Runnin' On

Janet discovers a replacement for the Word paperclip

"Christmas was coming and the goose was getting fat, and so incidentally was the Tilburn's cat!"

But, he has been a much nicer, calm and friendly cat. A bit of a dilemma for us. Too much food is obviously our fault so we have cut it down, just a bit today. Toby went straight to the hall carpet and started to sharpen his claws, I reprimanded the little love while I heaved myself off my chair and sprinted across the kitchen. I fully expect to be in the next sports day for the elderly!

There are even bigger problems in my mind though; one is our Editor, who wanted to fill the pump full of cheer and joy for the Christmas issue. Then what did he do? He completely ignored my masterpiece! So you'll get it this month whether you like it or not and anyway it is technically still Christmas until the 5th January.

Joy we had. Mr T discovered a wonderful new thing on the computer; we've only had it a couple of years or so, no time at all really. We don't often have the time to explore all the secret areas. For help we only had a miserable little paper clip. The active little thing couldn't do anything for me, I hated it!

However, Mr T found the perfect replacement for biker clip, in the box of wonderful tricks there was a cat. He's by no means perfect, he sits in the margin smiling at me now, but I know how he will react to me making a mistake! He'll sharpen his claws on my page; what's more he will meow as he does it. I love him to bits already.

I won't let Toby see the orange cat yet; he'll only get jealous and take it out on the whole house. Just a trawl through all the previous Christmas Pumps to refresh my memory, I found my first Christmas verse, bear with me, I'm an old softie really!

I stand and look at the stable scene now, wondering if the figures look how

They did, those many years ago, the little Child in manger low,

Mary and Joseph, watching with care, and the shepherds marvelling there.

Travelling kings were on their way to see the King of Kings that day,

A special King, a man of love, our Christmas gift from God above.

The following year I started to wonder again.

What does Christmas mean to me?

Presents under the Christmas tree,

Carol singers in the lane,

"Away in a manger", once again.

I stand and think of the Christmas when

Mary and Joseph and Three Wise men

Adored and praised the new born child,

Born to Mary meek and mild,

Laid to sleep on a bed of hay,

The Baby who gave us Christmas Day.

This is what Christmas means to me.

Janet Tilburn