3D Printing

My father-in-law, Robert Lincoln, is a mechanical engineer. He originally trained as a gunsmith at the Rhode Island School of Design and at Trinidad State College in Colorado. That’s where he met his future wife and mother of my lovely Linda. He worked at various companies that built oil filters, ultimately ending up at Fram here in Longmont.

Later he moved to Coors where he worked in packaging. He was responsible for the various new designs of beer cans that eliminated the pull ring. The removable ring was a waste hazard to animals and bare footed people. He also developed computer programs that supported the brewing of the new “light beer” using an HP desktop computer. He was a self-taught programmer, although I did help him with some of the code. It was all in Compiled BASIC.

Besides engineer and programmer, he was an inventor. I remember one idea he had. It was a plastic plug that you would use to replace the cigarette lighter in your car. On the end of the black plastic, painted white, was a representation of a cigarette with the red “no” symbol over it. His idea was to sell it to nonsmokers to put in their cars to discourage passengers from smoking. You young folks won’t understand, but things were different back then. Cigarette lighters were for lighting cigarettes rather than charging phones, and people smoked in offices and cars.

He had to hire an outfit to make a prototype of his design, and I remember seeing the small plastic object. Now days, that would be a good job for a 3D printer.

First invented back in 1984, it wasn’t until the last few years that 3D printers have really caught on … that and drones. Up to this point, “subtractive” technology has been the mainstay. Machines would build objects by removing material with lathes and planers and other machines. Now, with 3D printing, “additive” development is done. The final object is built up slowly by numerous applications of thin layers.

3D printing has found a use in both prototyping and small count manufacturing. It is the flexibility of the methodology that is so exciting. New ideas literally “come into shape” on the printing platform. 3D printers are still rather expensive and the materials used in them cost more than ink jet ink … which is already priced like liquid gold. So it is a hobby for the rich or well funded. There are some small machines in the $5,000 price range, but cheaper models are appearing.

One thing we know about technology is its ability to reduce the price with volume production and wide acceptance. So I expect companies like HP to soon offer low cost 3D printers down at Best Buy and WalMart. A 3D printer coupled with some 3D design software will start producing objects of technology and works of art. Now sculpture can be reproduced as easily as paintings and drawings are with 2D printing. This might become a whole new paradigm of objects. That and the “Internet of Things.” (I’ll have to tell you about the IoT at some later date.)

I think one of the first things I’ll make when I get mine will be a copy of that no smoking plug that Bob invented so many years ago.

Fast Food

It’s a unique American invention. And we suffer from the consequences. High calorie, bad cholesterol, high fat, and few vegetables in the food that we consume … quickly. We now suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, giant pants — all symptoms of a nation’s love for food that is fast.

The archetypical main dish is hamburgers — hamburgers and french fries. Throw in a shake and you have the entire recommended daily intake of calories in one meal. From there we drive to our sedentary jobs and park as close as we can. I get a big kick out of going to the health club. Everyone tries to get that parking space right by the door. Does that make sense?

Franchises are the heart and soul of the successful fast food establishments, although local and regional brands also purvey good food. But since I write for a national audience, and even an international one, I will discuss the largest franchises.

(I remember trips to Germany and Japan that, after a while, I truly craved some good old US food like a burger, KFC, or a pizza. Fortunately, these US franchises are over there too, although Burger King didn’t call their top dish a “Whopper.”)

I reviewed an article that listed the top 50 fast food purveyors based on sales. That’s probably a good measure of the number of restaurants and name recognition, so I’m going to use this survey to compare the different choices.

Start with hamburgers (and fries). Of course, number one is McDonalds. Never a question there. Lots of other burger joints in the top 50: Burger King and Wendy’s, of course. Also Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Dairy Queen. (Not sure to count DQ as a burger joint, although they’ve been busy redoing their brand to add sandwiches to their ice cream selections.)

Also in the list is Hardee’s and Carl Jr.’s, although these two seem to be cut from the same corporate cloth. Whataburger, Steak N Shake, Five Guys, Culvers, and Checker’s/Rally’s are in the mix, although some of these are more regional than national. White Castle in the East and In-N-Out in the West are well known. Finally is Krystal … a brand I’ve never heard of … concludes the list that is, obviously, skewed to burgers.

Under the category of sandwich, first is Subway. Panera and Arby’s are in that list too. Quiznos and Jimmy Johns are next, with Jason’s Deli and Einstein Brother’s Bagels bringing up the end of the sandwich list.

In many ways, the sandwich may offer the most healthy choices and many of these vendors will give you a veggie if you’re not into meat. On the other hand, most cold cuts are very high in sodium … and fat, so take care with your choices. (Also watch the mayo.)

Most, however, are not really delis in the sense of a good New York version. I’m not familiar with Jason’s, and here in my hometown, I frequent a local butcher that does deli well. We used to have a Heidi’s Deli, which is trying to become a national brand. I don’t know how well they’re doing in that quest, but they didn’t make the top 50.

Starbuck’s sells more than just coffee, and Baskin Robins and Tim Horton add to the “snack” list. Throw in Cold Stone Creamery and that’s it for doughnuts and ice cream. I don't know why Winchell's or Dunkin' Donuts didn't make the list, nor Daylight or Krispy Kreme or even Voodoo Doughnut for you Portlandians. Those delicious little loops of deep fried pleasure. And while we're at it, wouldn't Waffle House be considered fast food? Maybe I'd better save that for another note.

In the Mexican food category, you have Taco Bell, followed by Chipotle and Del Taco. Qdoba is on the list, but our local favorite, a chain out of Wyoming, Taco Johns, is not.

Now let’s talk pizza. Not all of them are sit-down restaurants, but I like the salad bar at Pizza Hut. You can also go to Domino’s or Papa John’s (Peyton Manning, part owner). Little Caesars (Pizza! Pizza!) and Papa Murphy’s are also in the list. CiCi’s with their buffet and Sbaro in the malls round off the list.

The long-time KFC comes in number 9 on the list and introduces fried chicken as an entree. Chick-Fil-A is also known for chicken. Popeye’s and Church’s have a little more southern style recipes. Bojangles, El Pollo Loco, and Boston Market round out the category.

In the Asian fast food we find Panda Express alone in the category. Looks like some opportunity in a format that can often be more healthy, although still loaded with carbs and fat.

Long John Silver’s and Captain D’s stand alone in the seafood, fast food, but again frying is not the healthiest choice even when you eschew beef. Plus, they sell a lot of fries.

