Hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day. Ours was simple as we hosted one (my father-in-law). After dinner, we played 3-handed euchre for multiple hours. The next day we took a 3-hour drive to visit an aunt, then returned the next day.
For part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I took time to visit many bloggers, which I greatly enjoyed.
For the rest of this week, I hope to put together a few Explore posts to for light enjoyment
A reminder, Tuesday is the Kennedy Center Honors telecast.
Did all your packages arrive on-time? My wife and I were keeping it very simple this year. I ordered a small gift. (Good luck following this one)
- Records showed delivery, but I didn’t have a package.
- Knowing the odds of finding it before Christmas Day was slim, I ordered something else and paid more for two-day delivery (which would have been the 24th).
- Later the same day, we located the original package at the front door down the street (obviously the wrong address) – and the resident didn’t know it was there because she was out-of-town visiting family.
- Meanwhile, the second package has been sitting in Orlando (Florida) for more time than it was supposed to take to get here.
Thank you for the many kind comments regarding my Christmas post linking the goodness of people, Santa Claus, and the spirit of Christmas. To coincide with that post, LB (@Cruise Stories) shared this interesting post for the season, in which Rachel (a Jewish woman) tells about her love of Christmas movies.
On the same theme, the executive director of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University had a wonderful column in the local paper, which paralleled my Christmas message. Here’s his closing statement, plus the link to the entire column.
During this Christmas season, as we assemble with family and friends, let us pledge to make every encounter life-giving, to commit that all of God’s creations have a place not only in this world but in our heart. If we can be “for other people” we will never be “different to other people.. Nor they to us. Merry Christmas from a rabbi. (Rabbi Abie Ingber)
Calvin (@Beyond Plum Creek) shared this message through a song, which isn’t a Christmas song, but it sure fits my theme of Christmas is for everyone and that Santa is the Spirit of Christmas. Have a good final week of 2015.
A Frank Angle 
Christmas Day was fairly quiet at our place, just my mother and a couple of friends. I am pleased yours went well. All the best for 2016.
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Debra,
Cheers to low-key having a place.
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Quiet at our house too – Husband, daughter, grown grandchild – but grateful for what we have. I want to be “for people” too and look forward to your posts of light enjoyment.
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Crone,
Small number of family can be peaceful, so cheers to that. Thanks for sharing.
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Got all my packages. Or at least I think I did…
Hope you had a great Christmas. I had a nice time visiting family, though I think I spent most of Christmas Day in the kitchen. Such is the case with a large holiday meal, I suppose. But the leftovers are always yummy.
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Carrie,
Glad to hear all went well for the Rubins. The scalloped potatoes were outstanding as leftover this year … the nutmeg & thyme provided a great touch. Meanwhile, I’m hoping my other package arrives tomorrow.
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Those scalloped potatoes sound wonderful!
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Which included white and sweet potatoes.
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I have been absent from reading some of my favorite blogs. I am so glad I have started back again with one of yours. I always feel better enjoying all that you post! Thanks. Happy New Year. Love and Peace to all!
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Patti!
Good to see you again … and joyous greetings of the season to you. Thanks for the kind words, and I look forward to more interaction at both ends. Thanks for the kind words and on to a good 2016.
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Happy New Year Dear Frank, I always enjoy to be in here… Thank you, Love, nia
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Nia,
Thank you … and you are always a pleasure … thus one of the truly good people of the world.
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You are welcome dear Frank, but this is your beautiful heart. Thanks and Love, nia
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Hi, Frank!
On package delivery… it’s probably an international problem these days as they get tons of stf to deliver. We are still expecting our …xmas gifts [hopefully they will make it thru 2015! 😉
Happy rest of the holidays.
New Year’s wishes are early still… 😉
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Marina,
With more and more online orders, I’m amazed all the deliveries do as well as they do. I didn’t mention that we were very lucky that some gift calendars and a book of our Spain-Portugal cruise arrived Christmas Eve (a pleasant surprise). Hopefully yours will arrive this week! … on toward to 2016!
