u00a0 \u201cWe will have no ghosts in our house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gasped.\u00a0 Surely, Pa wouldn\u2019t let her spoil that!<\/p>\n

Ben saw the look on his eldest\u2019s face and quickly defused the situation.\u00a0 \u201cWe will for Christmas Eve, Marie,\u201d he said, firmly.\u00a0 Then he softened his voice and added, \u201cIt\u2019s really a wonderful story, my love, with a fine lesson in Christian charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t you heard of Charles Dickens?\u201d Adam scoffed.<\/p>\n

Ben silenced him with a hard look.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure she has.\u00a0 Just not this particular story, perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though irritated by Adam\u2019s continuing need to disparage any and every thing about her, Marie said, \u201cMais non<\/em>.\u00a0 A ghost story is not the type the sisters would have told us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSisters?\u00a0 You got sisters, Ma?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss beamed with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Adam,\u201d he whooped.\u00a0 \u201cWe got aunts!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie tittered into her hands.\u00a0 \u201cNon, non, mon fils<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe means nuns,\u201d a disgusted Adam told his younger brother with a roll of his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNones?\u201d Hoss asked, face scrunching in puzzlement that only deepened when his question was met with more laughter, for they all instantly understood that he\u2019d used a word that sounded like what Adam had said, but definitely wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Ben recovered first.\u00a0 \u201cNo, son.\u00a0 It\u2019s a different word.\u00a0 Nuns\u2014or as some folk call them, sisters\u2014are women of your mother\u2019s faith who serve God in a special way.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to his wife.\u00a0 \u201cIs that close enough, my love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, for now,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThe sisters at the orphanage were very good to me, but . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOrphanage?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA place for kids that have no parents,\u201d Adam supplied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, but\u2014but you had parents, Ma, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s lower lip was trembling.<\/p>\n

Marie touched his shoulder gently.\u00a0 \u201cFor a while, but as with your mother,\u00a0mon cher<\/em>, I lost them early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour ma and pa, both?\u201d \u00a0Hoss gulped, unable to take in the magnitude of such a loss.\u00a0 Adam, too, for the first time, saw the hated Frenchwoman as a real person, someone who had known loss and pain, just as he had.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said quietly, \u201cbut the sisters were good to me.\u201d\u00a0 She laughed then.\u00a0 \u201cEven though it was hard for them to handle a little rebel like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can well imagine it,\u201d Ben teased.\u00a0 He had said something very similar to her when he happened upon her outside the convent in New Orleans and she had described herself a \u201csomething of a rebel\u201d in her girlhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d she silenced him.\u00a0 \u201cDo not tell tales, as you say, out of church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Ben said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to tell the first tale, all about Christmas back in . . . New Orleans.\u201d\u00a0 He had almost said \u201cback in the orphanage,\u201d but fearing that might be as grim as a tale straight out of Dickens, he quickly changed his wording.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow?\u201d Marie asked.\u00a0 \u201cBut the dishes . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill wait,\u201d Ben finished.\u00a0 He began to rhythmically pound the wooden table with doubled fists.\u00a0 \u201cStory, story.\u00a0 We want story!\u201d\u00a0 And of course, the boys quickly took up the cry, Adam a little less enthusiastically than Hoss. \u00a0Even he, however, was willing to call a truce for the sake of a story, especially one that sounded like it might be a bit Dickenesque.\u00a0 (He hoped that was a word, because he really liked the sound of it.)<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you wish, then,\u201d Marie said, sitting with them at the table.\u00a0 \u201cWell, the first thing to know is that Christmas in New Orleans is a very noisy affair.\u00a0 The streets are full of music and people making joyous clamor, the children blowing horns and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you blow a horn, Ma?\u201d Hoss asked excitedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Marie said with a tinkling laugh.\u00a0 \u201cThe sisters frowned on such noisemakers, especially during the holy days of nativity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you never got to see the fun?\u201d Hoss asked, giving her a sympathetic look.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell . . .\u201d\u00a0 Marie sounded reluctant to answer, but there was a twinkle in her eye.<\/p>\n

