Adieu to '08... Looking Forward to '09

Hey y'all,
Just dropping a line to say howdy as we come to the close of 2008. Lord knows there are a lot of things I won't miss about '08 and am looking forward to 2009. I wonder what 2009 will bring? I'm wondering what to hope for as we dip our tootsies into the sea of '09? I guess my hope for 2009 is for a calmer world, less stress for me and my family. more success for us. Things like that. Good health would sure be a big help! As I type this, the winds are whipping here on the lake and I've already heard a few shingles blow off of my roof. I know one new year's resolution that is rooted in reality... fixing my dang roof.... grrrr.... Besides that, some of the old favorites are there for me to try and stick with... lose weight, more exercising, try and be a better person. Only this year, I'm going to make a conscious effort to get to more blogs/journals as I've been less that stellar in that department over the last year and have lost touch with a couple of folks. I want to make that right and get my poop in a group. I know that's something I want to work at heading into the new year. So what is your new year's resolution and do you think you'll be able to keep it?

Christmas on TV...

As we get closer to Our Lord's birthday, I was thinking about all the Christmas shows that are out on tv now... between ABC Family and the Hallmark Channel, there's a bizillion to choose from. But I'm an old school kind of guy. Now, though I am a christian, and I believe in the REAL meaning of Christmas, I still enjoy Christmas themed shows because even though they are more secular and revolve around holiday characters and activities (santa, shopping, decorating the tree, etc...) They still take me back to a more innocent time. As tough as things are right now with the economy, I enjoy the old school movies and tv shows that highlight the joy of Christmas. Looking back, I started thinking about which of the old school shows and movies were my favorites. I couldn't pick just one of each. But I limited my picks to three of each. So I narrowed it down to my top three Christmas movies and top three Christmas shows.

Top 3 Movies:

1) A Christmas Story- Watching Peter Billingsley as Ralphie and Darren McGavin as his father, this flick is an absolute classic. The fish-net legged stocking lamp is my favorite part. That and when Ralphie inadvertently curses while his dad is changing a flat tire an ends up with a bar of Lifeboy Soap in his mouth... Priceless stuff.

2) It's a Wonderful Life- Yeah, it's a bit schmaltzy when you watch it, but hey, with the economy as it is right now, maybe we should watch this one again and pay attention to the last 45 minutes of the movie...

3) The Santa Clause- Okay, so it's not as old as the others, but I love Tim Allen in the first movie. The sequels that followed were kind of blah, but the first one is always a favorite.


Top 3 TV Shows:

1) Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer- How can you not get a hoot out of Rudolph flying through the air screaming "I'm cute! I'm cute! She said I'm cuuute!" or Yukon Cornelius... "bumbles bounce"...

2) Santa Claus is Coming To Town- Okay, two words: Bergermeister Meisterberger

3) Charlie Brown Christmas- One of the few that actually references the Birth of Our Lord as the true meaning of Christmas. Plus, I love the tree that Charlie Brown picks out. To this day, when I see a lame looking tree, I refer to it as a "chuck tree"...

There you have it... How about you? What's your favorite Christmas movie and tv show? Let me know and I hope you all are enjoying this time of year...

Christmas Time

Wasn't sure what to write about today as I have been so incredibly busy. But I must say, I'm looking forward to the Christmas season. I love Christmas. Not cause of the commercial reasons, but because there are people that under normal circumstances, would not be very happy during this time of year. Whether it be because of losing a loved one, the end of a meaningful relationship, the idea of being alone... y'know, the whole enchilada. But somehow, God reaches them (either directly, or by using others to reach out to them) and when they don't want to do it, they still manage to get through Christmas and continue to live. How do I know this? Simple, I used to BE that person. Now, I give thanks everyday to God that He allowed me to gut it out and through that misery, I was able to find real happiness. One thing I've learned from all of this is that you have to stick around for the finish, because you really don't know how the end of this movie we call life is going to be. We think we do, but we don't. I never ever thought I'd be as happy as I am right now. But thanks be to God... I AM... My gal pal loves me. My family is hanging in there as best they can. And I have a lot to be thankful for... including friends here that stop by to read up on what's going on in my whacky world. For that, I am also gratefully blessed.

Here's a recipe for a non-alcoholic drink that I found... something Christmas-like... mmmmm

Peppermint Mocha: (makes 4 servings)

8 tsp sugar
8 tbsp milk
16 tbsp vanilla ice cream
8 tbsp peppermint candies
8 tbsp chocolate syrup

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a cocktail glass, add straw, and serve.