Dance, dance under the Christmas tree

 

A tree in our neighborhood. For 11 months of the year, it is ugly. But in December?

You might think that this post is a bit early, but there is a reason: I want to celebrate Christ's birth, listen to music, decorate with every bulb and garland I can find, and remember every Christmas possible. Christmas cannot wait and neither can I.

Photo taken from our hotel balcony on December 4, 2016 in Chicago

Waiting for Christmas is and has always been the most intense, insane experience of anticipation of all the year.  

Standing in front of the tree and being mesmerized by the lights is the disco ball of the season.  Shaking the presents and guessing their contents is always be part of the game.  The small train around the base wears itself out by the Big Day, only too happy to be packed away for next year’s new batteries and another chance to whistle.

(That was some years ago, when I turned 60 years old.  Then my young granddaughters informed me then that I have to move away from the tree.  It was their time to do the dancing.)

Christmas starts as a spark of joy, and then fills me all up.  Christmas is here!  Christ came into the world as a human, to experience the human pain and suffering.  Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.   Christ dwells within me daily, reminding me that I am part of His family.

James at 6 months, June 22, 2017

Benjamin's 5th birthday, June 26, 2017

I am waiting for Christmas, slightly removed from the tree’s perimeter to allow children of all ages to dance wildly.

The spark is there and starting to burst into the “Hallelujah Chorus”! 

From YouTube

Do you get that spark?  Are the memories of Christmas both looking back and being in the present?  Are you still dancing?  Do you have to push the kids and grand-kids out of the way?
 

All in double digits, we have arthritis, and our family is all over the world. The rest of the Kane clan will be on and about to see other family members. So we now regroup with remaining older Kanes and try to dance. 

So, while there are no small dancers here with us, we will dance up a storm for at least 15 minutes, give or take.

The Perils of December

 

Who needs a normal cake? 

December is an amazing month for so many reasons for my family, my birthday, our son's birthday, our anniversary, our daughter's anniversary, and our youngest daughter's birthday. It is a busy month with lots of memories. Here are some thoughts that are from someecards.

II

 

  

I sure would like the cake, personally, with whipped cream.    

November to December

   This a re-post of 2010.  I liked it, and juggled some words about to post it again in 2017. Now, here in 2019, I post it again.

Why is this post going up in early November, you may ask.  Christmas 2016 my husband's family went on a cruise because Mom Kane had died in February and none of us wanted to be home, without her.

It wasn't Christmas for any of us, we acknowledged it then and now.  Now, each year since 2016 we gather in one home or another and talk about times with Mom and Dad, and the joy they brought to Christmas.

This year, 2019 my husband and I will dance up a storm around the tree with our teenage granddaughters, laughing about all the other dances of the past. WE will stop our dancing after a few minutes while they carry away the night.

YouTube: Flash Mob, 2010

Merry Christmas!

 

Samuel on Christmas Eve

 

The Mommy gave a green crayon and some paper to Samuel after strapping him into the high chair.  “Write a letter to Santa!  We’ll put it with the cookies and milk tonight!”  Samuel gazed at the paper dismally before grasping the crayon in little boy stickiness.

He formed his thoughts and began to write. Dear Fat Man in the Red Suit,  I concede to your knowledge and wish to inform you that I do not regret a single thing.  Well, the cat and scissors episode was a mistake on my part….

Samuel beheld the paper which was now partially covered in scribbles, not in the clear words from his head.   Dammit, green stick!  Obey, or feel my wrath!  But to his dismay, his hand continued to make the same scrawl. Oh, well. 

He continued, …but The Cat is doing well, and we have made our peace.  Please accept this humble milk and cookies as an offering of friendship.  Sincerely, Samuel

The word “sincerely” stuck in his throat, but a little lying was fine at Christmas, as he had observed adults greeting each other with feigned delight.  Then Samuel smashed the green crayon into pieces on the tray.  You were warned.

