Earliest Merry Christmas Ever from Your Episcopalian Friend

 Merry Christmas!

Yes, I know in years past I have been hesitant to celebrate Christmas until Christmas Eve, as per our Episcopalian tradition.  Currently, we are in the Advent season, a time devoted more to reflection and preparation.

But the truth is, many of my fellow Episcopalians start early as well.  The whole weight of the culture favors early celebration, and less during the actual season of Christmas (roughly December 24th through January 6th -Epiphany.

The season does require preparation.  Much planning has to be done for gifts and events.

In this age of increasing authoritarian fascism, it is getting harder and harder to get in a celebratory mood.

We need to treasure our family and friends.  Even our MAGA friends/family.  We must love everyone, as best we can.  Yes, they are dismantling our democracy and endangering our planet, but hatred won't solve the problem.* It is challenging but fair to avoid as much confrontation as possible. Reason will not change their minds.

Meanwhile, as consumers, we should be looking to spend our dollars as progressive-friendly as possible.  We do not need to feed the monster that is consuming us.

First, shop as local as possible.

In heavily MAGA areas, this may be difficult to determine. I live in a county that votes 90% for Trump. 

There are a few businesses that are not MAGA, clearly.  A massage therapist and a couple of locally owned restaurants come to mind.  I am not going to name them here, but I will be glad to in direct messages, group texts, and private Facebook groups.  

For the rest, I have to go to the philosophy of do no harm.  If there are no blatant displays of MAGA in their stores, or the owner isn't blasting MAGA themes on social media, I'm more inclined to spend Christmas dollars with them.

Many stores in our area are part of corporate chains.  No corporation is perfect, but in my area, TJ Maxx and Kroger are better than most.  Costco is not in our area, but I would shop there in a heartbeat if it were.

High on the naughty list is Hobby Lobby.  If you could go to Michael's or Home Goods instead, I would do that.

If you shop online, do your best to avoid the beast that is Amazon.  Etsy is a collection of individual creators and entrepreneurs that offers a wide range of small business products. My weakness is books, and two of my primary sources, Amazon and Books-A-Million, are on the naughty list.  I will do my best to focus on independent bookstores and Thrift Books.

Streaming, which I love, is overwhelmed by ownership of Trump-friendly billionaire owners and abject cowards.  The worst may be the Ellison family, now owners of Paramount+ and CBS. The best may be Netflix.  At this point, many shows challenge authoritarianism (it's the nature of storytelling - the villains are almost always the exploiters) on all of the streaming services.  So, for example, Star Trek is an impressively liberal show, and it's still available on Paramount+.

There are many more I can mention, especially if I do more research.  There are websites and TikToks that can guide you in this.  ShopHowYouVote.com lists many companies and simply tells you their past political bias, without appealing to the left or right. TikToks by xjigaydnp4 have been especially helpful to me.

If you have any additions or thoughts, please let me know. I am posting this only to friends and liberal groups, so you should be able to comment.

Thanks,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28

* The offer to avoid hatred does not apply to Trump.  Please forgive me, Jesus. 

Have Yourself A Very Many Christmas Stories!

Do you like the Carol Burnett Show?  Saturday Night Live? Second City Televison?

 Then you do not want to miss this show!

This is not your typical Christmas show.  But it is first-class sketch comedy.  It does breeze through every Christmas Story Ever Told (well, a good chunk) and does it at break-neck speed.

Some Christmas stories are mashed together, weaving a hilarious comedic blend.

The most outstanding part of this show is the acting.  When you only have three people on stage, they better be darn good to hold your attention.  And the three fine thespians here do that, turned up to 11!

All three are outstanding.  Caleb Boatright is a bright highlight, a physical comedian gifted at pulling the audience in. Alexandria Weekley is the intense, sincere center of the play, the "Straight Man" whom nothing else works unless she is spot on.

Kayla Dizon is a tour de force, one of the most dazzling performances I have ever seen.  The sheer volume of dialogue she has - you're barely conscious of it because she blasts through it with such perfection and force.  Every. Single. Word. She Utters...LANDS!  She varies her voice and mannerisms to a multitude of characters.  She pronounces strange, foreign words from a host of countries, all as if she were a native.

There is an interactive element to the show, so be prepared for that.  It's not too involving.  You won't have to jump off a scaffold. But you might have to answer some questions.

I love A Christmas Carol.  It's the one show I could do over and over again.  I've played Marley's ghost once and Scrooge twice.  It's a powerful story and holds significant meaning to me.

There is some fun made in the play about how A Christmas Carol is overdone.  Maybe.

I will say this. I see variations of A Christmas Carol being performed more often than the traditional telling. So why do writers, performers, and theatre-goers keep coming back to the same remarkable story and plotline if it's overdone?

