Christmas is such a wonderful time in Maple Valley. All the old recipes no one uses at any other time of the year come out of the recipe tins. Neighbors ask each other for spices they don’t have and don’t want to buy. Eggnog shows up on the menu at Ya’ll Sit Cafe.
Shorty Cloverton’s special peppermint crisp cinnamon clove pancakes topped with a dollop of dressing whip are excellent. They’re a Christmas favorite.
They say Christmas is the season of miracles, and folks in Maple Valley definitely believe it’s true. This is the second Christmas since Sylvia went away. I purposely use the words, “went away,” because I refuse to believe anything has happened to her. Not that I know anything others don’t know, I just believe.
Oddly enough, there was a rumor someone saw Sylvia in Newtown last week. The news quickly spread through Maple Valley, and it upset the memorial dinner committee at the church because they’re still working on plans for the memorial dinner for Sylvia.
Sure, it would have been a beautiful Christmas miracle if Sylvia came walking down the middle of Rail Street, stepped into the Ya’ll Sit and said, “Shorty! I’ll have the usual!”
Shorty, of course, knows the usual is a jelly and butter sandwich, heavy on the jelly, on white bread, cut in triangles.
That miracle hasn’t happened yet.
Maple Valley miracles these days are on a more “every-day miracle” kind of level. Vee Burthrap’s dog did not leave the yard to relieve himself on Wydeen Sieverhorst’s front lawn, which, Gorman, Vee’s dog, finds irresistible.
Carlina Vertablen gave the entire newspaper to her husband, Lieb, instead of tearing it all apart and only giving him auto dealer ads.
Berl Orph, principal at Maple Valley School, did not sing the chorus of “Make Me Happy” after he finished with the morning announcements.
Folks in other towns probably wouldn’t recognize the Christmas miracle that has touched every resident of our small community.
Everyone in Maple Valley knows how significant this miracle is. Mayor Alvin Thrashborn walked into the bank yesterday and teller Burlette Weebs said, “Quite a miracle, eh?”
“Ep!” answered the mayor.
It will be many years before the good folks of Maple Valley stop talking about the Christmas miracle that happened right here. It’s not as if we didn’t know it was coming, which makes some think it wasn’t a miracle at all. The true believers know.
The town council has been working diligently for many years to solve the problem that has plagued Maple Valley. Something had to be done, and residents were becoming frustrated.
Council members met last week. The order of business called for discussion on the same old problem. When council chair, Durst Alwilk, called for a vote on the motion, it passed! Unbelievable!
Council members voting unanimously on anything was remarkable, but not a miracle.
The Christmas miracle that has everyone talking and celebrating is the replacement of the tin Christmas trees that have embarrassed Maple Valley since the O’Dillmotte family donated them forty-five years ago. They were hideous and everyone knew it.
Since Quintin O’Dillmotte is campaigning to replace Sheriff Pete Terkinberry, according to town by-laws, he cannot be on the council at the same time. Quintin always voted against replacing the tin Christmas trees. Since he is no longer on the council, the remaining members gladly voted to replace them.
Miracles do happen. Just ask the happy residents of Maple Valley.
A Coffee State of Mind 