That Christmas Eve night, The Mommy let Samuel carry the plate of cookies to the coffee table.  Both parents beamed with pride at his carefulness.  The Daddy put the glass of milk down beside the cookies, while The Mommy gave Samuel the letter to place with the cookies.

While The Parents laughed and hugged, Samuel turned his back to them, and prepared to place the letter atop the cookies.  Before this was done, Samuel dug deep into his nose, and removed a booger.  I have been saving this all day, just for you, Santa!

He smeared the booger onto a raisin on a cookie at the edge closest to the fireplace.  Eat this, Fat Man!

May the Peace of Christmas be with you....

Dan Vasc---one to watch.

 

 

Listen to him.  He is young, he is dedicated to excellence.  Looking forward to hearing more. 

 

 Just need to follow his career.   

Hope you can find him as wonderful as I do.

Good eatin' in Missouri

 

 

Old Man and Old Woman had driven on Interstate 55 many times, too many to mention.  This time they were driving from Beaumont, Texas, the day after Christmas. Christmas in Beaumont with Golden Boy, their youngest son, had been painful and disappointing for too many reasons to count.

Old Woman strongly suggested they stop and get some food.  Old Man said he was just fine, and she could wait a while.  Old Woman replied in no uncertain language that they had better stop or there’d be pee all over Old Man’s precious car.

 

Passing by Sikeston, Missouri, a sign announced “Home of the Throwed Roll”, and this would suit them both just fine, since they weren’t talking with each other at this time. 

Old Man parked his precious car, and Old Woman got out even before the engine stopped running.  By the time Old Man had opened his door and slammed it, Old Woman was inside and sitting at a table, menu and coffee in hand.

Lambert's Home of the Throwed Roll was unusually quiet this day right after Christmas which suited Old Man just fine with his failing hearing.  Old Woman could have done with some laughing and people around, since she enjoyed visiting with people on next table over or behind.

 

 

A chirpy little waitress named Patty took their order of ham and beans for Old Man, and turkey with stuffing for Old Woman.  Old Man canceled his order and instead asked for meatloaf, after Old Woman announced that she wasn’t going to ride with someone who had just eaten beans.

Plates delivered and Patty asked if they would like some rolls.  Why, yes, Old Woman nodded.  Patty called to Norman Lambert, owner of the restaurant, for rolls and Patty moved out of the way.  You’d better get ready, she whispered as Norman launched the first roll to Old Woman, who had excellent reflexes.

The soft-ball sized roll hit her hand with a WHAP, just like being caught in a ball mitt. Then Old Man caught his roll, barely containing it. Patty set a bowl of  smooth butter and a jar of molasses on their table, asking if they’d like to put some on their roll.  

 

Why, yes, Old Man nodded. Patty wiped her hands on her apron, and then burrowed her index finger into each roll.  Then Patty slathered a sizable amount of butter in the well, followed by thin line of molasses easing out from about a foot above.

Old Man and Old Woman gasped and then laughed, finally making eye contact. Three rolls later they were back on the I-55, heading home, talking to each other like old couples do.

Throwed Rolls has probably saved a marriage. 

This is a re-post from 2019 and 2022. Since that time this has been a story told to the family.  Dad always elaborated the story somewhat, and Mom always corrected the incorrect details.  

Gloria, Gloria in the Highest

 

 Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Merry Christmas and the Happiest of this New Year to you all. 

Celebrate together, rejoice in your lives, find peace where you are. 

God bless us, everyone.

.May you have a love-filled Christmas, May you keep well and safe, May you stand in awe that God sent His Son for you and for all of us.

Christmas of our past

Our own "Monkey Ward" book; we wore that thing out.  We kept it up into February when it was shredded. Are there are Wards fans out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These gems are from "Google Images vintage 1950s Christmas photos", Pinterest, and many other great sites.

