Baldur

The event was advertized in the local paper and on the Radio, but all the Santa events have been lightly attended this year.
Baldur thinks the threat of picking up the flu is influencing parents to keep
their children home.

marius

Ohhh - thank you! Bal (as in Balentine) dur will certainly not work with baulderdash! [note new spelling for baulderdash) Ahhh ... relief!

Had not thought of flu, but bet you are right. There seem to be hand-sanitizers EVERYWHERE this year. Went into a restaurant the other day and there was a container of that "towel-less" stuff inviting all to use it! Had never seen that before!

Baldur

Our supermarkets have sanitizing wipes at the corral for the shopping carriages so one can sanitize the handle of your carriage before touching it.

marius

Bal (as in Ballantine) dur, oh ... what relief to get it right ... we have the corral for sanitizing wipes at grocery stores too. Funny thing, one day I'm standing at checkout line and what should I see but a tiny toddler poking his finger in, then out, of the hole the wipes get pulled through. Then, picking his nose, then poking, picking and poking. So much for sanitation!

SmokeanShadow

Polenta I'm happy your husband enjoyed the christmas lights. I will leave one more that he may find moving at the end of this post.

I love the holidays. The anticipation and joy of it, even the hustle a bustle of shopping. This year though the feeling of it all in my community seems muted, and I'm not sure why.

I love christmas lights, but I have to agree that too much of even a good thing ruins the effect. You are right, Baldur the blow up decorations do look like trash bags strown around. lol. No, I love the twinkle and sparkle of the lights reflected off the snow, nothing garish mind you. Fashionable done and in good taste, to me it magically changes the landscape in such a beautiful way.

Marius I've taken my own had sanitizer with me for years and now after reading your story I'm so glad I do. Imagine reaching and "surprise" what you bring out!

Well I hope the evenig falls gently on you all. I have shopping to do, Ah the hustle and bustle!

Polenta here is the light show, it is from the same house. I hope you and your husband enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pZ_M9E8yCk&feature=related

SmokeanShadow

Here is the link to the house of lights.
http://www.holdman.com/christmas/

Dragon

I had never thought of the place where the shopping carts go as a corral before. It fits but it makes me think of wild shopping carts that need to be tamed and broken and must be held in a corral until they sufficiently domesticated for use by the general public. hehehe

Baldur

AHHH how tragic Santa was laid off today.
In the 4 hours I was there a grand total of 5 children came in.
There were very few customers of any sort so the owner thought it better to send the employees home and lock up for the day.

maddyjean08

Baldur, do you play the Santa? You know, I don't like Santa,or the thought of Santa. He is an icon for CHRISTmas. You know, it's not SANTAmas, it's CHRISTmas. It's not about Santa, my gosh, it's God the Son's birthday! Who came up with the idea that a fat guy sneaks into people's houses putting who-knows-what inside of them!!!!????

Baldur

Actually there was series of celebrations there, at that time of year, even centuries before the Christ was born.
Many of those traditions come from the one we know a bit about, it was called Saturnalia. Our knowledge of it comes from the Romans.
The Catholic church, slowly over the centuries of converting pagans to Christianity, borrowed these traditions and remade them into Christian ones.
It's very hard to take celebrations away from people, very easy to shift their focus.
Most historians believe that Jesus was born in the month of August, his birthday was moved to overwrite Saturnalia.

Don't pick on Santa.

Login

Quite right ... don't knock Saint Nicholas, who gave gifts to the poor. He is celebrated throughout the christian world.

puzzler

Baldur, I believe that I found out what you did to keep us entertained, when you were laid off today...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWWoMHmlbvI

maddyjean08

I'm not picking on him, but does anyone else find a fat guy creeping through your house is creepy? Seriously?

puzzler

Baldur, you gonna let maddy talk to you like that! Ho, Ho, Ho!

Baldur

maddy, I have fat guys creepy through my house all the time.
Your concept of creepiness obviously doesn't coincide with mine


Happy Birthday Puzzler

Baldur

The Bohemian Rhapsody video was amazing puzzler, Baldur isn't technologically advanced to the point where he can do such complex computer animation.

Dragon

I'd like to say that for me Christmas is about spending time with family and giving of yourself (that doesn't mean gifts). I'd never knock the Christian celebration of Christ but not all of us are Christian and for some of us it's about different things.

Baldur

-y +ing

Baldur was deChristianified several years back shortly after officially transferring to a new parish.
I was appointed to a committee which was promoting something I was not in agreement with. It became apparent to the Pastor that my believe base did not match the community and he wrote telling me I was being removed from the roster. I'm welcome to return if my views change.

puzzler

I'm with Dragon and Baldur here. Christmas to me means family, but presents too! I'm not religious and chose not to have any of my children christened, so they could chose for themselves when they grew up. As far as I know, they haven't chosen yet!

Baldur

Most of Baldur's family are not on sincerely cordial terms with me so the preferred holiday survival mode is to visit earlier in the week and beat a hasty retreat.
My daughter and exwife do come to dinner and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. The holiday itself is spent at home with Robert, and any friends that might drop in.
We may have a couple guests over for dinner at Chez Baldur, but not many.
It will certainly be more low key than Thanksgiving was.