Wednesday: When Hours Matter

There is a family on the street that connects to ours with one of those day, hours, minutes counters until Christmas in their front yard for everyone to see.  It sure hits home how close Christmas has come.

Today, though, it almost is better for it to go just to hours so people face the magnitude of the task in front of them.

Consider noon.  60 hours until Christmas!  By bedtime at 10 PM, only 50 hours remain.

So, how's your shopping and wrapping coming?

Stockings hung yet?

Did you clean out the fireplace so Santa won't track soot all over your newly cleaned for the holidays carpets?

There is so much to do and the time for procrastinating is long over.

I'd rather watch a movie.

And drink a glass of wine.

Maybe munch a cookie.

And stick my head in the sand. (Beach? Sun? Warmth? Sand?)

But you know what?  Christmas will arrive anyway--and I better get ready like a sports team preparing for a game. Have the game plan ready and the plays all lined up. I know who my quarterback is: Chris, and I've got to do a lot of blocking and protecting her so that she can get the plays run successfully. She better not get sacked!  Or I'm in trouble.

And the clock up the street just keeps ticking off the seconds!

It's Been Almost 400 Years!! Solstice Eclipse

Wow--I love it when rare things happen. Were you up early this morning to enjoy a rare, once in a lifetime event? (Actually, once in a lot of lifetimes?)

A Lunar Eclipse coinciding with the Winter Solstice--something that has not happened in 372 years.

Lunar Eclipse

I also learned a new word--selenelion. Look that one up!  According to a BBC News Article, a selenelion, occurs when the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time.  Of course, you had to be in Ireland or the UK to see that this time--but I had never even thought about an eclipsed moon and the sun being visible at the same time, let alone there being a word for it. That happens a lot more frequently.  There is an interesting article: In Search of Selenelion, which provides a story of one person's search for this elusive occurrence.

But the eclipse with the winter solstice is even more fascinating.

In olden times, it might have been thought to one of those signs in the heavens. Probably not a good sign, either. Panic may have ensued as the populace feared for their lives when the moon turned blood red and disappeared. Although, after a short time, it reappeared.

Now, we rational and scientifically minded people sleep through it. It is a well understood event, barely worth noting. A cool coincidence. It was cold outside and in the "wee" hours of the morning when only the night workers are awake and the lonely soldiers are on duty guarding their positions. I'm sure there were clouds. Somewhere. But in my area it was clear and a million mile visibility. Fortunately, Chris woke me up and I went outside to view the blood red moon at about 3:00 AM.

There are three interesting Bible verses which mention the moon turning to the color of blood:

Joel 2:31:

The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the Lord comes – that great and terrible day!  -NET bible

Acts 2:20

The sun will be changed to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. --NET Bible

Revelations 6:12
Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair,  and the full moon became blood red; --NET Bible

I wonder what the prophets who wrote each of these saw in their mind as they wrote these words--was it an eclipse? What was God putting in their minds that they were trying to describe?

What will today bring as this Christmas Season continues towards its finale.  What does this sign in the heavens, similar to the star so many centuries ago, foretell? 

It is a sign. We should take note of this sign. It can be a sign of peace or war. It can be a sign of feast or famine. It is a sign--He is coming, quickly. Like A thief. And we celebrate his arrival for he first time this very week

(Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.)  Revelations 16:15 --NET Bible

Monday Musings - December 20, 2010

1. The snow that fell on Thursday has remained pretty well in place since. It is cold out there. It makes going outside a very unpleasant experience.

2. Christmas in a word--Emmanuel.  Look it up!

3. Football is a fickle sport--sometimes the seemingly better team loses. It is always good when the home town team defeats the defending Super Bowl champs in a close game.

4. A quiet evening alone at home with Chris, a nice fire in the fireplace, a bottle of wine and soft lighting. A respite from the troubles of the day. The perfect ending to the week.

5. Let's be clear--this is the plan.  Those at least are the words associated with the events currently penciled in for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  At least we have the meat in the freezer.