Give yourself an extra special Christmas Present!

COME SEE THIS SHOW!!!

A Narwhal Chistmas!

It's a Narwhal Christmas!

The world's weirdest creature* for the world's weirdest Christmas, as we do our best to celebrate together while celebrating apart. 

It's like a unicorn crossed with a whale.  Primarily inhabitants of the Canadian arctic, there are about 80,000 left in the world.  As the planet continues to warm and the Arctic melts, they may find their habitat dwindling.

The distinctive tusk is actually a tooth.  That would take a lot of Crest.  

One of our favorite parts of our favorite Christmas movie, Elf, is when the narwhal says goodbye to Buddy.  

Here is another view of the same quote.

Why am I repeating the same thing twice?

Because it is my blog, and I can get away with it.  Live on the edge, I always say.**

Alison loves the narwhal part so much, I got her this Narwhal onesy for Christmas. She loves it and will probably be wearing it as long as our weather is chilly.

Merry Christmas, y'all!  And don't forget - Christmas continues through Epiphany! 

* several creatures dispute the Narwhal being the weirdest, including the Sparklemuffin

**I don't really say that very much, but it sounds impressive don't it?

Christmas in the Time of COVID: #3

 

On Christmas Eve, I want to take this opportunity to thank all those frontline workers who are doing so much to help us through this pandemic.

Thank you to all the healthcare workers that are doing so much to help us in these times, when we get sick with COVID or anything else.  They are working long hours and are often the only human contact many of our beloved family members see when in ICU or other parts of the hospital.

Thank you to the police and firefighters who continue to protect us.

Thank you for the delivery people, whether it be Christmas packages or fast food, needed medicines or a letter from a loved one. They are keeping us connected during these dark times.  

Thank you to the retail clerks that keep our stores open so that we get food and vital supplies.

Thank you to all those in industry, keeping important products coming, including food processing, PPE supplies, hardware supplies, and so much more.

Thank you to those who are assisting with charities to provide relief for the increased number of Americans living with food and/or shelter insecurities.  

We owe all of these people a great debt of gratitude, but we can repay them with more than that.  We can -

Wear our masks.

Socially distant.

Frequently wash our hands.

Reduce unnecessary travel, including Christmas travel to family and friends.

I know that last one is hard, but hospitals have reached or exceeded capacity in many areas of the country.  The more stress on our medical system, the less we are able to take care of everybody. And that increases the number of people who will die.

It is exciting news that vaccines are here.  But it will take several months for those to really improve things.  Meanwhile, we must do our best to protect each other, particularly those who have done so much to help us.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

Let it be a time of love and joy and caring for one another.

Christmas in Covid Times 2

 

Sphinx-like, our Christmas guardian, Ellie, is here!  Protecting the Christmas tree.  You know, the one that will stay up through Epiphany.  

Early we are, but we're all home.  We might as well get into the Christmas beer.

CHEER!  I mean CHEER!  My bad.

I really don't drink much beer.  Maybe a couple a year.  On average.  And I'm not sure I've had one this year.

Alison and I occasionally have a glass of wine, almost always Moscato, three or four ounces once or twice a month.

We really don't drink much.  A secret about this country is that our history is rife with booze.  Seriously.  A lot of our events have been influenced by liquor.  It would make a Russian blush.

Anyhoo, back to Christmas.

Our plans this year are modest,  We'll only see people we've been around before, and that will be social distanced and well-masked.  

Alison's mother, Benjamin's MeeMaw, will come over Christmas Eve for the annual Potato Soup meal.  We usually have a second soup, but this year we'll have a Boston Butt.  For dessert, we've got a bread pudding made for us by a fellow church member.

We will have the annual viewing of Elf.  This year, we got a preview by attending WACT's wonderful production of Elf: The Musical.

We will attend Christmas Eve Mass.

Christmas morning, MeeMaw will be with us as we open our stockings.  Then we will have a Christmas breakfast featuring Christmas Sausage Pie.

Upon breakfast's conclusion, we have the opening of the gifts.  This used to take a lot of time, as we went one gift at a time.  Now, as Benjamin is older, there are fewer gifts and less production around them.

After that, we will play with the toys we got.  This also has become subdued over the years.  There's only so many games you can play with new socks.

Christmas evening will bring an Italian supper at Alison's Dad's house.  It will just be us, Alison's Dad and Glenda, and Alison's step-sister with her husband and their son, Graham. Every caution will be taken.

