a reading from the "book of plasma."

So the pertinent question of the day: "How many days until Christmas?" This is asked by my hazel eyed little man, who is of the ripe old age of seven. He is the absolute incarnate of Christmas wonder, his countdown begins in October and he waits with patience that would rival that of the saints in heaven above for December 1st. Why December 1st? Ahhh, well this is when he begins his own official countdown to what he considers the best holiday on the planet. Now my little man has two older siblings, both in middle school, one teetering the belief of the man in the red suit and one teen age sibling who has not believed in santa since the 4th grade. Now I would much rather wrap things and place them under the tree rather than stuff packages in every single unused crevice that I can find. Yet, the absolute amazement that this little guy brings to the holidays is amazing. His resounding joy for the holiday fills the house with his multiple choruses of jingle bells, Rudolph, frosty, and the 12 days of Christmas, he can be heard in the upstairs bathroom belting out the holiday top twenty at the top of his little lungs, leaving the rest of the house in fits of hysterical laughter. (he prefers this room due to the echo effect that the large room provides) The addition of the traditional chocolate filled advent calendar has added some interesting moments. For those not familiar with the advent calendar, it's a cardboard calendar with 24 little doors, behind each door is a small treat, this is to "countdown the days until the holiday." The one we have at home has small chocolates and on the door are a small bible reading. So, my little man takes his turn reading from the book of Psalms. He concludes this by saying "this is from the book of plasma."

Frosty, Jingle Bells, Rudolph, cookies, chocolate, trees, candy canes and now readings from the book of plasma....ahhh another christmas memory....thank you little man.

The ghosts of Christmas past.....

We are now a grand total of 15 days before Christmas. Now mind you the barrage of shopping reminders that fill of all the stores, ads on television, radio and internet (especially the annoying pop up variety.)
This year I can't but help think about this time last year, when I was discussing Christmas past with my cousin Chris. Through a few email correspondence and a few scanned email photos, there was a rather sweet article written about the hilarity of Christmas past. My grandparents, prior to retiring to the U.P.) used to have Christmas Day at their house on Anglin street in Detroit. About my Grandma's jello molds, the big tree lights that my grandpa used to put on the tree, (the type that should be on the outside of the house.) and how the four of us grand kids would unscrew the bulbs and rearrange them on the tree so the colors were all in sequence. We did it to drive grandpa crazy, he would have to mix them up again. How we would sit on the end of the bed and entertain each other by singing songs and putting on shows in the bedroom mirror. Unbeknownst to many, my cousin and I often chatted via email in regards to life and sports and the articles that he was writing. As I sit here writing this tonight it's with a sense of sadness and loss. By now some crazy holiday edition of "Understanding Ogryski" would have been published and I, like many of his faithful readers, know that there will not be one this Christmas. We lost him this year and let's be honest, 35 years on this corporeal plane isn't enough. I came across that last December article and had to laugh at the photo of he and his sister Heather at ages 2 and probably 9 months, as she had him in what we called the "headlock of love," and the photos of the four of us kids, sitting on the sofa in Detroit and then later at my aunt's house in Sterling Heights.
I have to say that I have missed my December conversations this year, the great debates on sporting events and on how kids should see the holidays. I miss the very intelligent journalist that wrote with wit and from the heart. So, dear bloggers, I would ask you to keep this in mind this holiday season. Take a look at those around you, the ones that you hold near and dear to your hearts, then take a look at those who absolutely drive you up the wall. Take a moment and be thank full for the lessons that each and everyone of them have to teach us all. Dear Cousin, thank you for all of your wonderful articles, the hilarious debates and tributes to sports and to family, and know that they are missed and so are you.

In loving memory of Christopher March 14th, 1975- January 28th, 2010.