December 7, 1941...

...a date which will live in infamy. 

<NEVER FORGET>

Just how dumb...

Senator Mark Warner, D-VA

...are democrats, really?

Unless you live under a rock (or have the IQ of a typical democrat senator) you're aware the FBI recently arrested the <J6 Pipe Bomber>.

ever a slave to "The Narrative", here's more crack reporting from Fake Tapper, this time on the J6 Pipe Bomber: "white man" Brian Cole, Jr.

Since January 6th of 2021 the case had languished under Biden's FBI, unsolved for four years and officially a "cold case".

There was plenty of evidence, but like Biden himself, the FBI under Chris Wray was both impotent and incompetent, not to mention highly politicized.

Enter FBI Director Kash Patel, along with Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and now, less than a year after taking office, the case has been solved and the <perpetrator arrested>.

Great news, right?

Democrat Senator Mark Warner from Virginia was interviewed about this and incredibly, he wondered why Patel and crew hadn't solved it before now.

Paraphrasing the half-wit, he said if they hadn't diverted FBI agents to immigration issues, they could have had the suspect in custody sooner.

Democrats had the White House and the FBI for the past four years, and couldn't solve this case.

Trump is elected, takes office in late January, and the case is solved before Christmas.

Democrats are neither serious nor intelligent people.

May the good Lord in heaven protect us from morons.

Also filed under the category of "Hmm, Things That Make You Go", we recently ordered some woodland creature ornaments for our Christmas tree:

Our order was split into two shipments, and here's one of them:

I kid you not; the tiny little ornament you see was the sole occupant of that oversized box.

You have to marvel at the thought process resulting in that shipping decision.

If things don't work out for them in the private sector - and obviously, they shouldn't - they have a bright future feeding at the public trough in government.

On the subject of decorating, this year Karen decided to ratchet down the Christmas Tornado intensity from EF5 to something more akin to gentle snow flurries.

I give you the 2025 version of The Castle Frankenstein at Christmas...outside:

...and in:

It's true, she has sprinkled some of her pixie decorating dust on most places in and around our home, but compared to years past this is pretty low key.

Surprisingly, that suits both of us just fine.

We'll be packing it up and putting it all away in 3 weeks anyway.

Now there's a thought.

When faced with the onslaught of unrelenting winter...

...there's only one thing to do - 23 skidoo:

more outdoor decor...courtyard wreaths

Larry shared this with me:

a snow day when we were kids...

...and a snow day now.  pathetic.

and speaking of Larry...last sunrise at his cottage in 2025...he closed it up for another winter.

helpful schedule for your winter days from now until New Year's

don't know about you, but suddenly I'm a big Hoosiers fan

Interminable winter has been tightening its grip lately, rendering the warm breezes and verdant scents of summer a distant memory.

Even so, I'm still swinging my hickories - outside - after shoveling off one of my tees and clearing enough space for a full swing.

Not hitting anything, of course, but working on muscle memory, grooving my swing in hopes - when Spring does finally return to our currently frozen climes - I won't be starting from scratch again.

Now, if I can just apply that same dedication to my spiritual life - being steadfast in reading God's Word and praying - I might make some progress in things that actually matter.

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

    - I Timothy 4:8

later, mcm fans...

'Twas The Night 'Fore...

...and all through the 'hood...

 

...not a porchlight was shining and that can't be good.

The gales of November had toppled a tree...

 

...and plunged us in darkness; how long would it be?

The candles were lit to brighten the hour...

...while we gazed with envy at those who had power:

So we sat by the fire, cozy and warm...

 

...sipped wine, shared stories, and weathered the storm.

Then off to bed early, no Hallmark tonight...

...with hopes that Consumers would turn on the lights.

We grabbed extra blankets and stoked up the fire...

...coaxing the room temp a tiny bit higher.

When Karen said, "Honey,"  'ere stifling a sneeze,

"We're buying a Generac so we don't have to freeze!"

 

That's our sad story.

On a frozen, blustery night when Karen hoped to make progress for Thanksgiving day festivities...

...instead we scrounged around for candles and flashlights, stored food in coolers, and waited for the lights to come on.

12 hours later they did and all was well, but it did accomplish two things:

* caused us to ponder how much more difficult life was for our ancestors sans electricity  -and-

* helped us appreciate just how good we have it now.

Appropriate at Thanksgiving, yes?

We should be truly thankful for the manifold blessings we enjoy and too often take for granted.

"Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.  Selah."

    -Psalms 68:19

Ok, let's get this out of the way, shall we?

The Lions lost...

...again...which pretty much sticks a fork in their season.

They really need to pick a day OTHER than Thanksgiving to perform their magic...tired of the perennial damper they put on this holiday.

Sorry for that little bit of unpleasantness, because otherwise, Thanksgiving Day was fine.

My clan was unexpectedly flung to the four winds this holiday, but a few of Karen's were able to share the day with us.

Thanks to Bob Evans (and a bad assumption on my part), we had enough food to feed a division II football team...

 

...but happily Karen's Krew agreed to take a lot of it home with them, including some for her son who couldn't make it.

Safe to say a good time - and a good meal - was had by all for which we are, indeed, very thankful.

The recent 60 mph wind gusts didn't just knock out power all across West Michigan...

...they also grounded Santa and the gang.

That's them hiding behind the wall, out of the wind, not perched proudly on top of the wall.

Cowards!

So all my scheming on how to skirt the "No Christmas Decorating Until After Thanksgiving" rule was for naught.

Sadly, today's not looking so good weather-wise:

...and neither are the next few days:

...yep, that's 4 to 8 more inches of the white stuff.

I guess we can file all that under <the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley>.

Outdoor Christmas decorating may be delayed, but it's a good bet the Christmas Decorating Tornado has her sights set on the innards of the Castle Frankenstein.

More to come, I'm sure.

yep, it's time

Let's do that 23 Skidoo thing...

we've got 3 cats standing at the ready to terrorize our Christmas ornaments

wurst accident ever...mustard been terrible, no bun intended*

from Larry's cottage, pre-Thanksgiving:  red sky at morning...

...sailors take warning.  that was right on this week.

one of the two bald eagles that make themselves at home around Larry's cottage

time to start spinning some Christmas vinyl on our 1962 Philco K-1526 Hi-Fi

waddyaknow?  they were right about us getting dumped on, and it's not even December yet.

while taking a break from clearing the snow, Karen made a snowman.  Instead of Frosty's top hat, corncob pipe, a button nose and 2 eyes made out of coal, Crusty's got a fall leaf headdress, a cigarette holder, a stick nose and 2 eyes made out of cigar butts.  I see a new children's classic in the making.

* I take neither credit nor blame...saw it in the Monday morning memes section of Townhall.com

On your marks, get set, Christmas!

I'd say "the race is now on" but then I can't explain what all the Christmas merchandise was doing in the stores before Halloween...warming up, maybe?

In any event, you now have 26 days until The Big Day, so choppety chop chop...

...time to put your big black running boots on and get after it.

And while you're at it, remember to channel your inner Linus, who explained to Charlie Brown what Christmas is really all about, way back in 1965:

later, mcm fans...