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Good to hear you had a relaxing type of Christmas Frank.. Ours too a cosy affair, 🙂 Loved the music by Susan.. I had not come across her before so will explore more 🙂 thank you..
Many thanks for your support and I send you best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful New Year and beyond.. May you be blessed..
Love and Blessings
Sue
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Sue,
Glad you had a wonderful Christmas. Interesting how both the cozy and the grand have a place in time. On to 2016 with a positive attitude!
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My Christmas was interesting. Perhaps soon I will write about it, maybe. All packages made it where they were supposed to get. Loved watching my grandchildren tear into wrapping paper, it was fun.
I hope 2016 brings great things Frank, all you could wish for.
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Val,
Thanks for sharing the post to come. I was thinking about you yesterday morning when I saw the stories of the weather in your area … and it seems you & family got through it. Cheers to 2016 ahead!
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The Tornado was a mile away from my house Frank, it was a terrible night.
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Whoa … too close! Thanks for letting me know.
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I hope you and your family had such a wonderful Christmas Frank. I know for me, my Christmas was quiet but I had a good time for close friends. It was perfect. I’ve learned that the holidays are more about celebrating life and family then getting anything. I hope you enjoyed your day.
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Kia,
I’m sure your time with close friends was fabulous … and I imagine some tasty treats were also on hand. Thanks for sharing!
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I’m very proud of Canadians & the seeming ease with which the territory Nunavit was created. The capital is Iqaluit.
Now, we just need to provide many of our indigenous brethren with decent drinking water. The story is a national disgrace!!! &.. it’s nice that Canada is taking in 25,000 refugees. I am for this. Yet, why can’t we get water to our family up north? I’m humiliated. It is a pet cause that seems to have no resolve.
Unfortunately, there is more public outrage about piping our water to California.
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Resa,
I knew nothing (and I mean nothing) about this, so thanks for filling me in.
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It sounds like you had a very nice Christmas–except for the package delivery problem. I think all of our packages arrived very quickly this year. Sorry you’ve had problems. We saw family on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. Our Christmas day was quiet and lazy, but I think we needed that. 🙂
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Merril,
Thanks for the scoop on your Christmas. The second package arrived this afternoon … the one I wouldn’t have purchased if the first one was delivered to the right address. Oh well … it happens.
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Oh well. Double gifts. 🙂
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“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Christmas and three handed euchre is in itself a glowing image in the candle flame of Christmas tradition spent, as am certain the fourth hand laying in the wings was well represent in fond memories. Christmas can be hard times when loved ones have passed on. And Christmas is for everyone, saith my Hindu gas bar proprietor friend. As he shook my hand, saying “Merry Christmas brother, we all need some Peace in the year to come”. And I know what he meant. As he motioned his hand to the world out there. And have a happy New Years eve and shtufffs, Frank.
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Calvin,
Definite memories of the fourth hand, which would have been my mother-in-law. This was the second Christmas without her, and everyone misses her goodness. Love the info about your Hindu friend as it supports my Christmas Eve post.
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We had such an enjoyable Christmas with family and friends. Santa did come, and left far too many packages containing mostly stuff which no-one really needed. 🙂 We ate loads of delicious food and too many chocolates too. New Year is going to be a very quiet and sober affair.
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Sylvia,
Glad you to see that you are back among the bloggers … thus returning soon. Love the pic of hubby and MIL. Seems you had a wonderful trip, but according to your list of food and chocolates, seems you didn’t have enough wine. 😉
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Forgot about the wine, but I only have one glass with a meal. 😇
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… but I did notice no mention of the numbers before and after the meal. 😉
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🙄
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Thanks for the mention. I found Rachel’s post about enjoying Christmas movies even though she’s Jewish quite refreshing and wish more people could find enjoyment in the things that others find meaningful instead of so many people saying they are offended by everything.
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LB,
Very well stated …and “refreshing” is a great description. Meanwhile, thanks for passing it along to me.
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You’re welcome.
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