grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

I love Christmas music. Christmas music in the car makes every drive better. A drive to Plano, a quick trip to the Texaco for gasoline, or even a long slow haul through Oklahoma.

Winter Wonderland reminds me of Brother Brown and Brinkley Chapel Christmas programs—a private joke among the youth choir, and I use the term choir very loosely… We were an impressive group—me, Staci, our cousin Lesa, and the three Davis girls who ironically were also cousins. I was the oldest, the leader of the pack, but we were all within 3 years of each other. Without fail, we performed a Christmas pageant every year at Brinkley under the direction and choreography of my mother, church pianist.

Staci, Lesa, Talya, Jamie, Karen, Monica
How excited were we?

As young girls, we wore similar floor length velvet-ish dresses sewn by our mothers or grandmothers. We loved those dresses. Those dresses were the ONLY reason we agreed to perform.

In junior high we showcased our more individually developing talents like playing the flute or guitar to Away in a Manger, more of a 1970’s variety show, made popular at the time by Sonny & Cher, Tony Orlando & Dawn, etc. One year we were even allowed to wear bell-bottom jeans. Eventually, younger Davis kids came along—Kim and Jeff and Mitzi—never part of the core choir, but allowed to play lesser roles such as lambs in the manger scene.

By the time we were in high school, we six girls were completely mortified by this musical spectacle. There was much loud protesting, teenage moaning, hair flipping and eye rolling. We begged and pleaded to pass the torch permanently to the younger Davis clan, but to no avail. Our fan club (mostly relatives) demanded it, feigning absolute delight each year with our performance. There was nothing much to do in Mississippi County.

The finale was always identical, year after year, a Brinkley tradition—We Wish You a Merry Christmas with the entire congregation joining in for the final verse (which was the same as the first verse).

Finally, Santa magically appeared in the sanctuary complete with red suit, fluffy white beard and a large burlap sack on his back. He spread good cheer and plain brown paper sacks to everyone. Inside, an apple, tangerine, assorted nuts, individually wrapped chocolate and peppermints. I can still smell that wonderful combination of treats. These goodie bags, a highlight and huge indulgence, made the whole debacle worthwhile. I made my chocolate last for days.

Jimmy Davis, church secretary and official keeper of all valuable statistical information, was Santa. He got all the best church jobs.