Thanksgiving with the Kegley Gathering

My brother, Jim Kegley, still lives in our home town of Portsmouth Ohio in Scioto County.  We saw jim and many of Forest and Mary Kegley's offspring at our annual Thanksgiving gathering in Beavercreek yesterday.  God has so richly blessed the Kegley family.  Jim owned the Scioto Voice and sold it to Debbie Allard a few years ago..  Jim wrote a wonderful article this week for the paper describing our Thanksgiving gathering at Beavercreek.

Please don't permit any younger than thirteen to read or hear of this little aside to our real story of Thanksgiving.

Some of us adults know that Santa requires a lot of human help even if Mr. Claus is God's Saint Nicholas. 

Firstly, does anyone know what a 'semi' is?  Our great neighbor and friend, Carol Estep, has a gratuitist son, Rick, who, while helping his mother and us in the yard,  told us of the "semi" term for a semi-beard, such as I had last summer and which I have recently re-grown.  I kind of like my semi because it matches what little hair my head grows.  Both sets are a near-white gray.

Well, my young bride of soon-to-be 61 years, Jeanie, wants the semi shaved.  I like it as I stated above, but I asked her top permit our three wonderful granddaughters, Morgan, Tobey, and Ida Scout to vote and we would abide by the outcome.  Tob voted first and said: "Keep it only if you play Santa Claus."  One for the maybe column.  Ida immediately voted:  "Keep it!'  Morgan said: "Shave it!"  One maybe, one keep and one shave.  A dreadlock, pardon another of my bad puns.

Well, years ago our tradition of Santa's handing presents out at the gathering began.  Many of the family have aided St. Nick in the enjoyable happenings.  Thanks to Sharon and Don Lundy, a few years ago, they purchased an expensive and authentic Santa outfit.   Sharon or Mick Lundy, their son, normally arrange the Happening each year.  Selfishly and politically, I lobbied Sharon for me to play Santa this year.  I have once before in the many years, but I must tell you that it is a special perspective to see the believing look of the young ones as they come forward and sit on your lap to receive their parent(s) arranged gift.

Jeanie looked over to Tobey and gave and indication of:  "You know what this means?".  Tobey smilingly acknowledged that she did.

I am only eighty now, but I still believe in the good Santa does in the Christmas season.

Thank You God!