CHRISTMAS TIME DOWN AT THE TRAIN AND GAME.
It was just after Thanksgiving and we were doing a Colonial game down at the Train and Game and all of a sudden Grace¡¦s face brightens up and her eyes go wide, and she says --
¡§Oh¡V Oh!! I forgot! The Historical Society of my town is putting on a Christmas Event at their clubhouse and museum, and they were wondering what to do for an exhibit. They¡¦re going to have a Santa Claus and people from all over bring their kiddies to see Santa.¡¨
Well this is about as well received as a 
in the potato salad, but Grace is so excited she barges right on.
¡§Last year they had a guy put on his exhibit of Iron toys, and before that a quilting circle showed up, and some 4 H¡¦ers the year before that, and I thought what better to have for the kids than toys- and what better toys than toy soldiers. I can do most of it myself, I just need someone to help me move and set up.¡¨ Sez She.
A few guys are trying desperately not to hear, but Grace is all wound up and Ol¡¦ Bob says. ¡§Well, I have a collection of old 54mm Britains, I could contribute,¡¨ and Steve says ¡§You know we could make up a small booklet at my copying center about our club, and the games, call it ¡§All About War Games,¡¨ as a hand out.
Art the Fart says ¡§What about a collection of books on war games for people to look at!¡¨
Abigail says ¡§Well we don¡¦t have to just have war games, we could have dolls for the girls!¡¨
¡§Great idea¡¨ grace says, wide-eyed, we can make it a real festival of toys!
Dugout Dan says ¡§Hmmm.. you know John would probably let us put up a display of his rules that people could buy! He¡¦d probably discount them from $85 USD to $80 USD! (John was not there But Dan was one of the ¡§Johntorage.¡¨ )
Abigail turns to Dan and says ¡§Oh tell John to put his %@#@#!!! rules where the sun don¡¦t shine!¡¨
Grace says ¡§Yeah, and if we promote anyone it should be Mabel and the Train and Game. We need to have a sign saying that we game at the Train and Game.¡¨
Mabel, who was listening silently, sullenly, again a bit cross at Grace, softens a lit at the broad cheery smile on Grace¡¦s face. Then, almost as if it was pulled out of her with forceps she blurts out ¡X¡¥You know¡Xyear end is coming around, and I¡¦ve got a lot of inventory here to write off, what if I donate it as gifts Santa can give out to the kids!??
Well Grace flies out of the chair and runs over to Mabel and throws a huge hug around her and says ¡§Oh Mabel, that¡¦s wonderful of you!¡¨
Abigail says ¡§You know what! I¡¦ll wrap them for the kids! And say that Santa moved his workshop to ¡§The Train and Game¡V .¡¨
Mabel tries to slough it off and resume her ¡§Hate Grace¡¨ look, but I can see she¡¦s genuinely touched. I realized that some day I was going to have to get to the bottom of this.
Well that¡¦s it for the Colonial game as everyone is outdoing themselves in plans for the extravaganza.
Well the day finally comes around. Santa's ensconced in his throne, the mothers have herded their kids to the front of the Historical Society¡¦s museum-clubhouse. Mabel couldn¡¦t be there, it¡¦s Christmastime and she had to be down the store, but Abigail is there dressed like Santa¡¦s Elf. Abigail, as I said, is a teensy bit chunky and some of the people at the Historical Society were a little worried at her Elf costume which she seemed to have gotten at Tarts-R-Us but it all worked out ok.
We were all betting what costume Grace was going to come in. One of the Johntorage showed up to keep an eye on us, and quipped it would be Rudolph only with two red pasties instead of a red nose.¡¨ That didn¡¦t go over well with the rest of us and we told him to stuff it.
Well Grace shows up with the beautiful mid-Victorian gown low cut, narrow waisted, wide hoop skirts. Gorgeous!¡¨
¡§I figured an old time Christmas theme.¡¨ sez she.
I sidle over to her and ask in a sotto voce whisper ¡§A bit racy for Christmas?¡¨ sez I.
¡§Eye candy for the Dads!¡¨ sez she.
¡§Bull!¡¨sez I, ¡§You did it for the Moms who are going to be green with envy over the sewing and stitching on that thing. Who are you supposed to be Bell Watley?¡¨
¡§No, ¡§ sez She, ¡§Maybe later I¡¦ll tell you. Anyway I see Abigail took care of the eye-candy for the Dad¡¦s part.¡¨
So the day begins. The doors open and there¡¦s about a dozen moppets, kind of sleepy-eyed and bored, and almost all of them pecking at their phones or hand held games.
Then there is a pause as they see the tables, shelves, and floor packed with toys and toy soldiers, books, plates, and dolls.
There is an audible inhaling of air„m(Attention, Oxygen has left the building!) and a muttered shouting, whispered gasp of ¡§WOW!!!!! NEAT!!!, and all of them, boys and girls rush over to the tables.