Monster Mash 2016

 
One knows that Halloween is at its end when all Halloween stuff has left Lowe's, and Christmas stuff is in its place.

So, as a last homage to Halloween, this is given to you:

To you and Halloween monsters knocking at your door, Happy Hallowed 'eve.

Catch 'em if you can in Sikeston, MO

 

Old Man and Old Woman had driven on Interstate 55 many times, too many to mention.  This time they were driving from Beaumont, Texas, the day after Christmas. Christmas in Beaumont with Golden Boy, their youngest son, had been painful and disappointing for too many reasons to count.

Old Woman strongly suggested they stop and get some food.  Old Man said he was just fine, and she could wait a while.  Old Woman replied in no uncertain language that they had better stop or there’d be pee all over Old Man’s precious car.

 

Passing by Sikeston, Missouri, a sign announced “Home of the Throwed Roll”, and this would suit them both just fine, since they weren’t talking with each other at this time. 

Old Man parked his precious car, and Old Woman got out even before the engine stopped running.  By the time Old Man had opened his door and slammed it, Old Woman was inside and sitting at a table, menu and coffee in hand.

Lambert's Home of the Throwed Roll was unusually quiet this day right after Christmas which suited Old Man just fine with his failing hearing.  Old Woman could have done with some laughing and people around, since she enjoyed visiting with people on next table over or behind.

 

 

A chirpy little waitress named Patty took their order of ham and beans for Old Man, and turkey with stuffing for Old Woman.  Old Man canceled his order and instead asked for meatloaf, after Old Woman announced that she wasn’t going to ride with someone who had just eaten beans.

Plates delivered and Patty asked if they would like some rolls.  Why, yes, Old Woman nodded.  Patty called to Norman Lambert, owner of the restaurant, for rolls and Patty moved out of the way.  You’d better get ready, she whispered as Norman launched the first roll to Old Woman, who had excellent reflexes.

The soft-ball sized roll hit her hand with a WHAP, just like being caught in a ball mitt. Then Old Man caught his roll, barely containing it. Patty set a bowl of  smooth butter and a jar of molasses on their table, asking if they’d like to put some on their roll.  

 

Why, yes, Old Man nodded. Patty wiped her hands on her apron, and then burrowed her index finger into each roll.  Then Patty slathered a sizable amount of butter in the well, followed by thin line of molasses easing out from about a foot above.

Old Man and Old Woman gasped and then laughed, finally making eye contact. Three rolls later they were back on the I-55, heading home, talking to each other like old couples do.

Throwed Rolls has probably saved many relationships over the years.

My parents are Old Man and Old Woman. This is accurate, an event that happened.

These are reposts from 2017 and 2020.  

Brilliance shines and wanders

 Give Robin Williams, just some words,  just bits,and then wait for his creativity.. He was legendary and brilliant, and it is extremely difficult to even describe what his brain did.

 What  happens to different brains?  Robin Williams had some serious mental issues, as brilliant artists often have. Suicide was listed as the cause, but later it was proven that he suffered from "Lewy Body Dementia", a form of Alzheimer's. Robin Williams did not know what his body was doing to the brain.  

He must have been so frightened.

Time was not kind to him as parts of his talents eeked away. Our treatment options are minuscule and. we can all do is to recognize mental health struggles, and then be proactive in the recovery.

  

Did you know?

 

 

 

Peter Hollens 

                                                                    One Voice Children

Words combined with music result in such meaning.  Just saying such songs, singing them, and listening wraps the life of Christ in our own language, and opens our hearts.

  Merry Christmas to all. Rejoice in salvation. Rejoice in God's gifts to us. Sing.

What now?

 

So much for Halloween candy.

Christmas always comes to an abrupt end, it seems. For 2 1/2 solid months, the stores have been draped with garlands, dripping bright ornaments, while Halloween candy is in shopping cart marked "50% off". Carols of all types have been playing in a loop, but for some reason they have been classier this year.