Ben caught it and said, \u201cOh, I have a feeling the little rebel found a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flushing, Marie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I knew a way to escape the walls of the convent, and the music drew me.\u00a0 I had to follow the sound, and, of course, I wanted to catch sight of Papa Noel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d Hoss asked, nose crinkled in puzzlement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would say Santa Claus,\u201d Marie explained, \u201cbut for the people in the swamps, it is Papa Noel, and he does not arrive in a sleigh with reindeer, but a pirogue pulled by alligators.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlligators!\u201d both boys cried.\u00a0 Even Hoss had seen pictures of those fearsome-looking creatures.<\/p>\n

Marie laughed at their widened eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOui<\/em>, alligators.\u00a0 The swamps of Louisiana are full of them, so what better to pull a pirogue\u2014that\u2019s a kind of boat\u2014through them.\u00a0 And there are bonfires everywhere, so Papa Noel can find his way to the children, and fireworks exploding all around.\u00a0 Oh, it is a wondrous time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we build bonfires for Papa Noel to find us, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked eagerly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather save our wood for fires inside,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, Pa, just a little one,\u201d Hoss pleaded, \u201cand I guess we don\u2019t have no horns, but we could make noises like one, and . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat<\/em>, I believe!\u201d Ben declared.\u00a0 \u201cWell, son, perhaps a little one, if the weather permits, but I can\u2019t promise, you understand.\u00a0 We are\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0building a bonfire in a blowing snowstorm!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell about the music,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 Try as he might, he couldn\u2019t resist learning more, and the thought of new songs was enticing enough to conquer the considerable reluctance he had to give the woman any encouragement.<\/p>\n

Marie was encouraged, however, at this first sign of acceptance from Ben\u2019s older son.\u00a0 \u201cThe music in the streets was, as I say, noisy and very lively.\u00a0 The songs the sister permitted in the convent were more about the true meaning of Christmas, of course, and I believe I liked them best.\u201d\u00a0 She hesitated, but taking courage, suggested, \u201cPerhaps I could sing one tonight when we huddle by the fire?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam only gave a small nod, but it came with a tentative smile that Marie took as the first sign that the ice in his heart had released its first drop.\u00a0 \u201cAh, good,\u201d she said, \u201cbut now someone else must tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The afternoon was spent sharing memories of Christmases past.\u00a0 Hoss could remember only a few, of course, and, surprisingly, Ben had almost as few holiday memories, at least early ones, for his parents had been slow to accept the seasonal celebrations, choosing to keep Christmas as they\u2019d been brought up, as an almost strictly religious holy day.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, Adam\u2019s favorite memories were those in which Ben\u2019s second wife Inger had taken part, and he was ardent in his praise for her Swedish meals and traditions and the wonderful cookies she had baked.\u00a0 He\u2019d had only the one Christmas with her, but it had been perfection, as he remembered it.<\/p>\n

Marie was certain these memories were shared to point out how superior Inger had been in every way, compared to his pa\u2019s new wife.\u00a0 So, it came as a surprise to her, when she finally told Hoss it was time to bake the cookies, that Adam rather haltingly asked if he, too, could help.\u00a0 \u201cOf course,\u201d she agreed, with more enthusiasm than she felt, since she was certain he only wanted to see her fail to meet Inger\u2019s high standard.<\/p>\n

She watched Adam\u2019s face like the proverbial hawk when she gave each young Cartwright a cookie to taste, hot from the oven. \u00a0\u00a0She realized she was asking for trouble when she asked the boys how the cookies were, but couldn\u2019t stop herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re great, Ma!\u201d Hoss said.\u00a0 \u201cNice and crisp and sugary, just the way I like \u2018em!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie smiled at his enthusiasm, and then, even as she berated herself for a fool, she asked Adam his opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re good,\u201d Adam said simply, though with no great enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not as good as Inger\u2019s?\u201d\u00a0 She could have kicked herself for the sharp question, but at least she had not described Ben\u2019s second wife as \u201cthe sainted Inger,\u201d a phrase which had been on the tip of her tongue.\u00a0 At least, she would not have to repent of that, if she ever again made it to confessional!<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s eyebrows arched up, and she detected a flush of anger on his face, but for once, he was the one holding his irritation in check.\u00a0 \u201cHers were different, the boy said in the most politic response she\u2019d ever heard from him.\u00a0 \u201cShe made icing for them and let us decorate them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d cried Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cThat would be fun!\u00a0 And even sweeter than just sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was sitting by, hoping he wouldn\u2019t have to intervene and thereby ruin what had been a pleasant family afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>, that would be sweeter,\u201d Marie agreed tentatively, pulling on some instinct as a mother, since she had no real experience nor any example to follow except one especially caring nun who had tried to show the little rebel a mother\u2019s love.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps another day we might try that.\u201d\u00a0 She risked at quick look at Adam to see if he would think she was trying to compete with the sainted memory of, she suddenly realized, the only mother he had ever truly known.\u00a0 That made the two of them something of a pair, she thought, her heart growing even more tender toward him.<\/p>\n

