I’ve mentioned before that growing up, my family always got the daily Edmonton Journal newspaper. It was a different experience getting a daily newspaper in a small rural town, over 100 miles from where it was published. The paper would arrive late in the evening on the Greyhound bus and Dad would pick it up the next day. It was literally yesterday’s news.

But although we would already know the top news stories (my family being avid listeners of talk radio and watchers of the evening news) there was plenty more in the Journal to round out our reading. For me, it was first the comics. Then it was the Lifestyle section. The Lifestyle section is where I first discovered syndicated humor writers like Erma Bombeck and later, Dave Barry.

Dave Barry, like most humorists, has a great deal of intellect behind the silliness. He earned a bachelor degree in English and then was hired as a journalist which opened the door for his humor column to get published and then he got syndicated and then he got a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. (So, I guess I like some Pulitzer Prize winners after all.)

I fell in love with Barry’s nonsensical and hyperbolic style the first time I read him. For instance, here’s his take on the Christmas season:

“Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space. “

I think Barry’s magic comes in being relatable. The subjects he exaggerates and pokes fun at come with not a small nugget of truth. We were at THE MALL last weekend and were summarily stalked when we went to drop off some packages in the car. This was followed by the screeching of tires as the cars honed in on other prey when they realized we weren’t giving up our spot just yet.

And take for instance, one of the many fiction books he’s penned, The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog. Last weekend, after we left THE MALL and all the Christmas shoppers (and parkers) behind, I finished reading this book out loud to Rick as we travelled the two hours home. Barry tells a story that strikes a chord for nearly everyone: it’s got dogs, death, church, puberty, bat poop, a Christmas pageant, a high-strung Christmas pageant lady and to top it off, the hero, probably modelled on Barry himself, actually saves a damsel in distress. Not only does he serve it all up with plenty of humor, he can make you cry, too. You have been warned.

It’s not a long book to read and it nicely sets the stage for Christmas. It’s probably sitting on the Christmas display rack at your local library right now. There’s something about this time of year that makes you want to feel all the feels, which is why those dang Hallmark Christmas movies are so popular. So tune in the Yuletide Log channel and snuggle in with a good book like this one instead. It might be a little predictable (like a Hallmark Christmas movie), but maybe that’s just one of the things we like about Christmas.