One might wonder about Italian food as a possible fast food category, although the pizza places often have pasta. There’s also a few salad fast food establishments such as the Colorado “Mad Greens.” In fact, a very large number of these franchises started in Colorado.

So there you have it. I’m not sure there are any more categories for fast food. Boston Market really sells more home cooking, than fast food, and there are a lot of cafeteria brands, especially in Texas. You all know the wide range of sit-down restaurants and their categories. I’ll save that for another day.

LTE-Advanced, the Next Big Thing

LTE-Advanced is the next step in the evolution to true 4G. More network capacity, faster data speeds, and better coverage will come from LTE-Advanced mobile technologies. So now, four years after the first networks using LTE went live, operators are looking to its successor.

Already, more than a dozen carriers, including AT&T, Korea’s SK Telecom, Australia’s Telstra, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, and Telenor Sweden are testing LTE-Advanced technologies, and analysts expect commercial rollouts to start this year. By 2018, according to ABI Research, global LTE-Advanced connections will approach 500 million — about five times as many as LTE can claim today.

Wireless specialists are calling LTE-Advanced “true 4G” because, unlike ordinary 4G LTE, it actually meets the International Telecommunication Union’s specifications for fourth-generation wireless systems.

One of these criteria is speed. LTE-Advanced can theoretically achieve data download rates as high as 3 gigabits per second and upload rates as high as 1.5 Gb/s. By comparison, current implementations of LTE top out around 300 Mb/s for downloads and 75 Mb/s for uploads.

LTE-Advanced isn’t just about faster rates. It also includes new transmission protocols and multiple-antenna schemes that enable smoother handoffs between cells, increase throughput at cell edges, and it can stuff more bits per second into each hertz of spectrum. The result will be higher network capacity, more consistent connections, and cheaper data.

As its name implies, LTE-Advanced is meant to enhance LTE (Long Term Evolution … to “4G”). The two standards are mutually compatible, which is great for consumers. New LTE-Advanced phones will still work on LTE networks, and old LTE phones will connect to LTE-Advanced networks. Operators will benefit as well. Those wishing to upgrade to LTE-Advanced won’t need to scrape together new radio spectrum or build out new infrastructure as they did to make the leap from 3G to LTE.

But there is a catch: Carriers won’t roll out all of LTE-Advanced’s capabilities at once. Like LTE before it, the new standard isn’t a single technology but rather a grab bag of many technologies, and operators will pick and choose items as they’re needed. The new technology that will likely be adopted first is “carrier aggregation.”

Carrier aggregation increases the bandwidth available to a mobile device by stitching together frequency channels, or “carriers,” that reside in different parts of the radio spectrum. Ordinary LTE can deliver data using a contiguous block of frequencies up to 20 megahertz wide. But as more and more companies and devices bid for radio spectrum, such wide swaths are increasingly scarce. Most operators, having bought bits and pieces of spectrum wherever they could, have fragmented collections.

Carrier aggregation solves that problem. It allows operators to combine their narrow, disjointed channels into “one very big pipe.” To deliver its LTE-Advanced service, for example, a company can combine two separate 10-MHz-wide channels, at 800 MHz and 1.8 gigahertz, into a single 20-MHz-wide channel, essentially doubling the data rate available to each user.

Besides carrier aggregation, four other key features distinguish LTE-Advanced from its predecessors. The first of these is called “multiple input, multiple output” (MIMO), which allows base stations and mobile units to send and receive data using multiple antennas. LTE already supports some MIMO, but only for the download stream. And it limits the number of antennas to four transmitters in the base station and four receivers in the handset. LTE-Advanced allows for up to eight antenna pairs for the download link and up to four pairs for the upload link.

MIMO serves two functions. In noisy radio environments — such as at the edge of a cell or inside a moving vehicle — the multiple transmitters and receivers work together to focus the radio signals in one particular direction. This “beamforming” boosts the strength of the received signal without upping transmission power (and reducing battery life).

If signals are strong and noise is low — such as when stationary users are close to a base station — MIMO can be used to increase data rates, or the number of users, for a given amount of spectrum. The technique, called spatial multiplexing, permits multiple data streams to travel over the same frequencies at the same time.

Another important cell phone technology is “relaying,” which extends coverage to places where reception is poor. Wireless network architects have long used relays to extend a tower’s reach, such as into a train tunnel or a remote area. But traditional relays, or repeaters, are relatively simple. They receive signals, amplify them, and then retransmit them.

LTE-Advanced supports more advanced relays, which first decode the transmissions and then forward only those destined for the mobile units that each relay is serving. This scheme reduces interference and lets more users link with the relay.

Yet another LTE-Advanced feature will help alleviate network congestion. Known as “enhanced inter-cell interference coordination,” or eICIC, it will be used for so-called heterogeneous networks, in which low-power base stations, or small cells, overlay the “macro” network of traditional towers. Many carriers have already begun using variously sized small cells (also called metro-, micro-, pico-, or femtocells) to expand data capacity in busy urban centers. These compact boxes are cheaper, less obtrusive, and easier to install, and analysts see a bright future for them. But as operators cram more and more cells into the same spaces, they will have to find ways to lessen the inevitable crosstalk, a form of interference between transmitters.

The last major item on LTE-Advanced’s broad menu helps further improve signals and increase data rates at a cell’s edge, where it can be tough to get a good connection. The technique is called “coordinated multipoint,” or CoMP. Essentially, it enables a mobile device to exchange data between multiple base stations at the same time.

While the positive improvements from implementation of all of these new features will be a big jump in cell phone quality and performance, it will take years for telecommunications companies to implement all of these features across the country. And there’s even more exciting news waiting in the wings. There is talk of a new standard promoted by The 3rd Generation Partnership Project. This international body originally worked to make mobile phone system specification based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specifications. They were responsible for the EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) standard. They plan to release the next iteration later this year.

Cell phones will get faster and the quality of service will improve. Companies are rushing to fulfill the demand for more and more speed and bandwidth to a growing customer base. Evolution takes time. We’ve already seen the shift from dinosaurs to small mammals. Next thing you know these creatures will grow wings and start to fly. It will take some time. Not geological time, but a few years. Hope I’m around to see it.

Has Colorado Gone to Pot?

So is Marijuana legal in Colorado as of the New Year?

Actually recreational use of Marijuana has been legal in Colorado since Dec. 10, 2012, after Amendment 64 was passed by the voters. What changed on Jan. 1, 2014 is that now certain retail establishments are allowed to sell up to one ounce of Marijuana and other “herbal” products for “recreational” purposes.