6. Our church announced that all four services on Christmas Eve are completely full--what a great problem to have.

7. The weather for the past two weeks has been like February cold. I hope it is not even colder in February.

8. It is  funny how a little bit of snow makes every one's cars look so dirty.

9. I hope your shopping is done. There isn't much time left.

Christmas Dry Run

It must be that practice is required to enter a sleep deprived state and enjoy the day.

Ethan and Lucas

For some unexplained reason, I am up bright and early on a Sunday morning. Before the clock struck 6, I was up and at the side of my tortured wife who is feverishly trying to ensure everything is ready for the big event which is still some six days away.  In my sleepy, still groggy state I am trying to make decisions about menus for Christmas Eve--breakfast and dinner. Church is sandwiched in there somewhere and there remains the possibility of a midnight service as well.

But, trying to solidify menus before my first pot of coffee is just crazy. I can't even spell my name yet.

Something about french toast and pot roast, mimosas and wine. I sure hope I can keep the meals straight.

As the weekend approaches I am sure things will get a bit crazier on the home front. Let's all smile, because all too quickly it will be over.

Lists are everywhere--being checked twice and not just gift lists either. Menus and cleaning, banking and washing. Lists--life is a list this week it seems.

Oh well--it is said that Christmas is for children and it seems at least the grandsons know how to make the best of it. Lucas loves to be pushed in a laundry basket by Ethan. Nicole watched over the operation to ensure it was was safe.  That was last week's entertainment during football. No list required.  Just fun.

And so it begins. Stand by for the craziness to begin.

One Week to Go!

Well, if the panic level wasn't high enough already--it certainly gets ratcheted up today.

The Christmas Season is drawing to a crescendo! Excitement abounds. Traffic is excruciating. And every visit by the mail person, FEDEX, or UPS provides renewed excitement.  Riordin, our new cat, is especially interested in all of the packages arriving and being stowed around the house.  He seems to enjoy the taste of the wrapping paper.

I know for myself, I am looking forward to a four-day week next week. And then Christmas Eve--with brunch, and church, and most likely friends for the evening.

Chris and I are thinking about finding a mid-night service to attend, something we have not done in years (or actually since we stopped singing in the choir at church). It was just too tough to do it all and it made for a long evening. But now--I think we could pull it off.


My Florida Dream House



The snow on Thursday--aside from really snarling the drive home, provided a needed boost to the Christmas spirit. Although, I did send Tegan a quippy note (she's in Australia) in her Blog about checking out the beach for me.  I really think I would be good with Christmas on the beach somewhere sunny and warm.  Even hot!

 Wouldn't a cookout around the pool to celebrate Christmas be awesome?  I'm a huge fan of Christmas Palms.  I want to get one on closeout after the holidays and put it in the yard next year.

Actually, I'm told the guy who owned our house before us did that one year to the tune of a couple hundred dollars to open and heat the pool.

But that seems a bit excessive--and propane is not $3 per gallon and not the $.20 it used to be.  It would be $500 easy now with propane and opening and reclosing the pool.

But, I'm dreaming of a beach Christmas--just like when I was in college a long, long time ago.

It was especially more of a dream after I shoveled the driveway yesterday and nearly froze my hands putting washer fluid in Chris' car and flattening the boxes to place them in recycling. 

Let's agree on one important safety tip: 17 degrees is just too cold!

Next week--the post-Christmas clean up begins. But for the next week--be sure you wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  They really want to hear you say it!

Love

Every so often, the lyrics of a song really hit me and stop me for a moment to really let them turn over in my mind.

I have been hearing a song by JJ Heller lately titled "Love Me."  I have linked in the lyrics so that you can read them--but I also urge you to listen to the song.

The song presents three very different people struggling to find, accept, and receive love--unconditional love. The chorus is as follows:

Who will love me for me?
Not for what I have done or what I will become
Who will love me for me?
'Cause nobody has shown me what love, what love really means

The three people described in the song are a boy, who though it is not specifically stated I imagine is the victim of some kind of abuse; a woman whose husband has left her and her struggle to deal with her loss; and a death row murderer facing execution.  And they share this same cry--a cry to be loved unconditionally.

