PRE-CHRISTMAS PREPS, ETC.....

It is shortly after noon and the day is cold and sunny.
And most of the Christmas prep is done or at least well underway.

Yesterday was devoted to such matters.

And now we at The Study turn to washing dishes, playing Christmas music on stereo, and reading/thinking/writing about the things we like to write about.

We note that our favorite stores yesterday were well-stocked with merchandise but very low on staffing.
There usually were no more than one or two clerks per department. A queue of three or four shoppers would tie up a register for seemingly interminable lengths of time.

Our traditional dining room in our fav department store (J.L. Hudson’s, aka Macy’s) was almost as in the old days – superbly enjoyable.

Conspicuous by their absences were the Salvation Army bell ringers outside the store – the post holding the pot was there, but no pot and no bell ringer.

Senior and temp clerks were obvious by their expertise or lack thereof. But they all were trying hard – or most of them.

And the coffee was good at the coffee bar – when late afternoon fatigue began to set in.

And then the temp outside dipped below freezing – and we received cell phone calls regarding the treacherousness of the roads – black ice and the like.

And then it was time for us to do what the song lyric proclaims: “…the shoppers rushed home with their treasures.”
I wish I knew how to add music symbols.

One-fourth of the way home we stopped off at a friend’s condo for an hour or so to let the road crews and heavy traffic do their respective duties.
Smart move.

Christmas music played throughout on XM Radio – and it was good.
Seat warmers did their duty and we said thankful prayers upon entering The Study.

And then a very late dinner and an hour or two of the Hallmark Station.
Nice.

This morning, the morning after the night before, we are regaled with the news of the day:

Iranian missile development and nuclear research; alarming fears about b.o.’s/reid’s/pelosi’s health care horrors; good news about the failure of Copenhagen to achieve anything; alarming predictions of national deficit and ramifications thereof; moving (not closing) Gitmo – lunacy – and on and on….but you get the idea.

There is good news out there – thank The Lord….but my goodness – our national leaders are proving themselves to be very, very human indeed.