From Sunshine to Mall

Poinsettia Tree Columbia Mall
Columbia, MD
December 26, 2018

What a glorious December day yesterday turned out to be. The sun shone bright and I could feel its warmth on my face.  

It was cold in the shaded areas as Chris and I walked the dogs yesterday, but we still enjoyed being outdoors and not being rained or snowed upon. 

Despite the clear weather, however, it was very cool in the shade and after a time our hands got cold. So, we decided to head off to the mall and take care of a return or two. I realized that I had not actually been in the Columbia Mall since the beginning of the Christmas season. It was good to be in the mall with the other shoppers. Chris did an amazing job of navigating the return line at Macy's and then we were off into the main part of the mall. I love the mall because of all of the Poke stops--yes, I play Pokemon Go all of the time. It is a great way to pass the time. 

Most importantly, I was able to snap my annual image of the mall's poinsettia tree. I love the poinsettia tree. It is one of the most creative Christmas decorations that I can think of and it is the signature decoration of the Columbia Mall. 

Now I am ready for Spring. Oops, there is still most of Winter to get through.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Day After Christmas

Basement Christmas Tree with Jax and Lucas
December 25, 2018

Is Christmas over? 

Christmas Table 

Some people believe that it is, but in reality we are a people of Christmas. It is the Christmas spirit that lives in us throughout the year that sets us apart and makes us different. 

So, no, Christmas is not over--it remains alive in our hearts.

It was a great day with family. 

Chris and I began the day alone, together exchanging gifts and enjoying the dawn of Christmas as it occurred. It was different for us, but very nice. The weather for the day was awesome, about as good as can be expected for a late-December day--clear and temperatures in the 40's. I know the cold weather is coming as January dawns. 

As Christmas Begins

Once the family arrived, beginning doubt 1 PM, things really started to happen. 

With dinner planned for about 4:30 and the meat in the oven, we conducted the  gift exchange. Gifts were exchanged and a good time was had by all. I have to confess, I do not have any returns!  Yay!

After dinner we played a few games and then people began to drift away home. 

It was a great family day together. 

Another Christmas and another year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas 2018

Makayla Waiting for Christmas
December 24, 2018

Cat and Dog Sleeping Together

Christmas arrived last evening while Chris and I were watching The Polar Express. We save that movie for Christmas Eve. Sadly, last evening a tradition was broken, I did not read The Polar Express book to any of our children or grandchildren.

We had a busy Christmas Eve. Brunch was fabulous, everyone came and celebrated with us. That was followed by a quiet day culminating in church and then watching the movie.

Some funny things happened the day progressed, yesterday.  The animals brought a lot of joy to our hearts amid the wrapping preparations. At one point both Makayla and Finnegan were looking out the door as if waiting for Christmas to arrive, unfortunately, Finnegan speed me with the camera and departed while I was taking the shot. 

Finnegan as Santa Paws

And then there was the cat and dog sharing a sunbeam and sleeping together in Finnegan's bed. That doesn't happen often.

Chris did a bit of last minute shopping and arrived with a new outfit for Finnegan. He was a trooper and tried it on, serving a Santa Paws for a brief time. It was cute, but not really becoming. 

The Christmas Eve message at church got me thinking. It was about how we have Americanized Christmas and it has changed from the original meaning of the day. The pastor made the comment that in Puritan America in the late-1600's that celebration of Christmas was outlawed. 

My how it has changed. The changes beginning during the first half of the 19th Century when Alabama and Louisiana became the first states to declare Christmas a holiday.

But, that is a story for another time.

Have a great and blessed Christmas Day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - December 24, 2018

1. Happy Christmas Eve. One week from today is the last day of 2018.

2. When I was a kid, I used to think that Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year, now it has become one of the shortest. The annual Christmas Eve brunch kicks off in a few hours and begins a day full of family and activity that ends in church tonight honoring the greatest gift mankind was given.

3. NORAD tracks Santa every Christmas Eve. You can keep track of the annual flight at this web site: Santa Tracker.

4. Family NFL results for the weekend:

  Ravens (9-6) defeat Chargers 20-10 
  Redskins (7-8) lose to Titans 26-16
  Cowboys (9-6) defeat Buccaneers 27-20
  Steelers (8-6-1) lost to Saints 31-28

5. The idea of a White Christmas is overrated and a uniquely American view. 

6. It will be sad to see all of the Christmas movies and music disappear for another year tomorrow.

7. The government shutdown is an atrocity. I have a hard time understanding why the shutdown is the democrats fault when the Republicans controversy both houses of the Congress until early-January. 

8. Today in History. On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978.

Headlines

Trump, Angry Over Mattis’s Rebuke, Removes Him 2 Months Early - The New York Times

Syria’s once- teeming prison cells being emptied by mass murder - The Washington Post

‘Very possible’ shutdown could last into new year, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney says - The Washington Post

Rescuers dig through rubble for survivors after Indonesian tsunami kills 280 - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Christmas is a time for children, and rightly so. We celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace who came as a babe in a manger. Some celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a great teacher and philosopher. But to other millions of us, Jesus is much more. He is divine, living assurance that God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son so that by believing in Him and learning to love each other we could one day be together in paradise.

It's been said that all the kings who ever reigned, that all the parliaments that ever sat have not done as much to advance the cause of peace on Earth and good will to men as the man from Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth.

Reagan at Christmas, December 24, 1983 Address to the Nation

Parting thought

May God bless you and your family this Christmas. May you find joy and may the love that God shows us in his gift of his Son, who brings salvation and eternal life, fill you with peace and hope now and for the entire year ahead. 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cleaning up After the Rain

Pumping the Additional Rainwater Out
December 21, 2018

The record setting rains have created a big problem for the area and I am not exempt. 