Other?  I want to read.  I'm in a huge but interesting book about President Grant, written by the same guy, Ron Chernow, who wrote the Hamiltion book the musical is based on.  I also want to see what Bond movies I can while they're being offered on Amazon Prime (they're taking them away on January 1st).  Currently, I'm halfway through Moonraker, which is in about the middle of the Roger Moore years. Is Moore a better bond than Sean Connery?  No, but the Moore movies are still fun and gadget-filled.  I love the gadgets.

What I don't want to do is think about Trump.  Sadly, he won't go away, continuing to do destructive things that put our democracy at risk. It's hard to ignore him when he's considering martial law.

Nevertheless...

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in the Time of Covid 1

 

I'm not going anywhere.

That's the first thing to know about Christmas in COVID times.

We were going up to the Atlanta area to see my son Doug and my daughter-in-law Paige, but we are putting it off for now after discussing it with them.  It's disappointing, but it is not worth the risk to them and to us.

I normally go to prison on the last day of the year to observe and audit the prison's commissary. Due to Coronavirus concerns, our firm is not doing that this year.  Prisons have been a hotspot for coronavirus transmission.

My workplace is restricted this week due to employee concerns and outbreaks related to a staff member's family, so only a small group covers assignments that have to be covered - I am not in that group and will be home this week.

We continue to go to Church and look forward to Christmas Eve mass.  Our church has been extraordinary in deploying safety measures, and it is much safer going there than in any place in the area (except maybe the public library). 

We go to the grocery store when we have to.  The mask-wearing there is mixed, but we do our best to maintain our distance.  We eat restaurant food only about once a week, and when we do, we bring it home.

Christmas will be just us and Alsion's mother, Rose, with whom we are the only people she is in contact with.

I have not been in plays for quite a while, the last being Murder on the Orient Express well over a year ago.  I don't normally have that long of a break, and it does make me antsy.  There have been at least three plays I wanted to do but passed on due to COVID concerns.

Last night, I had a dream where I was in a play again, and I performed well, except that I did not come out for two scenes that I was supposed to be in.  They were filming that night for a documentary, and I became the focus of it, as an aging actor who should not be performing anymore.  Such are my fears of what it may be like once I can be in plays again.  I fear the theatre has moved beyond me and doesn't need me or want me anymore, that my whole theatre career was nothing more than a forgotten illusion.

In the same dream, I was also going back to college, one that was a couple hours away, and that midterms were going on the same week as the play.  I kept missing classes and realized that I had never studied for the tests and had no idea what was on them.

So, in my dreams, my acting career is a sham, my academic abilities gone.  All the pillars that made me me were disintegrating. 

Fortunately, I woke up before I lost anything else.

I look forward to the virus being under control.  I pray the vaccines work, that new strains (such as the one emerging in Britain) can be contained and vaccines remain effective against it, that people use precautions until the vaccines take hold.  

As a shy person who took months and years to build up the confidence to be around people, I will not rebound back as easily as some. Please be patient with me.

Christmas time is almost here!

It's a Holly, Jolly Harley Christmas! A Crowley Story

 

I know what they're saying.

Still, it's Christmas.  And Christmas at the Harley clan means big family gatherings.  There are so many of us that some years we rent out the Dixon Hall out near the lake. 

Not this year.  We're going to meet at Grandpa Harley's farm.  If the weather is nice, we'll meet outside.  We got picnic tables and a tent, a big tent that sometimes our church uses for revivals.  If the weather is bad, we'll just gather inside, screw the precautions.

It won't be as crowded as some years.  Aunt Fresca and her entire family won't be there.  She's our family liberal, and she's a maskaholic.  She's a nurse and overly sensitive if you ask me.  I mean, haven't some of the hospital personnel been vaccinated?  Maybe not here.  I hadn't heard yet.

That still leaves several dozen people who will descend on Grandpa's farm on Christmas afternoon.  My brother Chuck will once again dress up as Santa; Chuck's a big guy, even for Santa, topping out somewhere over three hundred pounds.  It'll be too late to ask Santa for presents, but not too late to hug and kiss him.

Nobody will wear a mask.  Maybe Charlene.  She likes to be dramatic, a real hypochondriac telling us all the time about her diabetes and heart condition, all the while she's shoveling chocolate candy under her mask.

Someone who won't be there is Grandma Harley.  Except in spirit.  Sadly, she passed away two weeks after Thanksgiving.  Did she have COVID?  I don't know.  Grandma had a lot of problems, so it could have been anything. There was a positive test, but there are a lot of false positives out there.  That's what I heard on Newsmax - a lot of unrelated deaths are being attributed to COVID because the doctors are trying to push up the numbers so they can get more money and stuff. 

