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"A Visit from St. Nicholas", as recounted on Nextdoor

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"A Visit from St. Nicholas", as recounted on Nextdoor

My favorite Christmas poem meets my least favorite social network

Scott Hines
Dec 19, 2022
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"A Visit from St. Nicholas", as recounted on Nextdoor

actioncookbook.substack.com
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

Jeff Swerpman / Clement Village / 10 hours ago

Thank you to Speedy Pest Control! Took care of our rodent problem quickly. Crew was professional and clean. House is much quieter now. Would recommend to anyone!

— Rhonda Maypole / Clarke Estates / 9 hours ago

I had a terrible experience with Speedy. Would not recommend.

— Bart Champers / Moore Manor / 8 hours ago

I am a licensed and bonded pest control agent and offer affordable rates 555-2424


The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Debbie Zimbrot / Clement Village / 7 hours ago

Did anyone just hear an explosion?????

— Kevin Bloon / Clarke Estates / 7 hours ago

Might have been a transformer blowing.

— MarySue Mortonsen / Moore Manor / 7 hours ago

This has been happening more lately.

— Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 7 hours ago

I THOGUHT THIS WAS A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD

— Jennifer Wendell / Moore Manor / 6 hours ago

Very sad.


Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer.

Kelly Hughes / Moore Manor / 6 hours ago

Spotted a flock of deer in the neighborhood! So beautiful.

Getty Images / Christoph Wagner

— Austin Moser / Clarke Estates / 6 hours ago

The proper term for a group of deer is “herd”.

— Bob Ward / Clement Village / 6 hours ago

Those aren’t deer, those are reindeer. Any hunter could tell you that.

— Becky Renson / Moore Manor / 6 hours ago

It is very sad to see deer like this have to come into our neighborhood! We have destroyed their habitats and they have nowhere else to go!!

— Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

I THINK ITS SAD THAT PEOPLE LIKE U THINK DEER ARE MORE IMPORANT THAN PEOPLE


With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

Peggy Gentry / Clement Village / 5 hours ago

MAN YELLING LATE AT NIGHT IN NEIGHBORHOOD?

— Webb Walker / Clarke Estates / 5 hours ago

what was he yelling

— Peggy Gentry / Clement Village / 5 hours ago

SOUNDED LIKE A LIST OF NAMES. DASHER. DANCER

— Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

DANZIR? SOUNDS FOREIGN.

— Rhoda Marcus / Moore Manor / 4 hours ago

I was a child dancer back in 1952 when the ballet was still at the Dilworth Theater downtown. They tore the theater down to build the Galleria Mall. There was a lovely restaurant on the third floor of the Galleria that had a salad made with jellied chicken and alligator pears. I am looking for that recipe if anyone has it.

— Jennifer Wendell / Moore Manor / 4 hours ago

Very sad.


As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

Dwight Burnside / Moore Manor / 5 hours ago

Need recommendation for a good roofing company. Have had animals on roof.

— Rusty Russell / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

We have always had good experiences with Russell and Sons Roofing.

— Heather George / Clarke Estates / 4 hours ago

I had a terrible experience with Russell and Sons Roofing. The owner left one of his sons in my attic. It took many calls to get them to pick him up, and they attempted to invoice me for an additional service call when they finally did.

— Rusty Russell / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

There are two sides to every story and the truth will come out heather

— Bart Champers / Moore Manor / 4 hours ago

I am a licensed and bonded roofer and offer affordable rates 555-2424


As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

Nicholas Kringle / North Pole / 7 hours ago

Hi, I’m new to the area and looking for a recommendation for a dry cleaner with quick turnaround times.

— Sharon Wadsworth / Clement Village / 5 hours ago

I have always used High Street Cleaners.

— Martin Spurrell / Clarke Estates / 5 hours ago

High Street Cleaners closed earlier this year. I know the owner and he was unable to find anyone willing to work any more.

— Jennifer Wendell / Moore Manor / 4 hours ago

Very sad.

— Becky Renson / Moore Manor / 4 hours ago

Does anyone know what is going in to the old High Street Cleaners space?

— Martin Spurrell / Clarke Estates / 4 hours ago

I heard it is going to be a UPS store.

— Becky Renson / Moore Manor / 3 hours ago

I think they should put a Trader Joe’s in there. I do not like driving across town to the Trader Joe’s. The parking lot is very crowded.


His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

John Sigmundson / Moore Manor / 3 hours ago

Possible home invasion in progress on Fernbranch Court. Ring camera notified me of activity; video shows a large man entering neighbor’s house through chimney.

— Bob Ward / Clement Village / 3 hours ago

You should call the police instead of posting here.

— John Sigmundson / Moore Manor / 3 hours ago

I called the police before posting here. I am posting so others know.

— Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 2 hours ago

BY THE TIME THE POLICE ARRIVE IT IS OFTEN TOO LATE YOU NEED TO BE PREAPRED TO DEFEND YOUR HOUSE WITH FORCE

— Jennifer Wendell / Moore Manor / 2 hours ago

So sad.


He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work.
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

Janice Cotton / Clarke Estates / 2 hours ago

There is so much negativity out there today, I wanted to share a lovely experience I just had. I had just gone to sleep, and heard some noises downstairs. I went down to investigate, and someone had placed a number of gifts under my Christmas tree and hung stockings on my fireplace! What a surprise!

— Jennifer Wendell / Moore Manor / 2 hours ago

So lovely!

— Sharon Wadsworth / Clement Village / 2 hours ago

It is things like this that restore your faith in people!

— Becky Renson / Moore Manor / 2 hours ago

Thank you for sharing!!

— Rhoda Marcus / Moore Manor / 1 hour ago

How nice!

— Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

THIS TURNED OUT NICE THIS TIME BUT U SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE DOWNSTAIRS UNPREPARED


He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Dick Gramm / Clement Village / 4 hours ago

HEARD SOMEONE YELLING HAPPY CHRISTMAS. WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN


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Getty Images / Tom Merton

—Scott Hines (@actioncookbook)

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Enjoyed this piece? You might like some of my other holiday-season writings, too, including my longform magazine-style investigation into the truth behind the story of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, “All of the Other Reindeer”, or my recent profile of a Christmas disruptor, “Meet the 28-Year-Old CEO Who's Disrupting Christmas”.

There’s great stuff like this three times a week, every week, here on The Action Cookbook Newsletter, and if you become a full subscriber, you won’t miss a thing!

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"A Visit from St. Nicholas", as recounted on Nextdoor

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William
Dec 19, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ALLOW MULTI-FAMILY ZONING!

Thank (?) you for reminding us that, no matter how places and circumstances change, Nextdoor doesn't.

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Mark
Writes The Bemusement Park
Dec 19, 2022Liked by Scott Hines

You put way too much thought into this. Please don't ever stop doing that.

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