Christmas impressions

I slept in past noon again today. Surely this is a great victory - except for next week when I have to go back to work. Just one of the ways I've been enjoying my time off. Maybe it's because I haven't had a coffee since Tuesday.
The rest of my vacation won't be quite so restful I'm afraid. Tomorrow, Tom and Brenda are coming for dinner and skating, Saturday looks like skiing at Horseshoe resort, Sunday is New Years Eve of frivolities out of town, and Monday an old friend is visiting before catching a flight to Newfoundland. By Tuesday, I'll need to go to work to catch a rest.

Christmas was a whirlwind. I visited my sister and her rascally brood (and yes, my brother in law is included in the rascally label). It had only been a couple of months, yet when my nephews saw me they had no idea who I was.
"Excuse me... excuse me?"
"Yes?"
"Who are you?"
"Am I uncle Ken?"
"No..."
"Am I uncle Jason?"
"No."
"Am I uncle Christopher?"
"No!"
"Am I uncle Rue?"
"Noooo..."
"Yes I am!"
"OoooOOOoohhh.... Mommy... Mooommy?"
"Yes?"
"Who is that?"
"That's uncle Rue!"
In a very audible whisper, ".... why does he have hair on his face?"
"That's a beard, kind of like daddy's"
"Oh... Can I have one?"
"Yes, when you get old enough to grow one."
"Will you grow one too when you're old enough mommy?"

Christmas Eve service at my parents house was interesting. It's nice to walk into a small church with my parents and have people look at me as if wondering who this guy is. Last year, they were between pastors, and I'd noted that the temp looked like a game show host. I'd been expecting him to burst out in the middle of everything with, "A new CAR!" Or something. This year, they had a new pastor. I was fairly impressed; he is a good speaker and is passionate about what he says. Apparently, he got into some trouble from his old church for being 'too evangelical...' Uh huh. What the block are we all here to accomplish then?? Sometimes you have to weep for some churches.