Hip Hip Hooray--An Extra Holiday

And as if by magic--we have an extra holiday--Christmas Eve 2012.  Of course it is a one time good deal because it falls on a Monday before the Christmas Tuesday holiday.

Grace Church Service Times

But I'll take it. Thank-you Mr. President.

Christmas Eve is a magical day for me. It is when Christmas becomes real. It is the next thing up--and I guess I am a next thing up kind of guy. Like today--Saturday, I have a ton of things to do, among which I am looking forward to my parents arriving, but even though the tree is lit and presents are beginning to adorn its base, I'm not in the Christmas "place" in my mind.

I remember when I was in high school and working in a clothing store after school that Christmas Eve was one of my favorite days. It was a day off from school so I was able to work at the store the entire of Christmas Eve. I had an extra benefit from working there--my Dad was the assistant manager and that meant I got to spend time with him as we drove the 10 or so miles to and from work and then during the day we'd see each other as we worked the store. Funny though, we never did lunch together.

On Christmas Eve, while working the clothing store, I observed the change in the shoppers from the morning through the afternoon. The morning was typically busy and bustling--but the shoppers had a sense of purpose and directness. There was so much crisp decision making due to the impending end of the shopping season. I think I learned a lot about decision making from watching and helping the shoppers on Christmas Eve.

By the early afternoon the crowds began to thin as people finished their shopping and were able to devote time to the next thing up--family and the holiday. It was fun to watch the traffic begin to thin on the street in front of the store. I could feel Christmas closing in. I could sense it in those few shoppers who were still trying to get that one last and best gift.

And then, they stopped coming. Our store was open until 5pm--but it was devoid of customers by about 4pm as the finality of the day set in. Christmas Eve was the only time I ever remember the owner closing the store early, except for weather related events. And even though he didn't celebrate the holiday, he succumbed to the Christmas Spirit and would walk over to the front door, sometime about 4:15 look at the street, put the key in and lock the front door while turning off the lights. Dad and I would gather up our belongings and head home.

In my mind, at that magical moment when the lights went off and the key turned--it became Christmas. Family, church, and everything good associated with the holiday started right then!

I will be out shopping on Christmas Eve--not because I need anything, but because I still love the different feeling that the shoppers have. I think there are lots of other crazies like me, who just love the be able to finally relax and enjoy the holiday as it makes its undeniable arrival.

The waiting is over. The holly is out. Christmas is near.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Driving off the Fiscal Cliff

I read in the news this morning that Congress is planning to give us all a unique Christmas gift--a total melt down.

The LA Times reports it this way:


WASHINGTON — House Speaker John A. Boehner abruptly canceled a vote on his Plan B tax proposal late Thursday after failing to find enough GOP support, a stunning political defeat that effectively turned resolution of the year-end budget crisis over to President Obama and the Democrats.

The speaker had spent the last few weeks negotiating one-on-one with the president, establishing himself as the second-most powerful figure in Washington. But with his strategy imploding, Boehner conceded that he would play a lesser role.

"Now it is up to the president," he said, to work with a fellow Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, "to avert the fiscal cliff."

So much for unity and a calm reasoned approach (as if there ever was one).

Taxpayers--I think our wallets are going to get a lot thinner next year as the governments (plural intended) siphon off more of our earnings.

I hope they get it fixed.

Oh, wait--Hope is not a plan!

What is the plan then? Apparently it is to keep the right foot heavy on the gas and drive straight for the fiscal cliff in an apparent Thelma and Louise type ending. That way, those responsible won't be around to clean up the mess.

So from our President and Congress to We the People, the Christmas message is clearly: enjoy life now, because it is all going to change in just over a week!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Week Before Christmas 2012

It was the week before Christmas
And throughout Columbia Mall
Every shopper was scurrying
With lists and bags full

The sale signs were hung
by the doorways en masse
In the hope that my credit card
would soon disgorge there

The crowds they were stifling
the  kids not about
'twas noontime on a school day
and the parents were out

The shelves were stocked full
of the wares all for sale
and the sales clerks were worn out
from weeks without breaks

The parking garage was a free for all
the streets jammed with cars
more than one fender bender
was out and about

The lines at the counters
were twenty feet deep
as cashiers were tallying
up sale after sale

I walked through the mall
from  one end to the other
just to walk to the other end
and do it again

I lept to my truck
when I finished my shopping
and drove out of sight
feeling most very lucky

And as I drove off
from the mall parking lot
above the engines I heard
a faint carol of sorts

The song was an old one
I knew it by heart
the words made me pause
amid all of the screams

The notes stopped me short
a tear crossed my eye
for the song that I heard was
O Holy Night

The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviors birth

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Day Off

It is the Christmas season after all and I decided that I was way behind on a number of critical things--like shopping. So, I took the day off! A brave thing to do. I also looked at my use-or-lose leave balance and couldn't figure out how else I was going to get the rest of it used this year!

