blog change

NOTICE:

This blog will be wrapping up with this final post. I am starting a new blog, The Silent Planet, which can be accessed at this link.

I look forward to seeing you there.

2009: Movies in Review

Using Wikipedia to remind me of the movies that came out in theaters this year, I have tried to list all the ones I saw and group them according to how much I liked them. I tend to get stressed out about such things, since I find it difficult to quantify many of the movies I watch. But here they are, not to be taken too seriously:

Favorites:

1. "Star Trek" -- Characters, plot, action, writing -- all good. You don't have to sacrifice good writing for good visual effects and action sequences. Yay!
2. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- Characters, plot, action, writing -- all good. You don't have to sacrifice good writing for good visual effects and action sequences. Yay! (Odd to cut out the big fight at Hogwarts, but whatever.)

Best of the other stuff:

1. "Terminator Salvation" -- I liked that this was a "war movie" version of a Terminator story, and that it focused on Sam Worthington's character moreso than Christian Bale's. Enjoyed seeing Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese (and also as Chekov in "Star Trek"). I think I was better prepared for what the movie was going to be like after reading about its "war" focus and Christian Bale's voice, which wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated and wasn't on a level with his "Dark Knight" computer-enhanced growl.
2. "Sherlock Holmes" -- I was distracted a lot by my own brain trying to compare the characterizations in the film to what I remembered from my superficial research into the books and my own reading this year of "The Hound of the Baskervilles." A good movie, though, with an obviously excellent cast.
3. "Julie & Julia" -- Better than I expected. I ultimately liked the parts with Amy Adams ("Julie") more than the ones with Meryl Streep ("Julia"), but overall it was a funny and even inspiring movie. I related more to Julie than any character I can think of in any film ever. I also liked seeing couples in good marriages.
4. "Push" -- Imperfect but fun and interesting, with a cool style and a nice cast including Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning (how pretty is she these days?), Cliff Curtis and Djimon Hounsou.
5. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" -- Isla Fisher is one of those actresses who elevates anything she's in. For a romantic comedy, this one is definitely better than the general lot.
6. "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra" -- Not as good as others on this list, but I remember this movie more fondly than many others. The writing could have been better, and I would like to see this series grow and get better as it goes.
7. "Public Enemies" -- Not a movie I'll rewatch often, but it was very well done and interesting.
8. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" -- Not as good as the first couple "X-Men," and I would've put this higher on my list if I'd only watched it once in the theater. Its flaws were more pronounced upon a second viewing. It is still a better movie than "G.I. Joe," probably, but the second viewing left me with a lingering feeling of disappointment that hampers my appreciation for it.
9. "The Box" -- Weird and interesting, and thought-provoking. Looking back on it now, I like it pretty well. I appreciate it when movies just get unapologetically really weird.

The next-best:

1. "District 9" -- I would put this in the top 10 as far as quality goes, but for my own personal enjoyment, no way. "District 9" is maybe the most unpleasant movie I've ever seen. I can really like a movie with zero levity (see: "Sunshine") and I can like a movie that has gore, political/cultural/social turmoil and sadness. But "District 9" is fundamentally gross and the experience of watching it was just yucky for me. I can't fathom calling it "fun" or "enjoyable." Very good, I'd say, with impressive visual effects, but not something I'd recommend to most people I know.
2. "State of Play" -- Again, I spent the movie distracted by my own relentless comparison-making to the British miniseries. I really recommend the miniseries, though the movie is quite good, too. They are similar, so one will spoil the ending of the other, FYI.
3. "Whip It" -- Better than you might expect. Really enjoyed Kristen Wiig, and seeing Alia Shawkat in something. The whole movie feels very Drew Barrymore-ish, what with it being her directorial debut. Alia Shawkat and Ellen Page wore some really weird clothes.
4. "Coraline" -- The one 3-D movie I went to this year, and I still didn't quite think it was worth the extra $2.50. Not a bad movie at all, but just OK for me.
5. "Post Grad" -- Forgettable but not bad, starring Rory Gilmore and Matt Saracen!

The rest:

1. "The Proposal" -- Better than I expected, though not as good as Sandra Bullock movies circa Bill Pullman.
2. "Taken" -- Didn't live up to the hype, but not a terrible movie. I'm not a big fan of stories about someone's dad wreaking havoc in the name of vengeance, though Liam Neeson was actually trying to accomplish something other than just hurting people who hurt his daughter. It was sort of like a Jack Bauer movie.
3. "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" -- If someone had been around to a) rein in Michael Bay's inner adolescent male, and b) pare down the movie by at least a third, it would have been as good as at least the first one. I am still pro-Shia LaBeouf as a guy who can carry a movie, though.

