It may be because both Bonnie and I have had a round of what we used to call “the crud” in Cullowhee during the build-up to and/or during this holiday season, or it may just be that we are older and our kids are grown, or it could be something else; but this holiday season just hasn’t seemed (at least to me) to be as “merry and bright” as they used to be. Anyway, that got me to musing on the nature of the holiday season and why this might be so….
One possibility, I suppose is that the whole “You have to be good because Santa is watching.” idea which can seem just a bit creepy.
One possibility, I suppose is that the whole “You have to be good because Santa is watching.” idea which can seem just a bit creepy.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I found this picture a little disturbing!
Then, there’s the whole hassle of the competition over who has the fanciest tree and/or outdoor lights, which can lead to serious frustration. Perhaps it’s just my impression from driving around Omaha, but the “holiday decorations competition” seems to be quite strong here. (I confess that we don’t participate in such silliness, but you should see some neighborhoods not too far from us. Fun to view, but I would NOT want to have to put up those lights and decorations.) By the way, if you have ever wondered why the lights are so incredibly tangled when you go to put them up, or on, or whatever you do with them; there IS an explanation.
Then, there’s the whole hassle of the competition over who has the fanciest tree and/or outdoor lights, which can lead to serious frustration. Perhaps it’s just my impression from driving around Omaha, but the “holiday decorations competition” seems to be quite strong here. (I confess that we don’t participate in such silliness, but you should see some neighborhoods not too far from us. Fun to view, but I would NOT want to have to put up those lights and decorations.) By the way, if you have ever wondered why the lights are so incredibly tangled when you go to put them up, or on, or whatever you do with them; there IS an explanation.
Of course, there ARE some people who try to keep things relatively simple, but that doesn’t always work out as well as one would hope.
And, of course, there is the possibility of an unfortunate interaction between the family pet and some of the decorations…
And, then there are the parties and goodies and all of the stuff that goes along with them! I thought it was just a “bit much” when I discovered this paper plate Bonnie had.
Now, I have nothing against having nicely decorated paper plates to pass around goodies, but it struck me that it’s a design by Spode, an English company known for fine china since about the time of the American Revolution. It just struck me as a “bit over the top” for them to be making paper plates, even rather pretty ones.
And, of course, I can’t let the season go past without commenting on the fascination TNT & TBS have with the movie, A Christmas Story, which leads to continuous showings for days and nights without end during this time of year. I actually watched it all the way through once again this year after many years of avoiding it. I excuse myself for doing so because I thought that Bonnie (who said she had never seen it) should be exposed to this “cultural phenomenon.” Now, I hasten to admit that I am VERY fond of Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, which contains much of the source material for the movie. I still have my copy of that book which I acquired in college (I think), when I was introduced to Shepherd’s work by a college buddy, who had heard him on the radio. I just don’t really care for the movie. As is true in many cases, I think the original stories are just a lot better when seen through one’s imagination than pictured for us in a movie. I confess that a good deal of the material in the movie IS from the book, and IS pretty accurately presented, but I still find the movie much less satisfying than what I see in my head when I read the original material. That’s probably because the book covers a number of years of “Ralphie’s” childhood, while the movie tries to cram all of the events into one. That many events just seem highly improbable and hard to believe for a single year, but as an adult’s reminiscences of Christmases past, it all seems much more plausible.
However, the material has become so well-known that it can lead to amusing (at least to me) adaptations.
And, of course, I can’t let the season go past without commenting on the fascination TNT & TBS have with the movie, A Christmas Story, which leads to continuous showings for days and nights without end during this time of year. I actually watched it all the way through once again this year after many years of avoiding it. I excuse myself for doing so because I thought that Bonnie (who said she had never seen it) should be exposed to this “cultural phenomenon.” Now, I hasten to admit that I am VERY fond of Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, which contains much of the source material for the movie. I still have my copy of that book which I acquired in college (I think), when I was introduced to Shepherd’s work by a college buddy, who had heard him on the radio. I just don’t really care for the movie. As is true in many cases, I think the original stories are just a lot better when seen through one’s imagination than pictured for us in a movie. I confess that a good deal of the material in the movie IS from the book, and IS pretty accurately presented, but I still find the movie much less satisfying than what I see in my head when I read the original material. That’s probably because the book covers a number of years of “Ralphie’s” childhood, while the movie tries to cram all of the events into one. That many events just seem highly improbable and hard to believe for a single year, but as an adult’s reminiscences of Christmases past, it all seems much more plausible.
However, the material has become so well-known that it can lead to amusing (at least to me) adaptations.
Well, I’ve probably pushed this line of thinking as far as is necessary (possible?), so I’ll quit here and plan to return with more “normal” stuff in a couple of weeks.
LLAP
Dr. B
LLAP
Dr. B
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