The funeral was the last time the family got together.  The funeral people, Davis Funeral Home, insisted everyone wear a mask at the viewing.  They didn't have the power to control New Life Baptist Church, where a massive service was held.  After that, New Life closed for a week, but it's up and running for Christmas.  Pastor Dan says it would be ungodly not to hold Christmas services. I confess.  I didn't go.  I'm a devout Christian, I swears, I just didn't go very much.  Yes, sometimes I want to stick it to the libs and atheists and show up, but then it gets to Sunday morning, and I just go, "Not this Sunday.  I'd rather take it easy.  It's been a long week operating the trash truck, and I need a break.  Maybe next Sunday."

Grandpa's children, all six minus Fresca, confabbed about whether and how to hold the Harley Christmas party. Grandpa insisted it was what Grandma would have wanted.  She wanted to look down from heaven and see all her family gathered for the most important day of the year, the day Jesus was born, and began his journey to sacrifice himself for our sins. 

Darlene, the youngest of the bunch (and my Mama), suggested putting up the revival tent and centering outdoors.  Grandpa reluctantly agreed, although he said he would spend as much time as possible in the parlor amidst the photographs and lingering scent of his beloved wife.  And, outdoors or not, he expected people to come to see him and pay tribute to her memory.

Me?  Yeah, whatever.  I'll go anywhere.  Family trumps fear.  Ha! See how I used the word trump?  Ain't I clever?  Just like the name of the one true President who rules us all, the real winner of the election.  Can't believe that Kemp was in cahoots with Hugo Chavez putting in a bunch of rigged voting machines.  What were the machines called?  Dominatrix?  Something like that.  And now there's supposed to be a runoff where two Republicans have to be in a runoff with Radical Liberal Atheist Democrats?  I know.  Warnock is some kind of preacher, I guess, but it ain't no proper church.  Not like New Life.  It preaches socialism, gushing money to the undeserving, and advocating getting rid of our cops.  Well, I'll show them!  The hell if I'm gonna vote in that rigged mess!  Ain't worth my time!

Masks are a show of weakness.  It smells of cowardice.  And I won't be a coward.  I won't have wimps like Pretend President Biden tell me what to do!  I got personal liberty to do and go where I want!  I ain't no health hazard!  I been around people since the start, and I ain't sick!  Well, not right now, anyway.  There was that time just before Thanksgiving, but it wasn't much, and screw you if I was going in for a test. Nobody was gonna stop me from Thanksgiving and seeing Grandma Harley, and you know?  I'm glad I did because it was my last chance to see her.

And now, with our presents opened and our stomachs ready for a big old meal, it was time to go to the big Harley Christmas party.  The weather is a little cold and windy, so we may spend more time inside than otherwise.

But that's okay.  Life is too short to live in fear.

Way too short.

The End of Christmas

According to my Episcopalian calendar, Epiphany was yesterday, and that brings the Christmas season officially to a close.

We took our outdoor display down Sunday, but it may be a while before we put away all the indoor stuff.  That's okay.  We're in no rush.  We don't mind the reminders of the season.

The picture above is of a display we have that sits on top of a blanket chest.  They're hard to make out, but the creatures there below are mostly dogs.  When it's not Christmas, Alison puts a small step ladder on the chest, and it turns into the Isle of dogs.  It's pretty cool.  I'll have to show you a picture sometime.

It was a nice Christmas break, spending time with our son, Benjamin.  He is back up at college now, ready for the challenge of a new semester.  He may also have a new roommate.  We're still waiting on word about that.

I'm heading into a busier season for my work.  I'm going to hang onto as much time off as I can for as long as I can.  I would love to get an established routine rather than each week being different.

That consistency may help me with my writing,  I will be starting the second round of edits for The Extra Credit Club.  My big new writing project will be the second volume of The History of the Trap.  If I can fit it in, I also want to do some shorter fiction to submit to fiction magazines and to resume my audio dreams.

I have health challenges I need to focus on.  I have three months to see if I can reform myself enough to avoid starting metformin.  I don't want to be diabetic.  It makes me feel like such a failure and a loser.  If I'm going to have to be, I want it to at least know that I did what I could to change myself.

As far as current events go, the world has turned darker.  The Australian wildfires have claimed some one billion animals.  Our ignorant, racist President has lit the fuse to a war that could consume us all.

There will be a trial in the Senate.  It will most likely be a sham, as Senator McConnell controls it.  At its conclusion, the Con in Chief will do a victory dance and claim exoneration.  But, hopefully, more people will know.  More will understand.  Hey, I'm trying to be optimistic here.

 Anyhoo...

It's now officially out of season, but what the hey, I'm out of control...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas One and All!

Merry Christmas, one and all!