2009 movies I watched on DVD, in order of how much I liked them:

1. "Race to Witch Mountain" -- By far my favorite of the bunch. Most were OK, nothing terrible or great.
2. "Inkheart" -- This one sort of ties with the three, really. Nothing too thrilling about any of them, but they were likable.
3. "He's Just Not That Into You"
4. "New in Town" -- Formulaic, yet I liked it. Maybe I just like low-expectation movies that take place up north.
5. "Duplicity"
6. "Outlander" -- This one might cultivate a following of people who like crappy movies that look like they were made-for-TV by the Syfy channel but were actually released in theaters. One may be amazed that this was a "theater" movie.
7. "Fanboys"
8. "The International"

2009 movies I haven't seen that I most want to see:

1. "Moon"
2. "The Hurt Locker"
3. "Where the Wild Things Are"
4. "Up in the Air"

Other 2009 movies I want to see:

1. "(500) Days of Summer"
2. "Surrogates"
3. "A Christmas Carol"
4. "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
5. "Avatar"
6. "The Young Victoria"
7. "The Princess and the Frog"
8. "Brothers"
9. "Did You Hear About the Morgans?"
10. "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
11. "Phoebe in Wonderland"
12. "The Brothers Bloom"
13. "Drag Me to Hell"
14. "Bandslam"
15. "Inglourious Basterds"

2009 movies I think it's safe to say I will never, ever, ever want to see:

1. "Bride Wars"
2. "Miss March"
3. "Dance Flick"
4. "Bruno"
5. "The Ugly Truth"
6. "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard"
7. "Amelia"
8. "Saw VI"
9. "Antichrist"
10. "Old Dogs"
11. "It's Complicated"

Christmastime: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

"Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"

I found a couple different versions of the English translation (from German) by Theodore Baker. May God bless your Christmas Day with love, praise and knowledge of Him.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright,
amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it,
the virgin mother kind.
To show God's love aright,
she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story
proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory
was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped
and in the manger found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God,
from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary,
who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory,
who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray,
to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

Christmastime: Plans

What do you do for Christmas?

My mom -- my only family member who lives in Huntington -- and I planned to visit my grandmother and my sister and her kids over last weekend when the big snow hit, so I am hoping to make a quick trip to deliver gifts tomorrow morning. On the way back, we can stop by some of my mom's family in St. Albans. I would like to get back in time to go to the Christmas Eve service at church, but we'll have to wait and see how the timing works out.

On Christmas Day, we always have a quiet sort of morning at home: stockings, presents, breakfast, and I'm thinking the Disney Christmas parade on TV. We're planning to go to a movie later, weather-permitting, and I'm looking forward to popcorn. We got a frozen pizza for Christmas lunch/dinner, because neither of us felt much like making a big meal. The primary food-related goal is to have treacle tart with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

I always feel a little sad that friends leave town to visit their families for Christmas, but that really does seem like the right thing to do. The only Christmas I observed away from home was the one I spent in Wengen while on Stint. I loved it there, but I'm glad I have a home to go to (or be at) on Christmas Day, and that it's always been that way. I just hope that, wherever I am, I remember and somehow honor the incredible blessing and gravity of Christ-mas.

Christmastime: Links

On the Tuesday before Christmas, some links for you:

1. TV Tango provides a comprehensive list of holiday-related programming. Not all great holiday programming, but lots of it.

2. Ordinary Time performs several beautiful hymns and songs that are just right for some Christmastime reflecting. Purchase each by donation. (You can also listen to samples at iTunes, and to songs on MySpace.)

3. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is free and legal to watch online at Hulu.

4. and 5. Monergism.com offers a long list of free sermons about Christmas to download. You can also find several sermons about Christmas and Advent to download, listen to or read at the Desiring God website here.

6. This 1981 article by John and Noel Piper, "How We See Christmas Symbols," includes some good suggestions and ideas about decorating for Christmas in a Christ-centered way. I have become lax about this, letting Christmas be about more than Christ in many ways (including a couple of these links?). But there are some ideas in here I'd not thought of, and want to consider for future celebrations. It is surely always good to reconsider our traditions -- at Christmas or otherwise -- in light of Christ, and with a mind to better exalt Him. "Christmas is first Christ, second Christ, third Christ, and again and again Christ!"

7. A search for "Christmas" at Flickr brings up quite the variety of images. It's interesting to look at how other people "see" Christmas.

8. Check this site for homemade gift, food and other crafty ideas.

Christmastime: Little Box Man

christmas season
Originally uploaded by marqos

Such a cute picture, this one. I like the colors and lights, the sweetness, the robot-like look of the little fellow, and the clever use of Amazon boxes. I always order some gifts that come in these boxes, and I always wrap a handful of gifts in them.

Merry Christmas to picture-takers, box makers and everyone big and small. Merry Christmas.

Christmastime, Day Seventeen: Books

Photo from Wikipedia

When the Christmas spirit hits, I have this tendency to want to mold my decisions around Christmas themes. I start to wear Christmas socks and Christmas pins; I think of food in terms of what feels "seasonal"; I start to consider movies and books in terms of their holiday appeal.

