Christmas Season in the Northeast

The last time I can remember it happening was about 25 years ago. I was about 7, and it was almost time for bed it the little town of Nazareth. It was a cold Winter's night and my dad had lit a fire in our black, cast iron, wood burning stove. I remember this night because we had just finished eating a few chestnuts which we cooked atop the stove. It was at that moment that I heard the announcement, "There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the Lehigh Valley with snow accumulations expected to exceed 6 inches overnight. Stay tuned to the morning news for school closings..." I remember going to bed with a certain excitement about myself, I had a smile on my face and knew that it would take some time to fall asleep, for the prospect of the first snow fall was in the air (along with the notion of a day off from school).






Last night I went to bed with that same energetic buzz! Granted - instead of smoke from the wood burning stove, the smell of a burnt out electric mixer was in the air (the motor couldn't handle mixing all of the cookie batter and I accidentally blew it out when the dough was too thick). And instead of being nestled all snug in my bed as a child, my feet were now sticking out of the end of my mom's spare Twin. And instead of sugarplums, there were very different visions dancing in my head. Nevertheless, I fell asleep hoping it would snow, and when I woke up for a glass of water in the middle of the night, I had to sneak a peak downstairs to see what it was like outside...





When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but tiny little snowflakes from both far and anear. The Rte. 22 Highway lights on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave a luster of midday to the objects below. This morning I woke up and like a school boy who just heard on the radio "Nazareth Area High School - CLASSES CANCELLED!", I was suprised to see snow on the ground. It was my first real snowfall in a year and it was nice!



Now while the holiday season can be filled with joy and peace, not before long does it become apparent that the holly plant has the sharpest leaves of any if its parasitic predecessors. Put simply - this season can suck balls! Three weeks ago, in Hawaii, shopping at the grocery store for some last minute Thanksgiving trimmings, I heard that annoying high pitched Salvation Army bell. What's worse, the 500 pound Samoan blocked the entrance to the store, so in essence you had to "pay the toll" to get past him and enter the store.

This past week my Christmas Cookies burnt...








...my rental car was all but smashed in when an anxious Walmart shopper was anxious to pull in a spot not 2 spots away from a vacant lot.

My friend Barbara Delia had her debit card stolen in Philadelphia and because the thief charged several hundred dollars at the local CVS before the bank stopped the card, she won't have her money back until the paperwork from the bank gets processed in several weeks, causing her to be unable to buy the holiday gifts she wanted for her friends and family.

Many will be alone this Christmas as every piano key from radio Christmas Carols cause tear after tear of regret to drop from their eyes.

Many have deteriorating health, or have friends or family with medical problems. They wonder if they'll make it to see next Christmas, or even next year.

Many are poor, or homeless without so much as a roof over their heads. And when their Christmas snow falls, it falls on the box or blanket that they live in.

So when I find that the Grinch appears and wants to steal my Christmas spirit, I do one of two things. First, I stop and take a moment to realize how grateful I am for all of my blessings. That I have the friends around me, and not just the 196 friends that I accumulated on Facebook in the last mere 72 hours, real friends like Jan & Victor that are there for me if I need them. I have my family that cares about me - my sister Kelly, Mike, Kiera, Ryan, and my mom (though she can drive me nuts, I love her dearly). While I know many that are overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany in war zones or treatment areas, I can trust in God and trust that my prayers, cards and packages will greet them with a smile and in some way help to keep them a little safer. While I have fears of my future, concerns about the present, and occasionally regrets from my past, I trust that God has a plan and that we must remember the true meaning of Christmas, remembering Christ's birth in a manger in the quiet town of Nazareth, not more than 2 miles from where I write (well, you know).

If none of these things can comfort me, then I do the next best thing:
GET A PHILLY CHEESE STEAK FROM PAT's OR GINO'S FAMOUS STEAKS!!!!









As Christmas Day approaches with more anticipation that the Season 5 Premiere of LOST on Wed Jan 21st on ABC, I leave everyone with a few Christmas tips...

1. If you see Absolut Los Angeles Vodka and think it might be good, it's not, it sucks.




2. If you want a festive holiday cocktail for your party - do 'Three Olives' Pomegranite Vodka, with a splash of Pomegranite Liquor and Limited Edition Diet Pomegranite 7up. It takes great and you can make up some fun festive name for it if you're creative enough.

3. Don't cook your cookies on the bottom rack in the oven and if you've been cooking all day, remember: your oven might be hotter than 350 degrees if it's an old one.

4. Be friendly and kind to others, especially those less fortunate.

5. Don't get stressed! So if you receive a Christmas Card from someone that you didn't send a card to yourself, don't fret, just be grateful and thank them the next time you see them. Chances are you won't need to worry about the problem happening next year.

6. Don't buy Baileys for ANYONE as a gift - it's so 5 years ago. Let someone try something new, or give a nice bottle of Sparkling Wine instead. (Maybe my sister will post a few suggestions for us in the comments)

7. Brazilian Acai is the new Pomegranite!

8. RJ's Birthday is Friday. I'll be 33.

9. Say a prayer or make a toast that includes our troops overseas.

10. To save time, do your holiday shopping on-line (I did ALL mine on-line this year). You can even go to www.hallmark.com and personalize greeting cards with your own message for .99 cents and have them delivered to your door in 3 days! Use the website www.goodshop.com and you can donate money to troops overseas AND shop at all your major stores at the same time!

and finally, don't lose sight of the true spirit of Christmas. Start a new holiday tradition this year that doesn't involve money - my family stopped stocking stuffers and instead, we each write down things we are grateful for with one another and put those in our stockings and read them on Christmas morning! Be kind to others, even those that have wronged you. (Yes Jan and Victor, I'll probably contact and see my father at some point, because its the right thing to do). Spend time with your family (tomorrow I'm taking my mom to lunch in Philly with Barbara Delia and taking them to the Philadelphia Orchestra for their holiday show). And remember, when all else fails, comfort food!!!!!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!