Santa's Logs

We had a fireplace in our home but we never really used it. I remember only two or three fires in it when I was growing up. If we did have a fire, we first had to remove Santa's logs and then add the wood we actually planned to burn.

What do I mean by Santa's logs?

At some point during their yearly visits to my mother's family in Western North Carolina, my father brought home three beautiful logs. I think they were white oak. They fit perfectly in my parents' fireplace. My parents never built fires in this fireplace, but the logs looked lovely.

Once we children began to arrive, so did Santa Claus. I don't remember my first Christmas, but I do remember from later ones that Santa always left evidence of his visit down our chimney. Every single year, those fireplace logs were in disarray on Christmas morning. My father had to point them out to me my first few times, but once I understood the drill, I would always point this out to my sister and then to her and my brother. We had absolute proof that Santa had been at our house!

In 1962 we moved to our new house in Churchland. The logs came with us and went straight to their position of honor in our new fireplace. The fireplace hardware was fancier, and there was now a screen for the fireplace, but the logs settled right in. Sure enough, on our first Christmas in the new house, Santa kicked those logs around during his visit.

No matter how old we grew, we checked to see if those logs were out of position on Christmas morning. Several times my husband and I were lucky enough to bring our children to celebrate Christmas with my parents. Each of those times, I carefully pointed out how Santa had landed on those logs when he brought the presents. My father never forgot that detail!

My parents are gone now, but my sister lives in their house. I am glad to report that Santa's logs still lie proudly in the fireplace there. I hope Santa still lands on them when Christmas comes.