266 Express
Welcome to the 266 Express, your official podcast of Sanger, TX.
In every episode, we paint a picture of life in this beautiful North Texas town.
You will gain insight into everything from our rich history, community events, and the rapid growth and development of Sanger. Welcome to the 266 Express.
266 Express
North Pole Wonders: Mrs. Claus on Santa's Secrets, Elves' Origins, and Holiday Traditions
Join us on a whimsical adventure to the North Pole with the enchanting Mrs. Claus as our special guest. You won't want to miss her sharing the delightful tale of meeting Santa in 1830 and the secrets behind Santa's favorite cookies—spoiler alert: chocolate chip and snickerdoodles reign supreme! Mrs. Claus also spills the beans on the magical carrots that fuel the reindeer's flight and dishes on the mystery of the elves' origins, their love for snowball fights, and their unique fashion sense. Not to mention, she gives us the lowdown on maintaining the legendary naughty and nice list with her trusty laptop, ensuring every child gets a fair shot at making the nice list.
We also take a peek at the quirky holiday traditions of the North Pole, from the idea of a Santa cam to the challenges of keeping the internet running in such a snowy wonderland. Picture Santa maneuvering around foggy weather, sneaking veggies onto his plate, and avoiding chimney mishaps—all while his suit remains spotless thanks to magical laundry soap. As we gear up for "Christmas on the Square," Mrs. Claus wraps up our chat with a heartfelt message about the importance of kindness and family during the holidays. Mark your calendars for December 7th when she'll join us for crafting and storytelling, while Santa poses for photos and creates unforgettable memories for all.
You have been listening to The 266 Express, the official podcast of Sanger, TX. IF you have comments or suggestions, please send them to dgreen@sangertexas.org
Welcome to the 266 Express. I'm John Noblet, here with my co-host, donna Green. Donna, who do we have with us today?
Speaker 1:Well, don we have a very special guest today. Mrs Claus has traveled all the way from the North Pole to come visit with us and answer a few questions.
Speaker 2:Yay.
Speaker 3:Good morning.
Speaker 2:Oh, good morning, Mrs Claus. It is so good to see you. I have been really good. If you could pass that along.
Speaker 3:I will make sure he knows. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Smells like cookies she does, and chocolate chip cookies and a little gingerbread.
Speaker 3:Oh, gingerbread is good. I did make some chocolate chip cookies this morning. Santa wanted to try out a new recipe.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, he's got to warm up for the season, I bet.
Speaker 1:Put some weight on.
Speaker 2:It's like Joey Chestnut you just can't slam all those hot dogs. You've got to really prepare probably.
Speaker 3:He does, he does, he makes sure I've got some new recipes just about every year. Get some new cookies out. He does like snickerdoodles too.
Speaker 2:Snickerdoodles, he does.
Speaker 1:He likes the cinnamon, so kids remember that.
Speaker 2:Snickerdoodles chocolate chip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, put those out, yeah.
Speaker 2:And milk.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, he's a big fan of milk.
Speaker 1:And then there's also the reindeer.
Speaker 3:No, they do like their reindeer feed with oatmeal. They like it when there's sprinkles in it, but they do also like carrots a lot.
Speaker 2:A lot of carrots. Perfect, I like carrots too. I should have been born a reindeer, mrs Claus. We really were super excited to have Santa last year. He came by and he visited with us, but the one thing that we didn't talk about and I'm interested in I'm sure Donnie is too is how did you and Santa Claus meet?
Speaker 3:Well, I was working in New York working with a shoemaker in about 1830. And, sure enough, Santa came in to get a pair of new boots. So we just chatted and he cracked me up and I fell in love with his cherry nose and his fluffy beard and that's all she wrote. Wow.
Speaker 2:That didn't take long.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 3:I.
Speaker 2:I've heard that your real name is Margaret. Am I okay to tell people?
Speaker 3:that it is Margaret. I go by Mary a lot, but I do have a lot of nicknames. Lots of people call me all kinds of different names. I've been Jessica in a few movies. So yeah, it gets a little creative sometimes, Nice.
Speaker 1:Nice for sure. So tell me, and I'm sure everybody wants to know do you and Santa have children?
Speaker 3:Well, we don't have children of our own, but I do consider all of the children in the world our children. We do watch all of them and I try to make sure that everybody's being very good.
Speaker 1:Wonderful. And what about the elves? Are they kind of like children too?
Speaker 3:They are, but some of them are older than we are, so it's a little tricky. Yeah, they're just small. They work very hard.
Speaker 2:I mean you said that you and Santa met in the 1800s. I mean you look great for your age, if I can say it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I appreciate that. I do take care of my hair a lot.