It is a hard love to find and a love we only experience from a very select few. The world tries to mimic this love, but the world only provides a transitory, "what have you done for me lately" kind of love. We see it demonstrated by corporations, sports teams, fans, and many others. It is not love--it is brief admiration masquerading as love.

The song ends with the bridge and the final chorus as follows:

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said
"I know you've murdered and I know you've lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you'll listen, I'll tell you that I..."

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew

God's promises!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28-29

Intersections

I got thinking about how seemingly unconnected things come together at just the right time.

Sometimes the "just the right time" is good--sometimes it is bad.  But these things just happen--circumstance? I think not. I hope not. There are just too many of them and when you consider the astronomical odds--could they really happen that way even if we planned them?

I was thinking back a few years ago, when Patrick rolled his Honda into a tree on New Year's morning a couple of years ago. And there just happened to be a medical professional following him who saw the accident and was on the scene almost before Patrick could extricate himself from the car. The tree impacted just behind the driver in the passenger area--but for three feet, the car could have been crushed onto Patrick. I remember how many times I looked at where that car was crushed as it sat in my driveway for almost a year before being towed away, and I though how lucky Patrick had been.  But it was an intersection--the tree and the car and the medical person all together on the scene, and Patrick was OK and checked out.

And there are so many other intersections--I don't really see them all every day, but I suspect they are there.

Tuesday evening for instance. Traffic was awful as I was coming home from the gym. I-95 was snarled and the on ramp I usually use was backed up almost a mile.  Suffice it to say--it was ugly. So I chose to go the alternate route--US 1. I guess everyone forgot about US 1 because it was clear and 50 mph all the way home.  What was the intersection? As I had just lost an ugly racquetball match and felt crummy, the idea of sitting in traffic really didn't appeal to me--so the whole traffic back up forced me to an alternate route that significantly improved my mood because it was such a pleasant drive.

The intersection of the traffic, with racquetball, with US 1 completely changed my mood.

I had another one yesterday afternoon. I was planning to be with Ethan after school and I had a report at work that wasn't going to get out because my boss wasn't going to have time to review it before I had to leave. So I got an extension on the report. But then, Nicole called and Jax was sick so "E-day," as I call it, was cancelled. Because of the intersection of Jax being sick (a bad thing) and cancelling E-day with the report deadline--I didn't need the extension.

I know this seems a bit fuzzy--but I haven't been thinking about this for very long. I'm going to look hard at the intersections--where seemingly dissimilar paths cross to provide a result.

December's Snow

It was blowing across the parking lot yesterday morning as I arrived at the gym at 5:30 AM.
White and powdery I could just make out the fine snow as it glistened in the headlights of my truck
Blowing in the wind but not really accumulating, ensuring I was aware that the cold December wind
Was bringing the snow which was falling on my windshield as I navigated the mostly deserted car park.

I reflected for a moment on how it was kind of pretty, like dust, or sand on the beach
But then I remembered how cold it was outside my warm, fully heated vehicle, twenty-something anyway
And the wind was whipping across the open areas--I could feel it slam into the truck on the overpasses
As I made my way to my appointed racquetball time at the gym and to start the day.

It was dark outside, but the stars peaked through the broken clouds and cast their cold light on the scene
I thought for a moment of a couple traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem some centuries ago
How cold it was, and how they huddled together for warmth and to protect their unborn child from the wind
I wondered if it snowed and if there was a warm fire outside their tent as they stopped for the night.

The wind whipped through my hair as I stepped out from the warmth and made my way to the building
I was shocked by how cold it was, this morning, but the stars in the sky were beaming down at me then
As they did on a night--so many years before, when the promise made to man by a loving God was fulfilled
When the birth of a small child, in a barn, off the beaten path of the world, changed everything for all time.

Wine Club Dinner: The 2010 Version is a Hit

The Wine Club which we belong to conducted its Sixth Annual Dinner on Saturday night. I was amazed that is was six years, but Chris and I have only attended the past three. This has become and annual event that we look forward to, and when our holiday and birthday party schedule cleared up so that we could attend this year's dinner, we were excited.  It is always a great night with good friends, great food and superior wines.

I am happy to report that the 2010 version met and exceeded all expectations.