From the Straits

Tom 

Alison & Benjamin

Doug & Paige

The Happy Father, Doug the Groom & Greg the Best Man

Skitty

Cocoa Bear

Ellie

Pixie

Boss-A-Man

Merry Christmas!

Merry Merry Christmas!

From our little family!

Emergency Sausage Pie Delivery!

Emergency!

Call 9-1-Parents! 

Benjamin starts finals week ON HIS BIRTHDAY!

What are parents to do?

Every Christmas morning, He gets his favorite food all year - sausage pie made with sausage and cream cheese, with crescent roll sheets on top and bottom.

But this year, we thought we would surprise him early.

We got up at 4:30 in the morning, and after some food prep, were on our way to Milledgeville joust before 6.  A little after 9, we were parked outside of his dorm.

Mom called him no answer.  Dad texted him.  No answer.

Then, after answering my text, he called his Mom.

Mom:  Would you like sausage pie this morning?

Benjamin: uhhhhh....yes?

Mom:  Would you meet us at the dorm's front door and let us in?

Benjamin:  uhhhhh...ok?

A very shocked young man let us in.  We used a dorm kitchen facility to finish the sausage pie, and also had a big container of his favorite brownies.  We even brought a bottle of mustard, because what is sausage pie without a little mustard?

We spent some time together, walking around campus, getting some coffee at his favorite coffee place, Blackbird Coffee.  Dad & son even visited a shop that had some comic books.  It had a few books, but not many.  Milledgeville's biggest lack is that it does not have a decent bookstore near campus.

We even found Santa!  Thankfully, it wasn't the MAGA Santa that roamed the Mall and Blackshear Elementary.  Yes, we had a Santa here that thought it would be cool to wear a Trump hat.  I'm pretty sure that had Benjamin been in elementary school, he would have knocked that hat right off that fool. 

It was a brief visit, but a pleasant and genuine surprise for Benjamin.


In just another day or two, Benjamin will be home for Christmas Break.  Will we still have sausage pie on Christmas morning? 

Oh, you bet your sweet crescent roll we will!

Santa, Can You Hear Me?

Santa, can you hear me?

Do I pray silently? 

Do I speak out loud?  Toward the sky? To the north?

Do I go to the mall and wait in line to talk with you?  I'd sit on your lap, but you might not ever be the same after that.

I know.  You've heard it all before.  But you haven't heard it from me.  And shouldn't that be worth something?

It's not really a material thing, not entirely.  Not there's anything wrong with asking for material things.  I mean, that's the whole nature of what you do, right?  You're not a deity, neither an angry nor a loving God.  Mostly, you're a way for the young to focus their gift lists enough that they can be dealt with.  I won't get it into it, but that can be a real boon to parents.

And people ask for non-material things, some sincerely, some not.  It's heartbreaking when children tell you their wishes for others.  That Mommy and Daddy get enough to eat.  That Baby Bobby's pneumonia is cured.  That Daddy stops hitting Mommy.  That Uncle Dud not be alone with them again.

There are even wishes for world peace, for the end of gun violence, that the poor are taken care of, that the bullies leave Roger alone.

Some wish for gifts for others.  That their sister gets the doll she wants, that Mommy gets a new dress, that the Echols family gets a nice Christmas Ham. 

That's where I come in.  I have a present that I want Santa to get to someone.  Someone important.  Someone whose rage and fear is hurting so many.  And it can't just be me that gives it to him.  It has to come from someone magical, someone who can make the gift open up and commence the journey that needs to be taken.

I want Santa to bring President Trump a copy of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  And I want Santa to be sure that, as big of a non-reader that Trump is, that he at least starts it, and put it by his nightside, replacing Trump's beloved copy of Hitler's speeches.  And then he when he goes to sleep, Fox News left on, Melania in her own room. that the ghosts come, and that he goes with them, and that he wakes up, like Scrooge did, a new man, a caring man, a changed man.


At this point, it's the only thing that can save us.  A Christmas miracle.  A magical transformation that reforms him and saves the nation.

So, where are you Santa?  I need to get this message to you.  A lonely, frightened, desperate nation needs you.

And if you can't do that, I'll settle for resignation, impeachment or the 25th Amendment.


Just do it quick, Santa.

We may be running out of time.

The Joy in Giving

There are many negative aspects of Christmas.  Yes, it is over-commercialized.  It can be a season of loneliness and depression for some.  Some family gatherings are treasured, but some can be gut-wrenching. There can be disappointment in what one gives and in what one gets.  Expectations can be set by your family and peers that are almost impossible to meet.

Christmas gift giving, in and of itself, does not have to be one of the negative aspects.  It can be a reflection of love and caring, of sharing and generosity. 

