The Prized and Priceless Archive
of Christmases PastAbout Christmas Elves
Got Elf? Every Christmas box has one. Open the nearest pack of tinsel and sniff for ginger bread and eggnog—telltale signs of elf activity. The fragrance of peppermint is the sign of a permanent resident, though some regional variations tend toward the hint of a mint julep. They're watching. Are you aware?
A Brief History
"... Several friends have asked 'Who writes this letter?' Well, in all truth, I do. I crawl out of the X-Mas box once a year, pick the tinsel from my hair, and check up on the family so you won't miss a thing. Actually, I keep the Stewarts up-to-date, too (weak minds, short memories). A quick rummage through each year's archive turned up some interesting articles ..."
The year was 1994 when, shall we call him "Elf", made himself known to readers. Elf penned the introduction above after coming out-of-the-box. Arrogant, while the consummate ghost writer, Elf maintained a good relationship for many years. He chose to move on abandoning the Stewarts in 2005 amidst ugly rumors of attempted elficide (re: Christmas letter, 2005). Elfless, the 2005 letter was the work of human hands. Christmas 2006 dawned in a new place with new friends and a lively and unexpected bounty of elfin assistance.If you hadn't seen the latest edition, there was no need t'worry your little head (or your big head, as the case may be). A human-readable copy was usually printed on the finest paper and was probably put in the mailbox (or left in the kitchen waiting for a stamp). You'd have wanted to have your paper copy handy for decipherin' when the Yules were involved. For the impatient or less fortunate ones, you can select from a number of priceless prizes linked in this Prized and Priceless Archive, below.
Whether catching up or just remembering, but you'll need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view the letters. Don't have the reader? Visit the Adobe website to download the freebie.
Some of the letters have links to other things, so be sure to use a mouse that's been trained to hunt for Easter eggs at Christmas! If your mouse hasn't been trained, just ask Meshack. He's a little slow for an elf, but he's good with animals.
Click a link below for the year you're looking for:
(Elfin Chant: Natus Salvatoris [Listen: WMA MP3])
If you were reading before 2003, you're almost old enough to forget things. Just like Dave. He'll stir up the attic dust and add more archives later. Maybe?
Our First Audio Letter - 2006
The mountain elf is a busy, tireless critter. And the elves have been busy. The Yule family was so happy to have a crowd for Christmas they drove all the way to Murfreesboro to cut a record (only to be disappointed that the MP3 file didn't fit the spindle of their Grahmophone). It's not great, but it's a lot less confusing than what they wrote.
Take a listen. You can still download the original 2006 audio and enjoy the fun of Billy J., Meshack, Ma, and Grandpa Yule. Two formats are available: WMA (Windows Media Audio) or MP3.
Many past visitors to this page were immediately startled by the voice of Billy J. Yule. The media player used to sit right about where you're reading now. That clamorous outburst from the Yule family (Tennessee Elves) has been silenced after two long years. Perhaps it will be replaced with a briefer introduction in the future.
The End of the Line
And there it is again... the End of the Line. We hope you enjoyed the trip and left with a smile on your day or a puzzled look on your face. May your days be happy, and...just maybe...you might think of starting a similar tradition for your archives.
Merry Christmas!
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Copyright © 1994-2021 by David B. Stewart. All rights reserved. |