@nicolestglaneltd - Height is not a problem but that's ok. Mrs. Claus probably wouldn't let me hire you anyway. LOL.
@wolf41035 - We upgraded the sleigh and reindeer. Better stealth technology and armor on both and you don't want to be standing under Blitzen when she decides it time to drop a few little bombs.
I noticed the music comments above, I have to say my favorites are the records that I still play every year, Bing, Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Pavarotti, Elvis, and Chicago spin on my record player all month long. I have some digital files on a tablet but I much prefer the black vinyl and the clicks and pops of my record collection
Almost here, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and Christmas is on top of us! So who enjoys Christmas and who doesn't? Why do you enjoy it? Why do you not enjoy it? Open your hearts and be honest.
I enjoy it yet I hate it, I have lost a lot of family and friends and it is hard to go through most Holidays without them BUT I enjoy Christmas because some times I do get to see family and friends and that makes me happy. I love my family and friends, I love seeing them and hate when they are no longer here. I consider a lot of you on here as good friends now, Pipe smokers are a kind of family and friends thing and this is a good family/friend place.
Love you all, your like Brothers I never had and Sisters that I can get along with. LOL
It's been a roller coaster over the years but never hated Christmas. Loved it as a child, disillusioned as a young adult, Loved it when our children were young but it became too hectic when they got older. Love it now because its for the grandkids.
Watching grandkids open their presents Christmas morning makes it all worth while though as does wearing red and venturing out into the stores the week before Christmas. (see my earlier posted picture)
It is sad though when the entire family can't get together.
It is also sad when people forget the real meaning of Christmas.
Christmas should bring families together, it they should remember Christ was born and if they want to give gifts that is fine but it should never be about what you get and what you want unless you just want family to be together.
Have had a love hate relationship with Christmas for decades. Things are better now. So it is with much love that I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!!
The Yuletide has always been special to me. I have spent 2 away from home while in the service in Germany. 1st one kinda sad looking though the villagers windows at the scenes within, the 2nd one in Garmisch-Partenkirchin halfway up the Zugspitze at the Hotel Eibsee with a cute Austrailian tourist drinking mulled wine in the main bar. Goes to show that you shouldn't let things keep you down forever. My family was cut down when I was a kid with the death of my Dad in 1950 when I was 9 and my Sister in 52 in a traffic accident. Which left us a family of 2, we all have things go south on us, you have to rebuild with the tools you have.
It's that time of year again, when many Jews feel overwhelmed by the Christmas madness that surrounds us. Everywhere we've gone for the past couple of weeks it's been "Ho Ho Ho" and mistletoe, Santa and his reindeer, and images of baby Jesus cooing in the manger or nestled lovingly in Mary's arms. Let's face it, despite the fact that we live in a supposedly Judeo-Christian society, at this time of year, Chanukah or no, the "Judeo" part seems to get lost.
It's hard to escape Christmas. Department stores and supermarkets start decorating even before we have swallowed our last bit of Thanksgiving turkey. For weeks now we've shopped with "Jingle Bell Rock" and "the First Noel" playing in the background. And it's been nearly impossible to find a radio station that isn't playing Christmas music.
But I have a dirty little secret to share with you. I like Christmas music! Come on -- who among us hasn't sung along to "Silent Night" or "O Come All ye Faithful?" They're beautiful tunes!
When I was growing up it was easy to be Jewish, because so many of the kids in my elementary school were Jewish. I remember the houses on our street that were decorated with Christmas lights, and my father driving us through Nela Park, where the most elaborate lights in Cleveland were on display. The Christmas lights weren't ours, but we were allowed to appreciate their beauty.
There were a couple of kids at my elementary school who would boast about the great presents they were going to get for Christmas, but we didn't need new math to calculate that 8 nights of Chanukah were far superior to one morning of Christmas. In short, I felt comfortable being Jewish, and did not suffer at all from "Christmas envy."
When I got to junior high, I met kids from other parts of town, more of whom were not Jewish. We were aware of our religious differences, but we respected each other's beliefs, and enjoyed each other's holidays. One of my of my close buddies was a Catholic, and on a few Christmas eves I attended midnight mass -- a really lovely ceremony with candles and handbells and gorgeous singing and organ music. It felt very special being with a close friend and his family at a time of year that was important to them. I also thought it was cool to be the only person in the church not having to kneel.
So what changed for me? I encountered deep dish anti-Semitism in 10th grade when my parents' misguided hope that I would go to a better college if they enrolled me in a private high school led them to put me in University School for Boys, where the presumption of Christianity was overwhelming: we began every day in chapel, praying to Jesus. And it wasn't just the presumption that everyone was a Christian. It was the denial that there can be any other belief. Or that the Jews just might not have killed Jesus. I remember one teacher lecturing me, "How could anyone possibly reject Jesus? What's wrong with you?" Sure, I became a little bit defensive around Christmas time after that, and for several years I tried to tune out Christmas entirely.
Despite everything that has been going on (for decades) Jews and Judaism have become more acceptable in the American public's consciousness. This has made it easier for us to celebrate our holy days and still share the lights and music of our Christian friends. They're not our lights, it's not our music, but we can still appreciate their beauty. We can enjoy the lights and decorations of Christmas, we can even hum along with the music and still be Jews. We can enjoy the sharing and caring of the season, without losing our Jewish identity.
At this time of year we should be more mindful of what unites us, and not what separates us. After all, Jews and Christians share a common heritage -- a fact that is too often forgotten, which is one of the great tragedies of the past 2,000 years.
