after-christmas fudge and pumpkin pie for breakfast.

I actually like the days right after Christmas best. All the frenzied shopping, wrapping, baking, programs and to-doing is over. I can just kick back and hang in all my pajama glory and bed-headed-ness.

Each Christmas is different and I have long ago given up any kind of expectations attached to the season.

What made this year wonderfully unique:

*Most of my shopping was done online (thanks, Megs!)
*The MoTab Christmas concert with Jioanny
*Celebrating pre-Christmas at Texas Roadhouse with 2 of my brothers and their wives. Good to be with them all but I miss our old Arnett Christmas Eves.
*Churchin' with our little Arnold family to hear Kenzie and Cate sing in Sac mtg. Nothing like seeing your 4 year old grandchild wave and blow kisses while singing "When Joseph went to Bethlehem".
*Christmas eve with Janny and Jiao. Great Asian cuisine. Ld posted a pic of Jiao's mashed potato and broccoli Christmas tree on Instagram if you recall. Her carved carrot star was amazing. There is no end to her talents. She is a fiercely competitive Scrabble player, too.
*Oh, and ld and I had to talk in Sac meeting on the 16th. I was pretty bummed about this because my computer totally kaputed on me. You try writing a talk on your ipad. Grrr. But Ld, merry Santa that he is, gave me a new laptop for Christmas and now I can surf, research, blog more and write more talks! hehehe.

Yesterday Ld and I braved the snow and went to see two movies. That, coupled with the usual after-christmas reflection, has me working my thoughts.

Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis. Go see, go see. Had me thinking all night about leadership and history and our republic. And in a crazy bit of serendipity I came across this last night. Not about the 13th amendment and Lincoln at all but rather about 20th century changes.

http://rap.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/George-Will-lecture-text.pdf

This is a fantastic presentation. It was shown first on C-span but I think reading the transcript gives more power to his words.

This speech by George F. Will. The Lincoln movie. They intersect in my mind. Come prepared to Sunday-dinner discuss.

Oh, and we also saw the Hobbit. Another post for another day, but let's just say I have been googling "Dwarf Rune" all morning.

vintagely counting down

I started making these last year for the grandies but with all the trauma surrounding Meghan and Emerson, not to mention planning a wedding, well, it had to be put on hold.

Finally delivered Cate and Maddie's on Saturday. (Faye and Emer: Grandma is stitching frantically, hoping to get yours mailed in a day or two).

These advent calendars are based on the one I had as a child. My Grandma Rose Clifford gave me one, it was a hot selling item at her annual Relief Society Bazaar. I had eyed it longingly and she put one aside for me.