ANYTHING MALE

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

As I have gotten older Christmas has become just another day. Family gatherings are sparse nowadays – everyone spread from side of the US to the other. The burdensome thoughts of dear friends and family members now departed weighs upon me. The memories all shared with these folks at this time of year, the fun, excitement, merriment, joy and everything else – long gone albeit not forgotten. Two family members, now, have departed just days before Christmas. Casts a pallor upon the holiday.

People seem to focus more on the commercial aspect of things. Materialistic greed, giving and expectations to receive pollute an otherwise prophetic event. The convergence of many religions around this time of year is a politically correct issue to steer around. If anything this holiday should be a time to reflect on deities or in the very least reflection of primordial beliefs of the profoundness of the Universe and what it is – and how we relate to it; what it provides us.

I have known too many, as Dolly Pardon sang about many years ago, hard candy Christmas’s. I’ve never apologized for such. It happens. Only a few years I can recall have been rather extravagant. The rest somewhere in between. Give me a fireplace and simple home cooking and I can call it a good Holiday.

The fondest memories, in a somewhat grumbling way, has been “…some assembly required,” and “…batteries not included.” Many Christmas Eve’s have been spent preparing gifts from “Santa” at midnight or later (3 children) just so there would be a “Wow” gift in the forefront and foremost under the tree. Oh yes, the ever present, “I thought YOU got the batteries,” “No, I thought you did,” with the children in the background lamenting that such and such toy won’t work. [sigh] Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. There has to be.

Christmas is really about children not adults. Adults have a way of perverting the whole aspect of the Holiday. We’re not innocent, we’re not easily awed by simple things or things of wonder. We’re cynical and gossipy. We have to out-do someone. We have to one-up the next person.

There is a point, somewhere between putting away the wrench for the night and the noisily bursting to get to the tree, that always happens to me. After watching the midnight Masses/Christmas Eve programs on TV, in the pure quietness and tranquility of that Eve something descends upon me. It instills a moment of deep reflection and thought. I am awed. If just for that fleeting moment. It never has failed. I hope it doesn’t this year. I have doubts. But Christmas is as Christmas does. It will be Christmas.

My children are grown now. My Daughter has a family of her own now, living in Fairbanks AK. Oldest Son will be leaving for basic training in less than 3 weeks. My youngest Son has one more year to go – if he can muster his grades up a bit. Another Christmas without my babies near. Ah, that’s life. Sooner or later they scatter themselves to the four corners of the world.

This year we remain homeless and broke.  Christmas had better happen - G and I need for it to.

Despite all the negative and the seeming hopelessness on our joint lives, considering all the years for richer or poorer, I still believe in the miracle of Christmas.  I’ve seen it.  Doesn’t always happen but I’ve seen it happen.  It is then you will see a grown adult filled with awe and wonder.  Awesome!

To everyone who follows this Blog, I wish everyone all the resplendent things that Christmas is and creates; that it fulfills and nourishes all of you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Bet You won’t get these at Dairy Queen!  Onions, Chili and slaw on mine please.

I bet you he got an Easy Bake Oven when he was a kid.

I came across this image a couple of years ago and just riotously fell in love with it. It is the epitome of my hedonistic and glutinous side of my inner self. I identify 100% with it.

I think that this should be on my Bucket List. The care taken to put together such a thing is pure anticipation and excitement to the time it can be enjoyed – in the right way.

Now. String lights throughout and surround it with gifts and lo-and-behold you have one hell of a Christmas Tree for Christmas. I don’t know exactly how I’d explain it to any child - BUT – overall it works for me.

Traditionally, whether with my Ex or with G, there is the putting up the damned thing fight as well as taking the damned thing down fight. I’ve NEVER been able to avoid them. It takes me a week to put the thing together (and if it is a live one, getting it in the damned stand without it leaning to some side or another because they NEVER have straight trunks) and then put the lights on. I’m a stickler for lights. I’m never satisfied that every square inch of tree has just the correct allocation of light as viewed from any angle. This requires pain-staking fussiness levels of perfection. I get to, finally, the “fuck it” point and acquiesce grudgingly.  The ornaments are someone elses responsibility.

The tree in this image would be easy to light. I would use well-placed white spot lights directly under the tree to illuminate it – thus creating this nice hue of green emanating from the Heineken bottles. Wow. I could also use (if I could find one) one of those colored, rotation disk lights that everyone had back in the early 60’s. I’m not so sure that some of the colors would work as effectively however.

The coup d’etat with this tree lies with New Years Eve. Completely takes the pain in the ass aspect out of taking the damn tree down out of the picture. Just invite the Guests over for a gala evening of celebration and enjoy taking the tree down – tier by tier. A well-placed 55-gallon trash can (or 2) out the back door for the empties and mission accomplished. (This also satisfies a revenge factor against the recycling truck that noisily breaks the early morning silence. “Here, you fuckers. Hoist this!”)

One year I will definitely try this. Bet on it.

Don’t ever recall being involved in this sort of  Holiday decorating but I’d like to!

memba these?

Here’s where all the practicing and hard studying pay off.  You will be graded - personally!