Christmas Day

Time out from the Tijuana experience. Looking back at my two whole posts, it seems like they're longer than I expected, and it felt like I skipped over a lot of details.

This has been a relaxing Christmas. Both our parents came over for Christmas breakfast. It's nice to have your parents around.

After they left, we hung out. Watched a couple of movies, ate some popcorn, talked to the kids and grandchildren, played games on the Wii, just did a little of nothing.

Saw "Heny Poole is Here". Really enjoyed it. For me it did a good job of showing the battle between faith and skepticism. I have plenty of faith, but I'm a skeptic by nature, so I'm skeptical of easy answers to difficult questions. I thought this show did a good job of balancing the two.

Tomorrow I think I'll hang out some more. I'm discovering the virtues of hanging out.

By the way. My youngest son disparaged It's a Wonderful Life on his blog, because it's all bad news until the very end, when the show is rescued by a happy ending.

Au contraire, mi amigo, It's a Wonderful Life also shows the balance between faith and skepticism. It's great because Jimmy Stewart has to evaluate his faith in God and man in the light of what would happen in his absence. The angel Clarence is the voice of God reminding Stewart that He is there in difficult circumstances, even though frequently inscrutable and requiring significant faith. So in my view, even though the external circumstances in the movie are increasingly desperate, Clarence is continually urging Stewart to view his circumstances through the eyes of faith, which is hopeful, uplifting and optimistic.

Christmas Vacation is still the funniest Christmas movie ever from start to finish. I think it beats A Christmas Story, which is still a great movie. You'll shoot your eye out kid.