#815 The Elves and the Shoemaker

December 23, 2022Scott Benner

It has become a bit of a tradition here on the podcast for listeners send me Christmas stories that they'd like me to read. And this year I'll be reading the Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. Previously in Episode 291, about at the 30 minute mark, I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And in Episode 600, Twas the Night Before Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or no holiday at all, I hope you enjoy this. I read this today for Ysabelle.

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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, as has become a bit of a tradition here on the podcast. Listeners send me Christmas stories that they'd like me to read. And this year I'll be reading the Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. Previously in Episode 291, about at the 30 minute mark, I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And in Episode 600, Twas the Night Before Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or no holiday at all, I hope you enjoy this. I read this today for Isabelle, the Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. A shoemaker by no fault of his own had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut out the shoes, which he wished to begin to make the next morning. And as he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly in his bed, committed himself to God and fell asleep. In the morning, after he said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work. The two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded and knew not what to say to it. He took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer. And they were so neatly made, that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece. Soon after, a buyer came in, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more for them than was customary. And with the money, the shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out at night, and next morning was about to set to work with fresh courage, but he had no need to do so for when he got up, they were already made. And buyers also were not wanting who gave him money enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes. The following morning to he found the four pairs made, and so it went on constantly. What he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning so that he soon had his honest independence again, and it last became a wealthy man. Now it'd be felled at one evening, not long before Christmas, when the man had been cutting out, he said to his wife before going to bed. What thank you if we were to stay up tonight to see who it is that lends us this helping hand. The woman liked the idea and lighted a candle. And then they hid themselves in a corner of the room behind some clothes which were hanging up there and watched. When it was midnight, to pretty little naked men came, sat down by the shoemakers table, took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch and sew and hammer so skillfully and so quickly with their little fingers. The shoemaker could not turn away his eyes first banishment. They did not stop until all was done and stood finished on the table, and they ran quickly away. Next morning, the woman said, The Little men have made us rich, and we really must show that we are grateful for it. They run about so and have nothing on and must be cold. I'll tell the what I'll do. I will make them little shirts, and coats and vests and trousers and knit both of them a pair of stockings, and do thou to make them two little pairs of shoes. The man said, I shall be very glad to do it. And one night when everything was ready, they laid their presents all together on the table instead of the cutout work, and then conceal themselves to see how the little men would behave. At midnight. They came bounding in and wanted to get to work at once. But as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the pretty little articles of clothing. They were at first astonished and then they showed intense the light. They dressed themselves with the greatest rapidity, putting the pretty clothes on and singing. Now we are boys so fine to see. Why should we longer cobblers be than they danced and skipped and leftover chairs and benches. At last they danced out of doors from that time forth. They came no more. But as long as the shoemaker lived all went well with him and all his undertakings prospered. I'd like to thank you all so much for listening for the last eight years for supporting the show and sharing it with other people. I hope you have a peaceful and Merry Christmas Happy New Year. And as 2022 ends here on the podcast. I hope you're looking forward to 2023 I have a lot planned. We're going to start the year off strong with a lot of great content and just keep it going every week through 2023. And now with my children off at college and working I might have a little extra time. Maybe I'll maybe I'll take some time every week and do what I really want to do for Christmas, which would be record A Christmas Carol. That's just is going to take a lot of time. But I would love to try. My favorite adaption of it is Patrick Stewart does an audio version of it that you should find. I would love to do that I don't think I would do nearly as good a job as he did. But I still think I'd like to try one day. Marley was dead. To begin with, there is no doubt whatsoever about that the register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, The Undertaker, and the chief mortar, Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge, his name was good upon change, for anything he chose to put his hand to, would not be fun, I would love to read that whole book. Anyway, we'll take a lot of time. If you don't want to hang out for this part, you can go now I'm done. But I want to thank some people who are unknown to you. But I spent a lot of time with during the year. I don't want to use their first names. But first, I want to start with Omni pod. The company who has been buying ads on this podcast since early in 2015. They they bought ads, when to be perfectly honest, no one was listening to the podcast, or at least not in any great numbers. And their support is, in large part why the podcast exists the way it does now. Because in the very beginning, I didn't realize that, you know, the money it would take to buy equipment or the time it would take to make the podcast and not long after I started making it I realized I kind of realized when my wife was like, Are you going to spend this much time on this thing, you should get a job. Anyway, um, the pod was there from the beginning. And they gave me money and bought ads, even though they weren't sure anybody would hear them. And they did that when I asked them to. And the only promise I made them was that I was going to try to help people with diabetes, and that they could help me to do that. So to the people who I work with now from Omni pod, and to the person who heard me the very first time in 2014, as I was pitching this idea, I really appreciate your time and your trust. I want to thank the people I work with a Dexcom they came along not soon after AMI pod and have been with me for a very long time. I think the next company that came on was touched by type one but they're not really a company or they they're an organization helping people with type one diabetes and they just were trying to get the word out about themselves. After that, I tried so hard to get this one the Contour Next One blood glucose meter love this. Love this. Love this little meter and the people that Ascencio that I work with a Sensia makes contour you guys probably don't know that. But just like insolate makes on the pod actually Dexcom makes Dexcom insolent makes on the pod assenza makes the Contour Next One zerust makes Chivo Capo pen anyway, oh and Chivo Capo penne, I work with some really cool people from there. I also work with great PR people from Dexcom, who don't work at Dexcom. Same goes for G voc and a number of other companies where I've just met some really wonderful people who helped me help you again. They're not coming back next year, but in pen. I love talking about the Punisher. I think it's a terrific product. Medtronic didn't want to keep going. I guess that's not true. I think they did want to keep going but nobody at Medtronic could agree on where the money should come from. So I think it was one of those budget things where people are like, well, I don't want to pay for it. But anyway, I hope they come back one day I love talking about in pen Medtronic was great to work with. And my friend at Medtronic who I did all this with a she and I just had the greatest time texting back and forth and I'm gonna miss her. Another one that came on this year US med but this is one you don't know much about probably but they bring you diabetes supplies or distributor right? And

