Scene from a side road

Christmas cards are finally done!

2007-12-31T20:15:31Z

This is the earliest I have finished them in several years. Sometimes, before, they didn't get mailed until the Chinese New Year.

I sent 120, which is about three times what I received. Connie sent many more, too (she has lots of relatives and friends).

wreath

It is a "chore" to do in a way, but I do always like writing up a record of our year's events, and then saving the letters as a kind of "diary." And I like sharing the annual information with others, and I enjoy hearing their news, even if there aren't many chances to get together.

Today I got a call from a friend living in Washington state, and a letter from a friend living in northern Michigan (the UP). Both included invitations to come visit. And, given the amount we travel, perhaps there will be a chance.

The woman who called, who is a bit younger than me, early 60s, mention how many of her friends in town had passed away! Her circle is getting smaller.

And we talked about an friend of ours, a former boss, who is very ill, and whose wife is ill, too.

So all the news is not "good news," not at all. But it all is news that I want to hear, or to share. To stay "connected." It is very important.

People are fundamentally social creatures. You have to have your group, your tribe! Even if part of it communicates only once a year, at Christmas.

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I feel like the "old" year is over now

2007-12-26T19:08:58Z

I feel like the old year (2007) is over now--but I do not feel like the "new year" has yet actually begun. Do we need to wait a whole week for that?

The end has come, but not the "takeoff." It is kind of luck being stuck, changing planes at O'Hare (or in Atlanta. A pause in one's journey. Time to kill, necessarily, for a while.

Christmas is such a big deal, such a major undertaking! I don't mean as a religious experience--it wasn't that for me, at all (although my wife did go to mass). It should be that, of course, but that aspect seems to get crowded out somehow. The "Christ Mass" part. The birth of, hopefully, our Savior. Instead, "Christmas spirit" has come to mean caroling, cookies, food, presents, hopefully happy gatherings.

But rather I mean the shopping, the planning, the cooking, the organizing. The cards to write, the cards to read. People to think about, some for the first time in a year.

The gifts (to give and to get). The music. Santas everywhere! Special annual movies on tv. (I have a fireplace log video running right now, but we did watch Elf last evening).

All that has come to an end.

Plus there is the concern about whether or not customers are buying enough to keep stores (and their owners and investors) afloat. Apparently dress sales were down a bit, as was purchasing overall. And travel and weather and crowd control difficulties are all worried over, too.

Considering the "natural calendar," the longest night is of course already past. It is hard to notice, but days are getting longer. Just a tiny touch more sun in every one.

Window Washer

A great big "Whew!" of relief can therefore be uttered. And heard, all around. The air is going out of the over-inflated tire.

I myself did go to the mall--not really to return anything, and not really seeking bargains, but mostly to ask for some computer advice.

They were washing the windows there, from the outside. So I took a photo.

The year is over, and the cleaning up has begun. Perhaps now we will be able to see everything more clearly?

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My wife made a fine dinner for Christmas day

2007-12-25T22:31:07Z

It was a pretty time-consuming operation, taking her more than two days. She chose traditional Italian foods, in the style of her own late mother. A big job! But boy was it good!

Connie's dinner for Christmas Day

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Our family's song for Christmas morning

2007-12-25T13:32:37Z

We always sang this Santa song when coming down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what might have been left under the tree. By Santa himself! And to see if the cookies we left out had been eaten!

The tradition came from my mother's family. But the other day, quite by chance, we discovered a friend (totally unrelated) who knows the same song, but didn't know anyone else did.

Is it familiar to you? Do you know additional verses?

I could not find it on the web.

------

"Christmas time is drawing near

Santa Claus will soon be here

With his presents and his toys

For the little girls and boys

For dear old Santa

Let's give a cheer

He'll soon be coming

with his quick reindeer

He comes so quick

with a click, click, click

In the early Christmas morning

Have you written by the post

Telling what you want the most

If you have you need not fear

For he loves you all most dear."

For dear old Santa

Let's give a cheer

He'll soon be coming

with his quick reindeer

He comes so quick

with a click, click, click

In the early Christmas morning

Merry Christmas to you all.

May the light of a bright star shine down on your heart and those gathered with you

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Oyster Stew

2007-12-24T15:17:09Z

Another holiday practice in our family is to have oyster stew on Christmas eve. And apparently it is in many other families as well. Anyhow, it is a custom I like, a tradition--even though many people don't enjoy the soup all that much--and I don't that much either. But once a year, it seems important!

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New Mac Mini--early for Christmas

2007-12-24T01:14:31Z

my new Mac Mini

This wasn't exactly a Christmas present, not really, since I paid most of the cost. But my son got it at the store--and said that the crowd at the Apple store was bigger than at any other place he shopped today. And he paid for part of it also.

Anyhow, I have just fired it up, and am delighted so far. Runs the new operating system (10.5, Leopard). I haven't begun to explore the new features.

In a way, I decided to get a new computer with the new operating system on it, rather than try to install it on my older one, which only barely met the specifications. I think of that as something only Windows users do. But here I am, doing the same thing.

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Lightly used Christmas presents

2007-12-21T17:44:14Z

Everybody who is getting presents from me this year is getting mostly items that are "used." Things I have had around the house for a while.

Connie and I must move into a new home in a bit over a year, "down-sizing" from the two houses we own now into a very attractive but smaller new townhouse. And I have so much stuff that will need to be disposed of!: books especially, but also DVD's, CD's, and other items.

So relatives and friends will mostly receive carefully chosen items from that stockpile. Shopping time has been saved, some clearing out is getting accomplished, and really I think that the gifts are just as good, and probably more numerous. They are in fine condition: sadly to report, some are still shrink-wrapped, and several books were purchased but never read!

The point was not to save money, not at all. But I imagine that we have contributed in this manner to the forthcoming American (and perhaps global?) economic recession.

Anyhow, at our stage of life, that watchword is dispersal, not acquisition. Boil down, not build up!

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Our little Christmas tree for 2007

2007-12-21T16:55:38Z

Small, but I like it!

The heart decoration reads "Our Christmas Together 2007." This is our first Christmas as a truly married couple.

Our little Christmas tree for 2007

The gas pump says Route 66, which is where we got engaged a year ago.

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Holiday Blues

2007-12-20T07:53:27Z

Holiday Confusion

I am a little bummed by the "mergerization" of all of the holidays (holy-days) from Halloween to New Year's. Christmas items were out so early! I wish each of the days was understood and celebrated separately, each in its own way.

But of course the holiday season is painful for many who (like us) have lost close family members, the people who used to be part of any such celebration. Still, Connie and I are very glad to have each other, going into this sadly dreary (for us) season.

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