A Plethora of Odds and Ends, This and That, and the Other too.

Taken from our front porch.

We served 26 this year with only one of our clan who came later due to a job conflict. We certainly did enjoy our time of family, feasting, and fellowship. I hope everyone did the same. It is Friday, November 29, 2019, and we are currently dealing with a somewhat rare event, the invasion of the fall leaf drop. There's a current long article running on the Houston Chronicle website detailing how conditions all lined up to give us the remarkable fall colors we have this year. The wife likes to keep our accumulation under control, therefore, we pursue a combination of raking, bagging, and mowing to try and keep it under some semblance of control. I typically throw into the mix how it is mostly a waste of time and effort since the leaves are still plentiful and the wind is still blowing. The wife informs me that keeping it done little by little is better than trying to deal with the leaves when they are really deep. Those people reporting in the Chronicle article all have many letters after their names. I don't. She doesn't either but she does come from a family that believes a clean yard says something about something. That trumps my uninformed opinion. We were out there raking and mowing at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. We did get it done, however, there's still plenty that have not turned loose yet and the wind is still blowing. That's my eyewitness report on the subject for now. Stay tuned for more as we continue our pursuit.

You just had to know this one was coming. A recent study of adults in the UK and the US showed some 27% of those asked would prefer Santa Claus to be female or gender-neutral. Many in the UK protested in the comments section that in their celebration he is called Father Christmas for a reason. Others pointed out that while the portrayal may be mythological, it is based on a real person, Saint Nicholas. I have read several reports from fellow Santas who report they now are very restricted in what they can and can't say in the places where they work. They have to use gender-neutral language and stay away from anything religious or political. It's in their contract. One report I read spoke about a Santa being fired when he answered a question from a young visitor. The kid asked Santa if Hillary Clinton was on the nice or the naughty list. The Santa thought about it for a few seconds and jokingly responded that she was on the naughty list. The mother of the child heard the response, reported the Santa, and he was relieved of his duties on the spot. As Granny Mac used to say, "What in this world is this world coming to?" For those who might think I take being Santa lightly, I assure you of my commitment to do my best, with God's help, to always love and respect the children and work with them in as honorable way as possible. As for all these politically correct rules, well, I'm not sure, will have to wait and see, but, I do know I don't have to be Santa if it were to ever come to that.

We need to enjoy today, tomorrow, and Sunday, because starting next week it will be Santa and Mrs. Claus on the front burner all the way up to and through the weekend before Christmas. I think we have 17 events to do in December and we may do more by opening up our home a few times for folks to come and take photos. We are not gluttons for punishment, the schedule just worked out this way. We are so thankful we continue to be able to do this demanding work. We do not take that for granted. We know this could change at any time at our age. I am acquainted with a wonderful Santa who has had a very active Christmas career. He is a decorated war veteran, a retired police officer where he most recently served as a detective for the Los Angeles Police Department. He has a great Santa look and loves working with children. Recently, his doctor noticed a spot on an x-ray and that led to tests and more tests. He is currently doing his best to keep his Santa commitments while undergoing chemo. He went from being totally able to having an uncertain future seemingly without warning. Never take your health and well being for granted. Have a great Black Friday, a wonderful Saturday, and a blessed Lord's Day Sunday. I'll do my best to break off practicing my ho-ho-ho-ing long enough to catch back up come next Monday, Lord, willing. Amen. ....More later.