It wouldn't be Christmas without the Grinch

As my family and good friends know... as far as I'm concerned it's not Christmas without the Grinch. I used to look forward to watching the cartoon every year! Of course these days you can see it anytime you want!...but back in the day,,haha you had to make sure to catch it the ONE night it was showing. In 8th grade I was in a Speech class. One of our group projects was to do an oral reading. Our group decided to do "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (since it was in the fall semester)...and yours truly was the Grinch. (I had the voice!hahaha) Well...we read the story over and over again and I read it to myself so I could memorize my lines...and I have never really forgotten it. Sometimes I need a little refresher...especially the part where he's getting ready to leave the town. Well...I would "volunteer" to tell everyone the story around the holidays MAKE them listen to me Walking up and down Oak Ridge Drive with Elizabeth and Jenifer and their friends...on the way to the bus stop with my friends...you get the picture...my friends probably wished the Grinch would come and take me to Mount Crumpet...so they wouldn't have to listen to me anymore! hahaha In college...I had talked about it with my friends in the dorm and then the night of the Holiday gathering of EVERYONE on the floor...they asked me to recite it.... Now I like to VOLUNTEER to do things...I'm not so good at being put on the spot...so it took a little coaxing...but they finally got me comfortable enough to tell the story to the whole group.(I think they even clapped)(and I did have fun) Over the years many a kid has been stuck? in the back seat of my car on the way to somewhere...and had to listen to me...haha...I like a captive audience!...actually most of the time they would ask me to tell the story...probably to see if I REALLY knew it.Well, when Hallmark started their Grinch ornament series...you know who was always willing to add another one to my tree. My sister Jenifer ,who was also a frequent customer at many a Hallmark store...decided to make it a point to buy me the newest one every year. (she was one of the ones who had to walk up and down the street with me as I recited it! hahaha) Now that Jenifer is gone...I like my grinches even more....I remember the fun I had telling the story...but I also remember how thoughtful it was of Jenifer to do that for me. Even when she was pretty sick...she made a trip to the store for her usual cards and things...and always an ornament for me...."...And what happened then...well in Whoville they say...that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day..." and my heart grows at least three sizes every time I put my grinches on the tree. I miss you Jen!