Merry Christmas!

(click to view Christmas 1997 Gallery)
In all Gallery photos, Kilory is on the right, Nikki on the left.
In the upper right corner they are both dressed as Cindy Lou Who from Whoville. The photographer didn't understand. I thought everyone knew that when the Grinch dressed up as Santa to steal the Who's Christmas (his poor dog, Max, -- with "antlers" tied to his head -- in tow), a red ornament fell off the tree, waking Cindy Lou. Grinchy Claus sent her back to bed with a cup of water.
Nikki alternately calls "Max!" or "Reindeer!" when she looks for "her" new toy which I received as a birthday present circa 1983 and whose name was previously "David." He is now permanently "Max". Once Nikki finds him she hugs him and says "Poor Max. Poor Max. Kiss. Hug." She kisses and hugs him then makes everyone in sight love on poor Max, too.

Christmas Letter Archive

I made these dresses and hair bobs for Kilory and Nikki out of a Classic Pooh fitted crib sheet I got in California. They now have hats to match. When we have prayers at night, when we do the "God bless" parts, they start blessing Gramma and PawPaw and then..."and Pooh, and Christopher Robin and Tigger and Piglet and Rabbit and Owl and Roo and Eeyore." Everyday I get choruses of "I love Mommy! I love Daddy! I love Gramma! I love PawPaw! I love Pooh! I love Christopher Robin and Tigger and Piglet and Rabbit and Owl and Roo and Eeyore!"

My office window during Christmas 1997.

Along with the 1998 animated living room window display on the piano, illuminated hunny pots litter the north wall, and the trees are decorated as Rabbit's Howse[sic] (complete with white picket fence and carrots); Piglet's Howse (complete with Trespassers Wil sign); Owl's Howse; Tigger's Howse; and Pooh's Howse (complete with hunny pots strewn about, campfire, Pooh, Rnig[sic]-Also doorbell, and Mr. Sanders sign.

The 1997 display. The unfeatured 1998 display won our town's best decoration prize. Stay tuned for video captures of the 1999 display.

Pooh at the Christmas Depot

I have a tradition of baking a gingerbread house for my "sister" the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. While I do this, I used to watch A Christmas Story (second only to It's a Wonderful Life in TV Guide 's top ten Christmas movies) Click on the image to visit memorable quotes;
IBM's A Christmas Carol
with George C. Scott;
and
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Now that I have twins I have to watch the Grinch and Elmo Saves Christmas several times over, and the Muppet Christmas Carol . Although my favorite among equals is the Grinch, my other two most heartfelt traditions are decorating the home-grown, hand-felled (then composted) sometimes-Charlie-Brownish Christmas tree and watching A Charlie Brown Christmas . For me it just isn't Christmas without a decorated tree, and Linus reminding all of us what Christmas is all about:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in Swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

So there you have my skeptical and sunny sides. And then there's always the gallows humor which I think is most often present. For example...the lovely gingerbread house I make for my "sister"? The tradition is for my hard work and effort to fall apart and be a disaster.
AND in loving The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, my favorite character is godfather Drosselmeier, and I collect as many Drosselmeier and Mouse King decorations as I can afford/find. (Thank you, Helen, for sharing the best seats in the house at the Bass Performance Hall for Nutcracker 1998! It was the best! So are you!)

Red and Yellow, Black and White,
All are precious in His sight

This corner of the Hundred Acre Wood also celebrates
Hanukkah/Chanukkah
(although we're Gentiles) and
Kwanzaa
(although we're Celtic/Teutonic-American)
...we're human
...and that's reason enough to share family-oriented traditions that uphold the goodness and blessings of God; encourage the uplifting of the human spirit, ideal, and goals; and inspire reaching out to one's God and fellow man.
Besides...
What if we only went to birthday parties when it was OUR birthday?

You can help the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation raise funds for critical research in pediatric HIV/AIDS by doing your Christmas Web shopping with the stores on their Greater Good website:
1-800-FLOWERS * 800.COM * Amazon.com Books * Amazon.com Music * AutoAccessory.com * AVON * bedandbath.com * beyond.com * BirthdayExpress.com * CBS Sportsline * Cooking.com * Digital Chef * DogToys.com * drugstore.com * Enews.com Magazines * Esprit * eToys * eToys Gifts * Fogdog Sports * FragranceNet * Frenchtoast.com * giftpaks.com * GreatFood.com * Green Marketplace * Hammacher Schlemmer * healthshop.com * Hickory Farms * iBaby.com * Int'l Golf Outlet * JCPenney * jcrew.com * Lady Classic * Landscape USA * more.com * NewYorkFirst.com * OfficeMax * Omaha Steaks * OpticalSite.com * Orvis * Paul Fredrick * PetQuarters.com * Real Goods * SelfCare * Shades.com * ShopSports.com * SmarterKids.com * Sparks.com * Superbuild.com * Swiss Army Depot * The Sharper Image * Tutorials.com * Underneath.com * Virtual Vineyards * WholeFoods.com *

And now a Christmas message from your local goose council:

"Honk! Honk! Christmas is coming but ya don't want to get fat? Eat more emu! You want a fat bird? They're a big (but non-fattening) bird ! Honk! Honk!"

We hope you enjoy your visit.

Back to the Thistle Patch
* Alpha's Quadrant * CLCW * Motherhood and Housewifery
* Nikki & Kilory * I think I can I think I can
* Hundred Acre Wood * Barney and Freud Tour Vienna
* Celebrating the Seasons * BB Guns and Frozen Tongues
* Films vs. Movies * The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
* 2 Exhausted 2 Write Newsletter Archive
* The Neglectful Gardener * Can of Worms * Garden Xeriscaping & Gramma
* Gloomy Grumpy Young Grampa * Teddy Bear Wars * Young Grampa vs. The Squirrels
* Dandelion Appreciation * Virtual Tea Party * Whoville * Green Eggs & Hams * The Zoo
* Chocolate * 101 Reasons to Hate Young Skinny Women * The Biscuit of Ally McBeal
* Green Gables in My Garden * I love Paris in the Springtime
* Like Cats & Dogs * Hedgehogs * The Belfry * Helen
* Friend Links * Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy * The Galaxy Song
* Looney Camelot * Cathedral Guardians * Dragon Breath
* Calvin & Hobbes Philosophy * Gorey Q * Donald and The... * The Doubtful Guest * Book of Practical Cats
* Old Grampa * Photos * Family History & Photos * Civil War Diary of G. T. Granger
* Wes Stoops Memorial * Love Letter to Gramma * Diana's Life Lessons *