As far as books are concerned, I haven't felt too impressed with the options. I have a few favorites, but beyond them the choices look meager in both quantity and quality. And yet, I run out of time. I just remembered yesterday that I have a book of five Charles Dickens Christmas-related stories, and I felt compelled to read them. But how is it possible, now that we're just more than a week away from Christmas?

Well, I've already finished one -- "A Christmas Carol" -- thanks to the audiobook I listen to yearly in the car while driving (or, in this year's case, at home while sick). It's narrated by Jim Dale, who also narrates the Harry Potter books-on-CD (which I've never heard) and the episodes of "Pushing Daisies" you can buy yourself for Christmas (seasons 1 and 2 were both pretty short, about 21 episodes total or so). I also listen to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" each year on CD, narrated by Elaine Stritch, who is as well-suited for that story as Jim Dale is for Dickens.

I am part-way through "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," which I'm listening to in the car to and from work. I also listen to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," complete with songs, but it isn't really a book-on-CD so much as the soundtrack to a TV show made from a book. It's around 21 minutes long, so you can listen to it quickly and feel like you've accomplished something without having much time to do it.

Meanwhile, I had started G.K. Chesterton's "The Man Who Was Thursday" and Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" in November; misplaced "The Man Who Was Thursday" for awhile; and now have both still partly read, as Christmas looms. And then there's that Dickens book I remembered yesterday, with four unread stories calling for my attention.

So, I'm pausing the Chesterton book temporarily, and I'm thinking of sitting down and finishing the Roald Dahl book -- it's for kids, so surely it won't take long -- so I can take it off my ever-growing list of "books I'm reading." The list grew today when I started "The Chimes" from that Dickens book, and I want to try reading his "The Cricket on the Hearth" while simultaneously listening to a free reading from the Classic Tales Podcast. Can all this be done by next Friday, despite a trip out of town this weekend (weather-permitting) and various other Christmas-related duties coming up? We'll see.

So, the goals:

1. Read "The Chimes" by Dec. 25.
2. Read/listen to "The Cricket on the Hearth" by Dec. 25 or soon thereafter.
3. Finish listening to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Dec. 25.
4. Finish "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" before Jan. 1.
5. Plan a reading schedule for December 2010?

And I honestly want to know ... do you have any Christmas-book suggestions?

Christmastime, Day Sixteen: Trees

A few more photos from our first significant snowfall, the day many people proclaimed to be the time when it started to "feel like Christmas":



These photos were all taken in the tree-filled back yard. I took this picture of the area where we once watched the kittens and their mom play, when they still lived outdoors. They had so much fun chasing each other, running a few feet up the trees, and hiding under the bushy tree and the right. But it's nice to see where they were, and where they are now ... living indoors, where there may not be any real trees, but where they are safer, warmer and have people to take care of them.


And the kittens do have one tree, for December anyway:

Christmastime, Day 15: Christ-mas

A post by Sinclair Ferguson at the Ligonier Ministries website really provoked some thought about Christmas for me, about doing more -- or doing differently -- than just wedging in Jesus alongside the other things I celebrate and consume at Christmastime. What do you think? Here's part (emphasis mine), though it should be read in full for proper context:

Christmas for [the Christians who first began to celebrate the birth of the Savior] was not ... simply adding a Christian veneer to a pagan festival--the Roman Saturnalia. They may have been doing what many Christians have done in marking Reformation Day (which happens to fall on Halloween), namely, committing themselves to a radical alternative to the world's Saturnalia, refusing to be squeezed into its mold. They were determined to fix mind, heart, will, and strength exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ. There was no confusion in their thinking between the world and the gospel, Saturnalia and Christmas, Santa Jesus and Christ Jesus. They were citizens of another empire altogether.

In fact, such was the malice evoked by their other-worldly devotion to Christ that during the persecutions under the Emperor Diocletian, some believers were murdered as they gathered to celebrate Christmas. What was their gross offense? Worship of the true Christ -- incarnate, crucified, risen, glorified, and returning. They celebrated Him that day for giving His all for them, and as they did so, they gave their all for Him.

One Christmas Eve in my teenage years, I opened a book a friend had given to me as a present. I found myself so overwhelmed by its teaching on my recently found Savior that I began to shake with emotion at what had dawned on me: the world had not celebrated His coming, but rather had crucified Him.

Doubtless I was an impressionable teenager. But should it not cause us to tremble that "they crucified my Lord"? Or is that true only in song, not in reality? Are we not there when the world still crucifies Him in its own, often-subtle ways?

The truth is that unless the significance of what Christ did at the first Christmas shakes us, we can scarcely be said to have understood much of what it means, or of who He really is.

