The Gamble Family (.Net)

The story of Snow Globe Santa began in December 1975.  My wife and I had been married about a year.  I was in the U.S. Navy and in the process of begin transferred from Great Lakes, IL to Patuxent River, MD.  My salary was a meager $200 twice a month (after taxes).  The Navy allowance for moving was a whopping $86.  With that $86, I had to put a trailer hitch on our car, rent a U-Haul trailer, and pay for gas and hotels while we made the three-day trip.

During the final week of our stay at Great Lakes, my wife was in the Base Exchange and came across a plastic snow globe Santa.  The price was 99 cents.  Since we were doing everything we could to save money for the move, Cheryl looked at Santa and then sadly put him back on the shelf.  Two more times she went back, picked him up, and put him back on the shelf - too afraid to spend the money that we didn’t have.  Well, she finally gave in on the fourth time back to the shelf and put him in the shopping cart.  To this day, Cheryl can’t really explain the attraction to that plastic Santa, but for some reason, he wound up on our possession.

On our trip from Great Lakes to Pax River, as soon as we checked into a hotel, snow globe Santa was the first thing that got unpacked.  Since we were making the move during late December, we had no Christmas decorations, so snow globe Santa seemed to be the only thing that kept us in the Christmas spirit during that lonely trip.

Over the 34 years that Cheryl and I have been together, this little plastic Santa has had a place of honor on our mantle each and every Christmas when we decorate our home.  We had a moment of panic this year though, because after having unpacked all of the decorations, finishing the tree, and putting everything out, we noticed that snow globe Santa was not on the mantle.  We immediately looked in all of the boxes for him, but he was nohere to be found.  It wasn’t until I looked in a box for the third time that I found him hiding in a box (which was not his usual safe spot).  Cheryl and I both breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled at each other as we placed in on the mantle for his annual Christmastime duties.

Over the years, the liquid in Santa’s round belly has evaporated and turned brown.  I decided this year that I would perform a very risky, but necessary fluid transplant.  I searched the internet to see what liquid should be used to heal our ailing patient.  Just about every article that I read said to use distilled water.  So, off to Walgreen’s I went to get the life-saving liquid that our Santa so desperately needed.

Once I returned with the surgical supplies, I laid our patient out on the kitchen counter for his surgery.  I carefully drilled a small hole in his lower backside.  Once I did that, I was able to drain all of the harmful brown liquid out, along with the snow particles (which has also turned a light shade of brown).  I carefully rinsed the snow with clean water and restored them to their near original whiteness.  I also filled and rinsed Santa’s tummy to remove as much of the “harmful infection” as possible before restoring his internal parts.  All during Santa’s delicate surgery, Cheryl paced nervously in the kitchen, looking over my shoulder frequently, wondering if Santa would pull through.  After being satisfied that he was safe for replenishment, I put the snow back in his tummy little by little, and then used a hypodermic to refill him with clean, clear distilled water.  After completing the delicate procedure, I sutured him up with epoxy.  I’m happy to report that snow globe Santa looks almost as good as new, except for the small scar on his backside, which hopefully will heal over time.  I’m guessing that he will be able to continue his prestigious duties on our mantle for many years to come.

Snow Globe Santa’s Incision

Snow Globe Santa After the Surgery

Snow Globe Santa With Snow In His Tummy

 Merry Christmas to you all.