THE END OF "THE GRINCH" AND "INNKEEPER" FOR ME!!

 

I'VE DONE "THE GRINCH" SINCE I WAS 14 IN 9TH GRADE IN TACOMA WHEN MY ENGLISH TEACHER HAD ME MEMORIZE THAT STORY... AND MOST OF US HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT, B/C THE BOOK WAS ONLY PUBLISHED A COUPLE YEARS BEFORE THEN.  AND I DID IT AT OUR SCHOOL IN TACOMA [AND WAS EVEN ON A CHILDREN'S TV SHOW ] WHEN I HAD JUST BEGUN AT THAT DECEMBER, '59.  FOR 55 YEARS I'VE DONE IT IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ALL AROUND OUR NATION AND IN UGANDA. 

DID THIS ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO, AT A LARGE FILLED CATHOLIC SCHOOL.  THERE WERE ABOUT 400 KIDS AND I WAS ABLE TO DO IT AND DO IT AND DO IT!  AND, THAT YEAR, ALSO AT A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, HOMES, AND LOTS OF OTHER PLACES. MY HUSBAND WAS WITH ME THAT DAY AND A FRIEND/SPIRITUAL SISTER TOOK THE PICTURES OF ME.

LAST DECEMBER, I DID IT FOR THE BHUTANESE KIDS AT THEIR CHURCH AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS KNOW ALL THE WORDS, THEY SMILED AND LAUGHED AT WHAT I ... THEIR "GRANDMA"... WAS DOING.

THE OTHER STORY WAS GRABBED ONTO ME 41 YEARS AGO, "THE INNKEEPER'S DAUGHTER".  JUST READING IT WHEN MY DAUGHTER HAD RECEIVED IT AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.  THEN, AND WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS 8 IN 3RD GRADE SCHOOL, SHE HAD ME COME AND READ THAT STORY.  THE TEACHER WAS PLEASED.  I DIDN'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED THEN, BUT DID A GOOD JOB.  I WAS 32 YEARS OLD THEN. AFTER THAT, I MEMORIZED IT AND A FEW TIMES PUT ON "ABIGAIL" CLOTHES SO THEY COULD SMILE.  OH,  AND BTW, THE "INNKEEPER'S" STORY WAS SPECIAL TO ME, B/C I, AS A YOUNG KID, WAS A FIGHTER AND FILLED WITH ANGRY, AND "ABIGAIL" WAS DOING THINGS, TOO, AND THEN SHE CAME TO JESUS WHEN HE WAS BORN AND MARY SHARED WITH HER AND HER LIFE CHANGED.  MINE, TOO!!

FOR YEARS I'VE DONE BOTH OF THOSE IN THE VARIETY OF PLACES  AS USUAL, AND WAS PUT IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS.  WELL, LAST YEAR I DID BOTH OF THE STORIES, BUT I USUALLY  NEEDED TO KEEP THE "INNKEEPER" BOOK IN MY HAND RATHER OFTEN.  DIDN'T READ IT OFFICIALLY, BUT JUST GRABBED A WORD IF I WAS MISSING A PIECE.

NOW I CAN'T DO IT AT ALL. I'M 70 AND MY BODY AND BRAIN WON'T LET ME DO THE MEMORIZATION. I'M DISAPPOINTED, TO SAY THE LEAST.  I'VE DONE SO MUCH SO LONG. BUT GRATEFUL THAT THE LORD DROPPED IT ON ME WAY BACK THEN AND HAS USED ME MANY TIMES AND MANY PLACES! 

ANYHOW, I'LL TOSS THIS ON.  IT'S BEEN TORN A BIT. I HAD IT GIVEN TO ME ON THE OMAHA NEWSPAPER BACK IN DECEMBER, '81, AS I RECALL.  IT WAS A REAL BLESSING TO BE PHOTOED AND PUT ON THE NEWSPAPER!