and they reached out to me about a year ago now and they wanted to buy ads on the podcast. And they've just been wonderful to work with. I switched Arden's supply delivery to us men have had nothing but good luck with it. And there's a person there that I'm thinking of specifically. And she's very, very supportive of what it is I'm trying to do. So just remember that the podcast is a lot of work. I usually put about 70 hours a week into it. And I couldn't do it honestly without these without the sponsors and without you guys clicking on their links and buying their stuff. And everything else anyway. Oh and a new a new sponsor for 2023 athletic greens, right. It'd be talking more about ag one which is a green drink I drink and dum. It's a great indicator of the great indicator of how the podcast is doing. When Athletic Greens reached out to me, I really thought, Wow, I'm getting I'm getting this somewhere. This is this is working. I know that's weird. But athletic greens is it's one of those companies, they don't they don't put ads on just anything. And not that the other companies do. But you know, they're diabetes specific company. So it's kind of a no brainer to put ads on the show. But athletic greens is it's an indicator that the show is reaching a wide audience. And I hope you guys take a look into that, as the 2023 moves on. That's it, I'm not giving you links or anything like that. I just genuinely want to thank the people that I work with. There's as I'm looking here on the pod Dex calm contour, G voc in pen, T Wendy exchange us med Athletic Greens touch by type one, I work with dozens of people behind the scenes people you'll never meet, who, in private conversations with me are very supportive of helping people with diabetes. Now, before I go, I want to thank Jenny Smith. Jenny came on the show years ago as a guest, and then came back as a guest. And then was kind enough to make the diabetes Pro Tip series with me and our relationship personally and, and here on the podcast. It's just grown and grown over the years. And there's just no doubt that without her, the podcast just wouldn't be the same. I can't thank her enough. I love her. I think she's a wonderful person. The way she helps people with diabetes is inspiring. And the selflessness in which she gives herself to this show means very, very much to me. So Merry Christmas to you, Jenny. And to the four people that helped me on the private Facebook group. I don't know if you want your names out there. One of them of course is Isabel and the other three are just They're magical. That group flourishes because of of of them being there. And I just can't thank them enough. It means means the world. Okay, I'm really gonna go now. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back very soon, with another year of the Juicebox Podcast.