Where can I buy weed?

The retail sale of Marijuana is highly regulated. That’s why there was such a long delay since the passing of the amendment and the opening of the stores. That allowed the state to develop rules and regulations.

Colorado legalized the medical use of Marijuana back in 2010. Currently the retail stores selling pot are limited to those that were already certified to sell medicinal weed. New stores will open once they pass the very rigorous licensing requirements, and that probably won’t be for several months … probably not before near the end of the year. The red tape is that long.

So now I can smoke dope in Colorado?

Well, technically you can smoke Marijuana, but the places you can smoke are very limited. You can’t just smoke it outdoors … no smoking in public, no smoking in parks, no smoking at the airport, and no smoking on the ski slopes. You can smoke it at Red Rocks … but that rule (or practice) has existed for about the last fifty years. (The last sentence is a joke folks. It’s also the truth, but you have to see the humor in it. Come to Red Rocks … you’ll get high … on the music or the scenery of just the high mountain air. That I guarantee. The new law won't have changed that at all.)

Can you smoke it at the retail stores?

Definitely not. There is no smoking where the weed is sold. In fact, under Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act, pot smoking isn't allowed anywhere that cigarette smoking is also banned and there's no cigar bar-style exemption for blunts. That means no smoking in any building, office, mall, bar, or teepee. About the only place you can smoke pot legally is in your own home or apartment (assuming your landlord doesn’t object).

They even considered making it illegal to smoke pot if your neighbor could smell it, but that rule didn’t pass. Meanwhile the great gray area of the law doesn’t say about smoking on the deck, porch, patio, or balcony. Smoking while in the backcountry is only under the jurisdiction of Smokey the Bear and he says only you can prevent wild fires. Seriously, the Feds still frown on any pot smoking in the National Parks and the fine is very, very stiff.

If I only smoke at home, will my employer object?

That’s up to your employer, and plenty of them test new applicants for MJ. So, you might want to keep it on the down-low, and don’t wear any of those funny “Joe the Camel with a bong” T-Shirts at work. However, judging on the stupid way I see people acting in corporations these days, they may already be high. So you should fit right in.

Who can buy Marijuana?

Much like a liquor store, any person over twenty-one can purchase Marijuana. If you live here, you can buy up to one ounce. If you don’t live here, you can still buy up to a quarter ounce.

Can I buy it in Colorado and take it home?

Only if you live in Colorado. You can not drive it out of state, or fly it out of state, or take a train or a bus. You can’t even transport it between two states where it is legal, although that’s pretty much limited to Colorado and Washington at this time. (That’s the state of Washington. We don’t know what they’re smoking in D.C.)

On the other hand, those that have driven north on I-25 and noticed the giant stores selling fireworks just across the border in Wyoming where, apparently, even dynamite is legal for Fourth of July celebrations, I expect you’ll soon see giant stores on the Colorado side of the border. After all, it’s illegal to bring those “Wyoming” fireworks into CO, so …. Just sayin’, not doin’.

Would you? Could you?
In a car?
Eat them! Eat them!
Here they are.

That’s a tough one. The law is very strict against driving stoned. So the driver should not be smoking. Both the law and the science on contact high is unsure, so anyone smoking in a car might end up with everyone in the hoosegow. One problem is reliable testing of Marijuana “intoxication.” If the cop pulls you over and smoke billows out your window, you may be in for a long discussion with the officer.

Can I transport Marijuana in the car?

As long as you’re not smoking it or crossing state lines, MJ in the car is OK.

Can I mail some pot to my family in Omaha?

Only if you want to spend time in a nice federal prison. The mail is intended only for certain things like letters from your aunt Martha and junk mail. Junk mail = OK. Pot mail = 10 years in Federal Prison. I hope I made that clear … oh, and postage rates also went up on the first.

What does this pot cost down at the “high” store?

Plenty. For one thing there’s a 29% state tax plus any local sales and use tax on a recreational Marijuana purchase. Like all good vices, including cigarettes and alcohol, the government takes a big share. That’s why it’s called “organized crime.” Expect to pay upwards of $300 for an ounce of reefer. Smaller amounts are also available along with Marijuana “infused” products like brownies. Weight Watchers will soon be providing the points count for these delicious, mood changing treats.

Of course, all that tax money will be put to good use. A lot of the money goes to schools where additional classes on the evils of drug use will be added. Did you know that currently 32% of Colorado school expulsions are due to Marijuana use? Don’t expect that figure to improve. On the other hand, Pot should bring millions of additional dollars to Colorado. That’s basic economics. Let the Pot Tours begin. After all, we know it is always just about the money.

Will my name go on a big government list if I buy pot?

Trust me, your name is already on a big government list. However, you won’t have to sign to buy your weed. You will get your picture taken as pot stores will have more cameras than a presidential news conference.

Can I just grow my own?

Sure you can, if you have a green thumb and an “enclosed, locked space.” You have to be over twenty-one and you’re limited to six plants. There are a lot of city ordinances including zoning laws, so check with your local government before you buy $10,000 worth of hydroponic equipment.

What about the Feds? Isn’t Marijuana still against federal law?

Yes it is. However, the federal government seems to be content just tapping all our phones and hacking into all our computers, and says it intends to leave potheads alone. That is, if they follow the rules, at least for now. The next U.S. Attorney General may have different rules and they may be adding smoke detectors to the drones.

What are the rules?

Well, they’re unwritten rules, but this seems to be what the eight federal priorities are:

1. Preventing marijuana distribution to minors;
2. Preventing money from sales from going to criminal groups;
3. Preventing the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal to states where it is illegal;
4. Preventing criminal groups from using state laws as cover for trafficking of other illegal drugs;
5. Preventing violence and the use of illegal firearms;
6. Preventing drugged driving and marijuana-related public health problems;
7. Preventing the growing of marijuana on public lands;
8. Preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.

Will legal recreational sale of Marijuana replace medicinal Marijuana sales?

No. For one thing, medical Marijuana won’t have the very high taxes that the fun stuff has. So those with doctor’s prescriptions may choose to continue to buy MJ for what ails them. Plus, the limit for medical use of pot is two ounces and you can even have more if your doctor says so. Ain’t modern medicine wonderful? Oh, and you can get a prescription for medical Marijuana at the age of 18. So “MM” is sort of the 3.2 beer of pot.

What will be the impact of legal Marijuana sales in Colorado?

