January 5, 2005
Christmas Surprise
T'was the day before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...
And that's how it was, pholks, in a house in Visalia, the day before Christmas. That's ‘cause it was grandmas' house and at 1 p.m. the family was really quiet waiting for the phone to ring. A young Marine stationed on the East Coast and about a week away from heading overseas to war, was suppose to call his family on Christmas Eve day.
The phone rang and sure enough it was Marine Sgt. Tim Lawson, who had left Visalia several weeks earlier after being recalled from Reserve status. Although he had served one hitch and been stationed in Okanawa and had been out of the active service for some time, he was getting updated training in urban warfare in Iraq Originally the recall was for one year. It was upped to 18 months, so the Christmas Eve call was even more important.
Plans were for everyone to gather at Grandma Rose's home in Visalia. That would be Rose Orosco, whose daughter, Margie Lawson is Tim 's mom. Dad John Lawson, brother Casey and others, including Tim's girlfriend, Tara, were on hand for the call.
As mom Margie was talking with her son, she shushed everyone so she could hear Tim's voice. She became a little annoyed when a hand tickled the back of her neck.
As she turned around, guess what. pholks? Sgt. Tim was right there with his cell phone in hand.
Not a bad Christmas surprise. And one which took some doing, since only Tara, and her father who helped in the travel plans, were in on it.
The news of Tim's recall into active duty had been pretty big news for several weeks around Woodlake and Ivanhoe.
The Lawson's are frequent early morning regulars at P.R.'s Donuts in Woodlake. Margie sometimes joins the guys on weekend mornings. The Lawsons are an active, tight-knit and genial ranching family. So it was not too surprising that when the donut shop regulars learned that Tim was going back into active service the they took up a collection as a send off for Tim. Sort of a pocket money gift. And naturally Tim got a send off party at his Ivanhoe ranch home a week or so before his departure for Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. There had been no plans to return home before deployment, but since only four or five members of his unit, were left on base just before the Christmas, the commanding officer said those who wanted to could go back home for the holidays..at their own expense. That's when Tim's covert "Christmas Surprise" operation began. Needless to say, the mission was accomplished.
A SECOND CHRISTMAS MISSION also had ties to the popular donut ship in Woodlake.
The regular morning group, which one member refers to as the "Donut Dudes," has been known to come across in times of need. When someone's grandkids, kids, or family member in selling fund raising tickets the "Donut Dudes' rise to the occasion. When the donut shop owners had a baby, the guys, and a gal or two come up for a gift. When a grandfather brought his granddaughter in before school to tell about her FFA pig, the guys raised $260 in one morning. When a school project needed support, they chipped in.
So, it was not surprising when Diana Pearcy, who heads Woodlake's Healthy Start Program headquartered next door to the donut shop and often grabs her coffee before work suggested the guys adopt a needy Woodlake family for Christmas which was just 10 days away.
Using the lid of a small box as a sign-up list, the group gathered about two dozen names and pledges of food, and gifts for the two young children.
Food, gifts, a Christmas tree and donations, (no cash allowed) were delivered via Healthy Start.
But pholks, don't think that the Donut Dudes didn't go unrewarded. Diana gave each of the "Dudes" and "Donut Gals" a picture of two young girls around their Christmas tree surrounded by gifts and flashing great Christmas smiles.
And pholks, let's all have a really good New Year.
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publisher.
