All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Christmas was last week. Perhaps you've heard of this holiday.

I am a week (and also a year, depending on your point-of-view) late in posting photos of our family shindig, but suffice me to say that we had a good one together. I was down and out with strep throat though I was on antibiotics, and the family was good enough not to shun me from spending time with them and observing the many goings-on.

Our annual family Christmas Eve program was very well put together, as it always is, by my sister. Kira enjoyed playing the part of Mary, while Luke was one of the three wise men:

Dad grew out his annual holiday beard for the occasion and gave Kuma a good scratch on the head as he looked on.

Gifts were also exchanged, and among the many given and received, I must say that my family knows me well enough to get me gift certificates for Dee's:

I hope the rest of you out there in blogging land, likewise, had a good Christmas holiday and that the year 2014 is a good year for one and all.

Grow-vember Comes to an End

November 2010 is now a thing of the past, and that also brings Grow-vember to an end.

What, exactly, is Grow-vember? you ask?

Basically, if you haven't already guessed, it is an annual challenge and/or contest, participated in by guys who really have nothing better to do (i.e. me, right now), to begin the month clean shaven (something I did for Halloween, as part of my Samwise Gamgee costume) and then grow out the facial hair all month long.

Here is a picture of my beard, as of this morning:


Try not to be too jealous.