There are many pitfalls in gift-giving.  They can be too extravagant, hurting a family's budget, increasing personal debt and anxiety.  They can be done in too tic-for-tat fashion - if I do X for Bob, then I have to do the equivalent of X for John.  If Bob does X for me, then I must match dollar for dollar what I do for Bob.

The value of a gift is not measured in its material worth, but in the joy it brings others.  It is a demonstration of showing "I care about you."

Gifts can be for family.  They can be for friends, co-workers, fellow church parishioners.  They can be for those in need, in your community and around the world. 

The greatest gift of all was given to us by Jesus.  He took on the mantle of humanity, showed us what giving and sacrifice was, and lighted the way to the true path.  Love God, love your neighbor.  A simple message that has reverberated through the last two millennia.  A message of love and hope, kindness and charity, caring and sharing. A beacon of light over a sometimes dark and challenging world.

Be careful with your gift-giving.  Do not be caught up in the commercialization.  Don't match for matching's sake.  Don't worry about all your presents being material. 

But do give abundantly.  Give with joy.  Give to make the world a better place.

Have a blessed Advent and....

soon it will be Christmas Day!

T. M. Strait Big Christmas Sale at Christmas in the Cross!

Come to Christmas in the Cross this Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM!

At the Okefenokee Heritage Center!

T. M. Strait will have a table and will be doing a once a year

INVENTORY BLOWOUT!!!

(yeah, like I'm a car lot or something)

History of the Trap!  Great YA Novel!  Regular $15...for this event only $10!!!

Here Comes Tommy!  Autobiographical tales that are funny and poignant!  Regular $10...for this event only $7!!!

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge!  Interrelated short stories set in an imaginary town on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp!  Regular $20....for this event only $15!!!

All these great books are being sold at pretty much replacement cost!

ALSO!!! A limited number of A Christmas with Pegasus featuring a cover by Kennedy Brice!  The perfect gift for that special young lady in your family - only $5!!!

Put a little T. M. Strait under your Christmas tree this year - you and other treasured readers in your family will be glad you did!

Christmas's Opening Bell Monday Musings

One of my favorite events of the season, The Polar Express, was this last weet weekend at The Polar Express.  I get to do what I love best, reading aloud, particularly reading to a group of eager children.

I was assisted this year by both Julianna Lacefield, and Emily Beck, who is pictured above standing next to The Polar Express.  Both held up pictures of the book and brought in sound effects that enhanced the story.  I helped the children participate in the story by asking questions, and by answering theirs.  My favorite answer was when I asked for the names of some of the reindeer, and one little girl answered, "Elsa!" 

If I was smart enough to figure out how to make a living doing these kinds of reading events, I would.  I love them.

This year, we also had Santa with us!  Here he is with two of the very best young actresses of our area, Emily Beck and Marin Jeffords.

-----------------------------------------

The other big news of the weekend -

A national championship comes to Atlanta!  

2018 MLS Champions

Atlanta United!

Thank you so much

Greg and Doug Strait

for helping introduce us to this marvelous sport!

A Christmas with Pegasus! I got 'chur Free Preview right cheer!

Christmas in the Way Back Machine

I love Christmas.

It's not so much the commercial aspect.  And yes, the religious part is important, but there were other parts as well.

And that was just being a part of being a loving family.

My mother was big on making Christmas a very special occasion.  We had lots and lots of presents.  Many of them were not very expensive.  She would wrap up socks, or put small things in big boxes.  She just liked us opening a lot of stuff.

There would be one or two presents that would be more substantial.  Carol's kitchen set.  My James Bond attache case.  One year I got a bicycle, and it was the only year where we had no snow on the ground and I could actually ride it!

Carol and I would wake up very early, and anxiously await for Mom and Dad to wake up.  Then we would open stockings which might take as long as an hour, as the overstuffed stocking would be opened one little present at a time, each person getting a turn in the rotation.  Fruit, gum, candy, coins, combs, pencils - every little item would be gushed over.

We would then have breakfast.  I'm not saying that was overwhelming - it might be scrambled eggs, oatmeal, or it might just be cereal and toast. I really didn't know how special breakfast could be until I moved South and discovered sausage 'n' cheese biscuits.

After breakfast, we would open a gift at a time, with either Carol or myself acting as "Santa", distributing each round of gifts.  Occasionally my mother would intervene and say, "Don't open that one yet - save it for later", wanting to build up to the "major" present.  We never stopped to ask how she knew which present Santa had set up as the "major" one.

This whole process could take to noon.

I don't remember much about the hundreds of presents we received over the years. 

What I remember was bonding with my family, and the sense of joy, celebration and love we experienced.

