We posted a note stating sunflower seeds

Among the pitfalls in composing a column like this is the fact that it won't see ink for six days after I've written it. Will we have fallen over the dreaded fiscal cliff or still be dangling above the brink? Either way, we'll be carrying a bucket in our boat as we row toward the shore.

Santa found us; that's the good news. The bad news is we don't have a chimney. But he found an opening and made our Christmas joyful. Our daughter and son-in-law were with us Christmas Day, and our hearts were filled with the spirit of the season.

We kept the bird feeder full of seeds for our feathered friends and furry squirrels that stop by now and then for a bite to eat. Oddly, since the cold weather has set in, the dining crowd has dwindled. We changed to a different brand of fodder that contains fewer sunflower seeds, and we think that may be the problem. It looked good in the bag, but the birds disagree and the squirrels have disappeared. We posted a note stating sunflower seeds would be forthcoming.

Among the coolest things Santa left with my name on it was a handcrafted wind chime made by stout hands holding a hammer in the state of Maine. Well, I'm not real sure about the hammer but this wind chime is made of hefty iron that sings forth with hearty tones of a soothing nature.

This new wind chime will join in with a crew of two others we have had for several years. We bought them in the 1990s while living in Bandon-by-the-Sea on the southern coast of Oregon. Now we can make music when the wind blows using chimes from both sides of our nation. So far our neighbors haven't chimed in with any notes of discontent.

Their good nature may be enhanced because these iron chimes have a deep resonance that adds a chorus of cheerful notes during stormy weather. The Oregon chimes are made of naked iron that rusts over with character that only age can inspire. The new chime from Maine is coated with colorful enamel, which will set it apart from the others in appearance only.

The size of a chime determines the depth of its tone. We've been enjoying one deeper baritone voice along with a smaller midrange chime, both from Oregon. This new voice from Maine will fill in between those two for a gentle addition to our sound of music on stormy days.

My mother used to say that big feet were the mark of wisdom. I think she brought that idiom from Iowa when she and her twin sister came to sunny California. She nodded with approval when I came home from the army wearing size 11 boots.

After Fran and I were married my feet blossomed to size 12. Thinking that would do me for the duration, I kept buying size 12 footwear. In need of new hiking boots, I went to the Red Wing store for size 12. The boot man declined; I begged. He insisted I was size 13. Alas, he was right; so was Mom; I'm older and wiser now, or so I thought.

My hiking boots look big as boats; size 12 shoes squeeze slightly but appear less overwhelming. Alas, my Sunday shoes were killing me; I was wallowing in vanity. Wife and daughter got together. My dear old shoes were gathered up and gifted to smaller-footed folks. Santa brought me a new pair of shoes and slippers, honed to size 13. Now my feet sing joyously, like iron chimes in the wind.