Blasted birds!

Birds, Angry Birds. Blasted Angry Birds.  
Birds who use up all my time and phone battery.

While celebrating Christmas, Stephen got me started playing a game called Angry Birds. I put it on my iPhone. It's one of the most addicting, repetitive, yet challenging games I've ever played. I can't put it down.

This game is only availble for iPhones and Androids, so you can't find it for your computer. Just as well, as I'm already playing it far too much. 
 
This is how I'm spending my New Year's Eve. Playing Angry Birds, listening to the Weather Channel and Big Steve snore.


Yeah, good times.  Who says you need a party to have fun.

Happy Boxing day

Boxing day can only be truly a happy day if you leave out the holiday decorations but box up the wrapping paper and put away the gifts.

Christmas should last as long as possible - or at least until the new year.
Even baby agrees.

Actually, boxing day isn't at all related to boxing things up like people think. Boxing day was first about giving gifts to the hired help,  and giving them a day off after Christmas. Today it's a bank and shopping holiday, not much more.

Merry Christmas again

Yule Log over the fireplace. Presents, nog, egg burritos and lots of loud talking.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas garland and magic

Decorations make Christmas magical. Families decorate houses in anticipation of the season. Stores put out decorations in October helping us all get ready for the holidays. 
I'm glad they do. 
Long ago, and even today in other countries, Christmas isn't made public until December 24th. That's a sad thought, to only be happy for Christmas one or two days a year. 

I love the holidays. It's a time when people consciously, and purposely, consider the interests and needs of other people. It's the only time of year when generosity is foremost in popular thought.

Holiday generosity encourages reciprocity.  That's the best part - wanting to do good to someone in return, simply because it's Christmas.

I'm grateful for commercialized Christmas. If it weren't for commercialism we'd be trapped in a world centered only on personal achievement. It might be commercialism to some, but it reminds me how focused we really are on a single emotion; generosity. That's not a bad thing.

Holiday decor makes Christmas magical. My dad contributed to the magic every year by hanging garland on the ceiling. We had this green garland my mother kept in a big box in the attic, and along about December 20th, my dad would get it out and string it along the edges of the entire living room, then, criss-cross it in the middle and hang a big red bell where the two strands met. Every morning when I got out of bed, I would run down the hall and just stare at that garland, and smile. It was the beginning of my magical feelings of Christmas and I still look forward to all sorts of decorations every year.

I'm thankful for western commercialism. I'm thankful for sights, sounds, and thoughts of happy things. I'm especially thankful for Christmas generosity. That's the magic of Christmas. The longer it lasts, the happier people can be.

Road trip

William's dream chair..........men and their chairs!

Bittersweet snack

Baby loves oranges and cranberries - can you tell?

Alora

Alora's getting so big. We had a mini-party for her birthday. She even showed her daddy how she can walk (with a little help).

Let's play Christmas

Yesterday we went for a walk. Ethan and Alyssa helped me find the houses on the street that were decorated.

Later, Alyssa played a tune of Jingle Bells - I had to beg to get just a little song from her, she doesn't seem to like having her picture taken, but I manged a minute or two.

Friends

Good friends make everyone smile.

Welcome friends, and bring the fire extinguisher

Our dear friends Jenny and Ross arrived tonight, after a L-O-N-G drive from South Dakota. I knew they'd be tired after driving it all in one day, so I planned a lovely welcome; clean, warm bed, fresh towels, coffee ready for brewing first thing in the morning, and a nice hot loaf of banana bread for breakfast, baking in the breadmaker.  Such a welcoming fragrance, something to be glad to wake up for in the morning.

Except when it burns.

We managed to get the breadmaker out the front door and on to the porch. It's after midnight, 25 degrees outside and we've got the doors wide open, the fans going, just hoping (praying!) that the smoke detector doesn't go off and wake the baby. Geesh! some welcome!

I've never seen that much smoke pour out of anything meant to be eaten. It says alot for my cooking abilities. I wonder if the dog will drag the breadmaker off before we get up in the morning? 

First time for everything

Today we went to Breakfast with Kris Kringle (and his penguin sidekick).  Baby Bonnie wasn't too fond of her first ever live-walking-stuffed animals, she was more fond of getting away from them. 

On the other hand, she did a few other happier firsts - first bacon, first cantaloupe, first drink from a water fountain.  Those made her very happy. 


And I had a VERY HAPPY Birthday.



 

Christmas is here