With my parents gone, and my sister in Michigan, I cherish the memory of these Christmases past, and carry on as many of the traditions as I can with my own nuclear family.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

The Invasion of the Episcopalian Carolers!

It's early!

By Episcopalian standards.

Nevertheless, last Sunday, we gathered together in the Parish Hall to prepare for our Annual Caroling journey.

We wear hats, seasonal clothing, and have bells that we can ring.  Dayton Lang provides the guitar, and this year, for Jingle Bells, Benjamin provided the kazoo.

Rather than going door to door in one neighborhood, we carpool and visit many of our parishioners who are unable to attend regular services.

This includes some private residences and some nursing homes.

One of my favorites is the assisted living residence in Baptist Village.  We visit our long-time parishioner, Jo Stafford, the lovely lady in the pink sweater.  There are many others there as well, and in this picture,  we see Edwin Herrin greeting one of them.

It is also the residence of my friend and superstar writer, Grace Lee.  Grace started writing in her mid-eighties, and will be celebrating her 90th birthday very soon.  She really comes out and enjoys our singing, and sings right along with us.

Our last stop is always with a very special member of the Grace Church family, Kathy Kontos.  Kathy had been a member of the choir for decades, and really enjoys us coming out to see her and her sister, Anastasia.  She was thrilled to hear that Benjamin had joined the choir, and had made his first appearance as a choir member that Sunday morning.

Thank you, my fellow Grace Episcopal parishioners, for a wonderful annual tradition, that for me, launches the true Christmas season.  It has been a joy for Alison, Benjamin, and myself, to participate.

Christmas Spirit is Alive and Well!

You can find the true spirit of Christmas , if you look.  It may not be easy to see, or readily apparent, particularly if you're focused on the wrong places.

It's not in the bombastic commercial hubbub that surrounds the holiday, all the noise that tries to get you involved and stressed about the holiday from August on.  That is a long time!  No wonder so many are anxious to set aside the holiday the day after it arrives!  It's not in the urge to buy more and more gifts, to obsess over checking off a long list of obligations and responsibilities, trying to hit the right zone with presents - getting something that will make the gift recipient wowed while at the same time not breaking the budget too bad.

It's not in the ferocious competition to put out bigger, shiner, more impressive outdoor displays.  They can be nice to look at, especially in the snowless Deep South where I live.  Still, the size of your display may win  neighborhood competitions, it may get the most cars to slow down in front of your house, but it doesn't really represent what the true spirit of Christmas is. 

And it's certainly not in the savage reaction to whether or not people give the correct Christmas greeting.  Symbols of Christmas are nice, but they are only symbols of  Christmas.  It is not Christmas Spirit itself. 

Christmas Spirit can be seen in the hands and feet and heart we extend to each other.  It's in the food we bring to those in need.  It's in the shelter we provide, and the love that we share.  It's in providing clothes to those who have little to wear.  It's in visiting prisoners.  It's in a warm hug and a bright smile, to all, regardless of whatever their faith or seasonal greeting.

It's in those who foster pets, and help shelter animals from the cold, those who promote spaying and neutering, those who adopt and responsibly take care of their new pets.

It's in those who support the shelters for abused women and their children.  Giving through time, money and resources to make sure those who live in fear can have a ray of hope.

It's in those that advocate for the poor and needy, whether it's in supposing organizations that assist the impoverished, or in promoting legislation that provides more permanent fixes.

It's in those that help build shelters and homes for those who have no place else to go, fellow citizens that would otherwise be homeless.

It's about providing love and hope and resources to the sick.  Whether it be a child sick with a debilitating and deadly disease, or an elderly person living out their last days in Hospice, they could all use the support and kindness of caring people.

It's about caroling and extending love and joy.  It's about celebrating with your own family, and with church family.  It;s about extending that love and kindness to all, regardless of their faith, or their ethnicity, or even their immigration status.  Christmas is either open arms to everyone, or it doesn't really exist at all.

It's about the message and light of Christ.  Christians are theologically diverse, and fractured into hundreds of denominations, but they share this belief - Christ came to light the way for the rest of us.

Sometimes that light is hard to see in the midst of all the Christmas commercial noise, in the din of bad news that sometimes engulfs us, in the partisan divides we have created for each other.  But take a moment.  Relax.  Unplug from the noise.  Pray in contemplation and quiet.  Think about all the wonderful things we do, and can do, in the Christmas Spirit.

Take a moment.  Open your heart.  The light of Christ, the great breath of the Christmas Spirit, the love of God - it's there.  It's easy to see - nay, it's overwhelmingly clear - when you just look in the right place.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Seasonal Push

Do I need anything else to push the year along, to remind me how rapidly time is advancing, as the seasons come faster and faster?

