Wrapping It Up

I'm wrapping packages between
bouts of knitting.

Sock # 5 of 6.

And remembering Christmas foolishness.

Jim always prided himself
on being able to intuit
his Christmas gift.

He would shake, rattle, and roll
his box and based on size, weight, and shape
guess the contents before ripping off the paper.

Of course, this bit of showmanship
caused his daughters to up the
ante... find the gift he couldn't discern.

Jim was fond of the GMC camper.
We had counted campers one
summer on a trip across
country... 97 in all.

Le girls bought a toy camper
and parked it in the garage.

And danced with glee
as Dad couldn't guess
his gift without a box
to shake, rattle, and roll.

When he rolled up the garage door,
they shouted, "Water it. It will grow,"

Later, during the Star Wars
halcyon years they created
a wand-from a Christmas
wrapping paper roll-
and imbued it with the power
to banish the darkness.

*The wand was tucked away for many a year.

In the eighties
when Dad was studying
for certification in gemology
the Misses wrapped a slab of
bluestone from the flower
bed.

They gave clues:
valuable, an addition to your collection...

A win for the girls.

Now in true Richards' fashion
Frances has determined that
she will-find not buy- something
to give her dad.

We are waiting with baited
breath to see what a four-year-old
will choose.

Let me see...
What could I wrap?

A half knit sock would
be an easy guess.