It¡¦s overflowing with all sorts pf toys, cars, models, toy soldiers, games, books, and a full battlefield from the Napoleonic Wars, their bored faces perk up, jaws drop, eyes bug out like cartoon characters. Some of the little girls look over the dolls in racks under the table (Even Murray from the Johntorage lent us some display cases from his store)
One little Girl found Abigail¡¦s collection of paper dolls and immediately sat on the floor and was paging through it. For the next hour she was breaking into the din with ¡§MOMMY!!- MOMMY!!! I want this dress when I get married!¡¨
Grace, said with a smile, patting the little girl on the head, ¡§I¡¦m sure you do little Miss, Marie Antoinette liked it too!" The kids were everywhere, animated, and alive. They become more and more excited with each passing minute, and looked eagerly over the assembled toys. The kids struggle to find a place to play with the toys. Impulsive arms and wildly curious eyes were flying everywhere.
Their Moms are grabbing them and anxiously saying "Don't touch! Don't Touch! just look!" The started to kids put down the stuff and their eyes grew a little dimmed, but Grace said "Oh no ma¡¦am, its ok if they touch, let them that's what they're there for!"(Was it my imagination or had she plugged a slight southern drawl into her voice.)
The Moms ask "REALLY!!!!??? IT'S OK FOR THEM TO TOUCH?? ARE YOU SURE???!!!" Grace smiled sweetly and said "Of course ¡V it would be just too cruel to show these wonderful children all this and not let them touch."
One of the fathers said grumpily ¡§You don¡¦t know what these rugrats can destroy.¡¨
Grace bent over to say to the boys ¡§Oh I¡¦m SURE you good little boys won¡¦t harm anything will you!?¡¨ The two boys, wide eyed at the beautiful woman in front of them, shook their heads side to side like they were on the same string.
Grace turned up to the father and rising up to her full height, and looking down a bit into his eyes said tartly, ¡§They¡¦re not rug rats sir, they¡¦re just eager, excited young gentlemen.¡¨
The father, a bit sheepish said "Well I…" Grace moved forward a little. Her voice now a bit stern. "Did your parents call YOU a rugrat, sir, She waved her hand and said "It's Christmas, let them have fun" she said – her voice now soft and silky, almost a giggle." The father looked around sheepishly. He was rescued by his wife.
"But we just don't want them to break anything." She said.
I chimed in-- "It's repaired easily! They are toys to be played with. A little glue, a little solder… „m¡¨ I said nonchalantly
So the kids are piled up at the table, looking, touching moving, turning them over, one boy is off in his own little world of battle, moving soldiers around and going Tchew, tchew, (obviously these Old Guard Grenadiers have lasers).
One little girl has taken Joe Moreschauser's book and is sitting on the floor reading it. A few boys are making up their own rules on how Space Marines could be added!
After a few minutes the people from the Historical association came over and said to the mom's "Ummm… Santa Claus???
We didn¡¦t have to shoo the kids to the Klaus, they were pushed over by continuing arrivals of more children. Apparently Grace had set up some sort of cell phone thing.
Nevertheless the kids left the toys with no small reluctance, and Art was pressing copies of ¡§All about War Games¡¨ and ¡§The World of Pretend¡¨ into little hands. The little girl reading Moreschaser didn¡¦t want to leave and finally Grace told the mother that the girl could take the book home and she could return it later.
The mother, flabbergasted that an offer would be made to strangers blurted out several thank you's and said "I've never seen her so INTERESTED in anything." Abigail smiled and said "In our imaginations we can all be what we wish to be."
After the trip to Santa, they got a few small presents from the give-aways Mabel had scrounged from the Game and Train, and Dan had set up a refreshment service in the next room. Dan is a Civil War Reenactor and his wife had sat up several nights making period cookies and candies and treats as they had in the 19th century. Boy! Let me tell you, if you have diabetes, heart conditions, or high blood pressure stay away, you¡¦ll explode if you even touch one of them. She had made two Sachertortes (vud chu like zum chocolate mit your chocolate mein Herr? Here the kids and parents could sit and have free coffee and treats and they had two televisions going at each end of the long room, one running a loop of ¡§The Nutcracker¡¨ and the other the Laurel and Hardy movie ¡§Babes in Toyland.¡¨ Each time time the Bogey men attacked the boys and girls would scream or recoil in horror, but when the toy soldiers marched forth to give battle, they replied with squeals and cheers!
I mused at what a clever little propagandist our Grace was. One mother said to me, ¡§I¡¦ve never SEEN that movie! Did they make any more!" I told her all about Mssrs L&H, and Abbot and Costello, Charlie Chan, and a host of others. "Oh thank you!" she said, "It's so hard getting good movies to show kids!" Others were pestering Dan¡¦s wife for the recipe for her Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte..¡¨Well first you cream a pound of butter, then you take a dozen eggs…¡¨ "A DOZEN EGGS!!!" they gasped. "Sorry I only know how to make these things in battalion sized batches…"
The Historical Society was besides itself. They had the most successful season ever, and had taken in a record level of donations. We had a great time. It was wonderful just having the excitement of the kids, the music, the hot cider, coffee, and gooey refreshments.
Mabel had a banner day as well as everyone went right from the Historical Society (all hopped up on sugar and chocolate and candied nuts) to the Train and Game to drop a bundle.
Abigail had a banner day too as three of the older brothers escorting their younger siblings had asked her for a date.
I had a banner day, and I saw Grace and the other guys helping the kids, explaining things, and sharing their enthusiasm.
When it was all over. I asked Grace ¡§So what was your costume?¡¨ She said with a smile ¡§Auntie Drosselmeyer.¡¨
That troubled me.