Christmastime Catch-up: Praline Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole, and Strawberry Trifle

The Praline Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole is a household favorite, and I just wanted other people to try it, so I made it even though the recipe came from Kraft, not British traditional holiday gatherings. When we first tried it some time ago, we used the method in the original recipe of putting the potato flesh back in the shells. It is easier and as good (or better) just baked as a regular casserole.

Ingredients
• 5 large sweet potatoes (about 3 1/2 lbs.)
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 cups Maple Pecan Crunch Cereal
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes with fork, then microwave on HIGH 15 to 20 min. or until tender. Remove from oven; cool 5 min.

Cut each potato lengthwise in half; scoop potato flesh into medium bowl. Mash potatoes until smooth. Add cream cheese and 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon; mix until well blended. Spoon into casserole dish.

Place cereal in resealable plastic bag, reserving pecans. Gently crush with hands or a rolling pin; add pecans. Mix with brown sugar, butter and remaining 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over potatoes.

Bake 15 min. or until potatoes are heated through and streusel topping is golden brown.

***

The Strawberry Trifle was simple by nature, and I l-o-v-e-d the results. I combined ideas from three recipes -- here, here, and here. (I opted not to go the Rachel Green route.)

Ingredients:
• Strawberry jam
• Angel food/sponge/pound cake, thickly sliced and halved (we used a frozen Sara Lee pound cake, thawed, because of lack of options -- it was delicious)
• Strawberries, sliced (we used defrosted frozen ones; they worked just fine)
• Vanilla pudding (fat-free, sugar-free with skim milk works fine, if you're cutting calories and fat where you can)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Light whipped cream
• 7oz vanilla wafers

Spread a little jam on each slice of cake. Cut into cubes. Arrange on the bottom of a glass dish.

Crush vanilla wafers thoroughly and sprinkle on top of cake cubes.

Sprinkle the sugar over the strawberries in a bowl. Spoon strawberries, with any juice, over the wafers. Squish down a little with a fork.

Spoon pudding over the strawberries. Chill for 30 minutes.

Dollop whipped cream over the pudding. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Christmastime Catch-up: Cottage Pie

I got a cottage pie online here. The recipe calls it shepherd's pie, which I hear is technically only made with lamb. We used beef, and thus changed the name, though I don't know that it really matters much. Whatever you call it, it is a versatile, warm dish for a cool December evening. Mom and I plan to make another for us to eat this week.

Here is the recipe, with a couple tweaks we used:

Ingredients
• 2 lbs ground round beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 to 2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, peas, corn if you like
• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones) (we used red potatoes we already had)
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas after the meat has initially cooked.

Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter; season to taste.

Thicken the excess liquid in the beef by mixing 1/4 cup cold water (or cold milk) with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of corn starch or flour. Slowly add to the juices and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.

Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely.

Cook in 400-degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Served five, with enough leftover for one person to eat the next day as dinner (with rolls).

Christmastime Catch-up: Wæs Hæil!

The weekend was good-busy, and blogging just didn't sit high on the list of priorities. On Saturday, my mom and I got to host a Christmas dinner for a few friends. We did a British-inspired theme of sorts, with the following:

1. Christmas crackers as favors for everyone. Each included a small gift and a paper crown that we of course wore for the rest of the meal. They remind me of Mr. Weasley and "About a Boy."

2. Wassail and treats before the meal. The word "wassail" comes from the Middle English phrase "wæs hæil," meaning "be healthy," per Wikipedia. We served a really simple, non-alcoholic version of wassail. (The Crock Pot wouldn't hold as much liquid as the recipe called for -- we cut the recipe by a third, but did use all 8 cinnamon sticks.)

3. Cottage pie as the main course, along with not-particularly-British praline whipped sweet potato casserole, parmesan broccoli and rolls brought by friends.

4. Strawberry trifle for dessert.

5. A viewing of the first televised "Queen's Speech," aka Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Broadcast from 1957.

6. A round of Clue Secrets and Spies, which my mom won. It turned out to be pretty fun, though not technically British.

I will post recipes later for the cottage pie, sweet potato casserole and trifle. I decided against standard British Christmas fare, which reminded me too much of Thanksgiving (re: poultry as the main meat), clogged arteries (re: sausages wrapped in bacon), and too much effort for desserts that taste like alcohol, which I do not prefer (re: Christmas pudding and Christmas cake). I was really happy with how things turned out, and am so glad my mom was there to help get it all done in a timely and tasty manner.

Christmas dinner: Success!

Christmastime, Day Eleven: Cats on the Nice List

The kittens all took turns sitting or playing near the Christmas tree after it was decorated. They all took a swing at a multicolored bell ornament that is among those we hung lower on the tree because we don't mind if cats play with them.

After one pre-decoration incident in which Starbuck knocked the tree over, the kittens have been pretty good. Starbuck has climbed into the tree once since then, that we know of, but I haven't found much in the way of damage to tree or presents.

A photo chronicle of the kitten-tree relationship:

Starbuck being a good girl ...


Helo feeling perky ...


