Merry Christmas Eve!

It's almost Christmas! The house has smelled wonderful and I believe that it will continue to smell wonderful. Yesterday, we went to the store and bought ingredients for torta, biscotti, and crap ciappino, all traditional Christmas meals in my family (on my mother's side). Today, we went and bought a cross rib roast and fancy Italian bread. Here is our menu for the next two days.

Christmas Eve

• Dinner:
• Crab Ciappino
• Nice Bread
• Salad
• Dessert: Opera Cakes 

Christmas Day

• Dinner
• Cross Rib Roast
  
• Torta
  
• Dessert: Tiramisu

For those of you who might not know, the torta is probably my favorite thing on this list. It has a thin crust and is filled with ricotta, spinach, potatoes, salt, pepper, and a few eggs. The crust is the trickiest part and it is traditionally said, "Now, don't handle the crust too much or else it will become tough". Therefore, the strongest person in the household is ordered to roll out the crust. We made the torta yesterday and, as happens every year, our hands were soon covered in flour, as were our aprons and our clothes. Much to my ignorance and disapproval, Bridget happened to videotape and take pictures. It's not like I mind either of those things. I would just rather that she trained the camera on someone else rather than myself. The torta is traditionally a favorite part of any Christmas meal and is a source of great pride. My grandfather is about to cut the torta at his house. (It's quite the momentous occasion.)

Currently, I am typing in our living room, sitting next to our tree with hundreds of multicolored lights blinking out from under the branches. Our family has never believed in a themed Christmas tree. Hanging from it's branches are ornaments of many colors and many years, homemade and storebought, glittery silver snowflakes, shiny colored balls (green, red, silver, gold, and white), and red and gold beaded garlands. An angel in a white and silver dress and soft wings tops it all. My brother did the honors, because only he and my father are tall enough. Celine Dion sings "Blue Christmas", an old Christmas classic. This morning the family sat around the family room watching, "It's a Wonderful Life". We still have "White Christmas" and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Tonight, we will go to Holy Mass at 10:00pm.

Moving on, the weather is quite lovely here in SD. Chillier than usual and cloudy. A storm is supposed to move in tonight. I love going to sleep while listening to the rain hammering the window and falling on the roof. I love the exhilaration of burrowing under warm covers, grateful for a solid roof over my head. 

Christmas is certainly a lovely time of the year. It's wonderful to be home with the family for a solid three weeks and to have a rest before continuing with education. However, I want to stress the importance of remembering why we celebrate Christmas. On Christmas morn, a small babe was born to a fifteen year old girl, a virgin who had every reason to be afraid and yet she found every reason not to be. How was she to know that this little infant who had come into the world was to save the world from sin by death, His death by crucifixion. Let us celebrate his birth and our salvation by his birth this Christmas! Let us remember why He came and let us all have a very Merry Christmas!

About a week ago, I could hear the voice of Mother Angelica in the other room saying, "Remember that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. What are you giving him for his birthday?" Of course, it was the subject of that particular show's talk, but seriously, what are you giving Jesus for his birthday? Remember, that whatever you do for the least of His people, you do it for Him. Give Jesus something for his birthday this year. Sing to Him. Say a special prayer for the world, our soldiers at war, tithe, do something.

Merry Christmas my dear readers and a Happy New Year! Goodness, it is almost 2009. Time does go by fast, does it not?

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Thoughts for the Day

I love sitting by the Christmas tree and looking at the little multicolored lights and the packages wrapped in colorful paper. A particular parcel is wrapped in brown and orders, "Do Not Open UNTIL CHRISTMAS". Our Christmas stockings hang on the wall, because the fireplace would be in the reach of a certain overexcited Aussie. The cardtable has been draped with a white tablecloth and a mini Christmas tree has been hung with tiny ornaments. The porcelain nativity scene reminds me of what Christmas is all about. (It also brings back memories from when I was a wee little one. They would fall over and their heads would fall off. And mom would say, "Don't worry, Dad can glue them back on".) 

And as you could probably guess by the sentimentality of this post, it's raining. I become most descriptive in the rain. My creative juices flow best in this weather. (There's a small pun. Did anyone catch it or did it run through your fingers?)

If I don't blog soon, I want to wish all my readers, (because I know there's so many of you), a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year!

Bold Everything You've Done Game

Something I found on a friend's blog. :)

How to play, bold anything you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars - not yet, unless you count a room, which is under a roof, which is under the stars. :)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or DisneyWorld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo - but I have come close.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning 
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hike
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - I think so.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -- I've been to the country (Mexico), but not the cities they were from
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language 
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - Indoors :)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David 
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted 
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - I will in a couple months!
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain 
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - In the process
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen 
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching -- Yes, with the Lawlesses at Dana Point.
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone 
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand-new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House 
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury -- next week!
91. Met someone famous 
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

In Succession to Post on John Williams

Okay, so what I did not realize is that the first video I uploaded is actually a guy who is friends with the group that first sang "Star Wars Acapella". He is actually lip sincing and did such a good job that I actually thought he was singing. Apparently, he can actually sing and is putting together a CD. The actual group is called Moosebutter and they recently made a video of the original song by their original group of four guys. Here it is! I never tire of it and I hope you enjoy it as well! :)