Speaker 2:All women do so. Reindeer, reindeer we've brought this question up before. We're really very interested in reindeer. Can all reindeer fly?
Speaker 3:No, most reindeer, can't? Santa had to search very far, but all of his reindeer are magic and of course the carrots help them. It's kind of like fairy dust for them and it helps them to fly on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1:Right, oh wow, that's interesting. That is interesting, interesting. So where do elves come from?
Speaker 3:Well, that's kind of a big secret. They don't like to tell us where they're from, but it's very cold and it snows a lot where they're from, so they're very comfortable at the North Pole. They really enjoy a good snowball fight.
Speaker 2:I've noticed that every time we see an elf they kind of have a uniform. Is there a uniform policy there at the North Pole?
Speaker 3:We don't require uniforms, but they certainly do have their own unique style that everybody kind of falls in line with yeah, they really like red and green.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, when you find a good outfit, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, might as well, stick with it. We've had that discussion, right? Yeah, stick with what you know. One outfit.
Speaker 2:There you go, there you go. What about the naughty and nice list? We know, Santa has it. I mean, do you help out with that? I mean, number one is there a naughty and nice list for real? And I mean, are you involved in that process too?
Speaker 3:I do help him out with that. So there is a naughty and nice list. It's a big list so we use a very special laptop now to help us keep that under tabs and a very nice database for that. However, santa knows that everybody has a hard time being nice all the time, so it's kind of hard to get on the naughty list because he's always watching to catch somebody being good. But yes, we do check that. I do help him look through that every day, so names get shuffled around a lot. But the nice list is certainly longer than the naughty.
Speaker 2:This is really good to know, though you said Santa is always looking to find somebody doing good. I always thought Santa was looking for you to be bad, but if he's looking for me to be good, I just need to be good more right.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, I like that there's still a chance. You've still got some time, Well not?
Speaker 2:much, but I think I can knock it out in the next 30 days Maybe.
Speaker 1:So I understand that Santa has agreed to give us the special Santa boxes again this year so that the kids here in Sanger can write him the letters. So we really appreciate that. And again, for people out there that will be writing letters to Santa, you don't need postage. I know a lot of times they try to leave money in the letters for us and they send us pre-stamped envelopes, but Santa delivers off his mail for free. But we really appreciate that he's going to do that again this year. Um, so one thing that, um, I know my kids used to ask me is uh, when we did, we didn't have a chimney, and so they wanted to know if Santa doesn't have a chimney, how does he get in?
Speaker 3:Well, again, santa is magic, so he gets pretty creative with that and he can pretty much get through anybody's house. We do actually have a book in the library that talks about how does Santa go down the chimney. But if you don't have a chimney, there are lots of fun and unique ways that Santa can get into your house. Yeah, sometimes he maybe he goes flat, slides under the door, shrinks a little. He's really really creative about getting in your house.
Speaker 1:I've also heard about a magic key that Santa can use that only works on your door and it only works for Christmas Eve. Oh, absolutely. That's a super cool way that he gets around.
Speaker 2:I need one of those for Amazon delivery.
Speaker 1:They have that now. They'll open your garage door and stick it in there for you. That's nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and scary.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:But Santa's not scary. No, Santa's not scary and I'm glad because I don't use much M&E and it's really small and I did worry about that this year Because you know we have the old Tommy big. You know you have the little round stack that's like six or eight inches around and every I mean when santa was here last year he's not eight, six to eight inches around.
Speaker 2:So that's the magic. So now we, we know that, um, that that you guys work up at the pole really year round. Everybody thinks that, santa, just because he comes once a year, that nothing, nothing goes on there. But I mean it's you got a huge operation up there, but surely you get some free time, and what do you? What do you and Santa do for fun?
Speaker 3:Well, we do get some free time, especially right after Christmas. We try to take a break for a week or two. Sometimes we just take the sleigh out and go on a date night, but we do enjoy going to lots of fun places on vacation. However, we go in disguise because we don't really want anyone to know who we are. It's a little hard to enjoy your vacation when everybody's like crowding you. So you might have seen Santa and you would never know.
Speaker 1:I would be so excited if I saw Santa at the beach. We'll be looking for Santa year round now, yeah, so you said you get to go out in the sleigh, but do you get to fly in the sleigh?
Speaker 3:I don't. I do get to fly in the sleigh. I don't go out with him on Christmas Eve. Most of the time I'm usually pretty busy back at the house, but once in a while, when we go on a date night, we do take the sleigh out and go for a spin Is that fun?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I mean. The question is does Santa ever let you drive?
Speaker 3:Well, if he's not feeling well? I have been known to drive, but he's usually the one to take care. Take control of it, Nice Wow.
