Remember December: R is for Rockwell as in Norman

I think the Santa Claus I believed in while visions of sugar plums were dancing through my head was the one based on the illustrations of Norman Rockwell . Santa appeared on this box when I was only one year old, but just maybe it was my first image of the jolly man in red. For many years Norman Rockwell has been a favorite artist of mine. He can take moments of everyday life and create a magazine cover or art print that all of us can understand. I knew Santa really did know who was naughty and nice. We wanted to stay at Grandma's in Spokane because she was the only one who had a fireplace with a chimney. How else would Santa come with his presents?When we arrived in Orofino for Christmas one year, we certainly didn't come in a new Plymouth. I think we were pretty excited though. I could write posts until Christmas Day about the disasters that involved my dad and adjusting, shortening, trimming, or moving a Christmas tree with my mom surpervising. Norman Rockwell must have been peeking in the window for this one. I laid awake many a Christmas Eve just wondering how Santa knew how to find each and every one of us. Norman Rockwell couldn't have been on Chestnut Hill when we all went to try out our new sleds after Christmas, but he captured small town America perfectly with this picture. Norman Rockwell is a national treasure and I loved looking at all the images tonight and remembering my visions of Santa Claus, Christmas Eve, and the winters of my childhood.