Go into any store in August and what do you see?  Preparations for Halloween!  I mean, really, if you buy candy in August, does it really last all the way to the end of October?  Well, I mean, I'm not really talking about it going bad (although for some treats that may be possible), I'm talking about it winding up digested by someone other than trick-or-treaters.

"Honey, we have to buy more candy!"

"Why?  I thought we bought plenty!"

"Ummm...yeah.  Some of it may have.....gotten lost."

On social media, people are excitedly talking about costumes from August on.  I usually think about what I will wear about an hour before the event.  My go too?  Put on my Detroit Tiger cap, and a Hawaiian shirt, and presto!  I'm Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I.!

In the last week before Halloween, you can sense the stores wanting to push the Halloween merchandise out.  The store spaces contract, discounts accelerate, and you see something else slowly but surely filling the shelf space.

Christmas.

Yes, we jump right past Thanksgiving and dive headfirst into Christmas.  Thanksgiving is merely a shopping traffic light, a final gateway, into the all-devouring madness of the commercial Christmas season. Gone is the quaint celebration of family, the open table of tolerance, the thankfulness for all the good things we have.    Now it's just preparation for the opening bell to the most selfish American ritual of all - Black Friday, and the horrendous rush to compete and grab the best bargains.

This, until Christmas Eve, is the commercial aspect of Christmas.  It has little to do with the true spirit of Christmas. That spirit has more to do with striving for peace on Earth and goodwill towards all, for celebrating the birth of a savior who came to light the way for every single one of us.

And it has little to do with intimidating people to say Merry Christmas.  If the words don't come voluntarily, they mean nothing at all.  I don't think store clerks should be necessarily forced to say it or not say it.  We all need to chill out and let everyone say the seasonal greeting they want to, and return in kind with whatever seasonal greeting we want to it. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me the best thing to do is to be open, kind, and tolerant.

Right after Christmas, there is a brief flurry of sales, and the Big Returns, as we exchange all those gifts that people spent so much time selecting for us.

But right after that?  There is no rest.  There is no respite.  The seasons get merrily pushed along.  The stores are draped heavily in the accents of Valentines Day.

And once again, I cope with the dilemma of candy purchased too darn early.

So, let me speedily rush through it.  Hope you had a great Halloween, don't forget to wave at Thanksgiving as we roar past it, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas. Happy New Year, and it's not too early to start thinking about what you want to do for Valentine's Day!

Gee whiz!  What I need is a "Sit on the Porch and Enjoy the Cool Weather Day!"

The Drone You Are Looking For: Monday Musings

Is this the drone you are looking for!  Benjamin Strait please with his big present form his brother Greg.

Merry Christmas, ye all!

Took a brief break from posting for our short trip to Atlanta, and to spend some quality family time.But I'm back now, and will be trying to re-establish my old routines.

We had a loverly good time with Doug, and met his girlfriend, Paige. She was very pleasant and fun to be around, and Benjamin told us, "Doug picked good".  I would have more pictures but I have fallen out of the habit of using my phone to take pictures.  I will try to do better.

We saw the movie Star Wars: Rogue One, and was impressed.  It held the spirit of the original as well as any of the other movies I had seen.  It was darker in tone, but still an adventure worth seeing, on that ultimately raised a new hope.

Seeing a movie based on important information that gets to Princess Leia, it was a bit of a shock to step out of the theatre and find out, virtually at or near the time we were seeing the movie, Carrie Fisher (the actress that plays Princess Leia) had a heart attack while on a plane.  At posting this, she is recovering, although word on her condition has been somewhat limited.

And then came the news on Christmas Day that pop singer George Michael had died at just 53.  He was a favorite of Alison, and another tough loss in a very tough year.  I'll reserve my comments about 2016 until my end of the year column.  But yes, it's been a tough year.

Speaking of that, Electoral Elect Trump continues to careen from idiotic statement to the next.  His threats to explode another senseless nuclear arms race were both stupid and frightening, and in such keeping with the Christmas spirit.  As was his godawful Christmas Tweetcard picture of him alone walking in front of a Christmas tree, not smiling and with a ting fist salute.

I am going to change the setting for my political postings to friends instead of public.  Too many friend of friend crazies leap on.  I would love to refute them all, but I simply don't have the time, and some of them are getting personally insulting to other individuals that comment.  I would've hoped that social media would have helped us find common ground, where in reality it only seems to be further dividing us.  I will continue to post The Strait Line (even political post), the Song of the Day, and other non-political posts as public.  Unless I forget.  It's hard for me to go back and forth.

I hope you and yours had a great Christmas Day, and continue to enjoy this blessed Christmas season!

Until next time,

T. M. Strait