Bloggin' around the Christmas Tree (oh yea, I went there)

I love Christmas time, and I'm not going to even attempt to say that it's for any original reasons. So here are some random thoughts on what makes Christmas the best time of the year...

For starters, let me mention the 3rd annual festive sweater party. A roaring success, I think it's safe to say that after year 3 this has become a staple of the holiday season. My winter break would quite simply not be the same without, so many thanks go out to Dennis and the entire Blanch family. Singing the classic Christmas songs on karaoke in a state of merry revelry in a room full of people dressed like 85-year old grandmothers is a unique feeling, I must say.

While we're on the topic of singing, my second notable Christmas-time event and a perennial all-star is the Campbell family Christmas Caroling/Christmas Dinner Combo party. The joy brought to the individuals in the nursing home, though great, is far surpassed by that felt by anyone who has had the pleasure to Carol with the Campbells in their holiday tradition. Singing is one of those things that is distinctly pleasurable ALL the time. Even when we hear something that doesn't please the ear, we can either make fun of it or critique it, two things most humans find enjoyable. And of course when it does sound good, the rewards need no explanation. I'm one of those people who can't get enough of the holiday classics in the month preceding December 25th. My personal favorite carol is "O Holy Night", which unfortunately went unsung in Campbell Carol Party 2008. If you haven't heard it or don't know the tune well, I would encourage you to listen asap. Both beautiful musically and incredibly powerful lyrically. Anyways, the caroling was awesome, and the grub back at their cozy Media home was as good going in the mouth as the Christmas jams were leaving it. The Meatball Sandwiches are a must and the brownies were spec-tac-u-lar. While we're on the subject of brownies...

I recently realized that I may have been underrating brownies as a dessert item. A moist brownie with some nilla i-keem may be the closest indicators to our taste buds of what heaven will be to our souls. They are absolutely outstanding, and the fact that every living being with estrogen makes it a point to be baking non-stop over the holiday season makes for an overabundance of brownies, cookies, cakes, and every other item chock full of sugary goodness. Just another reason I love the Christmas season...

Will be blogging more soon, but I definitely want to wish everyone a blessed Christmas. Although I definitely do not feel as close to my faith as I would like, it is during times like these that God's love seems more fathomable than ever. He is the reason for the season, and any good that exudes from me in spite of my struggles is from the waning, yet still radiant light of Him in my life.