Well, I expect a big increase in sales at 7-Eleven and a drop in the school test scores. Seriously, Marijuana is a drug. There are plenty of drugs that are legal in our society, but that doesn’t make drugs a good thing. They all have their side effects. Personally, I consider weed a lot less damaging than alcohol or tobacco use, but that doesn’t mean it is safe. But then, apparently, neither is soda pop … both regular and sugar-free. People are gonna do what people do. Legal Marijuana just means that you won’t get busted for pot … unless you’re crossing state lines. It doesn’t mean pot is good for you. But then, neither are doughnuts, but they’re legal.

Now that pot is legal, will you be smoking it Mickey?

In a word, no. For one thing, I don’t do anything that makes my thinking unclear. (Well, maybe a few things.) I’m not against smoking weed, or having a beer or a glass of wine as far as that’s concerned. But those that know me know I don’t imbibe in intoxicants, and MJ is an intoxicant.

That’s just a personal choice. I regard clear thinking and a sound mind above all else … well almost all else. And, I have seen the damage that intoxicants have done to people, families, and society. However, the war on drugs has also caused much damage, and I think it is good that no one is getting busted for taking a few tokes. That’s OK with me. After what I’ve seen on television, both the news and the entertainment channels, I don’t think a little weed will push our society over the edge. When was the last time you heard of someone getting high on MJ and starting a fight?

So is legalized Marijuana the wave of the future?

Yes, I’m sure it is. Society is changing. It is always changing. We’ve tried some things such as prohibition, and it didn’t work out too well. As a society we don’t think that cigarettes are good for you, yet we tax the bejeebies out of them and sell them over the counter. Of course, it's illegal to sell cigs to kids … sure that law is working. Just drive by the local High School. Same goes for alcohol. It causes a lot of damage and death and other really bad things, but the state still gets a cut on every bottle, can, and glass sold. And in Nevada, prostitution is legal. All that just makes the government a pusher.

Same thing with legalized gambling. If I was in the mafia, I’d be suing the government for patent violations or unfair competition or something like that. After all, the government is already running “Murder Incorporated.” If I was organized crime, I’d just close up shop. The big boys are in town and they’re taking over the rackets.

All of these things cause more problems than they solve, but they increase tax revenues, and that’s really all government cares about. Maybe they'll use the money for something good. You can always hope so. That’s the direction society is going. Money is the new green. Better hang onto your hand basket, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Meanwhile, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

If you consider all that is wrong with the world, getting high on a little Colorado Cocktail isn’t the worst thing at all. John Denver wasn’t referring to just the mountains when he wrote “Rocky Mountain High.” Too bad he isn’t here to enjoy it now that it’s legal … sort of.

Christmas Eve

My memories are organized like a relational database. Holidays are often the key to accessing thoughts of times long ago, although music can also serve as a key phrase to recall specific times and places.

No other holiday is as important for bringing up old times and remembrance than Christmas. My thoughts roll back over data records of Christmas past, of family and friends, of places I’ve been … like the Christmas I spent at a customer location in Philadelphia. While most get vacation time for Christmas, and I’ve been amongst those lucky people most of my life, there was a time that an important IBM customer problem required me to spend the holiday in a strange city. We did break for Christmas and I was home for three days before returning to the humming halls of customer mainframes and data farms. It was a happy visit, we saved the customer's hind quarters, and IBM kept a paying client, largely based on my emergency services.

But that’s not the tale I was thinking about last night. Linda and I always attend the candle-light service at our local church on Christmas Eve. That’s a tradition we’ve had this last decade or so. Due to its popularity, last night there were two services, and we chose the early service so we could spend the rest of the evening in last minute chores. Christmas Eve at our house is steeped in tradition. There’s fried rice. Originally that was a comfort food prepared by Linda’s mom. Mark has taken over that task these last six years, but last night we dispensed with that since it was only Linda and I. Mark was at home doing his own last minute chores.

We rushed to get to the stores before they closed, but things have changed a bit over the years. Many stores were open until seven or even eight o’clock. We made the round of open stores getting a few, last minute essentials for the next day's festivities. We then found a Burger King that was open 24 hours during the holiday. We had a happy time with the staff wishing each other Merry Christmas, and Linda and I shared a double order of Alaskan fish sandwich. Long ago Burger King had a nice fish sandwich called the "Whaler." Today’s fast food restaurants mostly serve a tiny fried fish pellet on a bun, but Burger King still has a pretty good fish sandwich. So, after last minute frantic shopping for just a couple more gifts and some desserts for today’s feast and a light meal, Linda and I cruised around enjoying the season’s lighting.

I thought back to a Christmas many, many years ago. We were still in our first house over on Sherman Street and our kids were little. It was a Christmas eve we spent with our good friends Steve and Sandi. I don’t recall exactly, but I think our boys were probably at their grandparents and Sandi’s girls were with down in Trinidad. So it was just us four driving around on Christmas Eve.

First we had to find somewhere to eat. Back then, especially around nine at night, everything was closed. We found a Chinese Restaurant to have our evening meal. Just like Ralphie and his family in the A Christmas Story, we found an open business staffed by non-Christians. Maybe our new tradition of fried rice dates back to that Oriental experience. I don’t know.

So, later, we were driving around deserted streets and not ready to go home and go to bed. Steve and Sandi didn’t have a Christmas tree. They intended to get one, but they kept putting it off. We drove by several closed lots with many trees left. In those days, artificial trees were not as popular as today, and there were half a dozen temporary locations in Longmont that offered live trees … at least they were living just previous to being cut down.

All the lots were closed, so we schemed how we would climb the fence and rescue a tree. It wasn’t exactly a felony. We might return the next day and pay for the tree. Alas we didn’t resort to thievery. No one wanted to tie a tree to the roof that cold evening.

We eventually drifted home. We dropped off our friends and returned to our house and warm beds to await the Christmas morning.

Then there was the Christmas of the great blizzard. Our boys were already at their grandparents out in Horseshoe park, about ten miles out of town toward Berthoud. I had the yellow van back then and we still lived on Sherman. It had been snowing heavy all day. About four in the afternoon, as the sun dipped and the snow blew, we hopped in the old Dodge and headed for grandma’s. We didn’t make it to the end of the block before getting stuck. The van was not too bad in snow, but the high drifts that the city had not plowed (“only arterials during this snow emergency”) were not passible by the big yellow truck. So we reversed back up our street and got the van safely back into the garage.

