Catching up

[Murfreesboro]

I taught my kids about Santa, but my husband was not raised in that tradition. My MIL was so hurt when she discovered the truth that she wanted to spare her kids that pain. They also opened all their gifts on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning was spent at church bc she was the church organist.

In my family, church was on Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning was for presents followed by feasting. I insisted on that when our kids came.

It's a conundrum, what to do about Santa. Most kids figure it out by age 8 even if they pretend a little longer. It's not exactly a lie-- there really was a Saint Nicholas who delivered gifts down a chimney, or maybe through a window. I think it's a delightful mythology myself. I love Santa and what he represents. In the long run, though, for me at least, the religious mystery of the incarnation has replaced the magic of Santa. I like to think that my childhood immersion in that magic prepared me for the awe I now feel at the religious mystery.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I haven't been around because we had to do some unexpected renovations at the restaurant, a pipe burst behind the wall in the kitchen and after we removed it to fix the pipe, we thought that we might as well just renovate the whole kitchen, and since I own the building we were able to do the renovations ourselves at night for a decent price, so that's what I've been doing for the last week.

We also managed to book our trip so we will be going to Florida from the 10th-17th, and I'm sure some moron at the school will complain about it. When we get back we already have appointments booked for the murder mystery and escape room games as well, my wife and I have got pretty good at them.

We have been to Spirit Halloween a few times already this year, but I will be bringing the kids and their friends there this weekend to get their costumes, it should be fun.

Also, my sister sent this to me, if you love the Pillsbury Doughboy, and you have some time to waste on your phone, then click the link below. I promise that you will be amused.

https://www.pokethedoughboy.com/

I took these pictures last week, just look at those gorgeous gourds, and no, I'm not taking about the band. If you didn't know, there's a band called Gorgeous Gourds.

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[Murfreesboro]

Great to hear from you! That was a big job, doing those renovations at night yourself. We are having issues with our washing machine. It's been leaking all over creation, so we're going to have to replace it and see how bad the muck is. It's always something.

My daughter and I are going to Charleston, SC, at the very time you'll be in Florida. We're meeting one of my CA cousins there for an autumnal getaway.

Those are indeed gorgeous gourds! The pumpkins have finally come in around here, too.