At first, Adam only nodded, for she hadn\u2019t been wrong about the sainted position Inger held in his heart.\u00a0 In truth, Marie wasn\u2019t the baker Inger had been, and even iced, her cookies probably wouldn\u2019t be as good, but suddenly he didn\u2019t want to hold that against her.\u00a0 She\u2019d tried her best, and Pa always said that his best was good enough when Adam couldn\u2019t do things as well as he could.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cThat would be fun,\u201d he finally said slowly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd\u2014and we could put a hole in them before we bake them, like Inger did,\u201d he added tentatively.\u00a0 \u201cThat way we could hang a few on the tree.\u00a0 Hoss hasn\u2019t ever seen that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Hoss is not the only one who would like to see a remembrance of his mother<\/em>, Marie realized.\u00a0 \u201cWe will do that,\u201d she said with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust put \u2018em on the tree?\u00a0 Not eat em?\u201d Hoss asked, face crinkling pathetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can eat them later, greedy belly,\u201d Adam said with a roll of his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u00a0 Okay, then!\u201d\u00a0 And everyone, Hoss included, laughed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

After a dinner of warming stew, with cookies for dessert, the Cartwrights all gathered by the fire with cups of hot coffee, which quickly cooled as they and sang carol after carol.\u00a0 Finally, Ben reminded his wife of her promise to sing some French carols to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I am not a great singer,\u201d Marie said, \u201cbut I will try one\u2014first in French, which is how I learned it, and then in English, so you may understand.\u201d\u00a0 She began to sing, and though her voice was not one to grace a concert stage, it was melodic and sweet to this forgiving audience:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEntrentre le b\u0153uf et l\u2019\u00e2ne gris<\/em><\/p>\n

Dort, dort, dort le petit fils.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mille anges divins, mille s\u00e9raphins<\/em><\/p>\n

Volent \u00e0 l\u2019entour de ce grand dieu d\u2019amour.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Entre les deux bras de Marie<\/em>\u00a0. . .\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMa!\u201d Hoss shouted.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s your name!\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie stopped, laughing.\u00a0 \u201cOh,\u00a0mon fils<\/em>,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThe song is not about me, but the blessed mother of Jesus.\u00a0 Marie is how you say Mary in French.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got the same name as Jesus\u2019 ma?\u201d the boy asked, eyes wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cYou are older and know more things, but Hoss is wise to ask when he does not know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gulped.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant to make Hoss feel bad.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d he said quickly.\u00a0 \u201cAsk anything you want, Hoss, but I wish you could hold the questions \u2018til she finishes the song.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s the first two verses,\u201d Marie said.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps I should sing them in English before we go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, please,\u201d Adam said.\u00a0 \u201cI know\u00a0fils<\/em>\u00a0is son, \u2018cause you use that a lot . . . with Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d Marie said, pleased to see him show an interest in her native tongue.\u00a0 \u201cThis is what the rest means.\u201d\u00a0 She began again to sing:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBetween the ox and grey donkey<\/p>\n

Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the little son.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A thousand divine angels, a thousand seraphim<\/p>\n

Fly around this great God of love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Between the two arms of Mary<\/p>\n