Apollo having a ball with Santa ...


I just think this is funny (still Apollo) ...

Christmastime, Day Ten: Cookies

My mom and I made four kinds of treats to share with coworkers and friends this year. Two turned out tasty, and two are a little iffy.

We tried to make miniature treacle tarts in muffin pans. The golden syrup mixture bubbled over and boiled, cooled and hardened into something like taffy but more hard than chewy. They are tasty, though, despite the tooth dangers. We plan to make a regular treacle tart for our Christmas Day meal.


We also made some buttergeback cookies in an attempt to find something better than a sugar cookie that we could cut into shapes and decorate all fun and creatively. Well, that's fun for a minute, and then I get restless. And the cookies burned quickly, resulting in one unusable batch, one partly usable batch, one good batch and one good small batch. And I'm not sure that they taste that great, though I'm not much of a plain-cookie person. Here is part of the burned batch:

The cookies that turned out well are Big Soft Ginger Cookies and Nut Butter Balls. Nut butter balls are my mom's favorite of the many kinds of treats that my Grandma Cuppett makes for Christmastime. This year is the first year that I've really tried them, and they really are good. Here is the recipe, from my grandma's mom:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
2 tsp. vanilla
additional powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix butter with sugar until creamy. Add salt, vanilla, flour and nuts and mix well. Chill 1/2 hour. Shape dough into balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour or until light brown. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Let cool, then reroll.

Christmastime, Day Nine: Snow

It was a wonderful thing to wake up to snow falling in earnest on Saturday morning -- not only because of the surprise and prettiness of the snow, but because it wasn't a work day. If I have to drive to and from work on a snowy day, I feel more stressed than happy to see wet roads snaking paths through white yards and treetops.

As I walked through the back yard to take pictures, I appreciated the ease of walking around without the fear of running into bats, insects and other frightening creatures. Ah, the pleasures of almost-winter.

Let it snow!


Let it snow!


Let it snow!

Christmastime, Day Eight: Gift Sites

Amazon.com is rightly the hub of online purchasing, a vast empire of discounted books, DVDs and CDs, and not-discounted Harry Potter Illuminating Wands. I do some Christmas shopping at Amazon each year, but I do occasionally venture into other lands. Among my favorites:

1. ThinkGeek -- I visited this site to get ideas of items to list as examples of what the site offers, and the first featured product on the home page was all I needed: A TAUNTAUN SLEEPING BAG. It costs a million dollars ($99.99), though, which is ridiculous. Not everything on the site is that pricey, though a lot of it is about that cool.

2. TheNebulousKingdom at Etsy -- Not everything at Etsy is a) worth the price or b) worth any price, but there's still a lot of cute, nifty, creative, cool, impressive stuff there that's artistic in a good way. TheNebulousKingdom, the shop of French artist Anne-Julie Aubry, includes postcards, prints, pocket mirrors and the occasion other item featuring her beautiful, somewhat dark designs. I've purchased a couple gifts here, and several postcards for myself. She ships items from France, so there's not much time left to order items for Christmas, but I still suggest a visit to the site.

3. Popcorn Palace -- Kind of pricey, but man is this stuff good. Try the double-chocolate kind. Yum-mo-rific.

4. Half.com -- You probably already know about Half.com. I get books for myself here, since I like used books (especially ones with inscriptions), and sometimes I get things for people who won't mind getting something used. You can sometimes find good prices on out-of-print items, too, like movies that are in that inexplicable Disney "vault."

Where do you go online to shop?

Christmastime, Days Six & Seven: Gift Wrapping

Gifts from a previous Christmas

Yesterday was one of those days that you want every day to be: A time of actually getting things done. We decorated the tree, which had been standing bare for several days; made 3 of the 4 "treats" I'd planned to bake to have on hand for work/friends/etc.; and wrapped lots of presents. I did remember to blog, but it was late by the time I could attend to my computer and I decided it wouldn't hurt to wait.

I had thought of wrapping presents several times, but of course put it off evening after evening. I got a start on things the weekend after Thanksgiving, when I went through the empty boxes we'd kept in anticipation of using them to hold presents. I threw some away, and chose boxes for all the gifts we'd purchased. I put the leftover boxes into three larger ones, "box boxes," and stored those in a closet. (I also put gift and other bags in a larger bag, called the "bag bag," and put in the same closet.)

I piled the unwrapped presents in a corner of the room, and didn't do anything else with them until last night. May I suggest pre-boxing your presents in a similar fashion? It turns out that a significant amount of the toil of gift-wrapping involves finding the right box for the presents. Last night, I just had to pick up one box at a time, carry it to the table, re-situate items with tissue paper, and wrap. I had previously put our tissue paper, scraps of wrapping paper, gingerbread-man scissors, bows and tags in a flat plastic box, which I put beside my chair on the floor along with a couple shoeboxes of ribbons; a garbage can* full of rolls of gift wrap sat on the other side. When I was finished, I added my roll of tape to the plastic box with the other accessories. I have a few gifts that aren't done, and I just piled them in a little stack in the corner, ready for later.

