Christmas Essentials

First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you and to your families. A Happy New Year as well. As I mentioned in my last post, I really enjoy Christmas and the whole season lead up to it. A season that brings people together and allows a spirit of peace and love to infiltrate millions across the globe deserves to be celebrated. The traditions and signs and symbols, for the most part, have remained the same for many years and have been passed down through all the generations and just as I did as a child, soon my child will sing the same songs and hear the same stories and celebrate with all the family. But in addition to all of that, I hope to pass down a couple other "traditions" to the Holiday Season that I consider to be essential and look forward to every year. This is more than Christmas lights and Christmas carols and snow and the cold and hustle and bustle. These are essentials for me, things that I give serious consideration to whether or not I could make it through the holidays without.

The first item that kicks it all off for me is the Starbucks Egg Nog Latte. As my wife so eloquently puts it, "I'm afraid that you may be having an emotional affair with Egg Nog Lattes." From the first moment they hit the menu at the local Starbucks I am a way too regular customer that forks over $4 for a Large Egg Nog Latte. One day, someday, I may have to cutback as financial obligations change, but I may just include these seasonal into the budget to make room for them.

Of course, Egg Nog is also on the list. Thick, creamy, smooth, glorious egg nog. We have a Calder's Dairy store by our house and for $8 you can get a half gallon of the best Egg Nog this side of the Mississippi. It is so thick that when you throw a little Captain in it, you have to stir the bleep out of it to get it to mix together. When not gorging myself on the Latte, a coffee mug of cool Egg Nog at a precise 4:1 ratio with Captain Morgan top with a dash of cinnamon is the perfect ending to a Christmas Season evening.

Holiday movies are also a huge part of my enjoyment of Christmas. And nothing tops the list more than the Griswold's. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation continues the saga of Clark W. Griswold Jr. and his never ending quest to provide the quintessential, perfect family vacation for his lovely wife and his 2 children. This is probably my most watched movie. I can watch it anytime anywhere whether on TV or a DVD. We once had it on VHS and wore it out in just a couple years. Throw in the in-laws and Cousin Eddy and no man should have to put up with so much. This is a laugh outloud, have egg nog spurt out your nose hilarious movie. And it starts from the first scene until the last.

The second move is Little Ralphie and his unending desire to get his hands on an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle, with a Scope for Christmas. It is all the kid wants. It is also where the line, "Ohhhhhhhhhh Ffffffuuuuuuuuuudge" followed by the narrator (a grown up Ralphie) saying, "only I said THE word, the F, dash, dash, dash word." As well, as The Lamp! This is another must see for all and actually the older I have become the more I appreciate this movie for its meanings and sub-story lines throughout. I triple dog dare you to rent this movie (or better yet, catch it on the 24-hour marathon on Christmas Eve on TBS) this year and watch it with the wife and kids over Christmas.

Another essential is the overall smell of pine in the house. Usually this is no problem for Michele and I as we go to our local Christmas tree lot and buy a fresh Blue Spruce to put up in the house. But this year we passed as we have been remodeling the kitchen and our family room as become our storage space for plates, bowls, and glasses. So we have relied on Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar Housewarmer Candles as well as Mistletoe Housewarmer Candles. Honestly, we have these candles burning everyyear at Christmas time, but now it is a couple lit at all times when we are home. These jars our highly scented and do an excellent job allowing the aroma to permeate the room.

This time next year, my one goal for Christmas is to be sipping on a Starbucks Egg Nog Latte sitting in my pine scented back room watching Christmas Vacation on TV with my wife and child next to me laughing and making memories to pass down to future generations throughout the years.

To live such a fortunate life.....

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"I'm happy as Christmas." - Ed Roland (Lead Singer, Collective Soul, lifted from Better Now, off the Collective Soul CD 'Youth')

Even though the weather outside is more like the middle of March and College Basketball's March Madness time than the middle of December and College Football Bowl Game time; and even though we had snow for the World Series and green grass for Christmas, I still cannot get enough of the Christmas Season.

I really like the month long build up to the Christmas celebration. It is my favorite time of the year. I do like the hustle and bustle it creates. I actually enjoy walking through a mall and people watching and taking in the decorations and energy that happens during Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the music, the anticipation, the joy, even the chill in the air and the snow. I'll take it all. I do not want to do without any of it.

The music is what makes the whole season. It brings Christmas to life for me. The carols of Christmas can transport me to the first Christmas, back to Bethlehem, envisioning what is being sung through the radio to me. Songs about Roasting Chestnuts, Winter Wonderlands, and Sleigh Rides can make me feel the chill and warmth at the same time. I guess because the songs offer some of the best memories I have growing up and have remained the same, the memories can transcend generations and age. The songs and carols I sang as a wide-eyed, 8-year old bubbling over with excitement and barely staying still in church, just wanting to get home and open presents are the same carols and songs I sing now, 20 years later as an adult and husband with a child just a few short weeks from starting to take in the same memories and sing the same songs I have. Every year, those musical creations add more memories and deepen my enjoyment of this time of year.

Christmas time truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Why is it so easy?

Why is it so easy to.....

• To pick on America's wealth with its Free Market Society, Capitalism, and Democracy rather than everyone else for it's Monarchy's, Parliaments, Dictatorships, and power corrupt "governments." The American government is corrupt (money more than power), and yes, there are very few people who have all the money and wealth. But the government was setup to allow freedom and keep the government from overlording over us. Is that our fault? Why does noone focus on the fact that America is the biggest country who gives the most money to charity, non-profit organizations, and churches? As for the wealthy elite, does the name Bill Gates or Warren Buffet mean anything? 2 of the wealthiest people ever, by far. Also 2 of the biggest donators of their money ever. Everytime another country is hit with a catastrophic event, who does the WHOLE world turn to?
• Pick on the Bible? Has any other book done so much for mankind? Why does all the focus have to be on its interpretation and what its true meaning means? Why can't it just be read and we do the do's and don't do the do nots? Why does everyone quote other people and song lyrics and poems from everyone else when the Bible has many of the same quotes and statements? We'll read a book by some author and live it and try to apply it. Never reading it to question him/her or to find the next big argument, but to establish some signposts to life. And when we do come across some thought that seems contradictory we'll try and see the author's point of view and look at ways to agree with it? Not the Bible. Find something we think or believe to be contradictory and we spend very little time trying to defend it or figure it out. Why is that so easy?
• Give into societal norms? A man is suppose to act and feel and do and say this. A woman is suppose to act and feel and do and say this too. Supposedly our hormones control everything about us and if we feel it then do it. Hereditary determines us and the way and what we are born to is us and that is how we are to live life and behave. We praise the underdog story and love the rags to riches story and make a big deal out of the fact that someone wouldn't let someone or something else determine their life. So why is it so easy to fall back on the crutch of society when it comes to ourselves?
• Have a conversation and dialogue with everyone about everything but never have a summation? When does the conversation end? Is it really a conversation if you give your point, I give my counterpoint, you give your counter-counterpoint, I give my counter-counter-counterpoint and on it goes? What was that all about? I am just going to go through all of life conversing with everyone, telling everyone why I believe what I do and you can speak up if you want, but you really aren't going to convince me otherwise, but we'll have a gentleman's agreement that it is just dialogue and we'll feel good because we "stated our case."
• Bitch like I just did about me and everyone else and then defend it as "There is a reason this blog is called My Perception ." So deal with it....

Sometimes it is just too easy.

Better than You Tube?

Shhhh.....

Do not let big brother find it

Ramblings From the Journal - 2

Remember the "Religious Margins", they exist too.

Jesus saved you to love you, not just use you