H*I*L*D*A

One of my goals for this Christmas break was to laugh... hard!

And I did, mainly because of Hilda.

When I got home on Saturday night and went to hang up my coat, I saw a form hanging in the closet. With questioning eyes I dragged this being out into the light, and asked Mom & Dad for an explanation.

A dear woman in their church had made this blessing for them. The creation is about two feet tall, with blonde frizzy hair, blue button eyes, and a circle of bright pink rouge on each of her cheeks. Her hips are v-e-r-y wide, and get wider when you stuff plastic grocery bags in her skirt. She's a bag lady, of course.

We dubbed her Hilda, and she started popping up in various locations all over the house to the shock/surprise/horror of all. She was waiting for Mom in bed on numerous occasions, and then would strangely make her way to my bed minutes later. She appeared in chairs when the original sitters had moved momentarily, lurked in closets, sat patiently outside numerous doors, and even waited for us in the car when we did errands. Last night she came to the front door, ringing the doorbell and making all three of us double over in laughter.

Perhaps Hilda is a "had to be there" moment, but thankfully I was, and she sure made me laugh!