The De-Santafication Process

 It's always sad when taking down Christmas trees, isn't it?  Yet it has to be done, or else neighbors and visitors might look at us funny and think we're one of those Christmas fanatics.  Which we in fact are.  But nevertheless, we did take down the Star Wars tree today, and got down the decorations on the front porch. We got the Christmas plush animals away too, clearing out the second floor and the front porch.  Next up is the main tree, which takes a while, and honestly, I just don't want to take it down yet.  Looking across the street at all the other houses, there are plenty of others who must feel the same way - each night there are decorations and lights still up, and the neighborhood is still so nice to drive through.  We'll miss the lights as they go down, one by one.  But a new season is here, and that's the way it all works.  Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer for Chinese New Year, as it is once again deep into February on the 12th.  And of course Valentine's Day is there in February.  But once again, January is left in the cold with nothing to celebrate.  We'll probably start celebrating the Chinese New Year a bit earlier, watching Chinese movies, listening to a lot of that music, doing crafts, and maybe attending celebrations.  It was a year ago that many politicians refused to cancel Chinese New Year celebrations because of a measly little virus going on.  A month later, they all did an abrupt turnaround.  Politics are so tribal these last two sentences that it depends on your political leaning as to whether these people should share in any of the blame for the rapid spread of the virus.  

Anyway, Mom and Nana spent a good deal of time painting the garage floor today, and Madison and I once again went out to get food for everyone.  We were over at Chick-Fil-A, and once again there was this monster line in the drive-thru, just like there's been since March when all the restaurants were forced to close their doors.  Chick-Fil-A kept doing the drive-through only, and I'm pretty tired of it, actually.  I mean, I like the food.  I just don't like waiting in a line that literally wraps around the building, out the parking lot and down the street through the roundabout.  Regardless of all that, Madison and I got the food, and we were home with dinner for everyone.

Tonight's feature was another longer movie, "Those Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines."  We saw this some time ago, and were ready to watch it again - I actually really like this movie.   It is a very simple concept and a long movie, but there's something fun about watching this one.  Perhaps it's the sense of history about the old flyers, watching these relics of the past soar once more.  Or maybe it's the likable characters, even that scoundrel Sir Percy Ware-Armitage.  

Madison did a good bit of Animal Crossing today, relaxing and enjoying another one of the last remaining days of her winter break.  She's got about three more days left.  She was doing a bit of her piano, just touching on her practice of "Married Life," and a few other songs, keeping her fingers on the piano so as to not get so rusty.  No matter what practicing sounds like - missed keys or slow delivery or whatever - it is music to my ears.  It is the sound of a piano being loved and used, and a talent growing!

It was a good day today.  We read more from the book of Judges, about Abimelech, one of Gideon's sons who thought that his dad had too many children.  So he killed seventy of them.  I believe that left two.  These sorts of things tend to come back on a person, particularly in the Bible. And it particularly unwise to be a cruel person in the book of Judges, as we've already read what happened to Sisera, Eglon, and Adoni-Bezek.  Sure enough, there's a comeuppance, and it's up there with the others.  Perhaps Gideon should have been a bit more selective about the children he had.  I mean, seventy seems a bit on the high side, and Abimelech's mom's family sounds like the sort that you don't want over at Thanksgiving.

ANYWAY, we were back in Narnia tonight, and things are looking grim for our heroes.  Madison listened intently, and we were so close to reading another chapter, simply because we didn't want it to stop.  But it was late, and we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens next.  We're winding down on the Chronicles of Narnia though, with only seven chapters left or so.

We said our prayers, and after that, we were asleep a little earlier.  We have to set the alarm tonight, as we have to get up early for the first time in quite some time.  We've got church to go to, our first service of the year!