Jingle Bells and Whistle Berries

Nothing says Christmas quite like a dozen steaming tamales fresh out of their cornhusk wrappings. Martha Stewart be damned that is what is for X-mas dinner at the Phos household this year.

A tradition imported from Mexico to the Southwest it sounds good to me, not everything that comes over the border is here to steal our dishwashing jobs and create mayhem in our dysfunctional society. Of course I have yet to make the tamales, so that should be interesting, with our celebration just two days away. We are celebrating a bit early so the kids can attend – say all the hallelujahs and sing all the holy nights you want, but X-mas is about being together with family for me and that is the lynchpin of our holiday. Nothing can beat good food, good company, and the love of family to make X-mas complete.

I was watching Jim Kerry’s “The Grinch that Stole Christmas” the other night and was stunned by the irony of the show interspersed with commercials to buy all sorts of crap for loved ones, office mates, and complete strangers when the show was about the fact Christmas isn’t about Black Friday. Sometimes I weary of my fellow man, aside from having him all up in my cheese drawer in this high density neighborhood; by and large he just doesn’t get it. Too much NASCAR I expect.

Anyway, you have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Superman’s birthday, march to the pillars of the devil or whatever other synthetic holiday you wish to have worshipping the deity or pagan symbol of your choice, but remember it isn’t about the bling or mythical beings, it is about holding your love ones tight and sharing your love with them and with your fellow man whatever flavor delusion he may subscribe to. If you simply must buy something donate to a food bank or toy drive and help give some less fortunate of our kind a bit of hope…