Summing Up Christmas

I had been determined to eliminate as much stress as possible for the holidays. Here I am at the mid-point between Christmas and New Year's and so far so good, I suppose. It could have always been worse. Christmas is always a joyous occasion and this one was as well. As I had said before, stressful things seem to come your way even though you had done nothing to deserve it. At least nobody was maimed or beaten or starved to death......hehehe. Everyone was reasonably happy considering the monster looming over us. My wife's mom appears to have been on a downward curve moreso for the past week. Halucinations, delirium, bizarre comments...........stuff I am not particularly used to dealing with since the hours and hours I spent chatting on Paltalk.....hehehe. I try to make light of this situation, out of the need to retain some sort of buffer.....I cannot let it get to me. The picture is not getting rosey, that's for sure.

Christmas Eve was wonderful here at the Signtopia household. There is nothing better than the times when everyone in the immediate family gets together. Good food, good hugs, and more memories added to years of prior Christmases. That this is surely my wife's mom's last Christmas made it an even more memorable, albeit somewhat somber. Presents were exchanged, food was devoured, and all Christmas lights were still functioning. I didn't get to attend midnight mass this year...........we needed to be home to tend to my mother-in-law. One of the most memorable moments this year was when I called my relatives in Tennessee on Christmas Eve night. Our own celebrating had winded down and theirs was still going on. They had put me on speakerphone and the entire gang sang several Christmas carols to me. They all sounded so good.....I shall never forget it. While I did not get to hear the choir at Holy Rosary Church this year, I got treated to the voices of the Signtopia Tennessee Tabernacle Choir.....hehehe.

Christmas morning was peaceful and calm this year. The kids have all grown up, which means there was no screams at 4 A.M. of "Santa Came!". Also, no hours of time spent "assembling" toys. The mayhem this year would be at my daughter's home because she has children. She knows now what her mom and dad went through all those years.......but it's all good.

I smell a Super Bowl a comin'........and my unrespected Ravens will stun the nation. The powers that be in Batimore announced that they will name a street after Nancy Pelosi..........hehehe.....NOBODY will want to steal THAT sign.

I got a new camera for Christmas! Once I figure out how to work it, I will hopefully have better pictures on the blog for everyone to see.

And now...for the bigger picture.......

My wife, Nurse Ratchet, told me about a few of her patients in the emergency room. Two children, an eight year old and a four year old, had been left home alone. They messed around with the stove and the house caught fire. Christmas for them came to a cruel, senseless, inexcusable end. The kids were expected to be fine...they are fortunate to have survived. This kind of thing happens way too often.

Gee, I am a lucky guy....things could always be worse.