Celebrating and loving with our family is a wonderful year long fest. So, pick up all that wrapping paper, down the eggnog, and finish up all those little chores.

Here is before:

Walmart sells everything.

Here is after:

after the Christmas rush

But, no one sees what is really left behind:

Dump site for carts from all stores
There were mountains of shopping carts tossed in the field.
After a month or so, these were all gone. 

Christmas is over, yes, but we will continue rejoicing for the entire year. No matter how strange and scary our lives are now, we will continue to rejoice. 

After all, Christmas is only 11 months and a few days away.

Gloria! Glory in the Highest!

 

 Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Merry Christmas and the Happiest of this New Year to you all. 

Celebrate together, rejoice in your lives, find peace where you are. 

God bless us, everyone.

I will take a vacation break until the New Year.  May you have a love-filled Christmas, May you keep well and safe, May you stand in awe that God sent His Son for you and for all of us.

Finding Joy

Pinterest

Christmas is just a few days away and children will hold their breaths 

for the remaining hours. 

Rejoice! This past year we haven't looked at rejoicing so much. Instead, it has been one where we search for remnants of the previous years.  Impossible, yes. But rejoicing is never impossible.

Claire Crosby with her family. Mom is at the 

piano, Dad is singing harmony, and 2 siblings are somewhere else.

Cats + Christmas = ?

 So many bloggers have cats and share them with us! Here is my Christmas gift to you:

Wagpets.com

                                                                So, what you want?

.

Plug it in already!

Smile

I am an angel, really.

All these memes come from Wagpets. There are allll sorts of animals there, and we all will have some time over the next weeks.

Hopefully?

Christmas is coming...

 

Pinterest

Pinterest

Just remember: every woman wants canning equipment. Or, maybe, something else?  

Pinterest

Go shopping early!  Some stores will run out of these gifts! Black Fridays are running all the time, whether it is Friday or not.

No tickling, Elmo

1957

Christmas toys have evolved over the decades.

  In different magazines (Reminisce, for example), readers share how difficult it was for parents to manage to save enough money to buy or make one toy for Christmas.

Not the case now.  Visit Wal-Mart and discover toy heaven.  Toys-R-Us was dedicated to floor-to -ceiling toys. There is now a retro-toy boom, which is just fine with me.  I like Roy Rogers lunch boxes.

Husband has refused to watch Rudolph or the Island of Mis-Fit toys.  Five decades is enough, he announced.  In fact, no more animated/clay motion shows will be watched.  It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas are acceptable and enjoyed.

Our own memories provide enough entertainment. Until...

Do you remember Tickle Me Elmo™?  How it seemed that the little orange red monster would giggle, talk, and roll around seemingly without stopping?  We never found it appealing or amusing, but the other set of grandparents did and gave it to itty-bit.  Our just-then two year old gr-daughter did not enjoy it at all.

  

In fact, it scared the daylights out of her.

Her daddy switched it on, and little girl hid around the corner, peering at it with wide eyes.  Then he turned it on again and she ran away completely.

Before we left, sweet girl had boxed up silent Elmer in its original box.  “Take it, Gawpie! Take away!”  Chuckles from the parents, she put the box down on the floor.

Kisses and hugs, and then little girl carried the box and set it on the sidewalk.  “Take away! You take away!”

Her eyes were tearing up and Daddy held her.  It’ll be fine.  She’ll get used to it. We left, no Elmo in hand.

Elmo sat hidden in a closet for a year before little girl-turned-three would let it roll around the carpet.

Commonsense, where art thou?

This is a re-post from 2015, when our gr-daughter was about 11 yrs. at that time. Her battle with Elmo when she was just that: itty-bitty. 

Now, she is 15.5 years old. Earrings are perfect.

News of Great Joy

1959

In classrooms throughout the nation,December marked frantic use of scissors, glitter, and paper in schools everywhere. Teachers reluctantly set out the peppermint paste, letting chaos take its course. And then...

