Christmas 2010

I have not fully made the transition to the digital age; I still send Christmas letters. When I was working through the cards this year, I realized that my address book is hopelessly out of date. This post is for those of you that somehow have drifted out of my life due to my neglect in keeping up with the most important part of life, the people that enrich it. If you are one of the lost threads of my life, please leave a comment and let me know how you are doing.

Christmas, 2010

I have always loved Christmas. Over the years, we have had grand Christmases and modest ones but every one had a sparkle all its own. The holiday reflects where we are in our lives and yet still grants that indefinable quality of grace, grandeur and simplicity blended so that it is simultaneously a great public event and a private celebration.

This Christmas has been an unusual one. At this moment, we both have jobs that we enjoy, our children seem to be happy in their marriages and the dog is finally adjusted to living in a new place. Like any new/old home, things began falling off the house the minute we bought it but since that is a historical pattern for us, it is nothing new. For once, my house is clean, my presents are wrapped, work is under control and it is still four days until Christmas.

I realize as I write this how fortunate we are. Many people have had a pretty rough year. Jobs have been pretty iffy, most of us are old enough that health issues and the loss of love ones is no longer a distant possibility but a present reality. This year it may be a little hard to find the merry in Christmas.

I understand and sympathize with this. Earlier this year, things were not looking too good for my career before things fell into place. We were just fortunate that events worked out by Christmas, something that does not always happen. If the Ghost of Christmas Past were to drop by for an outing there would be holidays dimmed by unemployment, personal loss, near homelessness and just general malaise. I am grateful for all of these experiences.

Christmas did not begin in grand style but in a manger with a family who either forgot to call their travel agent or were too broke to plan ahead. Yet it turned out alright, choirs of angels, some interesting, if not so practical gifts, and the ultimate Christmas decoration. I think Christmas is supposed to be bumpy; there is the Christ of the manger, the Christ of the three kings, and the Christ of the angels. Christmas is simple, humble and cosmically grand. So if you want a blow out Christmas, go for it, complete with choirs and kingly gifts. If the simplicity of the manger speaks to you this year, then enjoy a merry little Christmas, lunch with a friend and some hot cocoa with a good book. There is room in your heart at Christmas for all parts of the experience. This is the mystical part of Christmas; Christ will always meet you where you are, not where you think you should be. I hope your Christmas is sparkling and comforting, frantic and peaceful, and that you enjoy every minute of the gift of your life this season.

What I really want for Christmas -Star Trek Doors

I am so impressed this.  An engineer named Marc built a working automatic door like the ones in Star Trek complete with swooshing sound.  I love it! Now if he could just work out that replicator thing.

You can view a view of the door at this link.

Star Trek Door

There is an extended video of the door with more details at

Star Trek Door Extended Version

You can also read about this project on Marc's blog at http://uiproductions.blogspot.com/.

Don't you need one for every room of your house?