Jill's Journal: I thought I was sneakier than that...

By: 
Jill Meier, Journal editor
Growing up, I thought I knew all of the places where mom and dad would even think of hiding our Christmas presents.
Turns out, I didn’t.
One year, they packed them in suitcases.
My brother and I never thought to look there.
Another year, they were tucked underneath a board in the then-retired ringer washer and rinse tubs that sat idle in the basement.
My brother and I never thought to look there either.
Of course, as a kid, I was so excited about Christmas and what was contained inside those packages, that it was hard to wait until it was time. 
That’s not to say a few packages didn’t get a shake or two beforehand. (Yes, Mom, I confess, we did that).
And no matter whether we knew what was inside the packages, it never dimmed our enthusiasm from when we actually could open them up for all to see.
As I announced last week, our “Finding Brandon’s Christmas Spirit” ornament was found after a single clue.
That’s right – just one simple little clue.
“Historically speaking,” Kari Beck told me, stood out to her. She’s a history buff, she added.
And her daughter, Makenna, remembered the ornament was in the shape of a Christmas tree this year. 
The mother and daughter sleuths quickly determined – in about five minutes, they told me – where to look. Sure enough, it was Makenna who climbed underneath the large-scale evergreen tree just outside the Brandon Historical Museum and came out with the prize in hand.
Not wanting to bring any attention to themselves, “Makenna yelped and said, ‘Let’s get the heck out of here!’” Kari shared.
The mother and daughter said they went on the hunt last year but “got their too late,” as it had been found.
“I think we got very lucky,” Kari said.
As for me, I’m elated the Becks – not including Makenna’s older brother who does not get to share in the prize package because he didn’t want to join them in the hunt – were able to enjoy the experience together.
Because folks, that’s what “Finding Brandons Christmas Spirit” is all about.
And you can bet, next year, I’ll be a whole lot sneakier in hiding the ornament and less informative in clue one. 

Category:

The Brandon Valley Journal

 

The Brandon Valley Journal
1404 E. Cedar St.
Brandon, SD 57005
(605) 582-9999

Email Us

Facebook Twitter

Please Login for Premium Content