Yay.

It is going to be busy as I attack the shopping arenas with vigor! Hopefully they will be mostly empty.

I have a few, too many, gifts to finish up. I admit though, I could get used to enjoying multiple cups of coffee in the solitude of my living room before starting the day.

I, frankly though, have put too many things off and although I was doing most of my shopping on line, there were/are a few things that I just need to see, handle, and look at in more depth to ensure they are just right. It is funny how some things just need to be seen.

And so, I'm off to shop.

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

There, I feel better already!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Did He Eat an Elf?

Having a donut with Lucas after church on Sunday was a lot of fun. The had these really cool star shaped, cream-filled green frosted donuts.  Mmmm, they looked good. Lucas had one.

By the time he was done, he had a green mustache and it looked like he had eaten an elf!

But he had a lot of fun with the donut.

Fortunately, I didn't get caught in the spray pattern. I was not covered with  the green frosting.

But I did enjoy the thought that I would send him home with his parents to be cleaned up.

Green.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - December 17, 2012

1. Terrible things happen in the world and try as I might, there is not way to make sense of them. By definition they just do not make sense.

2. What a weird sport football is, a team that plays extremely poorly three weeks in a row and looses by a blow out can make the playoffs because because another team just barely lost. Go Ravens! Time to turn the team bus around.

3. Less than two months until the first full Spring Training workout for the Orioles position players--February 16th.

4. One week to go until the huge celebrations begin. And then, peace because it is over for another eleven months.

5. If you want to have some fun, do a search for the worst Christmas songs of all time. There is little consensus for the worst song of all time. I have seen The First Noel, Feliz Navidad, Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk this Christmas (John Denver), Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town all listed as the worst Christmas Song of all time. I guess it depends upon your personal view.

6. Saturday, Santa visited our neighborhood by firetruck. By the time he was done visiting all of the neighborhoods around us (which took most of the afternoon) I was composing a song parody titled Santa got run over by a Firetruck.

7. My vote for the worst Christmas song of all time is I'll be Home for Christmas. Just saying.

8. I was crushed to learn that the bengal tiger used in the boat scenes during the movie Life of Pi was computer generated. I was going to support him for an Oscar. He was the best actor I've seen in a movie all year.

9. If the world ends Friday, the whole Mayan calendar thing, and no one is left alive will anyone care?

10. Two weeks from today is New Year's Eve--I wonder of we will be falling off the fiscal cliff at midnight?

Watching the Grandsons

There I was yesterday morning. Alone, unarmed, and without a clue as to how to keep three grandsons under the age of 8 busy for a couple of hours. I was at the mercy of Lucas, Jax, and Ethan with no help.

Something possessed me to say yes when asked if I'd watch the boys for an hour (or so) as Chris and Nicole headed off shopping for those final Christmas presents. Lucas was already at the house to allow his parents the opportunity to attend an early movie. Ethan and Jax had arrived for a scheduled playdate.

Recognizing the impending arrival of the grandsons, during the morning I had completed the conversion of the nursery into a playroom equipped with wall mounted TV and a Wii. Just in time to check it all out.

Watching Star Wars on a Saturday

The Wii kept their interest for a while. I even got involved and won a bowling game but was utterly crushed by Ethan playing tennis. Seems he has been playing Wii tennis and this was my first attempt. I at least managed a few points in one game.

Then it was outside to play on the swings, pass the soccer ball around and practice some basketball bounce passes.

It is amazing how slowly time passes when  the clock is watched. Even so--an hour (or so) turned into two and was headed for three.

Somewhere in there I was able to provide snacks and drinks to keep the boys wired and happy.

The stroke of genius came from Ethan when he asked to watch Star Wars Episode 3.

As we all settled in to watch the movie, I realized that this wasn't so bad. The boys were awesome and we actually had a real good time tougher. Surprisingly, there was no blood, no tears, and only a minor incident when Jax walked into my backswing while playing Wii Tennis.

Success.

It was almost anti-climactic when the women returned as we were really getting into the movie. But good things soon end. Or is it that they end too soon when they are good?

I survived. The house survived--and so did the boys!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reflections of Monticello

Sitting in the garden pavilion placed among the gardens on the south side of Monticello provides a unique view of Jefferson's plantation. Looking over the hills of central Virginia and pondering what Jefferson thought about as he paused in this space.

Monticello's Garden Pavilion

The harvest was nearly complete on plantation and the views were stunning.

It is a beautiful spot to ponder life and enjoy the scenery.

Chris in the Monticello Garden Pavilion

I have been reading more about Jefferson and he was certainly a complex man working on many intellectual levels. I am currently reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. I am fascinated by the unique view of Jefferson that he provides. One of the small things I discovered was that Jefferson was in Paris at the start of the French Revolution during the storming of the Bastille.

