Happy Christmas 2017

     It's almost December 26, the day after Christmas but I've finally gotten to my Christmas post. I do have a Father Christmas outfit that I had planned to wear when out and about the week of Christmas but every morning save Christmas eve morning we had rain, I opted not to wear the outfit in the rain and get the faux fur trim all sloppy but the one morning I was able to wear it I was surprised at how many people I was able to make smile and holler, "Merry Christmas!"
 All except one dumb ass who said is I had a pointy hat I'd look like "the Grand Poobah" of the KKK. And I thought I was a redneck! I can only assume he'd never heard of nor seen pictures of the European Father Christmas.

     Anyway, this past Sunday I was invited to Mom's for vittles. She cooked a hen, tater salad, dressing, deviled eggs, etc. As usual, I made a ham. I injected it with Cajun garlic butter and cooked it with thinly sliced white taters, sweet taters and onions and mushrooms, all the veggies slathered with butter. Just for a festive touch I placed a few sprigs of fresh rosemary from my herb garden in around the whole tray. Mom and my brother, his buddy John and John's brother and I made up the whole crew and needless to say we'll all be eating leftovers for a few days. With all the food, I've had to put my beer on the back porch to keep the brews cold!

     Bella and Vlad, my Dachshund & Jack Russell Terrier gave me a present Christmas morning. A female field mouse made the bad decision to show herself in the kitchen. I heard Bella's jaws clamp down like a snap trap. Vlad got in on the kill but Bella was the main instrument of death. Once I got the critter away and chucked out, Bella and Vlad each got a reward n the form of a doggie biscuit.

     The temperature here has fluctuated crazily as of late, doing a swing of some 50 degrees F. We've had some rain but are still behind normal for this time of year. And we have had fog! The other morning when I got home and was giving thanks I, without thinking, said thanks to God it was only fog and not smoke like in California. The Thomas fire (the largest now going on among several) has gone from 4th to 3rd to #1 largest in that state's history in a week or so.

     Anyway, that's about all the news from here. God bless you all and remember the reason for the Season. It's not about a fat man in a red suit, a reindeer with a genetic defect or a snow man.
     It's about the greatest gift of all... The birth of a child in a barn who was laid in a feed trough for his bed. The gift of God's love to us all; His Son, Jesus Christ.