Concrete (Sensory) Christmas

Here we go! As you read these questions add some: What did you see, hear, taste, touch, smell? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?

Anybody ever been in a working barn? And you inhaled, of course.

Anybody ever deliver a baby in a barn? You can include baby animals if you want.

Anybody ever spend the night in a barn? Ever sleep in the hay? Did you sleep in the hay barn or with the animals? Any creatures show up after dark that weren't there in the daytime?

Anybody ever eat a meal in a working barn? Ever drink water?

Ever wake up in a barn and find that you had strangers come to visit? Shepherds that probably smelled worse than the barn? Rich folk who probably never even stepped in a mud puddle? Where did they sit? Did they sit? Did they sit close to you? to the animals? What did you feed them? How did you extend hospitality?

Ever wake up in the middle of a field of sheep in the middle of the night and see the sky lit up and hear a choir of voices singing? I promise, I won't tell so we can keep you out of a mental institution.

Anybody ever ride a donkey? Ever ride it from here to there for 3-4 days? Ever walk it? Were you 9 months pregnant? First baby?

Anybody ever on a trip and it was past midnight and there were no vacancies for an hour each way because of some national conference? Ever have to find a place that would also accomodate your animals? And you probably didn't even have much money for a room as it was but the cheap rooms were definately gone.

Maybe there are kids or grown ups that have memories somehow related to the answers to these questions. Pick their brain and see if maybe some of the elements in the story come to life.

Track back to a year or two ago and read the post about disappointment, too if you want.