I enjoy wandering the grounds of Monticello and it seems that every visit brings a new discovery. I almost don't need the house tour anymore, however, I enjoy strolling through Jefferson's home and hearing the stories about his life. Most recently, I took a good look at the wine dumbwaiter alongside of the fireplace leading from the basement into the dining room. I noted the reconstructed side and was able to compare it with the original condition of the other side--huge difference and the clear evidence of the disrepair of the Monticello house during the past centuries. I'm glad they have not reconstructed both sides to provide a glimpse into the condition of the house without the restoration.

Right side of Monticello Wine Dumbwaiter

Left Side of the Monticello Wine Dumbwaiter

One other thing I have come to realize, in reflecting about the amount of thinking and reflection that Jefferson did on horseback is that it must have been nice that horses have brains, unlike cars. Daydreaming while driving a car is a recipe for disaster; at least the horse has a sense of preservation.

I will be back at Monticello again--and I look forward to the next discovery.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas revisited

I find it interesting that there are two editorial pieces in the New York Times this morning about Christmas.

The first is titled, Hark the Herald Angels Didn't Sing. Written by T.M. Luhrmann the piece is about what the Pope wrote, using a pseudonym, to help educate Catholics about Christmas.

The second is titled, Holidays Without God written as a debate between two contributors about the need for God to be present in the celebration and even whether much of the basis for the holidays: Hanukkah and Christmas is valid. There is a deeper undertone of trying to bring together the two faith communities during this season and help the kids through the month.

It is so like us as a people to redefine the things we find difficult to make them understandable. Once, a long time ago, people thought the world was flat and that Earth was the center of the universe.

Do we need to redefine God and Christmas?

Golly, I hope not. But it seems that Christmas gets old, and it gets a year older every time it comes around. Maybe we get bored and forget the message.

I feel that way. I grow weary of the same old songs (some call them carols) played non-stop on the radio from Thanksgiving until Christmas. I worry that people believe we can boil the holiday down into a couple of tired songs, some traditions that we've forgotten the reasons for, and silver bells on the street corners.

We've become too familiar and comfortable with the basic concept.

One of the authors puts it this way:

"My children know the history and mythology behind each holiday, and we’ve even talked about the reasons for the timing — we observe Jesus’s birth at this time of year to counter the pagan celebration of the solstice, and we’ve elevated Hanukkah, a relatively minor holiday, to offer an alternative to Christmas for Jewish children. My kids pick up on some of this at school, too, along with a healthy dose of Kwanzaa. "

She goes on to write later:

"And we all know, as I said before, that Jesus isn't really the "reason for the season." The winter solstice is, and the darkness that closes in so early, and a very human desire that predates this whole discussion to light a candle against it."

So rational, historic, and human-focused. She takes the awe right out of Christmas. 

For me, it is the tired songs that bring me down. This season, I stumbled across a new Christmas song by Tobymac titled Christmas this Year that addresses the weariness and put spark and awe back into the holiday. Part of the bridge is:

It's all love

The season is a gift

When love came down to let us live

Let's open up and let our hearts embrace this moment

No matter when when or where we celebrate this season--we need to remain focused on the real reason--God deciding to come to live with people and provide a means to repair our relationship with Him. 

That is the first gift. Whether there were oxen and donkeys or not. And whether the angels sang or shouted (sorry Pope--its not's working for me)--the first gift came from God to restore our relationship. It is not a myth--it is not a nice story. It is not history or historical. It is still happening in our hearts if we let it--every day and every year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Corny Christmas Movies

I watched one of those "made for TV" "corny Christmas stories" the other evening on the sappy Hallmark Channel.

I am amazed at the number of these specific genre movies that are available his time of year--considering they get to play them about once per year. But, then again they get to re-screen them every year.

I do not even remember the name of the movie, but Chris and I were enjoying some together time--which has been pretty scarce lately, and she likes the stories. This one was about a couple of bumbling government agents (aren't they all?) who track down Santa who is staying with a family in crisis in a small waterfront town. Somehow, a fighter pilot gets involved--he had shot down Santa the year before, and of course there were elves--and as is clearly evident the story line goes from unbelievable to absurd pretty quickly.

The key here is that I stayed awake and watched the movie, fortunately it was on DVR so we missed the commercials otherwise I definitely would have drifted off.

But the fascinating part was that when Santa, at the key moment in the movie when Christmas is about to be lost, calls for his sleigh and it arrives out of the clouds with nine reindeer, yup I counted, I got a bit emotional. There is something about seeing the reindeer and sleigh coming out of the clouds that rekindles the little boy inside of me and reminds me of the magic of Christmas.

I remember that magic from when I was a little boy and I knew Santa was coming and could hardly get to sleep on Christmas Eve. I remember walking into the too white light of the movie camera on Christmas morning to face a trimmed tree adorned with more gifts than I could ever imagine. And I knew it was magic.

And it still is in my heart.  It just gets lost in the business of life.

So, for a few minutes, I remembered those great times of unwavering magic all because I took time out to watch a corny Christmas movie.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD