Hodgepodging for Takeoff. Please Fasten Your Seatbelts.

We took a roadtrip

1600 miles

This is a big country!

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THANK YOU, JOYCE!

1. Where have you found unexpected magic or delight this holiday season?

This is an easy one:  a roadtrip with Mr. C., our oldest son, and his youngest son, traveling in an RV from Minnesota to near the Mexican border in Arizona. It was a long, long drive, about the same distance as driving from London to Moscow, just in case you were considering doing that. Be sure to take enough bottled water, pretzels, almonds, entertaining games, books, and a little chocolate.

Most of the photos in this post were taken in Bisbee, AZ.

And all of this was also possible because our middle son stayed at our house in Wisconsin and took care of Tommy and Smokey!

Tommy doesn't look like he was suffering too much, does he!
I got this reassuring photo in a text message.
But I think Rob could have turned up the heat. LOL

2. What's your favorite type of holiday gathering? Will you/have you gathered in your favorite way this month?

My favorite type of holiday gathering is when the entire family rents a [very large] holiday cottage for a week (or two or three) somewhere in northern or southern England. It wouldn't really matter which, because they're so close together! Wouldn't that be fun?!! But actually, any time the family is gathered at our home is my favorite type of gathering.

3. Time has named 'The Silence Breakers' (women who came forward with stories of harassment)  'person of the year' for 2017. Would you agree? If not, who do you think deserves the title?

I wholeheartedly agree, it's about time, and I hope it continues -  although there seems to be precious little genuine repentance among the perpetrators. It's mostly apologizing for getting caught, and I'm also a bit skeptical of those who, when the 'situation' has been consensual, now come back at a later date purporting to be a victim. I think it's high time to clean house with a major vacuum cleaner, but only God can and does change hearts, and maybe that will also happen to some of those involved as a result of introspection and genuine repentance. By God's grace, it happens many times a day in many places across the globe, with people far less interesting to the media.

Merry Christmas from Bisbee, AZ

4. How did you spend your time this year? Are you happy about that? Elaborate.

Reading, studying, thinking, praying, healing, learning, traveling, praying, visiting family, occasionally blogging, Instagramming, etc. Am I happy about that? I guess so, although it leaves me with other problems. He that hath ears to hear...

5. Bid farewell to 2017 in ten words or less.

Twenty eighteen will be seeing more and better changes, 2017.

My favorite photo from the trip to Arizona:

our son and grandson.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I had to put this video on YouTube just so I could share it with you. It was our seven year old grandson's first flight, and it was such a delight to watch his excitement! He was told to be sure to chew gum on takeoff and landing, so you can see he is really working it! I will cherish this trip and the time spent with this sweet kid. We played so many games of Rock, Paper, Scissors; Tic Tac Toe; Spot It; and read the book Babe and got about five chapters into Mr. Popper's Penguins, etc.  

Just before takeoff, I glanced over at him. He was sitting very still, his eyes closed, his hands folded. I waited a minute and then asked him if he had been praying. Yes, he said. I quietly made the sign of the Cross on his forehead, just as an Amen and a thank you to God for the faith of this little child. God bless him.

Well into the 3 hour flight from Phoenix to Minneapolis
'Bad Piggies,' pretzels, and apple juice

***

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We'll be back next year, friends.
See you then!

Have a blessed and merry Christmas, 
as we celebrate the birth of
King Jesus, Lord of all.

Source: various places online.

I wanted to find a painting where Jesus and Mary and Joseph

looked slightly more Jewish, rather than Dutch or Scandinavian.

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