The Terrible Catsafterme

Another Christmas has come and gone, leaving us basking in the memories of some good times and playing with the presents we received. The weather was in the mid-40’s yesterday and we saw a lot of rain prompting me to sing “I’m dreaming of a wet Christmas” on the way to Mom’s, much to the disdain of Ashleigh and Briana. Read the rest of this entry »

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! Ever since the mid-1980’s, the crux of our family’s Christmas celebration has occurred on Christmas Eve. Since 1995, with just one exception, I have hosted this gala affair. This year was no exeception as we once again celebrated in grand style in an evening full of food, family fun, a little football, freaky kittens, and free gifts for all. The evening was attended by Grandpa Murphy, Mom, Bob, Dad, Denise, Aaron, Adam, Bill, Dottie, Arline, Ashleigh, Briana, me, and the cats. Read the rest of this entry »

Carolyn and I started putting out a ‘Christmas Newsletter’ in 2003 highlighting memorable events from the year. Last year I thought it would be neat to include a page of “Christmas Memories” from our younger days. To my astonishment, she was not able to locate one single photo of her at Christmas as a little girl. I was incredulous. I have multiple photos of each and every one of my 35 Christmases – with just one exception. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s funny to watch the evolution of a kid’s reactions to Santa. The first one is usually utter terror. My first shots of Ashleigh with Santa showcase a bawling mass of quivering baby. By the second or third year, there is usually rapt fascination with this jolly, bearded legend. Then follows pure euphoria at the prospect of telling Santa what you want for Christmas. Children learn fast that Santa is their bread and butter when it comes to receiving gifts on Christmas morning. Then once a child learns the truth about Santa, they leave him in the dust, embarrassed to even be near him. Read the rest of this entry »