A few other gift-wrapping tips, since this is supposed to be a two-day-sized post:

1. Shred wrapping-paper scraps to use as filler in boxes.

2. Use a few small pieces to cover parts of a larger box, and hide the seams with ribbon.

3. Check out arts-and-crafts aisles and stores for sale and clearance items that you can use to decorate packages. Some fake-plant sprigs (for decorating wreaths and such) only run about 33 cents apiece regular-price.

*A big garbage can is handier than an under-the-bed box. Side note: Why do those tall, garbage-can-like plastic gift-wrap-roll-holders have such narrower bottoms? They look like they'd work fine only if you're storing maybe 5 rolls of paper, but otherwise you'll have smashed ends, right?

Countdown to Christmas, Day Five: "A Child of the Snows"

When I find it, I will resume reading "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesteron. It is a book that makes me feel not quite smart enough to grasp the fullness of what it's about. The book I read before that one, George MacDonald's "Lilith," had a similar effect on my intellectual confidence while I read it. I'm not surprised C.S. Lewis liked those guys.

Meanwhile, I have been wanting to share a G.K. Chesterton poem in one of this blog's "Countdown to Christmas" posts. I was surprised to look back and see that I hadn't posted it during Christmas seasons in the past. I am sure I wanted to. In any case, here it is. The last stanza is my favorite:

"A Child of the Snows" by G.K. Chesterton

There is heard a hymn when the panes are dim,
And never before or again,
When the nights are strong with a darkness long,
And the dark is alive with rain.

Never we know but in sleet and in snow,
The place where the great fires are,
That the midst of the earth is a raging mirth
And the heart of the earth a star.

And at night we win to the ancient inn
Where the child in the frost is furled,
We follow the feet where all souls meet
At the inn at the end of the world.

The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,
For the flame of the sun is flown,
The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,
And a Child comes forth alone.

Countdown to Christmas, Day Four: TV Schedule

TV Guide Magazine has a Holiday Programming Guide at its website to help you plan your holiday TV watching. It isn't a flawless list -- they haven't updated it with the "Prep and Landing" elf cartoon being bumped to December 8 following the presidential address this week. They don't list every single possible show. But it's still pretty handy.

I've added the more promising choices to my Google calendar. Want to know what they are? Of course you do.

1. "Christmas in Rockefeller Center 2009," NBC. The lighting of the Christmas tree is not as exciting as seeing it in person would be, I'm sure (like watching magicians on TV), but it's better than that ball dropping for New Year's. But if you want to see this one, too bad. It aired on Wednesday. The music was mostly just OK, though I really like the Muppets and Michael Buble. And more importantly, Zachary Levi was the co-host. Speaking of Zachary Levi, did you know "Chuck" returns in January? On NBC? On the 10th and 11th, to be followed weekly on Monday nights? A handful of Subway sandwich eaters can't be wrong, kids: Watch "Chuck" when it returns Jan. 10 and 11 on NBC. You'll thank me.

2.-4. "Frosty's Winter Wonderland," ABC Family, tonight. Also, on CBS on Dec. 18, "Frosty the Snowman" and "Frosty Returns." I'm not sure what differentiates all these from each other, but they are classics, right? And they're not stop-animation, which creeps me out a bit.

5. "12 Men of Christmas," Lifetime, tomorrow night. I was fully prepared to make fun of this movie based entirely on its name, but then I saw that it stars Kristin Chenoweth.

6. "Invasion of the Christmas Lights," TLC, Dec. 6. This isn't on the TV Guide list, but who wouldn't want to see this "one-hour holiday special that criss-crosses the U.S. to chronicle families of extreme Christmas lighting enthusiasts and documenting their glorious, outrageous and elaborate display(s)"?

7.-9. Dec. 8 is a big night for half-hour animated Christmas specials, most notably "Mickey's Christmas Carol" on ABC Family, and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Prep and Landing" on ABC.

10. "Yes, Virginia" on CBS, Dec. 11. This is some new cartoon that co-stars the voice of ... wait for it ... Neil Patrick Harris. We can always watch "Dollhouse" (which runs at the same time on Fox) on Hulu the next day.


11. "It’s a Wonderful Life," NBC, Dec. 12. I have only watched this movie once the whole way though, I think. It feels like time to see it again.

12. "Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe" on ABC Family, Dec. 13. That's right, I'm putting at least one mediocre Christmas movie from ABC Family on my list.

13. "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," ABC, Dec. 13. I'd like to see the White House all done up and sparkly, even if I'd rather see Ellen Degeneres host this.

14. "A Golden Christmas," ION, Dec. 13. Clearly, not everything on Dec. 13 will make the cut, what with most specials airing this day. This movie, which also didn't make the TV Guide list, is notable because it co-stars Xander from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

15. "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown," ABC, Dec. 21. Because all people with a beating heart like Peanuts specials.

