Thoughts on a Tuesday

Ruthie started waving last week(the 13th of December, officially). It was so exciting. She does it more sparingly this week, but sometimes when she's playing she'll wave both arms, like she's practicing. She's also walking more steadily behind her little bike/walker thingy. It won't be long before she will officially be a biped. Just now I laid her down for her nap and I heard her talking to herself and so I peeked in to see what she was up to. She was romping around in her crib, sitting on her head with her booty up in the air, rolling around, looking in the little mirror at herself, all the while "talking" to herself. It was delightful to watch.

I hope yule enjoy this!

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny then a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny then
God bless you
God bless you, gentleman, God bless you
If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you.

That is some old Christmas nursery rhyme that just came to mind. It makes me think of Dicken's Christmas Carol, which I am reading to Jay, starting last night. I started reading and Jay said, " Dickens was from where?" ( I was thinking "he really is dumb"). So I said " England, " and he said, " Then I'm gonna need you to read that in an English accent." Just when you think you know someone. So I am sharpening me lovely accent while starting a Christmas tradition of enjoying classic Christmas literature. ( I recommend O'Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi", and Tolstoy's short story " Where Love Is, There God is Also." I also love T.S. Eliot's poem, Journey of the Magi. I may try to post it here.)

O come, O come Inflatable

I have noticed this month the proliferation of inflatable Christmas lawn ornaments. No longer are people content with the huge plastic candles or manger scenes, the push is on for larger than life inflatable Frostys and Santas. At night they glow and wiggle as the continuous air flow keeps them upright in all their garish glory. During the day if you happen to drive by you'll see a bright puddle of nylon where Frosty frolicked the night before. Don't worry, Frosty has not headed home to colder climates, his air supply will return at dusk and he and Santa will reappear to brighten your heart again. A new addition to the inflatables that I noticed at Wal-Mart back in the summer (thank you, dear Wal-Mart) is a huge snow globe with Santa and a reindeer or two inside, and yes, it really snows inside the globe. Wonder of wonders. It seems the days of simple twinkle lights and wreaths are gone. This comment is in fact, a lament. I love driving around at Christmas to see the lights, but I have never liked the huge lawn ornaments, with the possible exception of the little reindeer outlined in white lights. The verdict is out on those creatures. They are low key and tasteful in most cases. But the inflatables make me shake my head and long for the days when life was simple and all people displayed in their yards was the American flag or a bird bath. There is always hope, however; maybe the little boy next door will get a BB gun for Christmas (you'll shoot your eye out) and accidentally use Frosty as a target.