Dreaming of a white Christmas

Wrapping up gifts, trudging over snowbanks to bring neighbors cookies, playing Christmas CDs, making banana bread ... and now it has started to snow -- big, fat, magical flakes. The kind you always dream of for a perfect white Christmas.

Yes, we still have feet (yes, feet!) of snow all over the city but Mother Nature decided to overdeliver for Christmas 2006. Tucked away in our warm house with all our furry ones, we're settling down for a long winter's night.

There's a certain magic to Christmas Eve -- best summed up from a scene out of my favorite TV show, Northern Exposure.

"It's an old legend, that on Christmas Eve at midnight, all the animals fall on their knees and speak -- praising the new born Jesus.

(pausing to reflect)

Back in the winter of '68, my Dad was doing a short term for D and D. Mom was -- I'm not sure where Mom was. Anyway, I was home alone on Christmas Eve and I stayed up late to see if my dog, Buster, would talk. He did -- at least I think he did. I don't remember Buster's exact words, but that's not important. What matters is that a seven-year-old boy experienced his own personal epiphany.

My point? It's that Christmas reveals itself to each of us in a personal way -- be it secular or sacred. Whatever Christmas is -- and it's many things to many people -- we all own a piece of it. Kinda like Santa's bag, inside there's gift for everyone.
My Christmas wish for you tonight -- may your dog talk"

Chris-in-the-Morning from 3.10 Seoul Mates (also reading from the Friendly Beasts)

So echoing that sentiment, may you have a Merry Christmas, may your dog talk and may your cat only bite the Christmas tree bulbs when the power is off.

... and world peace

The Event
WHO? All Men and Women, you and everyone you know.
WHERE? Everywhere in the world, but especially in countries with weapons of mass destruction.
WHEN? Winter Solstice Day - Friday, December 22nd, at the time of your choosing, in the place of your choosing and with as much privacy as you choose.
WHY? To effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy a Synchronized Global Orgasm. There are two more US fleets heading for the Persian Gulf with anti-submarine equipment that can only be for use against Iran, so the time to change Earth’s energy is NOW!

... a whole different approach to whirled peas ... I mean world peace. Peace man!

Karma

My younger sister went to my grandma's several weeks ago and Gram was sitting with her travel agent. "Guess what," she told A., "I'm taking the kids to Mexico for Christmas." Nice. The kids are her two daughters, but not my dad, who is also a kid, plus my cousin. Nuttin' for the rest of us. She abandoned us for Thanksgiving too. Beginning to wonder if she's just mad at all of us for some reason.

Anyway ends up their flight was supposed to be out of Denver to Mexico yesterday morning.

Karma.

BIG Bon Hiver

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it ... okay... you can stop now!! The first day of Winter arrived with 36 inches of snow at my house. It started yesterday morning and the storm just stopped and churned over the front range. The hubby had to go into work yesterday morning but smartly took the bus. He arrived back home about 1:30pm, just before the highway was shut down due to stuck semis, too many stuck cars and too much snow. The neighbor brought out his ATV with snowplow and helped Mark get back into the driveway. The first moose photo is 5pm Weds Dec. 20 and the second is 9am Thurs Dec. 21.

We just signed up for digital cable so have plenty to do until we can get back out of the house!

Definitely a white Christmas -- this isn't going to melt anytime soon.

Happy holidays from Grumpy Mc Mini

My Elf Name Is... Grumpy Mc Mini
What's Your Elf Name?

http://www.blogthings.com/elfnamegenerator/

It's your B-woof-day!

On December 6, Princess Flounder turned nine years old. I've been her human for all but the first seven weeks of her life. She's a purebred black Labrador Retriever with white toes (her yellow lab grandparents) and now a white muzzle in her older age. Favorite pasttimes include chasing squirrels, disemboweling tennis balls, napping and riding in the car. She and I have done the Furry Scurry, an annual charity walk for the Denver Dumb Friends League, almost every year since 1997. She's 100 lbs thanks to her 120 lb father (her mother, Princess, was a dainty 60 lbs). She grumbles and snorts and tends to get us up before the sun. She can also clear a room with her "vapors". But she is the best black lab in the world and we love every moment with her.

Happy b-woof-day Flounder- Pounder!