Adventures with Santa: Braddock, Pennsylvania

Driving southeast from Pittsburgh, Santa stopped briefly at the Free Store founded by Gisele Fetterman in Braddock, Pennsylvania to drop off a load of previously loved bikes.

He had followed Gisele’s service since she was a young woman. moved to Pennsylvania to work alongside her now husband, John Fetterman, while he was the city’s mayor; then he assisted him as Lieutenant General of State as Second Lady of Pennsylvania; still at his side today and supports his successful career as a state senator.

Santa Claus knew a good egg when he saw one, and he couldn’t wait to meet the beloved woman in her condition. She’s so popular that the mantra “vote for Gisele’s husband” was heard frequently throughout the campaign.

He was also aware that after a series of accidents in her life, she was honest about her medicinal use of cannabis for chronic pain and campaigned for her state to legalize the plant along with her husband.

At home in history

Santa Claus led Rudolph to the roof of the Fettermans’ house.

So proud of his state’s steel history, Senator Fetterman converted the former Superior Motors building across from the Edgar Thomson Steel Works into his family home. The mill was the first to lay railroad tracks across the country and the pride factor for Fetterman was strong.

Superior Motors was one of the first indoor car dealerships in the country to require a crane to remove an old Chevy from its soon-to-be home.

Lying beside her sleeping husband, Gisele Fetterman thought of the upcoming holidays, their soundly sleeping children, her husband’s newly appointed position as state senator, and all that meant for the future of her family and beloved state.

Not a creature moved when she heard a rumble on the roof in the night.

Taking one look at her husband’s 6ft 8in height, giggling at the sight of his feet sticking out over the end of the bed and his head covered by a blanket as he slept soundly, she tiptoed to the roof to see what was going on.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Ho, ho, ho!” didn’t mean to scare you,” said Santa Claus, carefully stepping out of the sleigh while the reindeer made themselves comfortable on the expansive roof.

“I have nothing against miracles,” said Gisele with an uncertain smile. “Just give me a minute to record everything.”

“Well I’m no wonder, I’m just spreading the love of giving just like you,” he replied. “I hope you are as excited to meet me as I am to meet you. You are one of our people. My wife didn’t miss her selfless and loving nature either.”

Santa pulled a small dropper bottle of tincture from his pocket and offered it to Gisele, who was now lovingly stroking Rudolph’s nose.

“You probably didn’t think of it, but my lower back can get a little sore sitting on this wooden sled,” he said with a seriousness in his voice that surprised her. “The elves started growing hemp at the North Pole, and Mrs. Claus makes this tincture. She wanted you to have a bottle.”

The hemp tincture made by Mrs. Claus was created using high cannabidiol (CBD) and low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compounds and crossed by the late great Lawrence Ringo of Southern Humboldt County at the tip of Northern California.

Ringo hybridized low THC plants for his own chronic back pain into what he referred to as the “God Plant” since the original cannabis plant said to be found in holy anointing oil from the Bible did not have the high THC -Salary that we have today. However, the plant, dubbed hemp, still has the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of the cannabis plant as a superfood and is highly medicinal without the high.

“Both frankincense and myrrh are very medicinal,” Santa informed. “Not just incense for baby Jesus. I don’t think most people understand about most plants or why they brought medicine to the child in the manger.”

Gisele understood this and gratefully accepted the bottle. But she was also a bit stunned. It was a lot to digest. Santa Claus, a cannabis proponent – ​​the elves as farmers, Mrs. Claus as an apothecary, weed in Holy Anointing Oil?

This man in a red suit flying through the air offered more than physical gifts on Christmas Eve, she thought — and considered giving him extra cookies at the stove next year.

She also knew in her heart that if her gentle giant of a husband could win the state senate—with his signature sweatshirt, winter-eternal shorts and sneakers, anything is possible. Hell, her very existence in this life, in this country, was a bummer from the start.

Gisele Fetterman, courtesy of Diana Markosian

Silent Night Holy Night

“I read that you have three strikes against you,” Santa continued. “You started your life in this country as an illegal immigrant – you are a woman and a cannabis patient.”

“Yeah that’s right – with those thick eyebrows they just don’t know what to make of me,” she laughed while Santa chuckled along. “But I believe education is everything when it comes to cannabis. It has been misunderstood for a very long time.”

“So many recognized the plant as medicine, that’s true,” he mused. “If you think about it, I’m illegal too. Every year I cross borders for the greater good of making children happy by giving illegally imported gifts! I don’t pay customs duties. My reindeer aren’t even documented in the US, but here we are. Everywhere, in every country, there are double standards.”

The two laughed heartily at Santa’s perspective and Gisele had to agree, they were quite a couple.

The stars in the sky shone brightly over Braddock as the two shared this very special Christmas Eve together.

“I am grateful to you, Santa Claus,” Gisele said lovingly. “And for Mrs. Claus and the elves – and these beautiful animals. And a plant that will help both of us.”

“And I am grateful for you and your good works,” he repeated. “‘When everyone gives, nobody goes without.’ Mrs. Claus always reminds me of that – especially on the days that seem darkest to me. It’s not easy to be misunderstood in this world. It’s not easy watching people go without it. And it’s not easy to see people suffering because they don’t have access to this plant. Thank you for your commitment, Gisele.”

In the distance they could hear the bells of the Byzantine Catholic Church of St. Peter & Paul heralding the blessing of Christmas Eve. The steel mill across the street was quiet as Gisele’s family slept peacefully in their beds, unaware of the magic unfolding on the roof.

Santa Claus got back on his sleigh and ordered his crew to head towards the city of love, Philadelphia.

“Wish us luck, we’re going straight to Kensington,” Santa said with a wave, blowing a kiss to the state senator’s wife. “Oh, and you have a little surprise at the Free Store, we gave away some bikes!”

“God bless you, Santa – and God bless the souls of Kensington,” Gisele waved back, then put her hands together in prayer and raised them to the cheerful man. Then she blew him a kiss into Braddock’s sparkling night sky.

“Merry Christmas everyone and good night everyone!” Santa called back.

For more information on Braddock’s Free Store, visit https://www.freestore15104.org/

For more information on newly elected State Senator John Braddock, visit https://johnfetterman.com/