Christmas tale of love

It's a Christmas fable wrapped in a bow tied with love.

"The Christmas Grasshopper" sprang forward as a book from Azucena Sue Rodgers of Odessa.

The story is about a little grasshopper that wants to see Christmas and Santa. In the end, the grasshopper gets to see Christmases forever more, but that story is best left for the book.

The story behind the story is one of a family joined in love though separated by nearly half a continent.

"I wrote my story for my grandchildren," Rodgers said.

Her grandchildren are in Connecticut and New Mexico. Her sons are Bruce, Floyd and Gary.

Bruce is a production designer honored as a Distinguished Former Odessan by the Heritage of Odessa Foundation. His resume includes work on the Democratic National Convention, the Olympics, Super Bowls and a concert tour for Madonna.

Floyd is also in the entertainment business and lives near Bruce in Connecticut; Gary is an anesthesiologist in New Mexico.

The book - written and illustrated by Mother Rodgers - is a gift to her late husband as much as her grandchildren.

"Pa thought they were wonderful," Rodgers said. Once she and her husband, Floyd, were talking about an illustration.

"I asked him, ‘How do I do a grandma'," she said. "He said, ‘Look in the mirror.' That's why grandma has my ponytail."

Rodgers said her late husband was supportive of her writing and offered advice occasionally on the story and the illustrations.

"When he passed away, I said to myself, ‘Go and find a publisher," she said.

That led her to a "vanity press" - a company that prints books at the author's expense. Rodgers had English-only and bilingual versions printed up at $12 each. She's selling copies for $15.95, though she hasn't yet found a distribution point. (Call her at 332-9214 if you want one.)

Vanity presses are a growing phenomenon with more and more authors paying to get their art in print. With Rodgers, it seems as if publication was more about family and sharing the story than it was about her.

"I love my little grasshopper," she said.