UPDATE: Winner–comment #22, Brandy. Email me with your address! (Contact button at the top of the sidebar!) 
I love cows. I love cows almost as much as I love sheep and ducks. I wish I’d lived in the country when my kids were little because some of my favorite memories from their young childhoods are the times we did happen by cows and I could say, “Look! Cows! Cows go moo!” Three-year-olds love that. Now, we drive by cows every day. And even though my kids are 11, 14, and 16, I still say, “Look! Cows! Cows go moo!” They just don’t appreciate it as much as they did when they were little. I like to say it anyway. Can you even say the word moo without smiling? Try saying it three times in a row, especially in front of someone else, and you’ll be cracking up. There is just something about the word moo that feels good. It’s like all the joy and nonsense of childhood rolled up in one three-letter word. You just can’t say moo and not be happy.
There was a story on the news recently about how Santa shouldn’t say ho, ho, ho anymore. (There was also a story about how he needs to thin up because his weight sets a bad example. I’m thinking–is he not jolly? Has he not lived for a thousand years and more despite his girth? Let the man have his cookies.) There’s some idea that Santa needs to say ha, ha, ha instead. Initially this was reported as a move to avoid offending women, but the story now is that ho, ho, ho is too frightening for children. (If a skinny old man in a weird outfit shouting ha, ha, ha isn’t frightening, I don’t know what is.)
I know one thing for sure. Out here in the boonies, Santa is going to keep saying ho, ho, ho. And when we put cookies out for him, they’re going to be made with real butter, fully-calorized. (Is that even a word?) But if Santa ever starts saying anything other than ho, ho, ho, I’m lobbying for moo, moo, moo.
What about you? If ho, ho, ho were eradicated from the universe, what do you think Santa should say? Drop a comment here letting me know what you think about Santa’s belly and the kafluffle over ho, ho, ho to be in the running for this weekend’s giveaway prize–a primitive little cranberry grapevine wreath (that is so pretty, you’ll want to hang it up all the time, not just for the holidays). Drawing Monday!
(Writers–go see my latest post, What is a Blog Carnival, on Dandelion to find out how to enter the Carnival of Romance Writers!)