Speaker 1:Do the reindeers kind of just know where they're going now? I mean, they've been doing it for so long.
Speaker 3:They do know where they're going. They have their own little trail and track.
Speaker 1:And does he do the same basic route every year, so it's like always the same. Does he always go to the same place first, and then the next place and the next place?
Speaker 3:Weather can always play a part in that. Sometimes it changes up, but usually he tries to do the same route. It makes it faster because they know where they're going.
Speaker 2:Awesome. So what does a typical day really look like at the North Pole during the holiday season?
Speaker 3:now, Well, santa has a meeting first thing in the morning, of course, with his head elves to make sure everybody knows what they're working on. Toy elves get a list of toys that they're working on. The reindeer elves get to make sure the reindeer are taken care of if there's any special exercise that they have to do. Of course I'm doing a lot of baking, but I do help him again check on the naughty and nice list and we make sure things like that are going on and make sure all the reindeer are fed, get their exercise. Toys are getting made. It's just very busy.
Speaker 1:Well, this kind of sounds like a farm, sort of A little bit yeah, up early and into bed late, right.
Speaker 2:Maybe someday they'll get one of those webcams up at the North Pole the Daily Follows. That would be awesome. Yeah, it would probably break the internet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, those webcams up at the North Pole the Daily Follows. That would be awesome. That'd be. Yeah, it would probably break the internet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it would probably. Yeah, yeah, it would probably be more of a problem, more of a hassle.
Speaker 1:More of a hassle, yeah.
Speaker 2:They need more Starlink probably.
Speaker 1:I mean they're up there, plus it's so cold up there.
Speaker 2:I wonder, I mean, I know not, not crafting a bad way, crafting a good way. I bet they could figure it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you put that request in with Santa. We'd like to have a Santa cam.
Speaker 3:I will talk to him about that. See how he and the elves feel about being watched all the time. I mean they're watching everybody else.
Speaker 2:Well, if he's not down for it, it was Donna's idea.
Speaker 1:Great yeah. So what's your favorite part about getting ready for the holidays?
Speaker 3:Oh, just seeing everybody's happy faces. I just love when everybody gets into the Christmas cheer and the feel of the holidays and everybody's sharing and gift giving and just everybody's happiness.
Speaker 2:And you and Santa and the elves and everybody they celebrate as well. I mean, this is not just a holiday for you guys to be working on. What traditions or special things do you guys do for the holiday season?
Speaker 3:Well, we make sure to give everybody a little bit of a gift as well. The elves definitely have their unique things. Some of them like hammers and saws and some of them like water guns and things along those lines little slingshots for their snowfall fights. Of course, reindeers like little gifts too, and Santa and I make sure we spend extra time together. Little gifts that we like, but we absolutely celebrate Christmas. We don't put any stockings by the chimney, of course, because he can just give it to us, but we certainly do enjoy cookies and hot chocolate and reading books together and any special meals well, let me think carrot cake is fun for the reindeers.
Speaker 1:Oh, they really like their they do like their carrots, they do like their carrots.
Speaker 3:It helps them fly, so they enjoy getting enough of that. Santa does certainly like his desserts Cookies, of course but he does like a really good roast, maybe a steak now and again Some mashed potatoes. He's pretty easy. I sometimes have to sneak in vegetables, but he's pretty good about eating a good meal Nice. It is nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you do a traditional Christmas dinner or do you guys do something different?
Speaker 3:We kind of change it up because the traditional dinner in the US is not the same as it is around the world. So we kind of change things up and try to celebrate Christmas like everybody does. That's great.
Speaker 2:That's a good idea. So you certainly have a logistical challenge on your hand, and we know that it's a team effort anytime that you have an operation as big and as broad. I mean we serve a small community, I mean you guys are serving the entire world. What are some of the challenges you guys face?
Speaker 3:Well, we all know about Rudolph and when it was foggy and we had trouble seeing and that was so great when we found him and that helps. But yeah, weather can play a part sometimes, but again Santa's magic, so he can do just about anything with with what he needs to do. Of course you know you would never think all of those toys fit on the sleigh, but they sure do Magic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, packs a, man Packs a man, yep.
Speaker 1:So tell us what's the secret to keeping Santa Claus's suit all beautiful red and fluffy and white?
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is important because he looked spectacular last year.
Speaker 1:Yes, he was fabulous.
Speaker 3:He does. I do have to make sure I've got a very special laundry soap that helps keep it going. The one that I use has a little bit of magic in it and it helps to keep that chimney suit out of his suit, because he gets real dirty by the end of the night and that little bit of magic helps keep it very fluffy and warm.
Speaker 2:Stain resistance type stuff.
