I, er… Can’t find the remaining calendar pages.  I was going to come home tonight from Dallas[1] and quickly finish out the year so I could say I made it… And they’re MIA.

Ah, well.  Second confession: I lost interest in blogging those about two months ago.  Though I think most of my regular visitors[2] probably noticed that a month ago.

So… Despite the fact that that I very much enjoyed the calendar day-to-day, and even enjoyed sharing the entries with you much of the year, I’m not going to go out of my way to try to find the remaining pages tonight.  It served at least one purpose in 2008… It kept me blogging.  Without the calendar I’ll probably keep blogging in 2009, but with less regularity than the calendar originally enforced.

In fact, I may very well go collapse here shortly and sleep.  After my first real long-distance drive[3] and a wild time in Dallas, I’m tired.

So… Happy New Year!   zzzzzzzzzzzz

UPDATE: Out of the blue I found today’s page!  Hooray!  And it is a site dedicated to the cynic in all of us…  That individual that says. “Why make resolutions, I’m just going to break them!”[4]  I particularly like the definition of a cynic: “…an idealist whose rose-colored glassed have been stomped into the ground, immediately improving his vision.”  Heh.

1. Spent the last two days down there just poking around.  Expect more on that later. [<--]
2. All three of you. [<--]
3. Okay, it was only 3.5 hours each way, but still, please remember where I’ve been living! [<--]
4. I’ll blog about those, too. [<--]

Merry Christmas!

I’ll catch up on calendar entries at some point.  It would be a shame to miss it this close to New Year’s!

What else is news..?  Had a three-day work week both last week and this, which is good.  I think I caught the chapel plague, but my body’s fighting it off better than most, so I’ve been symptom-free but a lot more tired than normal.  Based on yesterday, I might be just about over whatever it is.  

Rang with the hand bell choir this past Sunday, and I’m finding that when I have adequate practice (i.e. more than one run-through) I do much better.  Hope I can stick with that particular “hobby!”

I had the protestant Christmas Eve service last evening, and introduced the Tinker community to “Lessons and Carols,” sans communion.  I even taught them some classics like “Creator of the Stars of Night,” which I had to solo for  a verse.  It was accompanied by hand bells and we had a hand bell solo to introduce “Silent Night,” which rounded out the evening.  I enjoyed it, and got a few positive comments and nothing negative, so we’ll call that a good liturgical experience.

Came home last night and did the presents thing at the foot of my new tree[1].  Since I had a half-day off yesterday I did all the cooking and baking I was going to do this morning, so I’m now just relaxing for a bit before I finish one more dish and clean the house.  Company comes by a bit later for some food and fellowship, and I’m looking forward to that.

All in all a good couple of weeks.  I have more downtime over the next week, so perhaps more news and those long-awaited final entries from the calendar.

I will leave you with one link today, concerning chaplains at Christmas time and our presiding bishop.

Blessings to you all on this, the feast of Christ’s birth!

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.[2]

1. Thank you Sears, and everyone who gave to “Heros at Home,” both for the tree and the extra money I have to spend there! [<--]
2. And who says Baptists are the only ones who get to be born again? [<--]

17.1° at the house[