We spent the remainder of the evening shoveling the continuing snow off our driveway and Linda was very sad and upset not to be with her kids on Christmas Eve. The next morning the snow had stopped and enough cars and four-wheel drives had driven down our street that we made it to Main and out on the plowed highway north of town. We turned down Bob and Bea’s road which had been shoveled by someone in a tractor, and started down the narrow path in the four foot snow to their house.

It was a total of about three blocks, and I made it for two before the snow closed in on my van and we were stuck. Due to the high snow on both sides, we couldn’t open the doors, so I climbed to the back and got out that way. We walked to Linda’s folk’s house and brought back assistance with shovels. We soon had the van unstuck and made it down their driveway for a Merry Christmas.

There were other times when the whole fam-damly was here from Alaska and on New Years day I got a speeding ticket in the van as I rushed to load up everyone for a trip to the airport.

There are other times over the last fifty or sixty years that jockey for position in my memory. Many of the events just blur together in a snow storm of present wrapping torn off in anticipation of what's inside. Happy days and happy times as — what else — happiness filled our home. We're ready once again. The tree is up and the floor is littered with wrapped gifts, although not as many as in times past. There's eggnog in the frig and fruit and nuts in the bowls awaiting eager hands. Family and friends will arrive soon, and I'm still in my bathrobe. The hot coffee and pleasant thoughts are my companion on this still morning. It isn't a white Christmas this year, but it will do.

All of these memories come rushing to the forefront of my mind as I access the index=Christmas. There’s many more tales to tell, but I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to always be terse and laconic. So I’ll stop with this simple Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

Bosch Über Alles

Warning: The following is an unpaid product endorsement.

I just can’t get over what a great job the new dishwasher did over the holiday. Since it is machinery, it is my responsibility in the kitchen. I load and run the dishwasher. I got a lot of practice over Thanksgiving. At one point, I ran three successive loads and even washed some of the heavy-duty cooking dishes. Linda said, “Are you supposed to put pans like that in the dishwasher?” I replied, “Sure, they fit!”

A few months ago we were struggling with our old dishwasher. The tops of the glasses would come out full of soap and had to be re-rinsed and dried. I called a repairman and he diagnosed the problem as a failing pump. Without full water pressure, the rinse cycle wasn’t getting all the soap out that was trapped in the small depressions on the top of glasses and cups. Plus, the cleaning just wasn’t up to snuff.

As I suspected, he said that a new pump would cost as much as a new dishwasher, so I went on the hunt for a replacement. I checked out Consumer Guide (I have a subscription for the online Consumer Guide) for the best dishwasher. I always check CG for any major purchase. I like to have the best and, often, the cheap turns out expensive. The current dishwasher is about fifteen years old, but I expect good machinery to last longer than that. Sadly they really don’t make things like they used to. Most of the latest gadgets are designed for about five years of life and then they are not only obsolescent, but most likely kaput.

I was not surprised to learn that the top three or four models of dishwasher in Consumer Guide were Bosch. I first saw that German model at a store in Beaverton, Oregon. My dad took his rug shampoo machine into this little specialty shop for repair. While there we looked at the Bosch dishwashers they carried. The owner and chief handyman gave us a great sales pitch about the quality of Bosch. I remember the particular model my dad looked at had a flat drawer on top where you would put your silverware one piece to a slot. That prevented “spooning” from hiding a dirty side of a utensile from the cleansing water.

I went down to Lowes. Both my nephew Joel and my son Mark were working there, so I got an employee discount. I picked out a very nice model of Bosch in stainless. The only choices were stainless or white. Our kitchen is almond. (That’s right, we built the house in 1986. You can tell the age of any home by the color of the appliances.)

I know from watching shows on the Home Network or the Realty Network or something like that, that everyone swoons when the kitchen appliances are stainless, so that’s what I chose. Of course, “stainless” is a misnomer as the brushed metal shows fingerprints like a police blotter. Still it does look nice, and — best of all — it does a super job of cleaning.

In the CG report they showed how they tested dishwashers with baked on peanut butter and other impossible dish tests to determine the best cleaning dishwasher. As usual, they also look at value for the dollar. Even though Bosch is no bargain basement brand, it took the top three or four spots in the evaluation.

So I bought one of the top models and had it installed. I don’t mind doing electrical work, but I leave plumbing to the professionals. I like the fact that, if the installation fails and my kitchen floods, I have a major corporation to back me up. That happened to my neighbor. Her new dishwasher ended up costing almost $6,000 when you include the new kitchen they had to put in when the water hose came off. I wanted the insurance of an installation warranty just in case. So far, no kitchen flood.

The funny thing is that Lowes insists on selling you a new water hose … the fancy metal woven, high quality, and quite expensive kind. When the installer put in the dishwasher, he said to return the fancy hose for a refund since Bosch has a permanently installed hose. And it’s just a simple plastic hose. He said that must be new. I hope that Bosch isn’t “cheaping” out on me and that hose is good for twenty-five years. One advantage of being 66 is that a twenty-five year guarantee is really a life time warranty.

Anyway, this dishwasher fulfills all promises. Linda used to prewash things before they went into the dishwasher. Her neanderthal husband just puts in the dishes and glasses, all stained and yucky. I press the button. (The dishwasher actually adjust to how dirty the dishes are and adjusts the time of wash … don’t ask me how it does that, but it has a count down clock and I’ve seen it adjust when the dishwasher was full vs. partially filled. Maybe that’s the metric it uses to set wash cycles.) It also only uses one shot of soap; not the two cups of soap … one with a cover. It also told me when it was out of “finish.”

So there you have it folks. If you want to buy the Cadillac of dishwashers (or maybe, since it is German, the Mercedes of dishwashers), then this consumer analyst highly recommends the Bosch dishwasher. Tune in tomorrow when I’ll be writing about our refrigerator. It’s the original from 1986, and it has taken a lickin’ and kept on ticken’.

Christmas: Love — Family — Faith — Tradition

While at “Mollie McGee’s” on Saturday, (a local arts and crafts show), a phrase caught my eye. I think it was on the side of a wooden box, possibly an antique container of some sort. It said, “Christmas” followed by four words: “Love, Family, Faith, and Tradition.” These four themes seems like a good way to view Christmas. Of course, even though the list included Faith, many would argue that, first off, Christ is the “reason for the season.” So that is the one theme we should focus on. That’s true, but it is also true that Christmas in American, and possibly the whole world, has become more than just a celebration of Jesus’ birth. Like much in life, that fact has a good side and a bad. I wish to explore the good.

