Tag: Christmas

The reason for the season.

Cross on Graveyard Point on Lake Travis.
Cross on Graveyard Point on Lake Travis.

We went for another sail yesterday.  It was a beautiful, mild day.  I took this shot as we were leaving our marina’s cove.  It’s a giant cross out in the middle of nowhere on Graveyard Point.  It’s at least 15′ tall and made out of steel beams that appeared out of the blue one day a year or two ago.  No small feat for whoever put it up overnight.  The guys at the marina like to refer to it as the “immaculate erection.”  heh heh.

Anyway, it’s hard for me to sail past it without thinking of Him.  I thought it was appropriate to post this pic today, on Christmas Eve.  A reminder of what it’s supposed to be about.

Have a Merry Christmas with the ones you love!!

1224121
Oh. And the OTHER reason for the season 😀

Christmas Eve-eve!

We're ready!
We’re ready!

I was up early this morning padding around the house.  We usually leave the little white Christmas lights on at night.   I have always loved to stare at the glow of Christmas lights at night.

I remember doing that when I was a kid.  We always had an artificial tree.  The same one that we took with us every time we moved.  With the big glass bulb colored lights.  You know… the kind that would burn your finger if you touched them after having been lit for an hour or so.  It’s amazing more homes didn’t burn down back then.

I remember sitting watching the tree lights that decorated my little trees over the years in my dorm or apartment.  Somehow I remember those trees being extra pretty during my “on my own” college years.

This morning as I walked down the hall I stopped to admire this year’s glow.  So pretty.  I just had to snap a shot, too.

 

Down at the Armadillo.

Inside Palmer Events Center.
Inside Palmer Events Center.

‘Tis the season for the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar!!  This is the 37th year of the Bazaar.  If you go, you can find local artists showing and selling their wares (over 150 artists this year), live music on a stage in the center of the hall, and food/drinks to fortify you as you make the rounds.  If you are anywhere near Austin between now and Christmas Eve, check it out.

While I was there tonight, Marcia Ball and Kimmie Rhodes shared the stage from 8-10pm – great music!  Here’s the obligatory shot from the floor…

Marcia Ball & Kimmie Rhodes.
Marcia Ball & Kimmie Rhodes.

 

And….voila!

This year's tree.
This year’s tree.

I felt like playing around a bit, so I created an animated gif to capture the transformation of this year’s Christmas tree from bare to decorated to twinkling.

To make the animated GIF, I used the web-based tool Picasion.com.  Note: before I created the gif, I reduced the size of the original images down to the size I wanted (i used the width of my wordpress theme as the target image width).  Then I created the gif w/ Picasion.

Gather round and be merry.

We went to Laura and Arnie’s Christmas party tonight.  It’s become a tradition, and a most fun one at that.  Everyone ends up gathered around the piano belting out Christmas songs.  Some scenes from the evening:

The setting.
The director.
The script.
The script.
1215121
The actors.

Dec 7, 2010

The reason for the season.

I’m getting a slow start to Christmas decorations this year.  Tonight I hung the stockings by the fireplace with care.   I also set up my very small nativity display that I have been carrying around from place to place for probably about 20 years.

When I was little I remember looking forward to doing this every year with our family’s manger set.   Unpacking the figurines – each year they seemed to have a few more nicks and cracks.  Putting the fake straw and snow in the manger.  Putting the 3 kings on one side.  Putting the shepherds and animals on the other.   Baby Jesus under the light.

I don’t know when (or if) we’ll get around to putting up a tree, or lights on the outside of the house this year.  But at least, as of now, we are officially decorated for Christmas.  🙂