I am sitting here reflecting back on another year almost gone. The down falls and triumphs of my life as well as the sadness. What comes to mind is a conversation I had the other night with someone who’s dear to my heart. She asked what I wanted for Christmas, well anyone who knows me I speak right from the cuff and say what’s exactly on my mind. So I said the first thing that came to mind and to be honest I think it kind of shocked her. But it was the truth. Anyway as I sit here writing my last ramble for this year I reflect back on how the Sandbox got started with a joke I made one night on a group list. Then we started this site right after that, it’s with in these pages you find sweat, blood and yes even tears. But the most important thing you will find it is FILLED with love and HAPPINESS! For I find even in the most God awful time’s laughter is the best medicine a person can have. 

Every ramble I wrote I have tried to bring that out to make sure someone at least smiled once in their day. I could sit here and tell you the holiday story of the two women fighting with golf clubs in Kmart for an empty shopping cart. Or some of the wild things we did as kids. But I got a traditional poem from my one and only sexy pink underoo’s wearing sexy belly woman. It is the only poem we all know by heart, T’was the Night before Christmas. So what is the first thing I did? I re-wrote it and it was NASTY...heheheheee, insert WEFG here. What I failed to mention to her was I am just as sappy as she is, I love that poem. But most of all it was one of my Grampa’s favorites as well.  

So Tap honey, I send this one out to you as well as my Grampa, who’s is sharing a cloud in the heavens with Wizzy and Peaches. May you have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to the day we meet to see you will follow through with your threat! To the women behind the Sandbox, Shadylady my rock to lean on whom without her this site would not be the greatest challenge we have on a daily basis as well as the woman who holds my newest child Dingo! Words just don’t express my adoration I have for you and the warm friendship we share. Tina I found within you and the friends in our Sandbox the one thing I said I wanted for Christmas, thank you for helping me see the light and that it’s out there! Like you said Princess forever and always! Robin the laughter we share and the hopes of a bottle of wine this summer! May that bond never falter without laughter and a drink or two! Heheheheee 

To the Sandbox yahoo group the thoughts and words we share daily, DJ, BT, BON BON, LARI, NICK, DD, KODA and NENE oh the laughter we have shared! May you all get what you deserve this Christmas! HEHEHEE! Be safe and we look forward to the deeper friendships of a lifetime! 

To my friends outside the Sandbox for the love and support you have given me over the years, Jayne I love you mostestesss honey, Kristen my favorite “INGLISCH MAJOR” the one who started the rambles and the sarcastic whit and AJ for turning me on to the stories on line, who would have thunk it that my name and stories would be posted online? I & K for the support, kindness and truthfulness you share with me! 

To the writers, your hard work and dedication goes unsurpassed! Thank you for joining, linking and sharing with us the wonderful creative works you do! Thank you for the rambles, the stories and poems you have wrote over the last year! 

To our beta readers, again the hard work you all do for free to make us look like the New York Times Best Sellers List writers! THANK YOU!!!!! May you all have a wonderful Holiday! 

To DEBO GRAPHIC’S for the hard work of putting together the pages of the poem as well as the help with the pictures of this ramble! Who loves ya baby???? And your little snot nosed dog too? 

Last but not in the least bit unimportant.... our readers who come back daily for new stories and poems! We tip our hats to you, I have always said, without the readers there would be no writers! We thank you from the bottoms of our quills to the tops of our white pages we fill each night for your enjoyment! 

So in closing I want to thank each and everyone who has touched our lives in one way or another. The Sandbox wishes each of you a HAPPY and SAFE Holiday!  

PS....I SWEAR I will go back to humorous rambles this New Year! It is not often I am as Robin or Tap would put it SAPPY! But I felt that with the ending of the year and the starting of a new one I would give thanks where thanks was needed! As we close out this year it is an ending chapter in a book, one that was filled with love, laughter and tears! We ring in the New Year to a fresh page and a new chapter and we here at the Sandbox hope you will join us next year for another round of laughter, my prayers and hopes are a new year of happiness and less tears for all of us here state side, to our troops and families around the world be safe and have a happy holiday!   So I leave you with the white winter I grew up with on White River Hill! As well as a few Holiday pictures from our writers!

Peace and Love,

Wizz and the Sandbox Brats!

From the home of Shadylady.

Gramma's pine tree

10 Inches of New Snow on White River Hill

My favorite trees mixed among the pines

A beautiful Birch against the falling snow.

(PRINCESS, this one's for you!)

Page 2:  From tap: T'was The Night Before Christmas   

Page 3:  Trish Shields: A Prairie Christmas

Page 4:  Surprise