Love

First and foremost, it is certainly about love. Not just Christmas, but every day of the year. Let’s start with John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yet that quote might apply more appropriately to Easter, or — as I prefer to call it, “Resurrection Day.” Still Christmas was when Christ came to us as a mortal man and thusly “love” entered the world.

The babe in the manger grew, and, at the age of thirty, began His short ministry. The theme of love was always in his message. His words recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke: “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Luke 10:27, but also Matt 22:37 and Mark 12:30) First and foremost is to love God, but it is the second commandment for us to repeat that love to others. This was the new covenant. Rather than ten commandments, we now have just these two: to love the Lord and to love our neighbors.

But who are these neighbors? Is it just the people that live next door? No, it is much more than that. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus states, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” The commandment to love our neighbor has universal application. We are to love everyone, including those that don't love us, as we love ourselves and as we love the Lord God.

We’re also told in Luke 14:12-14 “He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’” So that’s who we are to love: our enemies and our friends and family as well as the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. Our neighbors and our enemies. Those in our country and those abroad. This is not an exclusive list. This is an inclusive list. Simply, we are to love one another — all mankind. This is a reflection of God’s love for us.

In Matthew 25:45, Jesus ties these two commandments of love of God and love of neighbor into one explanation: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” So it isn’t two commandments at all. It is a single commandment that we are to love Him and to love His creation. For we express our love for God through how we treat others, neighbors and foreigners, friends and enemies, the greatest among us and the least, the poor and the downtrodden; we are to love all people.

It is very clear. It is how we treat others … including the least of those … is how we show our love for Him. That is part of the love of Christmas. It is a special time that we focus more on our neighbors and those in need. That is one explanation for the presents. Although it is sad that this Christmas “love” can’t continue throughout the year, it is still good to have a special season to remind us of His love. Think of the acts of kindness and fellowship that have become the very spirit of Christmas.

There’s all those stories about love at Christmas from Dicken’s “The Christmas Carol,” where Scrooge learns to abandon greed and avarice and to love humanity, to the William Sidney Porter’s “Gift of the Magi,” where love is shown to be sacrifice. The reason for the season is “Jesus,” but the theme of the season needs to be “love.” We are commanded to keep his word: “Jesus answered him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.’” — John 14:23-24. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34. What better way to honor His birth than with love.

Since I was married shortly after Christmas, there is a special kind of love that I associate with this the season. The love between a man and a wife is an institution and a miracle instituted by God in the Garden of Eden. What the Lord has joined let no man break apart.

One thing I’ve learned as both a teacher and a parent is not to assume others know what I’m talking about. Explanations must be given in terms that can be understood. Don’t assume that the message is getting across simply because you give a speech or quote a verse. So what does it mean to love one another? How do you recognize love?

The apostle Paul explained love in very simple terms. In First Corinthians 13:4 - 7, he wrote, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” That makes it clear what love means and what it looks like. These are words for all the days of the year. They are also words very appropriate to any marriage vow. They are words that should be at the foundation of any celebration of Christmas.

Family

Love also is a segue to the next term, “Family.” Family is a physical representation of love. Through marriage, birth, adoption, even divorce, and just circumstance, families are formed. Christmas is a time for family. For, in the American folklore, both from by-gone centuries and modern times, Christmas is often the setting for reuniting of family. Whether it is an annual trek to grandma’s or mom’s, by car or plane; or it is the reuniting of family and prodigal sons or daughters and broken relationships healed by the season that is often the theme of sappy and soapy tales from the Lifetime network. These reunions are the plot of many a Christmas story and the cause of crowded airports in late December. Travel and “getting home for Christmas” is the story line of many a yuletide tale.

It seems the entire extended holiday season from Christmas to New Years, often a week or even two of vacation, holiday, and time off from from work, is ideally suited for travel and reunion of family. Perhaps, at least in the Northern hemisphere, the weather may not be the best for long distance trips, still we’re reminded by “Over the river and through the woods, to grandma’s house we go” that Christmas is a time to visit loved ones.

I’m quite fortunate that most my family lives here in northern Colorado. Linda’s parents, our two sons, our grandkids, they are all here. There might be a new family travel tradition starting at the home of Linda’s brother Chuck and his wife Dawn in Alaska as their family has migrated to the lower forty-eight, but has returned to North Pole at Christmas these last two years. Talk about weather related travel! If it doesn’t seem much like Christmas in California or Georgia, Alaska is sure to provide the requisite snow and burning yule logs. Roasting chestnuts seems like such a winter occupation, it is hard to get the spirit when you live amongst palm trees.

I grew up in central Montana with my parents, siblings, aunt and uncles, and maternal grandparents. We would all get together to celebrate Christmas, and no long distance travel was involved; just a drive across town. Here in Colorado, for the last nearly forty years, we too have not had to drive a long way to enjoy Christmas and family.

Although things have changed a bit around here in the last ten years. With the loss of Linda’s mom we have moved the celebration from her house to ours. That is actually a transition we started before she died. The Christmas morning celebration and the food and fellowship that follow are now hosted at our home. Although we’re blessed with two sons that both are excellent in the kitchen and although Linda and Mark labor intensely with my help, we still wonder at how easily her mom was able to pull off the celebration and meal. She had the true gift of hospitality and we miss her help in the kitchen as well as her presence in our lives.

It has also changed a bit regarding presents as we are no longer as focused on gifts under the tree as we once were. With the exception of wrapped surprises for the young ones, Christmas has changed from a pile of gifts for everyone in the gathering. At some point it just got a little too much to try to figure out exactly what each family member wanted. Children, now adults, became more difficult to shop for and we gradually de-emphasized the gift giving to focus more on the the special day. Now opening presents has become a simple treat for the kids, and not a giant burden of shopping for just the right present for all. Although I miss the mystery of a present under the tree, we have found it a simpler time of year once we’ve deemphasized the commercial and focused more on the companionship.

A friend asked me if I had a photographic memory. I wish my memory was eidetic. No, I don’t have that talent. I don’t really have a good memory at all. I have to study and study to get stubborn facts into my thick skull. On the other hand, some events from my life are preserved in living color, and I play the projections on the back of my skull often. Oddly, Christmas past has sort of blurred out of focus. My childhood memories of Christmas are not very prominent in my recollections. Nor are the Christmas years I spent in the Navy, for I didn’t bother going home at that time of year, but remained on board ship and celebrated with my shipmates. I’ll be darned if I can recall those times. They’re lost in the mist of failing recollections.