16. "The Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade," ABC, Dec. 25. Something festive to connect the family celebration of Christmas to the outside world, between Christmas breakfast and Christmas lunch.

Countdown to Christmas, Day Three: Advent

I love Christmas. I love all sorts of aspects of the holiday: the decorations, the colors, the lights, the music, the gift-giving, the gift-getting, the stockings, the gingerbread, the meals, the TV specials. Someone asked me yesterday why I like Christmas so much, and like many Christians, I know the "right" answer and the other answers that are as true, or more true, for me. The "right" answer is that Christmas is about Jesus, at the heart. It is about hope. It is about the only God and His only Son, our only Savior. Christmas is about the miraculous grace that would enable vile sinners to be children of God. Christmas is about the possibility of reconciliation, the Messiah who came and humbled Himself to take on the body of a created thing, when He Himself had been there to help create the world and everyone in it.

I remember these things if I stop to think about them. I still love the other parts of Christmas, the pageantry and the traditions, but even they mean more when I pause to remember the deeper, eternal significance of what is truly worth celebrating. I think I can celebrate the love of God by loving others with gift-giving, and when I look at the sprigs of gold sparkling in the Christmas tree at work, I think of the ineffable sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ being born on Earth and making it possible for sins to be washed away, as if we could ever deserve such a thing.

We are now in the first week of advent, and I have been writing all this to simply get to this link for an advent devotional I thought some of you might find useful. I posted this last year, but want to share it again because I think it can really be helpful for people who want to consider Christmas with some more somber and celebratory regard for the Christ in the holiday. The link goes to a page with several links for the devotional, a longer family devotional, sermons and music.

I'm sure there are other helpful materials available out there for people who want to do devotions or other studies about Christmas. If you know of any, please share in the comments. Thanks!

Countdown to Christmas, Day Two: Lovely Parade Photos

Last night, my mom and I went to the annual Huntington Christmas parade. I didn't take my camera, but I did remember my cell phone camera ... though it was too late to get a good shot of Marco in his Santa suit.

Really, with my cell phone camera, it is difficult to get a good shot, period. Thus, this chronicle of the Christmas parade, in wonderfully excellent clear crisp photos:

Marco's back, and the obligatory back-of-the-head-of-a-stranger that you must capture whenever you take photos at a public event:



The llamas (I think they were lllamas and not alpacas) were one of my favorites. I tried repeatedly to get a "good" picture. They seemed to meander by so quickly:



When I thought all hope of a good llama picture was gone, along came a straggler:



A Christmas Parade staple -- the Elvis impersonator:



A shiny float:



Santa! We did think he should have music, because it was a very quiet end to the parade:



Not pictured: Children hugging the person dressed as a bag of Little Caesar's Crazy Bread that walked in the parade. I didn't notice them hug anyone else -- not the person dressed as Marco, or the one dressed as a Dawg, or the KFC chicken. But the Crazy Bread? Of course. (Props to Herald-Dispatch photographer Chris Jackson, who pointed out the kids loving the Crazy Bread. I may have missed the wonderful sight of a boy full-on hugging it. Real cute and funny.)

For much better pictures of the parade, check out the photo gallery at the H-D site.

Countdown to Christmas, Day One: Christmas Songs I'm Surprised I Like as Well as I Do

This list was inspired by my friend Gina, who posted a list of her least favorite Christmas songs. I realized that she included a few that I once disliked by now really enjoy. I also realized that today is the beginning of December, the month of Christmas, and it would be a good time for a goal: to post some Christmas-related every day in December. So here goes, with something light and fun for Day One.

Christmas Songs I'm Surprised I Like as Well as I Do

1. "A Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul McCartney. I think this may be the result of the radio stations breaking me down. Though most people likely hate the song even more as they hear it over and over, it grew on me.

2. "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys. My friend Gina rightly notes that this song "sounds like every other Beach Boy song" and is not Christmasy. I didn't used to like it either, but then last year came along and I actually purchased it on iTunes. Whoever said people don't change (Dr. House, tsk, tsk) was wrong.

3. "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey. In high school, I did own a Mariah Carey cassette. But it's been a long time since her music and my tastes have intersected, and this song was never a favorite. But then I watched "Love Actually" a few times -- most often the version I recorded off USA, just so you know I wasn't watching it for the nudity -- and though some storylines in that movie annoy me more than entertain or move me, it did manage to endear certain songs to my heart. And this is one of them. What? How did this happen? I think "Love Actually" may also be partly responsible for my appreciation of "Little Saint Nick," since another Beach Boys song, "God Only Knows," closes out the movie. Which reminds me that I don't have that song yet on iTunes. Hmm...

