Auntie Mae’s Various Ramblings on Life in a Small Town

Ida Mae Nowes 

Nubbins Special Correspondent

NUBBINS had a white Christmas this year–the first one in I don’t know how long. The movies like us to think that Christmas looks like a magical Vermont post card every year, but where I live it might as easily be raining or 70 degrees. You just never know.

What I do know is that snow threw the whole town into a tizzy. This was no little dusting after all – there was a good 12 inches of fat white frosting covering the whole town by Christmas morning. Christmas Eve morning people were still hoping it wouldn’t amount to much, but as the flakes kept falling they got worried. In Vermont nobody bats an eye at 12 inches of snow, but in Nubbins snow can cause a certain level of insanity–especially on Christmas Eve. There were groceries to buy! Last minute gifts to find! Church services to attend! Family and friends to visit!

I confess to feeling a bit of that insanity myself. Merl was in town visiting his mother, and the three of us had plans to go to the 7:00 candlelight church service. We were then going to Roberta’s house for eggnog and caroling with her beau Brian and a few other folks. I had other things planned for the day too, like giving a little Christmas present to my neighbor Johnny Mac–the young man I’ve been tutoring. And I was completely out of coffee for my Christmas morning breakfast.At first I was in a big huff about it all. How very inconsiderate of the weather to mess up my plans. But then I thought, really, who cares? So I don’t get to go to the candlelight service for the first time in 40 years. So I don’t get to see Johnny Mac, or be with my friends and Merl on Christmas Eve, or buy coffee. I’ve got a roof over my head and so far the heat’s still working, so I can live without those other things, can’t I?

I wasn’t sure about the coffee, but the rest… probably.If I’ve learned anything from living six decades, it’s that things usually have a way of working out, though rarely in the way you thought they would. So I made myself a cup of cocoa and sat at my kitchen table watching the silvery flakes float down in my back yard as the dusk settled in. I soon found myself lost in the soft, magical scene outside my window. I was so mesmerized I jumped when I heard a knock on the door.When I opened it, there was a scarlet-cheeked Johnny Mac, with Mae the dog on a leash. In his hand was a gift in green and red paper.“Merry Christmas, Aunt Ida Mae,” he yelped. “Isn’t this snow awesome!”“It’s wonderful,”

I couldn’t help but reply, and Mae agreed by barking. “You two better come on in and get warm.”He and Mae came in stood on the mat, while I closed the door behind them.“My mom wanted me to bring you this,” he said, handing me the present, “and she wanted to make sure you knew the church service was cancelled for tonight.”­“Well I guess I’m not missing anything then,” I said, smiling to myself. “I’ve got something for you too.” I went back in the living room and came out with a shiny gold gift bag, which Johnny Mac tore into without hesitation. He pulled out a long red scarf I’d knitted for him and a shorter one.

“Wow!” he said, wrapping the long one around his neck. “What’s the short one for?”“Your mom told me that you’re going to be able to keep Mae for your very own, so I made one for Mae too,” I said.Johnny Mac’s eyes grew wide. “You did? You are the coolest!”

Mae didn’t seem quite as excited as Johnny Mac when he tied the scarf around her neck, but Johnny Mac was clearly impressed and surprised me by reaching over and giving me a hug.

“Thanks Aunt Ida Mae. I gotta go back home now cause it’s gettin’ dark. Merry Christmas!” As he and Mae stepped out into the carport, we saw that someone had driven into the driveway. It was Brian’s truck, and as Johnny Mac and Mae ran home, Roberta and Merl and Brian and three other friends tumbled out.

“What’s going on?” I asked.“Well we knew you weren’t going to get out in this mess, so we’re bringing the party to you,” Roberta said, showing me a sack filled with eggnog and other goodies. Merl gave me a big hug and said “Merry Christmas, honey.

”Suddenly the scene changed from a soft, solitary evening to one of people and laughter and music. But I still felt a hint of Christmas Eve magic in the air.

Roberta picked up the gift Johnny Mac had left.

“What’s this?” she asked.“Oh Johnny Mac brought that over from his mother,” I said, tearing open the paper. As I pulled out the gift I could only shake my head and smile.

It was a pound of gourmet coffee.