It's Christmas Eve...

...and all is calm...downright sedate in fact.

But years ago, 'twasn't so...

...five sons made sure of that.

We trimmed the tree...

...while carols played, admiring Christmas lights.

We read about St. Nick's big trip...

...around the world that night.

We marveled as three Christmas Ghosts...

...gave Scrooge an awful fright.

And cheered his reformation,

O what a joyful sight!

Then off to bed if not to sleep...

...not much rest sublime.

I'd do it all again tonight...

...could I travel back in time.

But time and tide, so Chaucer wrote,

...for no man tarry they.

And now my sons, once little boys,

...have grown and moved away.

It's true this night has changed a bit,

...much calmer than before.

But now - as then - we celebrate...

...the advent of our Lord.

11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

    - Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas, mcm fans...

Just In Time For Christmas...

 

...a shiny new <Camp Snap 8> video camera. 

Made to look like the old super-8 hand held movie cameras of the '80s and '90s, it's actually a very simple point and shoot digital movie camera.

Believe it or not, this isn't my toy...

...but rather something Karen insisted on.

It takes decent video and audio, easily downloaded to your phone or pc:

No special lighting; it was early morning and I just turned it on pressed the trigger for 15 or 20 seconds.

Lots of reviews on line, most very positive for its simplicity and nostalgic look and feel.

In my world it would be perfect if they made a shoulder mounted version that mimicked the full size VHS camcorders I used...

...when videotaping all my sons' sporting events 30 years ago.

I suspect this will get some use at our upcoming Christmas night get together with family.

More to come.

In the Rip Roaring Great News department, today is the winter solstice...

if those stones could sing, they'd warble that old standby, "nobody knows the crazies I've seen"

...when we celebrate the official start of winter, while maintaining a judicious distance from all the looney toons who celebrate the official start of winter.

Is that confusing?

Allow me to explain:

Today is the shortest day / longest night of the year, which 'round these parts translates as 9 hours and 1 minute of daylight, and 14 hours and 59 minutes of night.

That means from now on the days will be getting longer!

If that doesn't merit a resounding Woo-hoo! I'll be a <yellow-bellied sapsucker>'s uncle (granting the monkeys a well-earned literary day off here).

Eagerly counting down the <days until Spring>...

In spite of Ol' Man Winter's early shenanigans...

...we're headed for a green Christmas after all:

Not exactly sunny and warm, but still beats snow and ice.

Well, unless you like to do any of these things...

...in which case you have my sincere sympathy.

Not, however, my empathy because I'd rather do this...

another adventure in the Vale Of Everlasting Sorrows

...than that any day of the week.

This week's version of Twenty Three Skidoo has been canceled due to lack of interest.

feedin' time at the I'm-OK-You-Not-So-Much Corral

the genius of Watterson

What the heck?

How did those get in here?

Anyway, we're moving directly to the <farewell and adieu Spanish ladies> segment...

...where Captain Q bids his favorite mate a pleasant journey into shark infested waters.

Here's one that's a bit more sincere and well-meaning:

24  The LORD bless thee and keep thee:

25  The LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26  The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

    - Numbers 6:24-26

later, mcm fans...

If The Weather Geeks Are Right...

...over the next week all of this: 

...will turn into this:

Well, maybe not right away, but I can dream, can't I?

That means in spite of all the snow we've had since late November...

...and we've had plenty - we could be looking at a green Christmas this year.

If I was 10 that would break my heart - but somehow, in the ensuing 6 decades that have zipped by since then, I've managed to get over it.

So I say let's have a tropical Christmas:

<Mele Kalikimaka>, y'all.

No matter the weather, Christmas is fast rushing upon us so it's time once again for my annual PSA*:

Less than 2 weeks 'til Christmas...

...and every mouse...had fled frozen fields for the warmth of my house.

My wife found their droppings and said, "I'm not pleased, to think that these varmints are taking their ease...

"...inside my warm dwelling; this outrage won't stand!

What will you do?"  Then I raised my hand:

"These mice, they are finished!  Kaput and Kersplatz!

No way they'll survive 'cause we have 3 cats!"

Then we beheld our three desperados...

Kitty...

...and Loki...

...and Buddy El Gato.

Disciples of Garfield were these lazy creatures,

with eating and sleeping their dominant features.

Ignoring these three hebetudinous chaps,

I scrounged all around 'til I found an old trap.

And later that evening 'ere mice came a-creeping,

I set the cruel deadfall then got busy sleeping.

So early next 'morn, at dawn's early light,

I sprang from my bed to find what I might.

But what did my wondering eyes finally see,

but a clean, empty trap and a note left for me:

"Thanks for the cheese, but what would be better,

instead of old muenster, could we have fresh cheddar?"

"And what's with this platter?" my mousy pals asked.

"We might have been killed if we hadn't been fast!"

'Twas then that I thought of the great Robert Burns

and his famous lament to a mouse that he turned,

Out of warm hearth and home as he plowed in his field.

Did I want to partake in his life time of guilt?

The best laid plans, it is easy to see,

Gang aft agley and I think you'll agree,

There was nothing to do but give them their cheddar.

After all, 'twas Christmas, and what could be better,

Than showing the love God has for His swarm,

by letting them stay inside where it's warm?

So out went the trap, but the mice?  Man alive!

We're quite overrun but I guess we'll survive.

And lifting a quote from St. Nick's yearly flight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!"

original artwork by Diane Dempsey

* not the prostate thing; a Public Service Announcement.

you're welcome.

Well this has been a bunch of fluff, so in keeping with the spirit of just going through the motions, let's...

...to wit:

no idea who these people are but at least the dad had the decency to wear a suit and tie while enjoying an informal singalong with his 1950's family

recently risked life and limb to put a star on top of our blue spruce Christmas tree at the edge of our yard.  one slip on the ladder...

...and I would have been a big snowball at the bottom of the hill.

best chicken pot pie in the universe, courtesy of Karen

a couple of young bucks and their escort wandering the neighborhood

a rare glimpse of a winter sunrise

no blog entry is complete without ragging on the worst people in the world.

Q: does the big blue D stand for dishonest, disgusting or delusional?

A: you bet it does.

I've been reading through the Old Testament lately, jumping around a bit.

Currently plowing through I Samuel and the depressing story of King Saul.

Described as physically very impressive - 

"there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people"

    - I Samuel 9:2

- yet he was found lacking in the most important quality for any of God's children:  that of obedience.

When given a clear command from God, he disobeyed; the prophet Samuel was sent to deliver the bad news:

"22  And Samuel said, hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

"23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

    - I Samuel 15:22,23

There are two great truths in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation:

* one is salvation is the free gift of God; it can't be bought or earned, only accepted by faith in His Son Jesus Christ, <Ephesians 2:8,9>;  - and -

* the other is if we want to enjoy this free gift, we must obey.

later, mcm fans...