Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas
We had our Christmas eve party and it went pretty well--considering I was sick and out of it the day before. The only thing we missed was telling the Christmas story that night. The Beamers left after the party but Grandmom and Pop Pop spent the night and were here for Christmas morning. We opened presents and had a nice breakfast and then played and put things together. We went to the Crowe's house for dinner and it was wonderful. We played the "thimble" game for the first time (well, first for me and the kids)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
This is for you Josh
The Net Before Christmas
The Net Before Christmas by Jim Trudeau & Jay Trudeau (1991)(With apologies to Clement C. Moore)
The Net Before Christmas by Jim Trudeau & Jay Trudeau (1991)(With apologies to Clement C. Moore)
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nets Not a mousie was stirring, not even the pets. The floppies were stacked by the modem with care In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. The files were nestled all snug in a folder The screen saver turned on, the weather was colder.
And leaving the keyboard along with my mouse I turned from the screen to the rest of the house. When up from the drive there arose such a clatter I turned to the screen to see what was the matter. Away to the mouse I flew like a flash, Zoomed open a window in fear of a crash...
The glow from the screen on the keyboard below Gave an electronic luster to all my macros. When what to my wondering eyes should appear But a little sleigh icon with eight tiny reindeer And a tiny disk driver so SCSI and quick I knew in a nano it must be Saint Nick.
More rapid than trackballs his cursors they came, He whistled and shouted and faxed them by name. "Now Flasher! Now Dasher! Now Raster and Bixel! On Phosphor! On Photon! On Baudrate and Pixel! To the top of the stack. To the top of the heap." Then each little reindeer made a soft beep.
As data that before the wild electrons fly, When they meet with a node, mount to the drive, So up to the screentop the cursors they flew With a sleigh full of disks and databits, too. And then in a twinkling I heard the high whine Of a modem connecting at a baud rate so fine.
As I gazed at the screen with a puzzling frown St. Nicholas logged on though I thought I was down. He was dressed all in bytes from header to footer And the words on the screen said "Don't you reboot 'er." A bundle of bits he had flung on his back And he looked like a programmer starting his hack.
His eyes how they glazed, his hair was so scary, His cola was jolt, not flavored with cherry. His droll little mouth was drawn up like a GIF And the pixels of his beard sure gave me a lift. The stump of a routine he held tight in his code And I knew he had made it past the last node.
He spoke not a word but looked right at me And I saw in a flash his file was .SEA. He self-decompressed and I watched him unfold, Into a jolly old elf, a sight to behold. And the whispering sound of my hard drive's head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He went straight to his work without saying a word And filled all the folders of this happy nerd. And 'tis the whole truth, as the story is told, That giving a nod up the window he scrolled, He sprang to the serial port as if truly on fire And away they all flew down the thin copper wire.
But I heard him exclaim as he scrolled out of sight "Happy Christmas to All, and to all a good night."
Teach the Children
Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired but content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn't help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn't long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.
I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes.
"Santa, what's wrong?" I asked, "Why are you crying?"
"It's the children," Santa replied sadly.
"But Santa, the children love you," I said.
"Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children."
"Teach them what?" I asked.
Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent."
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him."
"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." "He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift."
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep."
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's foot steps...to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see."
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane is in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
"Teach these things to the children."
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children."
I asked, "But where does that leave you, Santa?"
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why bless you, my dear," he laughed, "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten."
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
"That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you don't teach the children these things, then who will?"
(Author Unknown)
I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes.
"Santa, what's wrong?" I asked, "Why are you crying?"
"It's the children," Santa replied sadly.
"But Santa, the children love you," I said.
"Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children."
"Teach them what?" I asked.
Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent."
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him."
"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." "He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift."
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep."
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's foot steps...to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see."
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane is in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
"Teach these things to the children."
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children."
I asked, "But where does that leave you, Santa?"
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why bless you, my dear," he laughed, "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten."
"I think I'm beginning to understand."
"That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you don't teach the children these things, then who will?"
(Author Unknown)
Symbols of Christmas
And Santa whispered, "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas…"
-The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.
-The Color Red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all.
-The Fir Tree: Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.
-The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.
-The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.
-The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
-The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.
-The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love… having no end.
-The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.
-The Color Red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all.
-The Fir Tree: Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.
-The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.
-The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.
-The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
-The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.
-The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love… having no end.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Time
As I enter the kitchen and smell the remains of dinner (which included onions) still in the sink, I wonder "what did I do all night?". Then I recall playing hide-and-seek with Abby, helping Amber Lee wrap the presents she bought for her brother and sister, cleaning up a nasty potty-training accident, and watching Lost with Josh. And I'm O.K. with that.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hawaii
we hiked to a waterfall and it was beautiful!
Dinner on Tuesday, we went to a restraunt with co-worker/friends--awesome view.
We arrived! I was so happy to be off the plane :)
We arrived! I was so happy to be off the plane :)
What the What?
I've decided that I'm all but computer illiterate. I can't seen to remember how to post pictures or at least get to be less than a two hour process, so I've not done it. I'm locked out of me old blog, so I can't update that one and I keep forgetting my passwords or they don't work on a regular basis or something!
I'm rather frustrated with the whole thing, maybe it's just not for me.
I'm rather frustrated with the whole thing, maybe it's just not for me.
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