My memories of Christmas as a child are sporadic. I remember opening presents and Christmas dinners and parties at my great aunt's. I remember my grandparent’s tree. It was only four feet tall. They had a built-in buffet in their dinning room, and they would put a small tree on top of that. I remember family gatherings at the table and playing cards into the late night with my uncle and aunt. There were no trips and no adventures to really cement Christmas in my youthful reflections.

I know there were always lots of gifts when I was a child, and I’ve written about some of them in my blog. One memory that is very strong is the Christmas of the Lionel Train. For some reason I was very focused on what the gifts cost. I have no idea how I knew, but I remember the “transformer” cost $49 and the train set was the same, for a total of almost $100. That was a lot of money in the 50’s and, although we lived comfortably, my parents were not rich. It was a train set we shared with the whole family and it was very rugged and easy to use, but it was a small set.

On the following Christmas, my dad got us a pair of track switches. I remember they cost $32 and had levers on the end of a wire to switch the train remotely. Now we could build a track layout that had a little more variety. My friend, John Barr, had an HO train set that was much more realistic. But the big O gauge Lionel was perfect for kids. I wish I still had that train, but my dad ended up giving it to my mom’s uncle that had a large train collection.

One thing I do remember from childhood and from my early years as an adult is that special feeling when I wake up on Christmas morning. Like any school kid, I have trouble going to sleep on Christmas Eve as visions of sugar plums … actually don’t sound appetizing … danced in my head. As a parent, I would always wake early on Christmas morning, even before the boys, and I’d wait quietly by the tree for everyone to get up and join me for the special day. Opening the presents was the central event and a good time was had by all.

That’s kind of what family is for. Sharing and giving. The real gifts I got from my parents have lasted for all these years. That is the gift of love, self-reliance, joy of learning, and a teaching of how to love my wife and raise my own kids. I tried to practice those gifts throughout my adult life. Christmas brings back all these memories of family. It may not be the exciting event it once was to me, but it still raises the goosebumps as memories merge with events of the day and the joy of love and family combine. I’m still the first one up!

Faith

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, faith is the reason for the season, and Linda and I enjoy the Christmas programs and the focus on Jesus. In the past we were regular attendees at the Christmas play at a nearby mega church and our own church holds a Christmas Eve candlelight service that we never miss.

I remember the time that our pastor, my good friend Tom Beaman, came out dressed as Joseph and told us Mary and the baby were fine. He proceeded to tell the entire Christmas tale in the first person, concluding with all the lights turned off and one by one we passed the flame from the Advent candle down the rows until the sanctuary was brightly lit like a church from ages past. Last year our friend William joined us and our new pastor repeated the celebration of depicting the light of the world coming again. This year, we’ll be there for that special service.

For those who follow the Christian faith, the birth of Christ represents the first step in God’s fulfillment of promise and prophecy. For it is through the virgin birth of Christ that God sent His Son to suffer and die for our sins. This is the act that unites all Christians in a common belief, no matter how much they disagree on other creeds and interpretations.

It is at this time of year that we’re united with others of our faith and belief. We are taught to share our love with all, Christian and otherwise. Here in America, Christmas has become a secular religion and the sacraments are shopping and eating. That’s OK. Anything that can remind us of the season and what it really means is good and important. I don’t mind when I see Santa because he represents charity and giving. I do wish we’d reduce the focus on commerce, however. This time of year was not meant to be the season of greed and desire, but rather the season of blessings. Sometimes the music and the bustle makes it hard to contemplate the inner meaning of the holiday.

The worst thing that has happened to Christmas in our technological and jet plane age is the rushing and scurrying that has taken the place of relaxed winter thoughts. It should be during some quiet time during this hectic season that we stop and consider the power of love, of family and friends, and the gift from our Savior and Lord. This is a time for church, not a time for shopping. In that regard, we have gotten things out of proportion. The reason for the season is not to wish everyone the inclusive “Happy Holidays.” Many businesses now depend on this time of year to fill the cash registers and hire extra help to deal with the crowds. Starting with Black Friday, it is hard to tell what the true reason for this holiday is. At least all the stores close for Christmas Day. That's a small victory.

Yet the secularization of Christmas isn't all bad; for the love of Christ is inclusive. He loves all of mankind. This is not a time to exclude others that follow another faith, Christmas time is a time to celebrate Christ and love everyone. Sadly, it seems that that celebration is lost on many Christians, just as it is lost on those that don’t follow Christ. The best way to restore the true meaning of Christmas is not in a cheery “Merry Christmas,” although that is a good start; but in our attitude. Let it begin at Christmas and extend throughout the year as we show the love, love of family and love of others, to all men and women of all religions and beliefs that our Lord is the Lord of love, forgiveness, and grace. This is how we honor Christ and our faith, not just one day a year, but throughout the year.

Tradition

Finally, in what I think is the correct order, comes tradition. For Christmas has become much more than an anniversary of a bible story … an anniversary most likely held in the wrong month of the calendar. It is very unlikely, based on ancient writings and practices, that Christ was born at the end of December. That date and much that happens on Christmas is more the result of tradition developed in the two thousand years hence.

I don’t find this all together bad or wrong. Christmas is about tradition. The way we celebrate has little to do with the original setting in Bethlehem, and much to do with traditions from Europe and England. That’s OK. These are good traditions that we carry on. The decorations on the tree and the lights on the houses are part of the reminder of this special time of year. If it were not for holidays and celebrations, our lives would be entirely focused on the day-to-day routine of life. We need a season to stop and reflect and all the glitter and glamor and noise and confusion is part of the trigger to that meditation.

Although the gifts may be in honor of the tradition began by the Magi, most of the trappings of Christmas come from other traditions. From the Christmas Tree to the Yule Log to Santa himself, this was all added later. The afore mentioned tale by Dicken’s has created much of the traditions we now celebrate. But these are not the traditions dearest to my heart. No, it is the personal traditions that I hold closest.

As I previously stated, I don’t really have a lot of specific memories of my childhood Christmas times. Christmas in the 50’s was not that different from Christmas in the 40’s so well chronicled in the movie “A Christmas Story.” This tale of Ralphie and his quest for a BB gun that everyone warned would “shoot his eye out.”

The move is a 1983 Christmas film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author, radio personality, and raconteur Jean Shepherd. The film has become a holiday classic and is shown numerous times on television during the Christmas season on the network TBS, often in a 24-hour marathon.