Speaker 3:I hadn't even thought about all this. For sure, yeah, we need that.
Speaker 2:Not to get too personal, but like your closet, is it full of that same suit?
Speaker 3:Thankfully he only has to have a couple of the suits because they are so well taken care of, but he does really like to wear red.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 3:So most of his closet is full of red.
Speaker 2:It's a power color.
Speaker 1:It is. He's a pretty powerful guy. Yeah, it's very true it is.
Speaker 2:He's a pretty powerful guy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's very true, so can you tell us any funny or memorable moments from past Christmases. Oh, let me think I know that there was one time that Santa didn't use quite enough magic to get down a chimney and he almost got stuck and the reindeer thought that was very funny. Thankfully he had an elf with him that year so they sprinkled a little bit extra on him. Let me think I know there's been times he has just almost got caught so he's had to be real quick on the button. He has had a dog or two try to get at his boots because they see him coming in and that's pretty funny. But thankfully he keeps dog treats with him, so it usually helps. There's been a time or two he got caught in a snowstorm and threw him off track for a little while, so thankfully he had extra magic with him to get things going a little bit faster later in the night. Yeah, you never quite know what's going to happen on a Christmas Eve.
Speaker 2:I bet that's interesting. Yeah, really.
Speaker 1:Wouldn't that be cool.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I think it would be, but I would probably have a problem. I know you packed the sleigh, right, everything's in there, but I mean, how do you keep track of it? I mean, you get everything in there and you have a route, but you have all these different children. How do y'all keep track of that? That's not all magic, right.
Speaker 3:No, it's not all magic. He's usually pretty careful about where he puts everything, but he also sorts it by country, so that helps, so he knows which country he's in. Anyway. It makes it reduces the number of packages he has to go through Right Pretty quickly.
Speaker 2:Has that gotten more computerized too, like the naughty list and all that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, geotracking tags Mm-hmm, yeah, little air tags, little air tags, little air tags. Yeah, that would be awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we should leave those out for Santa this year. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Instead of cookies, right? Oh, no, don't forget the cookies. Yeah, do not forget the cookies. Don't forget the cookies.
Speaker 2:Do you have a favorite Christmas song or Christmas movie that you and Santa dance to or snuggle up and eat Something probably not as healthy as you would like?
Speaker 3:I don't think we have a favorite movie right now, but my favorite Christmas song currently is Christmas Cookies by George Strait.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because it talks about making all those sugar cookies and getting some extra attention. Yeah, santa does like some sugar cookies and getting some extra attention.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Santa does like some sugar cookies, so we definitely dance while those cookies are in the oven.
Speaker 2:That's nice. Oh, that is nice.
Speaker 1:So if you could visit any place in the world during the holidays, where would it be?
Speaker 3:Let me think there's just so many places that we could go. I do have to say that last year we went to Branson, missouri, and they just do their Christmas lights up real nice, and Silver Dollar City just has so many Christmas trees and all their pretty lights. It's just a really nice place to fly around for a little while. And again, we're in disguise, so if we're walking around you would never know it's us. But yeah, we have been to a lot of very fun places during the Christmas holidays.
Speaker 2:So is there any message you'd like to share with the children and their families this Christmas? Was there any message?
Speaker 3:you'd like to share with the children and their families this Christmas. Oh well, remember that everybody likes getting presents and that's a lot of fun, but Christmas is really about spending time with your friends and family and sharing. So if you can spend the holiday season being kind and generous to everyone, that's where you're going to find the magic.
Speaker 1:We thank you so much. I know you're super busy this time of year and I know you're coming back on the 7th to be with us for Christmas on the Square and the kids can do the crafting with you and I think you'll be reading a story to them that day, and so we really appreciate your time and for being able to come. And please give Santa all of our love. We can't wait to see him. We're excited.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I agree it's so good. I love Santa, but it's so good to see you. We don't always get to talk to Mrs Claus.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you for inviting me and I am very excited to come back and make all those crafts and I've found that I've. I really like reading the night before Christmas.
Speaker 2:So I'm really excited to see everybody. What day is that, donna?
Speaker 1:That's on December 7th Downtown Downtown.
Speaker 2:Downtown and Santa's coming for photos as well.
Speaker 1:Santa's going to be there for photos from two to four and Mrs Claus is going to be in the creamery from 12 to 2 with doing the crafting with the kids.
Speaker 2:Well, we're so, and we'll have the lights on for you. Oh, thank you, I don't know that we'll compete with Branson, but we're going to do our best.
Speaker 3:We're going to compete Okay.
Speaker 2:Donna says we're going to compete, it's going to be beautiful this year. Well, thank you again, Mrs Claus.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, you've been listening to the 266 Express. I'm John.