Christmas!

I Googled pictures of Santa Claus and picked this one because this is the Santa I grew up with as a child. I know, there are those who will say that this one symbolizes commercialism in Christmas. Well, that may be true, but it's my blog and this is my Santa!

My wife and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve (at our son and his wife's house), with friends and family. We drank homemade Tom and Jerry's, ate fabulous sausage and sauerkraut, crab dip, olive dip, delicious cold shrimp with sauce, and assorted candies and nuts. You see, all the foods were given to each other in lieu of presents. At least that was the plan due to financial hardships caused by the economy. But, there were those in attendance (you know who you are), who presented homemade goody baskets, small, but wonderful gifts, and some gave large sums of money to those who needed it the most. No matter what was agreed to, giving is what the season is all about.

While we were all enjoying each other’s company, soft Christmas music played in the background. The house that we had helped build from the ground up was filled with love and companionship, while the Christmas tree and decorations gave off a magical feeling that is always associated with the holiday season. It was great to be part of the magic that is called Christmas.

We left happy, thankful for family and friends, and arrived back home just in time to see some Christmas lights in our neighborhood. The whole day had been sunny and clear, which is typical of the winter Arizona desert. While wifey drove back toward our Verde Valley from the Prescott area, I gave thanks for the beautiful country we live in and the wonderful life we live. We have all been through hard times before and I know that this too shall pass.

Christmas day will dawn with a bright, warm sun and deep blue skies. We plan to have dinner with my wife's mother (whom we affectionately call Mum), and our daughter Nissa. She was unable to share Christmas Eve with us due to work obligations, so we will make it up to her today with a nice dinner at Denny's. Denny's, you say? None of us want to cook or do dishes, and it's all that is open. I hope I can get a double cheeseburger with fries. Now that's my kind of Christmas dinner!

I'm just saying,

Mittster