Holiday Hamster

I don't see any reason why there shouldn't be a festive holiday hamster to share the season's joy with reindeer, penguins, and polar bears. I think this little fellow is a good start. He's been with me for years and every Christmas, I get him out, put batteries in him, press his left foot and he rings his little bell, sings Jingle Bells in his Alvin the Chipmunk kind of voice and makes me smile.

The larger bell in his right paw is a part of a key chain that belonged to my mother and after she died in 1985 we put a red bow on it and started the tradition of putting it on the very top of the Christmas tree before any other ornament went on the tree.

My mother was a fidgeter and a key chain with a bell on it wasn't the best choice for her. She used to come to my office back in the early 80s to meet me for lunch and she'd sit in the lobby and fidget so the bell would tinkle, the receptionist would come to tell me she was waiting and I'd just shake my head because it was impossible not to know she was in the building. We no longer put up a big tree so the holiday hamster now has the honor of holding "Granny's Bell" which continues to tinkle on as part of the small but treasured collection of ornaments we bring out each year that bring back wonderful memories.