I've been amazed that this is the first mention of Pearl Harbor Day I've seen/heard so far today. Not even a Google cartoon!

I shudder to think what a Google Pearl Harbor Day cartoon would look like. A burning and sinking Arizona ?

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I've been amazed that this is the first mention of Pearl Harbor Day I've seen/heard so far today.

I had to think twice when I noticed the flag at half mast at the fire house this morning.

Be proud of me. This morning I had my first mammogram ever. Yes at 51 a bit late, but I did it. Twas easy. My sister complains about ouchies, but it didn't bother me. Yes, pestering here made me do it finally. So there.

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Yes, pestering here made me do it finally. So there

EXCELLENT, Laura! I'm glad it went well for you. Now I need to get on my mom's ass about hers this year.

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Gift giving, sadly, has become something of a defensive maneuver. I tend to gift at will throughout the year, rather on the collective shopping days. But I feel obliged to reciprocate Christmas presents.

This is my plan, once I have disposable income. Only without the December ones, too. But I'm working hard toward being much less contstrained by social expectations, especially from my family, so not a judgement.

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When I have sent cards in the past I have had lovely religious ones for people that would appreciate them, Hannukah cards for my Jewish friends, funny cards for some people, etc. This year I was sending a photo card, so it is more generic. It isn't really about me, it's about what the recipient would enjoy.

My mother always has the big "Happy Birthday" banner up with her Christmas decorations. I pity the fool who asks who's birthday it is.

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I think it's the determined linking of the religious reason for celebrating to the commercialism of the "Christmas season" that's causing some boggle. I know from childhood the pulpit was always exhorting the congregation to *not* be so crassly commercial and to emphasize Christ's birth more than Santa Claus' evening of largesse. So, Christians are supposed to concentrate on Jesus, his mission to the people of earth, peace and goodwill, rather than Santa-gimme!, but heaven (or pantheon of your choice) forfend that the season itself, including the massive marketing campaign and commercial make-or-break time be referred to as anything other than linked to the religious symbol.

My family always tried to separate the Jesus celebration from the Santa orgy of gifts. And we've always always said "Happy Holidays" from Thanksgiving through New Year's. When I was working retail, I usually wished people, "Have good holidays!" just to break up the merry and happy a bit--that reaches cliche to the point of teeth-grinding after a while.

ION, we awoke this morning to the gentle sussurrus of running water. In the wall. Mom's toilet downstairs had malfunctioned, the "ball" part of the newfangled replacement for the cock and ball assembly had not reseated after she'd last flushed, and apparently water had been spraying against the tank lid all night. When the tank was full it began to drip, and the spray had been forceful enough to spray outside the tank lid and up the wall. She, of course, never knew a thing because she went to bed before the water became visible, and she couldn't hear it running.

I love my DH and want to marry him and have his babies--oh, wait. Anyhow, he found mop and bucket, declined my sincere offer of help, and went down to swab up all the water. He went into the basement to check on things, flipped on the light, which shorted out. The basement ceiling is dripping, and there's water on the floor. We're letting it dry out before investigating whether the water did damage the electrics, or just blew the bulb.

Now it's almost noon, and I have to go down as soon as she wakes and explain what happened to her, several times over, probably, and get her dressed for her podiatrist's appointment this afternoon.

Whee.

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My mother always has the big "Happy Birthday" banner up with her Christmas decorations. I pity the fool who asks who's birthday it is.

Bwah!

The church I grew up in would have a birthday party for Jesus at sunday school. Cake, hats, lots of fun. (He was born in the spring of course, but the Queen moves her's too.)

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Gris, I'd celebrate them all. Of course, I am not one to turn down a good party and good food.

And by boycotting Target for not displaying Christmas paraphanalia, the AFA is implying that "Happy Birthday Jesus" should be associated in the public eye with "Mama needs a new flatscreen TV." I don't think they've really thought it through.

Well, I think the issue in their eyes is, "You want our money, but you don't want to acknowledge why we're spending our money."

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My confusion was in the idea of Christmas even being *able* to become more commercialized in *any* way, b/c it already seems chock-full of commercialization,

I know. Instead of putting the Starbucks xmas decorations up the day after Halloween, they could put them up in August. Which, at least, woudl be more religiously accurate.

While a burning and sinking Arizona would not make for a cheery celebratory cartoon on Google, not having anything seems like a missed educational opportunity. Like those I've seen for Bastille Day or national fill in the blank day.

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Oh, Bev. Yuck. Having just been through a plumbing/water disaster, I sympathize.

I try to say "Enjoy your holidays," especially to people I don't know well (the chick at the back, salesclerks, the guy I get freelance work from), because that pretty much covers everything.

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