Merry Christmas?

We do hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas. As for us, it was... different.

Over the years, we've lamented the secularization and commercialization of what should be one of the least materialistic times of the year. Even the churches haven't been able to resist including Santa Claus in the festivities.

Until this year.

Without going into specifics, it was quite refreshing to attend a Christmas celebration that was actually a Christmas celebration. No Santa Claus to be found anywhere. Very uplifting.

(To be fair, there was a church party for the kids a few days before and it did include SC. Then there was The Old Sarge's encounter with The Bearded One where he asked how much the old guy wanted for his "list of naughty girls". Some people are incorrigible.)

Our own absence from here was occasioned by a confluence of many factors, travel and some illness being among them. But things are back to some semblance of normalcy now.