To all my Christian friends, I hope you have a blessed Christmas season.
Take the good out of all Holidays and religions and leave the bad. We only have on life be good to one another and enjoy it. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Belated Happy Hanukah and what ever else one might observe enjoy.
@RockyMountainBriar As I reminded one of my helpers, there is not an actual Naughty List. I have a Nice list and a list of those who need to work on being better. In my opinion, when I am visiting with a child and a parent makes a comment about the child being on the naughty list, it's because the parent is not leading by example.
Comments
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
When all through the shop
Pipes were a’glowing
Tobacco smoldered and popped
Smoke hung o’erhead
Amidst the now-empty shelves
At last, time for bed
For the hard-working elves
Down for the night,
And the last bowl is out.
A noise on the roof
St. Nick on his route.
I heard him exclaim
As he flew out of sight:
“Merry Christmas to all
Keep those pipes ‘alight.’
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I should be here for both Holidays but just in case here it is.
So who enjoys Christmas and who doesn't?
Why do you enjoy it?
Why do you not enjoy it?
Open your hearts and be honest.
I enjoy it yet I hate it, I have lost a lot of family and friends and it is hard to go through most Holidays without them BUT I enjoy Christmas because some times I do get to see family and friends and that makes me happy. I love my family and friends, I love seeing them and hate when they are no longer here. I consider a lot of you on here as good friends now, Pipe smokers are a kind of family and friends thing and this is a good family/friend place.
Love you all, your like Brothers I never had and Sisters that I can get along with. LOL
PANETTONE AND A CLOUD OF SMOKE
A TRADITION OF MILAN
https://www.alpascia.com/moments/en/detail/36/panettone-and-a-cloud-of-smokeIt's that time of year again, when many Jews feel overwhelmed by the Christmas madness that surrounds us. Everywhere we've gone for the past couple of weeks it's been "Ho Ho Ho" and mistletoe, Santa and his reindeer, and images of baby Jesus cooing in the manger or nestled lovingly in Mary's arms. Let's face it, despite the fact that we live in a supposedly Judeo-Christian society, at this time of year, Chanukah or no, the "Judeo" part seems to get lost.
It's hard to escape Christmas. Department stores and supermarkets start decorating even before we have swallowed our last bit of Thanksgiving turkey. For weeks now we've shopped with "Jingle Bell Rock" and "the First Noel" playing in the background. And it's been nearly impossible to find a radio station that isn't playing Christmas music.
But I have a dirty little secret to share with you. I like Christmas music! Come on -- who among us hasn't sung along to "Silent Night" or "O Come All ye Faithful?" They're beautiful tunes!
When I was growing up it was easy to be Jewish, because so many of the kids in my elementary school were Jewish. I remember the houses on our street that were decorated with Christmas lights, and my father driving us through Nela Park, where the most elaborate lights in Cleveland were on display. The Christmas lights weren't ours, but we were allowed to appreciate their beauty.
There were a couple of kids at my elementary school who would boast about the great presents they were going to get for Christmas, but we didn't need new math to calculate that 8 nights of Chanukah were far superior to one morning of Christmas. In short, I felt comfortable being Jewish, and did not suffer at all from "Christmas envy."
When I got to junior high, I met kids from other parts of town, more of whom were not Jewish. We were aware of our religious differences, but we respected each other's beliefs, and enjoyed each other's holidays. One of my of my close buddies was a Catholic, and on a few Christmas eves I attended midnight mass -- a really lovely ceremony with candles and handbells and gorgeous singing and organ music. It felt very special being with a close friend and his family at a time of year that was important to them. I also thought it was cool to be the only person in the church not having to kneel.
So what changed for me? I encountered deep dish anti-Semitism in 10th grade when my parents' misguided hope that I would go to a better college if they enrolled me in a private high school led them to put me in University School for Boys, where the presumption of Christianity was overwhelming: we began every day in chapel, praying to Jesus. And it wasn't just the presumption that everyone was a Christian. It was the denial that there can be any other belief. Or that the Jews just might not have killed Jesus. I remember one teacher lecturing me, "How could anyone possibly reject Jesus? What's wrong with you?" Sure, I became a little bit defensive around Christmas time after that, and for several years I tried to tune out Christmas entirely.
Despite everything that has been going on (for decades) Jews and Judaism have become more acceptable in the American public's consciousness. This has made it easier for us to celebrate our holy days and still share the lights and music of our Christian friends. They're not our lights, it's not our music, but we can still appreciate their beauty. We can enjoy the lights and decorations of Christmas, we can even hum along with the music and still be Jews. We can enjoy the sharing and caring of the season, without losing our Jewish identity.
At this time of year we should be more mindful of what unites us, and not what separates us. After all, Jews and Christians share a common heritage -- a fact that is too often forgotten, which is one of the great tragedies of the past 2,000 years.
To all my Christian friends, I hope you have a blessed Christmas season.
That was beautiful, brother!
Mine is "Made In Ireland" which helped me narrow down the silver mark as it was well worn to 1949
SORRY, DOUBLE POST.....
Buon Natalie!
As I reminded one of my helpers, there is not an actual Naughty List. I have a Nice list and a list of those who need to work on being better.
In my opinion, when I am visiting with a child and a parent makes a comment about the child being on the naughty list, it's because the parent is not leading by example.
That is a truth that is profound and timeless. Well stated.
BRILLIANT! That could be the most profound statement I have heard in a very long time.