Wednesday, December 9, 2020

A Merry Christmas From Hank Frank & Spencer Jack With Cousin Jeff


The above arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Sent from Washington. Which would make that Hank Frank Jones wishing me a Merry Christmas. 

Hank Frank is the first born son of my favorite nephew Joey and my favorite niece-in-law, Monique.

Is niece-in-law an actual thing? Or did I just make it up?

I can not tell for sure, but it looks like Hank Frank is working in his orchard, posing for the family Christmas card photo.

Hank Frank's orchard, and home abode, is located in what are known as the Skagit Flats. One of the most fertile agricultural areas on the planet. Most famous for the acres of tulips and other bulb bloomers which color up the Skagit Valley each Spring, bringing tourists, daily, by the thousands, every year, to the valley, totaling well over a million visitors by the time each year's Skagit Valley Tulip Festival comes to its month long end.

Hank Frank had birthday number two in September. I was expecting to meet Hank Frank for the first time, along with meeting his mother for the first time, last summer, but those plans went awry.

I am hoping to get to meet Hank Frank before he turns three years old. But, so far, no solid plan to be in Washington next Summer has actually been actualized.

I also have a significant number high school class reunion which takes place next summer. I have indicated zero interest in attending that event. However, I have agreed to doing the get together thing with those from way back then, whom I actually would like to see...

Seconds after I typed the ... after the word "see" incoming email came in from Hank Frank's uncle Jason and cousin Spencer Jack. The email included the photo you see below and the following text...

FUD --  
Spencer photographed me with what I believe is a cardboard cut out of your first cousin. We were holiday shopping at Yeager's in Bellingham this afternoon when we ran into Santa.  Aka Jeff. Thought you'd enjoy the picture...


Cousin Jeff is my dad's brother's eldest son. For years now cousin Jeff has been one of Whatcom County's Santa Clauses. I last saw cousin Jeff on August 12, 2017, in Lynden. It was Summer, but Jeff was still sporting his all natural white Santa Claus beard.

I am guessing during this COVID Christmas year that Santas are not doing their regular duty in my old home state. Thus Cousin Jeff being turned into a Yeager's cardboard Santa.

As for Yeager's. That is a sprawling old-fashioned department store in Bellingham. I have never seen a Yeager's type store in Texas.

In Washington I knew of several of the Yeager's type store. Does Chubby & Tubby still exist in Seattle? I bought my all time favorite inflatable raft at Chubby & Tubby's years ago. Does Northern Sales still exist in Mount Vernon? Maybe I will remember to Google Chubby & Tubby and Northern Sales and get an answer to these probing questions.

I wonder why it was not Spencer Jack posing with Santa Jeff, rather than his dad?

I suspect Spencer Jack was not agreeable to doing such, but was agreeable to being the photographer...

2 comments:

Steve A said...

Chubby and Tubby shut down many years ago, though I'm told you can still get a Chubby and Tubby Christmas tree on Aurora Avenue in Shoreline from MJD Distributors Garden Center. Apparently, the Nursery bought the rights to the name and is intent on keeping the C&T tree tradition alive.

Anonymous said...

Northern Sales is gone too. Santa, however, is still in business.