Grasses Ready for Trimming
December 21, 2018

The pool has received so much rain that I had to set-up the auxiliary pump and remove seven inches of water from the pool to get the level back into the area I like to keep it to prevent ice damage during the cold days ahead.

And then there are the grasses around the pool. The ornamental grasses are usually trimmed on Columbus Day, or failing thwart Veterans Day--but both were washouts this year. Hopefully, the lawn will dry enough this week to allow for the use of the truck to collect the grasses and remove them to the mulching center.

Always something to do. 

Even during the Christmas season while shopping for gifts.

I did, however, complete my shopping yesterday accompanied by hundreds of my new friends.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

I Survived the Shortest Day of the Year

I was very quiet about yesterday at it approached. It is one of those days that I try to forget about and just get it behind me.

But I am now celebrating, sort of.

Winter began officially at 5:23 PM EST last evening. I was on U.S. 1 driving to celebrate happy hour with friends when the event occurred. It slipped in unnoticed. I do not celebrate the arrival of Winter.

The arrival of Winter means that yesterday was the shortest day of the year. In Baltimore we had 9 hours 24 minutes and 1 second of daylight. Today will be all of 1 second longer.

In Ithaca, NY, they only had 9h 4m 4s of daylight. 

In Charlottesville, VA, the day was 9h 31m 26s long. 

In Key West, FL, it was 10h 36m 57s.

St Kilda Beach, Melbourne

In Melbourne, Australia, conversely, they are blessed with 14h 47m 27s of daylight today (because it was already today when Summer arrived there). It could be a beach day, but the high today is only going be 74 degrees. Thursday looks like a great day though with a high of 95 degrees and partly sunny skies.

So why am I celebrating? The dark season is half over! Days grow longer in the Northern Hemisphere from now until the next solstice in June! Summer is less than half a year away again!

That is a cause for celebration.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional

In one of the saddest commentaries on the current administration in Washington, the highly respected and decorated Secretary of Defense is resigning leaving a huge hole to fill.

Secretary Mattis's sudden resignation is the latest, and most visible, sign that the Trump administration is in a shambles.

That is bad news for all of us.

Couple that with:

A stock market that daily looks for a new low and had made 2018 into a terrible year for investments.

A revolving door for critical cabinet positions.

Inconsistent policies that place our international allies at risk.

The insistent and sometimes irrational demand for a wall to "secure" our borders, yet the funding is going to continue an economic catastrophe that we will be trying to recover from for generations. 

We are on the brink of disaster. When the government cannot recruit and retain qualified and respected leaders it is a definite sign that there is something wrong. 

I am reminded of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. Granted, the fiddle did not exist then, but the meaning is there.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Here Comes the Rain, Again

The forecast is for rain! Again!

There were some forecasts as late as yesterday which were predicting dome possible snow for Christmas eve which would have made the sentimentalists happy with the remote possibility of waking to a white Christmas.

The current forecast does not have any chances of snow for Monday evening.

Of course, where Would rather be living the chances of a white Christmas are less than zero. So be assured, I am not one of those sentimentalists.

Just to add some pain to the coming days, however, the temperature is expected to get up to 60 degrees on Friday, but the rain will preclude any outdoors activity! Ugh! What a combination of weather we are enjoying: warm and rain or cold and sunny.

I hope the impending rain does not complicate the travel plans of many people.

I was hoping to get some golf in during the Christmas holiday week, however, unless I travel somewhere warm, that is definitely not going to happen.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Brakes, Why did it Have to Be Brakes?

Getting into the Brakes
December 18, 2018

The Christmas season is winding down and there is so much to do in preparation for the main event. There is shopping to be finished, menus to be planned, and Christmas cards to be sent, which have not even been bought yet. I'm thinking we are going to send Happy New Years cards this year.

So, with that preface what did I do last evening?

Brakes on a Jeep. 

Rotor needing Replacement

Yup. In the garage, in the cold, fixing brakes that should have been replaced about 10,000 miles ago. One of the brake pads had totally disintegrated and the caliper piston was in direct contact with the rotor. Needless to say, the caliper had to be replaced along with the rotor and brake pads.

It was the rear brakes, and they are never easy to deal with because of the emergency brake, but in this case they came apart pretty well. 

Because there was a break in the action to purchase a new caliper, to project took about three hours from start to finish. The Jeep, however, is now road safe again.

That was my last Tuesday before Christmas activity.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Focus on Christmas

The final week has arrived before Christmas Day bursts forth o the scene. I am sure there are many people looking forward to it being over, but Christmas Day is only the beginning.

Chris and I are in the middle of deciding upon menus for our Christmas Eve brunch and Christmas Day dinner.

I know that the excitement is growing for the kids and many adults alike as Christmas draws closer. It is part of the season. 

It is funny, however, Chris and I are already in the middle of returns. It seems that while ordering on Amazon is easy, sometimes it is not easy to ensure I get the right item. I guess I am particularly poor at ensuring that I select the correct colors and combinations. Oh well, what is a little extra for shipping?

So, what do you want this year? Or, is your joy in giving? 

For Christmas this year, as a Federal employee, Santa is bringing me a year without a pay raise and a leadership so embroiled in conflict that they are failing to lead the country by playing brinkmanship and planning for a partial government shutdown  And, at no extra cost, Santa is bringing us a stock market that is crashing and sucking our retirement accounts down the drain. 

I'm not just a little bit disturbed about what is happening in Washington.

But, I need to focus on Christmas--the season and the reason.

There is joy.

I will live in the joy!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD