Christmas Time Is Here

Last night while wandering through a Border's book store in my neighborhood, I realized I've not watched a single Christmas movie so far this Holiday season. Not the classic "A Christmas Carol" with Alister Sim. Not the Peanuts gang. Not "The Grinch" (neither the 60s version nor the hilariously funny Jim Carey movie).

So, a quick stop at Best Buy and I now own all three and can watch at my leisure this weekend as Christmas draws closer with each tick of the clock. Oh there are other Yuletide movies that I've loved to watch throughout my years of childhood and adulthood. "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" are both great, in my view. And the animated short movies featuring Burl Ives ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") and "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" are fun to see each year as well. I was never a huge fan of "Frosty the Snowman," however. That whole scene when the magician locks Frosty in the atrium and he melts. Ugh!

Of course, along with Christmas genre movies comes baking and cooking. In this, the first year of starting over (at age 41) my challenge is to come up with a new tradition that my kids and I can own as our special "thing." At this point, that tradition is going to become celebrating Christmas on the day after Christmas; feasting on a prime rib roast with red potatoes, candied carrots and followed by cheesecake or maybe pumpkin pie if I feel ambitious. Once we're stuffed we'll open gifts. I'll tell a little story about my childhood Christmases that I remember and we'll play a game of Scrabble as we watch "A Christmas Carol."

I want them to experience the joy that Christmas is all about and not focus on the negative changes that have impacted their lives in the past 12 months. They deserve every chance to forget and be happy. To move on and recognize that life is not SO different even with the changes.

I intend for them to have a Merry Christmas times two because I know they'll experience a wonderful day of celebration with their Mom.

God bless them. And God bless us...everyone!

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The Latest...

Some random thoughts based on recent events in the world…

The worst thing about dying while descending Mt. Hood would be the incredible loneliness.

I just realized that for the next year or so we’ll have to hear and see the not-so-pleasant voice and face of Hillary Clinton each night on the news.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) was a philosopher, scientist and poet. He also coined the useful phrase, “You can lick my ass” (Er kann mich im Arsche lecken). How cool is that?

Christmas dinner is best with rib roast and mashed potatoes (some would argue Yorkshire pudding, too).

There was a time, not long ago, when a Vikings/Packers football game was worth watching.

Joseph (Mary’s husband) had to have been THE MOST God fearing man on the planet. Ever. I hope God granted him a “get into Heaven free” card.

When my son asked me what my favorite Christmas song is, I had to stop and think. It’s “Silver Bells,” the Bing Crosby version.

On my worst day, at my lowest moments, I think about the millions of people who have chronic health conditions and only WISH they could ride a bike, sit in a chair, walk to the store, and work an eight hour day.

If I live in Minnesota and it’s December, my only expectation is for snow to cover the brown grass.

Sometimes people get confused. But I think I’d know if I had testicles or not. And if I did, I wouldn’t pose as a female distance runner in the Olympics.

Boy bands have never impressed me. But of all the characters involved in that genre, Justin Timberlake is one funny, talented dude…in a box or not.

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Be Amazed

There's only 10 more shopping days until Christmas and as I flipped my calendar today, from the 13th to the 14th, the quote of the day was, "Let yourself be amazed by life." Without getting all philosophical, this is a mantra that I really want to strive to live by for the rest of my time on the planet.

For too long my vision was clouded about who I was, what I was doing professionaly, how I could "be better," and what things could make me happy. I tried on many different coats, but the one that fits best is the one in which I can be me and be amazed by the simplest, littlest things life presents to me. Conversely to the moody, angst-ridden, worrier that I used to be, I'm now confident in both myself and where I'm headed. Each day is satisfying in its own unique way. I associate with those around me better because I'm not worried about how or who is accepting me.

It's a lesson that many of us have to learn over time because few of us are born with the ability to just let ourselves be amazed without somehow trying to force the amazing. But if we just let ourselves see what's around us, life is truly a good thing...an amazing thing.

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It's All About the Effort

Since the news of Beth's car accident and death, I've been a little off. I haven't even see my niece since the '90s, but it's all the memories of her youth that make me purely steamed about how unfair her life was to her.

In an effort to make a little sense of something so tragic, I called my Dad. We haven't talked for 15 years and we really couldn't talk when I phoned him. He has late-stage Parkinson's Disease and can't hear. So I conveyed the news to his wife, Nancy, who was earnestly upset. Dad held the phone long enough to say hello and that he understood that Bethie was dead.

All I can do is disperse my anger onto my sister who failed miserably as a mother. I've held enough grudges and discontent to members of my family, but it's impossible for me to find any remorse for my anger toward her and her erratic behavior. It's that behavior that drove Beth to a life that involved dropping out of school, drugs and jail time prior to her death.

And where was I during that period in her little life when she could have desparately been asking for help but had no one to turn to and no place to escape?

Not a shining example of an uncle. If I've learned anything from this is that I need to reach out no matter what's happening in my life, so that in the end, I can say I made an effort. It's that effort that comes from within that hopefully makes a difference in the world.

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