Free Sleigh Ride (Homespun) by Katie Crabapple

somewhere.
    George stood up from the table and carried the small baby doll cradle up behind the two girls.  “This is for you to share.”
    Patience smiled and hugged him.  “Thank you.  My baby Molly will fit on one end, and Toast can sleep on the other.”
    Grace bounced up and down.  “They can share Toast’s blanket!”
    Millie smiled at her friend.  “You’re next, Charlotte.” 
    Charlotte looked at the small package on the plate in front of her.  She carefully tore the tissue paper to see what was inside.  It was an intricately carved wooden box.  “Oh, it’s beautiful!”
    Millie smiled.  “George made it.  My contribution is inside.”  Millie watched her friend carefully, hoping she’d be happy with what she’d made her.
    Charlotte lifted off the lid and looked inside.  Millie had carefully copied out all of her recipes for her.  “Oh, it’s just what I’ll need.  Thank you!”
    Millie fingered the package on her plate, wondering what it could be.  She was already so blessed by the rocking chair and the cradle.  There was nothing else she really needed.  She opened it slowly, savoring the surprise.  A baby quilt.  “Oh, it’s beautiful!  Now I don’t have to hurry quite so fast.”
    “A baby can never have enough blankets.”
    “Thank you, Charlotte!”  She looked at the one in her hands, and the one in front of Grace.  “You matched them perfectly!”
    Charlotte nodded.  “I thought Grace would enjoy having a quilt to match her little brother or sister’s.”
    They all focused on George then.  He opened Charlotte’s package first.  It was a pair of plain dark blue suspenders.  Millie had suggested them in a letter when Charlotte had asked.  “Thank you, Charlotte.  My old suspenders were getting frayed.  I’ll wear these with pride.”  He reached for the second gift from Millie.  It was a warm scarf to wear when he had to go out into the cold wind.  “Thank you, Millie.  This will keep me warm.”
    They all smiled at their gifts and each other.  The children wouldn’t open their stockings until after breakfast.  George said a quick prayer for them and they ate heartily. 
    After Charlotte did the dishes with Patience, the children all opened their stockings.  In each one was an orange, two hard candy sticks, and a penny.  “Wow!  Santa was good to us!” Patience cried.  She immediately broke off a small piece of the candy and popped it into her mouth.
    Charlotte smiled watching the excitement on the children’s faces.  This is how Christmas should be , she thought.  “I’m going to start baking the bread for Christmas dinner.  I’ve got the turkey in the oven.  Once the bread is rising, I’ll start on a pie.  Since Bess is bringing a dessert, I thought I should fix only one.  What kind should it be?”
    Millie tilted her head to the side and thought about it.  “Bess will probably bring apple, because it’s John’s favorite.  Maybe cherry?  Or blackberry?”  She called out to George.  “Would you rather have cherry or blackberry pie for dessert?”
    “Blackberry for me.  Kids?”
    “Cherry!”
    “Blackberry!”
    “I like cherry.”
    “I like both!”
    Millie laughed.  “Maybe one of each.  They won’t go to waste.”
    Charlotte nodded.  “I can do that.”  She took out her recipe cards Millie had made her and carefully selected the one for bread and the one for pie crust. 
    “What else are you making?” Millie carefully wrapped the shawl she’d made for Bess.  They were expecting their company in the early afternoon, and she wanted everything ready.
    “Carrots, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, white bread, and the turkey Michael shot is already in the oven, of course.  Am I missing anything?” 
    “Hmmm…that all sounds good.  Maybe a second vegetable like peas or maybe green beans?”  She thought about what she’d canned that would be easy to cook.  “Why don’t you make green beans?  You can