The friends were awesome. The company, the discussion, the laughter, and the celebration. Good friends collecting together over dinner or drinks are always fun--but this evening is truly special. Gary and Pam provided a atmosphere that was perfect--in their wine cellar surrounded by bottles of wine and with the lighting absolutely perfect. Thanks guys. And the table decorations and arrangement by Gerri and Jennifer added to the special nature of the evening in a perfect way. I wish I had taken a picture--but alas, I was having so much fun that I totally forgot.

The food--well where to begin. When I looked at the menu and saw all of the talented cooks who were involved, I was sure that the food was going to be a scrumptious as it was. Everything was perfect. I particularly enjoyed the baked brie with cranberries--and many of you who know me, know that I never met a brie that I didn't like! The mixed lettuce, pear, and goat cheese salad was awesome. (Sorry Fran, I like goat cheese!)  The entree was perfect for the evening. Braised beef short ribs over garlic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips with rosemary. The ribs were cooked to perfection and the flavors blended perfectly. And the dessert. Where to begin--except to say, Mark you can make a chocolate-raspberry torte for me anytime. What is not to like. It was melt in your mouth good.  So to all of the cooks: Pam, Gary, Steve, Gerri and Mark--awesome. You should consider opening a restaurant someday and I am already looking forward to the 2011 version of the Wine Club Dinner.

If the food was so good, how can there be any level above that--but the wine selections by Gary perfectly complimented the courses.

The highlight was the M. Chapoutier Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel 2007 and how it so perfectly complimented the torte. It was truly one of those pairings that brings out the best in both--the wine, followed by a piece of torte, and then some more wine. It makes me smile as I write this as to how food it was.

The sparkling wine with the appetizer was awesome as usual--especially with the ginger liqueur. It was the Domaine Chandon Extra Dry Riche from California. A beautiful finish which fully complimented the brie and cranberries.

One of my personal finds of the evening was the Roots Run Deep Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Educated Guess 2007 from Napa Valley. Although I do believe it could use another year in the bottle--it matched up well with the entree and I will definitely be seeking it out to add to my personal collection. This wine was not a fruit bomb and had good complexity and tannins to meet the meat right where it was at. I really enjoyed this wine.

And then there was the sherry. It was the Emilio Lustau Jerez-Xeres Sherry Capataz Andes Deluxe Cream Solera Reserva from Spain. So smooth and luscious. It was so good that many of the guests started doing shots of it--just for the pure fun and enjoyment of the after dinner sherry.

So to all of you who prepared and attended the dinner--thanks. It was a lot of work, but I think the results speak for themselves--a superior dinner and gathering of friends around the table to celebrate the victories of the year and to cement the friendships for the years ahead.

Monday Musings - December 13, 2010

1. Less than two weeks to go until Christmas and the panic is rising in the shoppers minds.

2. Holiday parties, friends, family, and new friends. We are very blessed to have so many people to enjoy the season with.

3. We saw our first snow flakes of the season on Friday, it seemed the entire region took a pause to both enjoy their light, fluffy beauty and to remember the hammering we took last winter. We have already been suffering through mid-February like temperatures.

4. Asked to provide one word to describe the holiday season, what would you say?

5. Here is something that bothers me--and I have not yet been able to confirm it--but our Congress is continuing to add pork to the budget bills while at the same time freezing the pay of Federal workers. Wouldn't it make sense to stop the pork as well to bring the deficit under control? One rumor indicated that Nancy Pelosi asked for $5 million for funding renovation of an old military facility for commercial use. If the American public is serious about reducing the deficit, why isn't Congress?

6. This season makes everyone a little more edgy--take a breath before you respond, it will make the conversation easier.

7. Promises. Christmas was the fulfillment of a promise made thousands of years before it happened.

8. With all of the emphasis on football, I wonder if anyone has noticed the Penguins (hockey) have a 12 game winning streak going and Sidney Crosby (their captain) has an 18 game point streak going on as well?

9. Have you looked at where the products you are using are made?  I think I may begin boycotting items "Made in China." But I worry that I won't be able to buy anything at all. (That may not be a bad thing)