I wish each of you the merriest of holidays and the happiest of new years!

I ran across Carol’s Christmas tree rant today and almost started a screed of my own in her comments.

I didn’t put a tree up this year and am regretting the decision. All I have out is a little Dachshund ornament and Rodney the Reindeer. These two inanimate chums are bearing the full weight of Christmas decorating for us this year.

The thing is, there are no kids at home. Tanya was here last year and even though she’s over 30… it inspired me to decorate, somehow. It’s a delight to decorate for kids, even if they’re too old to care or even if they have no warmth for Jesus’ birth in their little pagan hearts.

It’s also a job that yours truly gets stuck with year after year. Oh, hubby will bring the tree home and make sure it’s in the holder… but everything after that is my responsibility.

And let’s face it, the whole thing’s a pain in the ass.

We discovered that Comcast has channels that show fireplaces burning, snow on fir… wintry scenes while Christmas carols play. I wasn’t too impressed but have been back to watch the fireplace and hear the fat pop on the yule logs.

It’s better than staring at Rodney.

Arthur had his colonoscopy today and I posted the pictures at the other site… but this one felt like it needed to be here. I don’t know why; just ’tis. This individual juke is from the diner we lunched at after the procedure.

The diner is called Lester’s and it sets nestled among a mountain of steel buildings, itself a nondescript, low-slung white structure with nothing to recommend it save the parking lot, which remains full at all times.

We’ve spent wasted years driving by, thinking “how good could it be, really?”. The answer is really, really good. And the lesson [yet again] is never judge a book by its cover. We ate like pigs and brought home some of the best pastries in Broward county.

The good news: Arthur only had one polyp and doesn’t have to go through the ‘anal probing’ for another three years! We’re relieved and very, very thankful.

Just a couple of scenes from the recent Baptism.
Amber, like any other child cognizant of a hundred eyes trained on her, attached herself to Mom with a grip any superhero would covet. Nobody but Mom could hold her; that was the unspoken deal that day. By the end of the day I hear that Tonie was visibly sagging.

I love this picture; it’s so… them. Mother and Daughter.

As is usually the case, the church was beautiful, if not very energy efficient. It’s the same church Tyler and Kaytlin were Baptized in years ago.

All in all a lovely time; we got to see the kids and yet another milestone in their lives. It’s those moments that make the rest of our lives worthwhile.

Don’t get me started on the Priest. I’m just sayin’.

Tomorrow night I’ll attend a 2nd birthday party for Amber, grandchild V3.0! If you don’t rat on me I’ll let you in on the secret: I’m getting her a baby doll. And no, I don’t have it yet. I like to keep these things rushed and exciting. And I’m a big procrastinator.

I’m glad I was there for some firsts. Oh, I didn’t see her first ‘entrance’, but I did get to peek at some others, like her first bath.

…then there was her first real blood thirsty crying hissy fit. She wasn’t happy.

Her first pretty face….

And of course her first doctor’s exam. I loathed that guy. He treated her like a doll; tossing her around and poking at her… grrr…

So of course I remembered all that when I attended her Baptism a couple of weeks ago…

She sure has grown in two years!!!

Happy Birthday, Amber!!