Christmas 2008

Hi All,

Merry Christmas!    That’s me on the left!  Hope your holiday started out with gentle words and caring family.  We started our Christmas out last night at Midnight Mass at the local catholic church.  It was a beautiful service, filled with musicians, music, all kinds of Christmas decorations and a beautiful mass to boot.  Here’s a pic for you.  We were treated to much good music, including Handel’s Messiah.  In this pic you can see the choir and the altar in the background.  The slide on the wall tells us what the soloist is singing “O thou tellest Good Tidings from Handel’s Messiah.  Very beautiful.  The entire family went to midnight mass.  We sat right next to the choir as we usually do.  That was we can always hear them.  A good time was had by all.  When we arrived home at 1:30 am, we had a sandwich and a cup of milk and headed to bed.  Opening presents had to wait till the morning.  The only person really disappointed by this edic was Brody.  He decided to stay up all night in order to open his presents as soon as possible.  When I checked on him again at 3 am, he was thankfully asleep!

Brody models a new pair of jeans for Christmas in the morning.  Everyone received a lot of Christmas presents, except for the cat “Cleo”.  We did serve her Tuna for breakfast which seemed to make her happy for the moment.

At 9 am preparation begins with the Turkey for Dinner.  The Turkey is cooked on the outside  gas grill, Dinner will be at approximately 5pm.  Christmas presents were opened after the dinner was prepared.  The rule this year was to keep Christmas simple and not buy a lot of gifts.  Somehow, this rule was forgotten.   Every one had Christmas presents under the tree.   Grandpa found a wool hat from Ireland, to help him stay warm.  Brody a flash drive and mom a new purse.  Everyone was thrilled with their gifts.  It was a good day with little to no arguing.  God is Good. 

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Day. 

Silver Bells

City sidewalk, busy sidewalks.
Hey!  I’m having a really tough time reconciling that we’re already past Thanksgiving and we’re nearly to Christmas.  It’s just that it doesn’t feel like Christmas.  I don’t feel Jolly.  I’m not singing Christmas Carols.  In the community band where we been rehearsing Christmas Songs for at least six weeks now.  I feel no Christmas Spirit.  I even participated in the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.  Still no Christmas spirit.  What is wrong with me? 

Dressed in holiday style
I believe the problem lies in my heart.  I’ve let all the troubles of the world invade my heart and weigh it down.  It’s not that I feel sad, it’s just I don’t feel anything at all.  Just the weight of the world.  Though I do know it’s good to think about others instead of ourselves.  Though I think that Christmas time is a time to reflect on the Miracle of Christmas! 

In the air
The Miracle of Christmas, even the words themselves have a glow to them.  In the sky, a great star light up for all to see,  great wise men follow the star to a little baby wrapped in rags for warmth.  The setting is that of the poorest of the poor.  A young mother watches over her little one making sure it is safe and fed well. 

There’s a feeling
We forget in our fear that when Jesus the Christ was crucified on the cross there was an insurrectionist hanging on either side of him.  Don’t believe me?  Read it, it’s in the bible.  Somethings never change. 

Of Christmas
And next to the little baby wrapped in rags and the young mother is a gentle older man making sure both these treasures are safe.  For that is his greatest concern.  Keeping his small family safe and well-cared for in this stable, where they stopped for the night. 

Children laughing,
Three wise men approached, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  The Father and young mother marveled in their heart on how God was caring for them in a small stable in the city of David, surrounded by all the animals who sleep and eat in the stable.  These gifts the wise man brought would help them in the future provide for their journey to Egypt to escape King Herod insane edicts to slay all the first-born children.  But of course, the father and young mother didn’t know that then.  They simply trusted God in His Wisdom to show them the way. 

People passing,
And guess what, God kept them safe in a time, where there was little to none safety to be found.  A small family with only the clothes on their back, a donkey to carry them and meals as God provided them.  And it was a real miracle.  Born in our hearts on Christmas Day.   I guess it’s not so difficult to get in the Christmas spirit after all.   

Meeting smile after smile,
I think one of the reasons, I’m lagging behind in Christmas spirit is because I’m separated from my son right now.  He’s in California with his Dad, and I’m in Florida with my Dad (small grin).  I miss him, it won’t feel like the holidays till he joins us for Christmas.  Loving you, my son, from a distance.  Hoping you’ll be in the Christmas spirit soon when you come to visit.

and on every street corner you’ll hear
Wishing you all the finest the miracle of Christmas can offer you and your loved one this holiday season.    If you think of it, please pay this message forward where you can.  Much Love to you and your family!

