So what do you give the family that wants nothing they don’t have and asks for nothing they might want. Everyone in the Miller family has asked me if Maria and I celebrate Christmas, and I told them we do, sort of.

Every year, on Christmas eve, we go off to the Vermont Inn where we honeymooned, trade presents, have a special meal, and come home the next morning. We have a good friend and dog lover who stays in the farmhouse. But we are actually only gone from mid-afternoon to mid-morning.

Still, I feel Christmas is a time to think of others and do some good. I’ve made sure that everyone at the Mansion who would like some money for presents has some.

I’ve learned a lot this year about how to give the Amish things they might want or love, but can’t ask for or even acknowledge getting. They wouldn’t want anything expensive, showy, or flashy. Nothing electronic, no furniture or wall hangings, no kitchen utensils or best-selling books, no cell phones or gift cards, no flowers.

In other words, nothing you might ordinarily buy someone.

But I think I figured it out. I’m going to buy them a gift certificate to Stewart’s, a local convenience store chain that sells ice cream, candy bars, potato chips, and high-powered sugared sodas of all kinds, including the Amish National Drink, Mountain Dew.

Mountain Dew is the top-ranked popular soda brand in America, it has 3.83 grams of sugar per fl. oz, bringing it to 48 grams of sugar per 12 fl. ounces.

I joke with the family that a bottle of Mountain Dew every day would send me to the hospital in a week or so, or maybe to my grave.

But since they work hard all day every day and burn scores of calories every hour and get more exercise in a day than I do in a week, there are certainly no visible negative effects from their penchant for sugar sodas, potato chips,  candy bars, and gummy worms.

They eat very healthy foods at meals, lots of canned fruit, meat, and vegetables, and it isn’t my business to tell them what snacks to get for energy and fun. Every one of them is healthier than I am.

I haven’t decided how much the gift certificate should be but it will be modest, and I expect or anticipate nothing in return. I like the idea of Barbara and her daughters riding their buggies to Stewart’s to get some ice cream and potato chips, two things that make them very happy.

It will be my way of saying I love them and care about them and Merry Christmas, which they celebrate quite devoutly.

I can’t help myself when it comes to presents for Maria. Every year she makes me swear I won’t get her anything, and every year I lie. I don’t mean to lie, I just can’t help it. I got Maria several different presents she will yell at me for buying them.

But she won’t yell for more than a few minutes. Since she never buys anything for herself Christmas is a chance for me to buy some things for her. I love buying her presents. I got some good ones this year. I’ll share the details when we return.

A month ago, we each bought the other a new Iphone in order to get the new camera on the Iphone 13. We have learned how to get these phones with trade-ins and other trucks, mine only cost a few hundred dollars with trade-ins. Her trade-in was less but substantial. Apple makes it pretty easy to buy a phone.  We own ours, no payments.

In any case, we do celebrate the spirit of Christmas, and I celebrate the spirit of Jesus Chris, who I admire greatly, even if I don’t worship him. I try to emulate him in many ways.

Christmas matters to me. I hope all of you have a joyous and meaningful holiday, I’ll be blogging well into Friday and resuming Saturday. Thanks so much for your support.