Early Christmas Gift and Annual Post

I post the words below each year around this time for self-stated reasons. Before that, I (in accordance with guidance from Great Aunt) have to reveal an early Christmas present I received today, although not exactly what I was hoping for. Yesterday I had my semi-annual dermatology appointment where my very comely dermatologist runs her hands all over my body attempting to locate my persistent skin cancers. I was on a roll, with nearly two years of no biopsies. If I was biopsy-free this time, the visits would be reduced to annual instead of every six months. We got through the front inspection (which includes the always problematic face) and I was getting excited, until she checked out a spot that had been itching on my back which my Favorite Panamanian made me promise to tell her about. Yep. The spot had her reaching for her biopsy knife and I was back to six months again. However. Today I received a present even greater when the biopsy came back as positive for cancer but also that she had scooped enough that the margins were clear. That means she got it all with the biopsy! That means no Mohs surgery, a definite win.

The Favorite Panamanian was up late last night on a holy mission. She was making Christmas cookies. Although unneeded at this point, since my Christmas spirit is already percolating at near holiday level already, this was a welcome reminder. I was also reminded of my own mother since my wife was making spritz cookies and having the same harsh conversation with the cookie press that I remember my mother having. I think this is as close to swearing as my wife ever gets. We also made one last attempt to have the garage door banner up. She sewed Velcro strips to the banner and it’s working so far. We’ll get another acid test tomorrow with high winds (again!!) and rain forecast. Again, you can’t knock me down, we’re coming up on my absolute favorite time of year and the Christmas tree is nearly fully stocked. Here are the words I post annually.

The Tree is Full

I hope as you are reading this, you have a special group of family and friends to gather at holiday time approaching how special mine is. If so, you can’t help but have a merry Christmas. Please also remember those in uniform serving in far off lands preserving our freedom. I was unbelievably lucky to only miss three Christmases at home during my 27 years of service but each hurt. Honor those who keep us safe. For those looking for holiday spirit, do what I just did, a google search for Christmas flash mobs, so many, so cool, and they all touched my heart. I provide my favorite as well as a cherished Christmas song by my favorite Irish singer and a military poem.

I am an unabashed and unrepentant lover of Christmas time, in all of its glorious corniness.  I love Christmas carols, Christmas parties, but most of all Christmas Day. I can remember Christmas as far back as the age of 3.  I still remember one special year in my early teens when I was overcome with Christmas spirit, feeling so good about the season and just general happiness that I wondered at myself. This feeling lasted until well after Christmas and no, to all you cynics out there, the feelings were not chemically assisted.  Every year since then has been an attempt to recapture that feeling. Most years I get it in bits and pieces, mostly associated with time I spend with my family and friends.
My wife and “kids” smile behind me, good naturedly, because they know how important Christmas is to me. I know there are those raging elements or hipsters out there that bemoan what modern Christmas has evolved to. Some say it’s overly commercialized or others not properly religious. It seems there are always those elements in society – “Grinchs” for lack of a better term. People so unhappy with their own lives that they target times or traditions that bring happiness to others for scorn. I could not care less about these self-important gas bags.  There is nothing in life more enjoyable than being around people you love and actually taking some time out of the all too busy lives we lead to simply be together. So, to all of you out there that bad mouth Christmas – get a life; the rest of us already have one and we’re going to have the merriest Christmas of all in spite of you or more correctly in homage to the love we are blessed with.  Merry Christmas!

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch, five keepers: Vampires – John Carpenter’s opus with James Woods in serious psycho mode; The Vampire Lovers – when Hammer films decided to get a little frisky in the early 70s, dumb but lovable; Van Helsing – that gal again, Beckinsale, with Jackman tearing up monsters as an ode to the classics; Vanilla Sky – I think I finally understand this but Cruise is so unlikable as the hero that I’ll never watch again, eject; Vanishing Point – classic film that I’ll always love, a 1971 farewell to the 60’s, keep hoping Kowalski will make it past the bulldozers this time; Vantage Point – interesting action flick told from various perspectives.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course