Silver bells, silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day.

Mares eat oats, and

Does eat oats, and
Friday Night.  Ordinarily day.  Started out with driving Dad to the Senior center.   When we got there and the caretakers greeted Dad they said… Oh look who’s here.  It’s the devil.  Dad laughed liked he enjoyed the reference and strutted into the Senior Center like he was the big man on campus.  These caretakers really know how to stroke Dad’s ego!

a little lamb ‘ll eat ivy.
Looked for a job all day.  Also ordered a new computer.  I should have it in approximately a week.  I’m very excited about this.  My current computer is really outdated and has some issues.  I’m looking forward to a fully functional computer. 

A kid’ll eat ivy too.  Wouldn’t you??
Haven’t heard from Brody today.  Which is okay.  I’d like to hear from him everyday.  And I realize that this is not always possible. 

Mares eat oats, and
Dad came home by way of the Senior Center bus in the after noon.  Dad saw me in the house and said, there you are. . .  When did you get here??  I said, Oh, about three months ago, (we have this conversation nearly daily).  Dad has a hard time remembering that I live here now. 

And Does eat oats, and
We had dinner from a Chinese restaurant.  and later watched a movie on HBO together and dad retired early.  Soon everyone else retired as well to their respective rooms.  Dad’s blood sugar was normal all day.  And for the most part Dad was pretty well grounded the rest of the evening.

and a little lamb’ll eat ivy.
a kid’ll eat ivy too.  Wouldn’t you?

Cause I’m T.N.T I’m dynamite

T.N.T. and I’ll win that fight
Brody is now fully back in San Jose, CA and attended school today.  We’re still recovering from Brody’s visit.  Dad’s is trying to get his TV to work again as Brody disconnected Dad’s Satellite dish in order to hook up his laptop to the Internet.  An attempt which failed.  It was chalked up to a learning experience.  In the meantime, Grandpa was looking to pound Brody.  Fortunately for Brody, he was far, far away. 

T.N.T. I’m a power load
Brody’s greatest desire these days is to have his own computer.   However,  since he exercised poor choices as to what he viewed on the computer, he has no access to the Internet.  I did give him a burned out laptop to use as a learning tool.  So he could more about the inner workings of a computer.  However, Brody spends his time trying to get this shell of a  computer on the Internet.  Which would be quite a feat as the laptop has no software to work from.  When Brody gets older and a little wiser, we will restore computer privileges to him.  In the meantime, we’re just going to have to put up with Brody’s continuous tampering of our in-home wireless Internet or Satellite infrastructure.  And if we’re very, very lucky he might just learn something from the whole experience. 

T.N.T. watch me explode
The weirdest thing about teenagers that I’ve observed from a parental stand point is their ability to fully believe in themselves in one moment, and to have absolutely no idea who they are in the next moment. 

See me ride out of that sunset
For years….literally years I have tried to pass on to Brody the ability to play a musical instrument.  For what ever reason, it never stuck.  And he is the only member of our family (cousins included) who doesn’t play an instrument.  But just the other day when someone asked him what instrument he plays, I heard him say he plays the bass guitar.  ???  ???  Really???  He doesn’t even own a bass guitar. 

On your color TV screen
I think this is really a pick-up line in disguise, don’t you???  I did pencil in on my Christmas list ◊ Buy Brody a used bass guitar from eBay.  Just in case Brody really would really like to learn the bass guitar -  at least he’d have one.    Of course, it would have to be a really bad bass guitar.  Probably black, perhaps some death symbols on it.  You know the kind. 

Out for all that I can get
You’d probably understand better if I told you how many instruments I’ve bought for Brody.  There’s the practice drums and sticks, the trombone, the electric piano…  None of them suited Brody.  Oh well, what’s a mother to do. 

If you know what I mean
The other fun thing that Brody did alot of was to listen to Aerosmith.  An artist he recently discovered.  We filled Brody in that we too in high school listened to Aerosmith.  None of us were avid fans, but we were all familiar with his music.

 

Many Thanks to Aerosmith for the use of their lyrics to TNT.