Glad Jul!
This Saturday, we visited ldyloreliranveg and her little clan. We enjoyed a very relaxed afternoon followed by a quiet Yule blot in the backyard. For blot we used the Rose Pyment mead I got from Brimming Horn (J. and Kitty) at ECT and of course it was simply amazing stuff.
Afterwards, we went inside for a delicious dinner of roast turkey, baked brussels sprouts, and mashed potato-yam-burdock (amazingly good!). Dessert was home-baked cookies and the Missus's incredibly flamable fruit cake. All day, much amusing and enlightening conversation bounced around the room and the kids also bounced around quite a bit (there was a brief pause in the bouncing where some yule tree ornaments got made with construction paper and glitter glue)
So, just today and tomorrow to go, work-wise. Yesterday my superiors chose to let go of our part-time production artist. She was just not a good fit here and had some issues with our methods and routines. I am sorry to see her go although I know it will be better for her and us. Don't worry, it turns out she doesn't really need the money from this job anyway, so it's not like someone was let go into destitution right at Yuletide.
Wednesday night, Mr. Alagbon will be visiting us for Mother Night. Yule will be just the Missus, little E and myself. We have made the executive decision that Santa (who is a prestegious and mighty Alf, BTW) comes the night of Yule. I suppose if some day I have a kid trying to stay up all night with me, that will be a problem, but I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Anyway, as we are planning to stay up as late as we can handle, it will be a no-brainer to do stocking stuffing then.
More so, I realized the other night that I dig the psychological parallel of opening presents on the first morning after the Solstice -- the returning Sun being the greatest of Nature's gifts to us. On less weighty note, I am also tempted to have E put some straw in her shoes for the Yule Buck. We'll see.
Saturday when we will be joining mry19355 and Joe at Longwood Gardens. I adore that place and their holiday displays are always fun and refreshing.
After that, there will be spurts of family bond-o-rama happening. Then on New Years weekend, with any luck, we will be visited by our dear friends Josh and Ellen (Ii-dono and Abe-hime) from DC.
So I am trying to relax now and let go of some of the work stress. Things seem under control. At home, I need to convince the Missus that the house is clean enough for Frau Holda and we have to still get through some gift mailing chores, but I think all will be well. A wise man recently recommended I get some cheap egg nog and drink it while watching the lights on our tree. I got the nog. I'm ready to go.
While I'm here, I also want to wish all my Christian friends a Merry Christmas (esp. Tasha and Curt) and a Happy on-going Chanukah to all my Jewish pals (esp. Sol and Sabine). Now I just need to find someone who celebrates Kwanzah! Seriously, I wish I did know someone who does so I could ask them about it. It's really a very cool concept.
Afterwards, we went inside for a delicious dinner of roast turkey, baked brussels sprouts, and mashed potato-yam-burdock (amazingly good!). Dessert was home-baked cookies and the Missus's incredibly flamable fruit cake. All day, much amusing and enlightening conversation bounced around the room and the kids also bounced around quite a bit (there was a brief pause in the bouncing where some yule tree ornaments got made with construction paper and glitter glue)
So, just today and tomorrow to go, work-wise. Yesterday my superiors chose to let go of our part-time production artist. She was just not a good fit here and had some issues with our methods and routines. I am sorry to see her go although I know it will be better for her and us. Don't worry, it turns out she doesn't really need the money from this job anyway, so it's not like someone was let go into destitution right at Yuletide.
Wednesday night, Mr. Alagbon will be visiting us for Mother Night. Yule will be just the Missus, little E and myself. We have made the executive decision that Santa (who is a prestegious and mighty Alf, BTW) comes the night of Yule. I suppose if some day I have a kid trying to stay up all night with me, that will be a problem, but I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Anyway, as we are planning to stay up as late as we can handle, it will be a no-brainer to do stocking stuffing then.
More so, I realized the other night that I dig the psychological parallel of opening presents on the first morning after the Solstice -- the returning Sun being the greatest of Nature's gifts to us. On less weighty note, I am also tempted to have E put some straw in her shoes for the Yule Buck. We'll see.
Saturday when we will be joining mry19355 and Joe at Longwood Gardens. I adore that place and their holiday displays are always fun and refreshing.
After that, there will be spurts of family bond-o-rama happening. Then on New Years weekend, with any luck, we will be visited by our dear friends Josh and Ellen (Ii-dono and Abe-hime) from DC.
So I am trying to relax now and let go of some of the work stress. Things seem under control. At home, I need to convince the Missus that the house is clean enough for Frau Holda and we have to still get through some gift mailing chores, but I think all will be well. A wise man recently recommended I get some cheap egg nog and drink it while watching the lights on our tree. I got the nog. I'm ready to go.
While I'm here, I also want to wish all my Christian friends a Merry Christmas (esp. Tasha and Curt) and a Happy on-going Chanukah to all my Jewish pals (esp. Sol and Sabine). Now I just need to find someone who celebrates Kwanzah! Seriously, I wish I did know someone who does so I could ask them about it. It's really a very cool concept.