A Not So Very Merry

My yearly Christmas eve sojourn to Connecticut begins in Norfolk where the topography reminds of my home at the North Pole.

But lo, on the night of December 24, 2007 as I swooped down from the Berkshires ho-hoing away, my reindeer became lost and disoriented. We cut a wide swath over the Litchfield Hills, delighting in the holiday decorations of neighboring towns, but nowhere to be found were the Christmas lights of Norfolk.

In 1912, my dear friend, Mrs. Bridgman donated what is considered to be just the second outdoor Christmas tree in the U.S. decorated with electric lights. Installed on the village green, it was adorned with over 300 wonderful white lights.

In a 1925 letter in a local newspaper  I read of the spirit of this tiny hamlet: “The Tree of Light in Norfolk is the radiant center of town and calls forth the enthusiastic comment of motorists and railroad travelers. This wonderful pyramid of light surmounted by its star with golden rays arrests the attention of all and stirs thoughts too deep for words.”

So perplexed was I by the Grinch-like darkness in Norfolk, I had the temerity to call the First Selectman’s office for an explanation. Matter-of-factly, somewhat indifferently, I was told that the electrical problem around the green would be fixed in the Spring. Humbug!

Alas, as Rudolph spirited us back to the North Pole, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the good people of Norfolk whose holiday season was made a little dimmer.

Signed,

(A not so) Jolly St. Nick

(Michael Kelly)