Merry Christmas
It doesn’t feel like Christmas around here. I guess we’ve missed too many of our ‘back east’ Christmas references. For me the official Christmas season starts the first weekend in November with the Urbanna Oyster Festival. There’s nothing that says fall and holidays more than she crab soup, oyster stew, and grilled oysters. After that it’s full on busy through Thanksgiving then Christmas At Derbyshire followed by dinner with friends and the Tacky Lights Tour. Christmas Eve candlelight service finishes the season with a quiet, reverent, close. Christmas is still celebrated on the left coast. It’s just different.
We’ve tried to get in the holiday spirit. The big attraction here, the Newport Christmas Boat Parade was a washout (have you heard about the rains?). We have a tree up (actually due to technical difficulties it’s the second tree, see L’s FB posts). We have a few other decorations around the house. Maybe it’s a temperature thing. Maybe it’s the lack of a fall season. I don’t know, it’s just different.
But the meaning is still the same!
About a month ago we were following a friend driving up through the mountains behind Malibu. This photo is actually of the third similar sign we passed. I just had to stop and take a phone camera picture. I mean I think it was the third sign… it could have been the same sign for the third time…
Today on Christmas I think this sign is appropriate. Christmas is like a do-over. The Omnipotent One is back in the garden. This time with a different approach. A new and final attempt at reaching us and a renewed desire to be in relationship with us. Christmas is the ultimate gift.
Just like the sign we’ll be back to our old ways soon enough. Then again, there are always New Year’s resolutions for us to attempt a better path.
Merry Christmas everyone. Wherever you are. We have another chance. The Light is still shining.
J
Our View From The Road 