In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” So there you go, you don’t need your own Christmas memories. You can share Ralphie’s (or Jean’s). I think this comical tale of boyhood wishes and a loving, although clearly not a perfect family, are the memories I have in my heart, even if they are not my own.

Besides, this slightly more modern tale probably fits our current Christmas traditions better than Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’ve seen that one about ten dozen times too, but I always miss the beginning where everyone is praying for poor George Bailey, the “richest man in Bedford Falls.” The movie has plenty of snow and a Christmas tree, but I never really think about it as a Christmas tale, maybe since much of the action occurs in earlier flashbacks. Not a lot of Christmas tradition in that popular Christmas tale, yet it is a good story about love and family.

One year I was teaching in New York before the holidays and got to enjoy all those metropolitan traditions from the big tree at Rockefeller Center to the window displays at Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Avenue. They even put up railings on the sidewalk to separate the window shoppers from the hurrying crowd. A visit to FAO Schwartz near Central Park completes a Christmas tour. You can also tune into Turner Classics TV network which will display a plethora of black and white Christmas memories located in New York City including Bing Crosby and “White Christmas.” It seems like the American tradition is Christmas in New York.

I love New York City during December, but I’m happy to be here in Colorado. We are the modern traditional Christmas capital of the world, you know, complete with ski resorts and sleigh rides. Of course, that may be more Aspen or Telluride than Longmont. Still, if you watch TV, you’ll see a Colorado Christmas portrayed complete with cowboy boots. Maybe it’s because I’m a westerner that I find Christmas in Colorado superior to the earlier portrayed Christmas in New York … or L.A.

Another common tradition at this time of year is Christmas Carols. I love to sing along, even if I only know the first verse. We would start to sing these ancient (and a few modern) songs at church after Thanksgiving. You would hear them in the stores and live singers would appear on street corners. I love to sing along and share the memories of generations past as these traditional melodies and lyrics fill the air this time of year. There are Christmas concerts with kids and grandkid’s school bands and symphonies of bells and other instruments to attend. We always have Christmas music here at home and I wirelessly spread the iTunes “Holiday” genre throughout the house with “random” play. An odd mix of ancient music with modern technology.

There is also a classical music tradition from "The Nutcracker" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to Handell's "Messiah," Christmas music has several powerful musical compositions. My dad is a talented singer and I fondly remember listening to him perform the Messiah when I was about ten years old.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace.

Then there is the big “traditional” question of “when do we open our gifts?” Since, following the Jewish calendar, Christmas actually starts at sundown on Christmas Eve, many will open their presents at that time. Since a lot of modern life is extended and broken families, several Christmas events must be held at different locations. That may be the reason that gift opening begins the night before. Then there can be more gifts on the following Christmas day and a tour of family is begun. Trust me, the kids will never complain about an early opening of gifts.

In our family tradition, despite the protests of the youngsters, we open gifts on Christmas morning. In fact, as we wait for the family to gather, it is much more like Christmas noon. We used to go to Linda’s parents on Christmas day. At a few very special times one of her brothers would be there and one joyous year in the nineties, the entire Alaska clan was present. I remember a couple of years that Linda and I actually spent Christmas eve at the Lincoln’s, sleeping in the guest bedroom. That was very special too. Again I was the first one awake Christmas morning.

After a while the traditional start of Christmas became breakfast with Bob and Bea as Linda and I awaited the arrival of the rest of the family. Linda’s mom would always make a cherry cobbler and Linda would often prepare eggs and sausage. Somewhere along the line we got the tradition of fried rice the night before Christmas. Bea originated the recipe, but we still do that most Christmas Eve’s in her honor. How many Christmas traditions are based on a specific meal or food item I wonder.

In those early days we would have a big turkey dinner after the presents, and I always enjoyed the evening snack of turkey sandwiches. We’ve changed the menu a bit over the years, and last year we had a cold cut buffet so people could just graze when the urge came over them. That was very successful. After all, turkey again, so soon after Thanksgiving, seems to lack originality. It also eased both the cooking and clean-up chores and allows everyone to participate in the gathering.

IBM would provide events and funding for department parties and other gatherings back when I still worked for a living. One year, early in December, our department went to a cooking school and prepared a gourmet meal that we then enjoyed as a team building event. The main course was a prime rib roast. I liked it so well I decided to cook it for Christmas. The sticker shock for that particular cut of meat was a bit stiff. As I recall, I spent over a hundred dollars on the beef. Now I understand why everyone cooks turkey.

When I got back to work in January, my boss said he had done the same thing only his roast cost nearly two hundred dollars. We both agreed it was a very nice meal, but we would go back to turkey the next Christmas purely for financial reasons. Turkey, even at a dollar a pound, beats prime beef cuts at around fifteen dollars a pound!

Another tradition is decorating the house, a Christmas tree, and driving around to see the lights in the neighborhoods. We actually start the celebration on the Friday after Thanksgiving with our annual trek to Estes Park for the Parade of Lights. It is usually a cold night, but we bundle up and make our pilgrimage to our summer vacation spot. I fondly recall taking Alyssa up there when she was just knee high. One year we had been waiting for about two hours for the parade to start, standing around in the cold. (You have to get there early to get a parking place and a good spot on the parade route.) Just as the parade started, Alyssa said she was cold and had to go inside.

So we retreated to “Penelope's,” a local hamburger joint. We ended up getting a table right in the window and watched the parade from the warmth of the restaurant. Now that’s a tradition I can live with. Last year the night was unseasonably warm. I could get used to that too.

As I’ve grown old and gray, I’ve joined personal traditions with national and international. I think now that it is the traditions more than the gifts that are now celebrated in my heart. A time for love and faith, family and traditions. This is the most special time of year. The simple repetition of habits and music and menus has a familiar and comforting effect. The joy of the children as they anticipate the presents mingles with my memories of Christmases past. It is nice to recreate those memories each year.

While all four: love, faith, family, and tradition are very important components of the season, I think the last is greatest in my heart. For Christmas reminds me of the past. The ancient past in that town of Bethlehem, as well as my childhood and the Christmases enjoyed when my family was young. Christmas before we lost Linda’s mom and Christmas before our boys grew to men. Christmas reminds me of gifts, and the great gifts I’ve received during my lifetime. I remember Christmas in Lewistown and Christmas in Longmont. So here it comes again. The sun having completed its annual trek around Sol, it is time for love, faith, family, and tradition.

You can capture a whole philosophy in a single word — if it is the right word. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Cor 13:13.