Mixed Blessings

Merry Christmas to all!

Today we harken back about 2000 years to a manger filled with straw and a visit from three wise men to an infant illuminated by a single star. The Magi set out to see if the prophecies were fulfilled. At the meeting, they presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Now gold we can all understand and still use today.
Frankincense is also pretty obvious, I mean look at their surroundings.
“Here’s a little something to combat the eau de stable.”

But myrrh, does anyone know what this is? I’ve read that it is primitive embalming fluid, great thing to give to a baby, right? I’m wondering if it was the fruitcake of the day. The one guy was thinking, (use your best Yiddish accent)
“Oye Vey! Vhat if it turns out he’s not the savior?”
So he stopped off at the Dollar Tent and said to the others,
“I’m not taking any chances not giving a gift, but if it doesn’t work out, I’m only in for a buck.”

The proud parents were probably very polite upon accepting it but you just know they were thinking,
“What the Jesus, Mary and Joseph are we going to do with this?”
Mary’s wheels were already spinning,
“I’m saving this to give to Joe’s mom next Christmas.”

And so a second new holiday tradition, called re-gifting, was launched and that bottle of myrrh is still being passed around today. You’ll probably get it from the person you gave the fruitcake to last year.

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Christmas Day falls right in the middle Hannukah this year, does that make it a Blue Christmas? Speaking of, I can’t get that tune out of my head. I figure it may have something to do with Renee lying in a hospital bed while Cassidy rips through her presents that Santa left under the tree. Yes, Cassidy gets the best of both worlds. We celebrate both Christmas and Hannukah in our house. But this year things are much more subdued. It’s not necessarily the economy, hmmm, I wonder what it is?

While many of you were gathering with friends and family last evening and dining on such delicacies as pigs feet, the doctors orders for Renee were NPO. This somehow translates to nothing by mouth. No latkes, no Christmas pie, I wasn’t even allowed to slip her the gelatin from the pigs feet. (I wish I could see the faces of people who just went EE-YEW!) But our patient is taking it well.

A shout out goes to Renee’s Mom and Dad today as they celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary. They’ll be enjoying a fancy meal at The Manor this evening with candles, chamber music, tuxedoed waiters - and Renee’s 92 year old grandmother and brother Jeffery in tow, how romantic!

I have decided there are really only two songs I need to listen to on Christmas. The first is The Band’s ‘Christmas Must Be Tonight.’ The other is Robert Earle Keen’s ‘Christmas With The Family.’ Neither one gets the redundancy of Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby but together they capture the essence of Christmas - religion and reality.

Cassidy and I are off now to see Renee “in hospital.” We wish instead we were visiting with all of you.

From our home (and Baptist East Hospital) to yours we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!