Hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday with your family & friends.
Full of presents both giving and receiving.

For today we celebrate another holiday… which for many is just a big sigh of relief
followed by hours of laying on the sofa watching movies and eating far too many holiday leftovers completely out of sequence!!! Count me in!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday with your family & friends.
Unwrap. Unwind. Have fun!!!

Good to know that the LEGO Company was so forward thinking way back in 1973.
Encouraging kids to make whatever they want. To become whatever they want.
Such a wonderful message to share this holiday season. Let kids be kids.
Give them the toys. Give them the tools. To make, and be, whatever they desire.

Yes, this was indeed the “instruction sheet” that came with LEGO blocks back in 1973.
Now if more Companies could just catch up…

Look who will be starting the New Year with some New Pottery Tools!!!
I couldn’t resist buying myself a couple of these beautiful wooden ribs by Troy Bungart. I first met Troy at NCECA 2014, and now they’re selling his tools in the Lillstreet Gallery.

Merry Christmas to Me!

If you need to get a few of these beauties for yourself… click here for Troy’s ETSY Page.

Unseasonal weather today for these beautiful sunset panoramas.

What better way to celebrate FESTIVUS than to go out for a beautiful afternoon bike ride to enjoy the 50-degree weather?! This morning was rainy, so no sunrise ride. I’m thinking this sunset ride made up for it though.

And for those who may not be familiar with the holiday of Festivus…

According to Wikipedia (which means it must be true, right?)…
Festivus, a well-celebrated parody, has become a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 that serves as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. Originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O’Keefe, who worked on the American sitcom “Seinfeld”, the holiday entered popular culture after it was made the focus of a 1997 episode of the program. The holiday’s celebration, as it was shown on “Seinfeld”, includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength”, and the labeling of easily explainable events as “Festivus miracles”^.

The episode refers to it as “a Festivus for the rest of us”, referencing its non-commercial aspect. It has also been described both as a “parody holiday festival” and as a form of playful consumer resistance.

Still not there yet?… maybe you need to take the day off of Christmas prep to curl up on the sofa and watch a few “Seinfeld” reruns?! This episode is “The Strike”… the tenth episode of the ninth & final season of “Seinfeld”. Hard to believe, it’s also the 166th episode of “Seinfeld”!!! Which I still think was the best TV comedy show ever!!! Followed closely by “I Love Lucy.”

Want a quick video fix?… click on the following YouTube links…

The Story of Festivus : Chapter One – The Human Fund
The Story of Festivus : Chapter Two – The Card
The Story of Festivus : Chapter Three – Mr. Costanza
The Story of Festivus : Chapter Four – The Airing of Grievances & Feats of Strength

Today was also the Winter Solstice which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. So look on the bright side… sure, Winter may just be starting, but the days will be getting longer from now on.

It’s been cold for quite some time now.
And it sure “feels” like winter. Dark. Gray. Cold.
But today is the “official” first day of Winter. Lest we all celebrate accordingly…

Maybe a quick dunk in some hot chocolate would be appropriate?!
Stock up now… it’s going to be a LONG Winter!