Merry Christmas!
Here is a bit of an oldie, but still makes me smile greeting:
To All My Culturally Sensitive Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To All My More Pragmatic Friends:
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And in other news:
The galley crew just served us with a traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve feast. It included such pungent delicacies as crispy pork with sauer kraut and lutefisk, as if the boat didn't have enough overpowering smells of decaying barnacles wafting from the back deck due to streamer work! I never thought I would ever say this, but, "Thank God for a head cold!" In all fairness, though, there were some lovely additions to the meal and I ate too much shrimp cocktail, roasted turkey, mushy peas, avocado salads with various fruits and nuts.
To All My Culturally Sensitive Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To All My More Pragmatic Friends:
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And in other news:
The galley crew just served us with a traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve feast. It included such pungent delicacies as crispy pork with sauer kraut and lutefisk, as if the boat didn't have enough overpowering smells of decaying barnacles wafting from the back deck due to streamer work! I never thought I would ever say this, but, "Thank God for a head cold!" In all fairness, though, there were some lovely additions to the meal and I ate too much shrimp cocktail, roasted turkey, mushy peas, avocado salads with various fruits and nuts.