Influenza and Christmas frenzy drove the pace.

Each classroom reflected garish joy and vacant student desks as days counted down to one big event: Annual Christmas Pageant.  If ever there were a bigger event, the community did not know of it.

The District Music teacher, Mrs. Harris, traveled to every school before settling on this one school to perform that year's pageant.

Mrs. Harris was relentless in her expectations and doling out various roles as fear hung in the air while performers marched to her music. Seventh and eighth graders became The Holy Family with younger students filling out as angels, elves, and sugar canes.

Influenza began wiping out the Holy Family and shepherds.  But Mrs. Harris did not break step or sweat; Mrs. Harris drafted the best of the next grade down.

In sixth grade, all girls were hoping,  Please oh please let me be Mary! Their hearts, minds and eyes pleaded.

Briefly, Mrs. Harris laid eagle eyes on a few, but moved on.  Those girls would remain angels that year.  The pageant took place with Holy Family intact, but still running fevers, while Angels waited in the wings, scratching silver garland halos. 

Day after Pageant Glory, angels' desks were vacant,  each absentee sick with influenza. A few elves were out as well.

I was always one of the angels, although I know I would have nailed Mary's character perfectly.  

Please note that this memory comes from a then 10 year brain.  I discovered that "Mrs. Harris" was kind and a very good teacher.  She taught us all how to read music, and as a result I learned to play the piano, due to her strong teaching.

Christmas Now! Then!

A tree in our old neighborhood. For 11 months of the year if was ugly, but at Christmas?
It was stunning.

You might think that this post is a tad premature, but there is a reason: I want to celebrate Christ's birth, listen to music, decorate with every bulb and garland I can find, and remember every Christmas possible. Christmas cannot wait and neither can I.

Taken from our Chicago hotel room
after my son's wedding

Waiting for Christmas is and has always been the most intense, insane experience of anticipation of all the year. 

Standing in front of the tree and being mesmerized by the lights is the disco ball of the season. Then there was the dancing around the tree. Shaking the presents and guessing their contents is always be part of the game.  The small train around the base wears itself out by the Big Day, only too happy to be packed away for next year’s new batteries and another chance to whistle.

(That was a few years ago, going into the sixth decade of life. Then my granddaughters informed me then that I have to move away from the tree.  It was their time to do the dancing.)

Moving ahead some years and I would be found with the other delights: baking some, fixing meals, cuddling a baby, and moving furniture around to accommodate our grandsons BJ and Jim. (then almost 1 year old baby brother).

BJ 5th birthday, June 26, 2017

Jim at 6 months, June 22, 2017

I was waiting for Christmas, slightly removed from the tree’s perimeter to allow tween girls and a five year-old in pajamas to enter into the thrall of the tree. And now there will only be two girls in their teens. Sweet wonderful girls who are Irish dancers will be there.Christmas starts as a spark of joy, and then fills me all up.  Christmas is here!  Christ came into the world as a human, to experience the human pain and suffering.  Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.   Christ dwells within me daily, reminding me that I am part of His family. 
This year I will think about those boys in their own home, dancing around their tree. 

In a running park 

This a repost of 2010.  I liked it, and juggled some words about to post it again in 2017. Now, here in 2019, I post it again.

Why is this post going up in early November, you may ask.  Christmas 2016 my husband's family went on a cruise because Mom Kane had died in February and none of us wanted to be home, without her.

It wasn't Christmas for any of us, we acknowledged it then and now.  Now, each year since 2016 we gather in one home or another and talk about times with Mom and Dad, and the joy they brought to Christmas.

This year, 2019 my husband and I will dance up a storm around the tree with our teenage granddaughters, laughing about all the other dances of the past. WE will stop our dancing after a few minutes while they carry away the night.

YouTube: Flash Mob, 2010

Merry Christmas!