Sleeps, sleeps, sleeps the fruit of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAw, that\u2019s sweet,\u201d Hoss crooned.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty,\u201d Adam agreed, \u201cand\u00a0dort<\/em>\u00a0means sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does,\u201d Marie said, pleased with his interest.\u00a0 \u201cHow quickly you learn Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to learn the whole song, tune and words and all!\u201d he said earnestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will be happy to teach you,\u201d she said, \u201cbut there are three more verses, so perhaps I should just sing it through tonight.\u00a0 Then you and I can work on it tomorrow afternoon and present it that evening,\u00a0oui<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOui<\/em>,\u201d he said testing the sound on his tongue and finding he liked it far more than he thought he would.\u00a0 It was only right to use her word for \u201cyes,\u201d he told himself, just like he\u2019d come to say \u201cYah<\/em>\u201d with Inger.\u00a0 Marie wasn\u2019t Inger and could never take her place, but maybe, just maybe, she could have a place, too.\u00a0 As that thought seeped into Adam\u2019s brain, he felt the ice in his heart not just drip, but actually start to melt.<\/p>\n

Marie sang the whole song, from beginning to end, but as the others applauded her, she suddenly gasped, touching her left hand to her stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Ma?\u201d Hoss asked anxiously.\u00a0 \u201cYou ain\u2019t feelin\u2019 sick, are you?\u00a0 Not at Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNon, non<\/em>,\u201d Marie assured him quickly.\u00a0 \u201cI only felt a little wiggle in my tummy.\u00a0 I am fine now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarie?\u201d Ben asked with a look of wonder in his eyes and a certain expectation, for he\u2019d seen a woman make such gestures before\u2014twice before, in fact.<\/p>\n

Though she had wanted to save her news until Christmas morning, Marie knew the secret was out.\u00a0 She wanted it to be just theirs for a bit longer, though, so she held a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.<\/p>\n

Ben saw it and nodded, but his eyes were shining with the joy bubbling up in his heart.<\/p>\n

Once he knew his new mother wasn\u2019t sick, Hoss was satisfied and didn\u2019t pay any attention to the byplay between his parents.\u00a0 Sharp-eyed Adam, however, saw and understood everything their eyes had telegraphed to one another.\u00a0\u00a0A baby<\/em>, he realized.\u00a0\u00a0She\u2019s gonna have a baby<\/em>.\u00a0 \u00a0A few days before, he might have reacted differently, knowing a baby would mean there was no getting rid of her, but now he found he didn\u2019t mind.\u00a0 In fact, as he contemplated having a new little brother\u2014being a Cartwright, it was bound to be a brother\u2014he kind of liked the idea, and it made the ice inside him drip even faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Ma!\u201d Hoss cried as he took a sip from one of the cups on the table, liberally laced with milk in his case. \u201cThis coffee\u2019s half frozen!\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone laughed then, and Ben volunteered to warm the coffee up again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~ ~ ~ ~<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Each year after that snowed-in one, the Cartwrights would sit around the blazing fire during the final days before Christmas and share their most treasured memories of the holidays gone by. \u00a0Whenever Adam would tell the story of that first Christmas with Marie, frosty in more ways than one, he always concluded the same way. \u00a0\u201cOur cups of boiling coffee would be frozen in twenty minutes,\u201d he would tell the little brother who\u2019d been only a wiggle in her tummy that night, \u201cbut the warmth in our hearts thawed all the ice, inside and out.\u00a0 Love is like that, Little Joe,\u201d he would add as he tapped the boy\u2019s tiny nose, \u201cand Christmas is all about love.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

My prompt:\u00a0 Our cups of boiling coffee would be frozen in twenty minutes.<\/p>\n

My main character: Marie<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Link to the Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar \u2013 Day 19 – Once Upon a Christmas Eve – Heather-Chrysalis<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0 The weather isn\u2019t the only thing frosty that first Christmas after Marie joins the Cartwright family, but through the magic of story and song, they all find new warmth, acceptance and heartfelt love.
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0(6,520 words)
\nWritten for the 2025 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"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":[23,30],"tags":[1062],"class_list":["post-61214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","tag-advent-calendar","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":258,"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":49964,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49964","url_meta":{"origin":61214,"position":0},"title":"Ponderosa Haiku (by wx4rmk)","author":"wx4rmk","date":"December 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 No one signed up for the fourth, so this day was opened to all members in the Forums to try their hand at writing poetry for the season. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 35 words Written for the 2024 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61165,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61165","url_meta":{"origin":61214,"position":1},"title":"Ponderosa Yuletide Wit (by wx4rmk)","author":"wx4rmk","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0A poem about Adam\u2019s clever wit bringing joy and cheer during the holidays. 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