Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas--2016 Edition!!

I'm writing this shortly after 7 a.m. on Xmas morn.  I'm still the only one up in our household.  

Lest you think the gals are lazy let me give you the rest of the story.  

Last night we attended Christmas eve service as is our custom.  However since we switched churches a few months ago what used to be a gathering that took place around 7:30 or so in the evening is now a candlelight service that begins at 11.  

My family of origin members are all laughing at this point, as they know my memories of trying to stay awake up to Midnight Mass are banging around in my brain.  I'm not a night person.  

However the service beginning one hour before the stoke of middle-of-the-night wasn't all that bad.  Even with Geogal chatting after service we still got home about 12:15 and I hit the hay not long after.  

Regardless of the time I still enjoy the Christmas Eve service.  The shopping and prep are all done and it is now time for reverent reflection.  

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I've looked forward to this date for several weeks now.  Not that I'm anticipating anything special but rather for what I am giving.  When you're my age it can truly be more about the joy of giving.  

Plus, this year I was well ahead of the game.  I figured out a couple of great gifts for Geogal and procured them early.  One on Black Friday, the other one even earlier.  I've gone several weeks to give these, what's two or three more hours to wait?  I'm savoring this Navidad as my wife is a hard person to buy for.  

We won't have a white Christmas here but I'm OK with that.  Forecast today is actually calling for thunderstorms and some high wind.  Temps will be mild.  

Sure beats last Saturday, where we awoke to wind-chill temps in the minus teens combined with some snow accumulation.  Not a pleasant day to take care of the shopping tasks.  

I'm keeping with our (newer) Christmas tradition of cooking prime rib for the main meal.  The past 2 or 3 years I've wound up with a more well-done rib roast so yesterday I finally acquiesced and bought a digital thermometer with a probe.  Our meat will be nicely pink!  Maybe.  

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas!