Ready for some word-game fun–maybe over a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of gingerbread? See if you can spot the twenty or so “Christmas words” we’ve hidden in the following story!
(Royalty-free image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)
My brother Trevor can be wholly oblivious when it comes to gift-giving.
He tends to buy the first thing he sees in an online ad. Venting my frustration did no good last Christmas, so I decided to get an early start on helping him shop this year.
Dropping by his condo, I was overjoyed to find him checking shopping sites. But my mood plummeted when I realized what he was considering: five-pound aged fruitcakes in decorative tins! Elevating myself to my knowledgeable big-sister position, I exclaimed, “Tre, everyone we know has hated fruitcake since before we were born! A mental image of Aunt Jane or Mr. Gilpin eating one of these is enough to give me chills!”
Trevor rolled his eyes. “You could give me free rein, Dee. Really, I know what people like.”
I shuddered, remembering how he gave Mom an orange lapel pin two years ago. “Think in terms of what you’d eat, young man. German chocolate is a lot more to most people’s taste.”
Giving me a light punch on the arm, Trevor rose and grabbed his coat and gloves. “Now, Dee, that’s not imaginative. C’mon, let’s get some lunch. With no sleight of hand, I’ll surprise everyone this year.”
Not convinced, I nevertheless let him walk me to the car. “O, look, just make it something simple, Tre. For everyone.”
He grinned like the author of a bestselling novel. Fervently, I hoped there would be no elephant in the room when we opened packages on Christmas morning.
The day dawned clear and bright. Trevor beamed as he handed everyone a similar small, brown bag.
Friends and family lit up like ocean liners sailing the seas. One after another, people exclaimed, “Trev! This is the best gift ever!”
Green with envy, but proud of my little brother, I opened mine. And there it was! A much better gift than last year’s dulcimer: rye bread, a fresh-baked loaf, warm from the oven.
Now the whole room smelled of warm bread and was filled with happy recipients. I sidled up to my brother and gave him a high five.
“How did you know, Tre? I love fresh bread!”
“So do I!” chimed in about ten other people.
He hugged me jubilantly. “It was you, Dee. Reminding me to keep it simple. Your comments led to my success!”