Christmas Musings

As I sit here this morning, wife is getting her shower, kids are still asleep, I'm thinking about Christmas when I was young.
The youngest of six, I remember it seemed as though I was always the first one of my siblings awake.  Of course Mom was always already up, making final preparations and putting the last few gifts under the tree.  Next  one up was usually my brother, four years my senior.  Mom wouldn't allow us downstairs until she was ready.  So sitting on the top step we waited....
Once she gave the go ahead for us to come down, my brother and I would rush down and marvel at all the gifts under and around the tree.
Then more waiting....  We couldn't open anything until everyone was up.  The excitement of Christmas morning had pretty much subsided in my older brothers and sisters, now in their teens or home from college.
Looking back, it amazes me how Mom and Dad made Christmas something.  I didn't realize until I was a young adult how poor we were, but Mom always managed to make it special.

Christmas is still special, but now I have a little better grasp on what it is about.  Yes, even as a child I knew it was the celebration of Christ's birth.  But that is only part of the plan.  The completion comes with Easter, the remembrance of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. 

Merry Christmas.

That time of year again

A few fire departments with which I have been affiliated in the past do this.  Last year the FD I am with now started doing this as well.  I think it's good P.R. with he community we serve.  (As long as it's done properly.)
I'm talking about "Santa Cruise".
Santa gets on top of the engine or some other fd apparatus and gets taken through the neighborhoods, emergency lights flashing and sirens blaring, waving at everyone, while typically "elves" dish out candy canes to the kids.

What I've always found a little surprising is how many adults really seem to enjoy this as well.  I can't count the times I've seen adults outside with their cameras taking pictures and video.

Well, gotta go.  Now it's off to a couple of neighboring community's Christmas parades.

Santa rides again next weekend.  At least in our neighborhoods...

Random photo

Ahhhh.  The days of taking the Jeep offroad.  I need to get back out there again.  Been too long. 

I am a real numbskull tonight.  No, really, I mean it.  I went to the dentist this afternoon and had two cracked/ degraded fillings replaced and another tooth that had a lot of decay under a cracked filling prepped for a crown.
It's finally starting to wear off and my mouth is starting to ache.

The Adorable Maggie

Yeah, I'm very biased.  I think my dog is pretty awesome.  A knucklehead at times but always a sweetheart.
Adopted a year ago next month, she spent 4 months in the animal control shelter after being picked up as a stray.  Hard to believe nobody adopted this cutie earlier, but I'm glad no one did.  The folks at animal control were guessing she was around 9 mo old when we adopted her.  She is Australian Cattledog/ mix; we think there is some Lab in there, too.
One of her favorite play toys is a simple log of firewood.  I stack it and she spreads it all over the yard.  The one in the video is about 1 1/2" in dia, about 18" long and probably weighs around 8-10 lbs.  She runs around with it like it's nothing.
One of her other favorite toys is a rubber bowling pin with a very loud squeaker.

"C'mon!  Let's play!

She will follow us around the house chomping on it to make it squeak and shoving it into our butts as we walk, to antagonize us to play.  It usually works.  There is no doubt she is a herding dog.

Nom Nom Nom

She loves her Nylabones, too.  Frequently chewing on them like there is no tomorrow.  I'm a little surprised the bowling pin has lasted as long as it has.  All the other squeaker toys get destroyed in very little time.