Wendy G., a friend from my Eunice Sr. High School days, found this letter to Santa published in The Eunice News in December 1960:

Dear Santa,
I would like a big piano for Christmas and a doll. I’m in the third grade. I am doing very nicely too. My sisters would like a little bear. My brother would like a gun. My brother Morris would like a car, and my daddy would like a shirt. I will buy my mother and my grandma a present for Christmas.
Your friend, Cassandra Ardoin

The letter-writer is my big sister Cassie, who must have decided that as an 18 month-old, I’d want a car as my present. I’m wondering if she could foretell my fascination with certain vehicles from that decade and the 1970s (a reader of my memoir commented that one of the things that struck her about my book was how thoroughly I described several of the cars my family drove during those years – including the 1959 Stepside Apache pickup, a toy replica of which is featured in the photo, snapped by hubby Aubyn).

Earlier this year I got myself a new (very used) car to drive up here in the Catskills when Aubyn bought himself a fancy new pickup. One day I might describe, in minute detail, these vehicles. But not today. Today, I’m wishing all (and sundry) Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Quanza, and a Tolerable 2021!

Cheers, y’all! (and Thanks, Wendy!)

M

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Morris Ardoin’s book, STONE MOTEL – MEMOIRS of a CAJUN BOY can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indibound, and other booksellers, and is also available as an audiobook on Audible.