4. and 5. "Hey Santa!" and "Mele Kalikimaka" by Chris Isaak. I am not surprised I like Chris Isaak, but I am surprised that these are my two favorite songs on one of my favorite Christmas CDs, "Chris Isaak Christmas." They are not as traditionally Christmasy-sounding, and I love them. "Hey Santa!" is one of my favorite Christmas songs period.

6. "Sleigh Ride" by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Again, one of my favorites in general, plus my favorite song on one of my other favorite Christmas albums, "Boogie Woogie Christmas." This version, and Harry Connick Jr.'s from his first Christmas album, really perk up a song that was always one of those that you like fine but don't love, like "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells." There is a reason Brian Setzer's career has grown an entirely new, sturdy branch solely with Christmas music.

I'm sure there are more that I don't think of as quickly. What about you?

the lands of make-believe

When I thought of places to visit, in preparation for my previous "5 places" posts, I of course got sidetracked into thinking about make-believe locations as well as real ones. Not every beloved book, TV show or movie features places I would love to visit if I somehow could. But some appeal in whatever way, for whatever reason. I decided not to limit myself to five entries like my previous "5 places" posts. I'm sure there are many more than these that I've forgotten.

1. Hogwarts -- Even with Draco Malfoy being a jerk and Voldemort breathing down Harry Potter's neck (or making his scar burn -- whatever), Hogwarts seems sort of wonderful, doesn't it? Lots of pretend places epitomize some part of our innate need for community and sense of belonging, and this is like the most intense manifestation of that sort of place for me.

2. Narnia -- Obviously.

3. The Pie Hole and its general environs -- This is a world of color and song and Pearway to Heaven pie. I would even have my picture taken in front of the candy cane-colored morgue.

4. The U.S.S. Enterprise, Millennium Falcon and Serenity -- I'm not as big into Star Trek as Star Wars or Firefly, but the Enterprise is so iconic that I would find it pretty exciting too. Not on the list: the Battlestar Galactica, because the people live off of algae and have kind of a rough existence. A good example of enjoying the show/story/etc., but not wanting to live there.

5. Eureka -- The fact that you can order anything you can think of at Cafe Diem is a big plus. Also, the pleasantness of the general population and the science-geek environment outweighs the questionably high death rate.

6. The Chocolate Factory -- Sailing on a chocolate river in a pink boat on the one hand, unsettling Oompa Loompas bursting into song on the other. If Charlie and his family are there, I think it'd be a little less creepy. Maybe.

7. The Netherfield ball in Hertfordshire from "Pride and Prejudice" -- It'd be interesting to see it in person, even if it is more of an event than a location.

8. The Island -- You know, for a short visit. Nothing fancy -- no bombs, no being held captive by anyone or shot by anyone. I guess the best way to visit would be invisibly, to hang out with the Others/castaways/DHARMA Initiative without having to interact and explain yourself.

9. Metropolis, Gotham City or some such place -- I mean, they have superheroes. I also wonder at the reality of what that would be like. Lots more government spending on repairs, I'd think.

bloggit: controversy

I think Albert Mohler does a great job of looking at the Obama-speech-to-schools controversy and stressing weaknesses that both conservatives and the Obama administration need to work on. The main section I want to share is his criticism of conservatives (which include many Christians, of course), as a rather conservative person myself who wants to see Christians honor and seek truth and wisdom as we engage with the culture:

Much of the controversy is reckless, baseless, and plainly irrational. Some have called the speech an effort to recruit America's children into socialism. Others have argued that any presidential speech piped into classrooms is illegitimate. But a presidential speech to students is hardly unprecedented. This speech by this president has led to an unprecedented uproar.

At this level, the controversy is a national embarrassment. Conservatives must avoid jumping on every conspiracy theory and labeling every action by the Obama administration as sinister or socialist. Our civic culture is debased when opposing parties and political alignments read every proposal by the other side as suspect on its face.

Furthermore, this controversy smacks of disrespect for the President and, by extension, disrespect for the presidency itself. Both fly in the face of Christian responsibility to pray for those in authority. Respect for our government, though never as an end in itself, is part of our Christian responsibility. This controversy threatens to sow seeds of permanent distrust and suspicion in the hearts of the young. In an age of rampant cynicism, this is inexcusable.

more

I cried twice today. I don't cry often, really.

I cried first under the weight of all the complaining and demanding that is shoved at me in this season of my life.

I cried again this evening while listening to an episode of the Rabbit Room podcast (Episode 10: Curt McLey, "A Thing Resounds When it Rings True"). One of my favorite things about God and being a child of God is the promise that there is more.

More than right now.

More than all that I experience and understand.

Something more that whispers in stories. A truth I can't yet fully know or realize, but that I anticipate with a desire hidden somewhere deep within my redeemed heart. I am moved by that desire, and by the reality that in songs and stories we can connect and recognize truths we share with strangers. There is beauty in truth that is hidden in a fallen mankind and a fallen world, in universal longings that point to the only One who fulfills them.