Merry Christmas 2019

Let's start with a Christmas puzzle! I love these things. It's not as hard as you think but look carefully.

It takes the average person almost 3 minutes to find the little dog hiding among the polar bears in this brainteaser. If it takes you longer don't fret.

Just say yes if you find it or no in the comments. I'll post the answer in my New Years' post. Good luck!

Today is Christmas so better late than never with this post. I'm not riding my bike today because it's windy and raining off and on. Instead, I'm drinking eggnog without dark rum (which I adore) because when I had both knees replaced in August Stanford hospital almost ruined my kidneys. It's a long story but they're recovering so I have to be careful. My knee replacements went much better I'm very happy with the improvements. What counts is I'll be fine for 2020.

These are just delicious if you have them in your area. I've practically made myself sick eating them. The bark has a white chocolate layer, a dark chocolate layer, and smashed up candy canes in it. OMG!

Isn't this guy darling! It's a Quokka, a marsupial, about the size of a domestic cat. They're like squirrels from The Land Down Under. They're always smiling and happy looking like live teddy bears.

You gotta love a bad boy Santa bringing a different kind of Christmas. Lol!

I hope you liked the artwork and jokes. I did a different Christmas post at Bike With Bekkie if you're interested.

Finally Here

Christmas comes but once a year

sharing love with those held dear

festive Christmas trees appear

Jingle Bells is what I hear.

Christmas Eve the skies are clear

Santa’s coming have no fear

in his sleigh with eight reindeer

bringing presents far and near.

Christmas comes but once a year

time for blessings and good cheer

my favorite holiday atmosphere

now, that day is finally here!

© Rebecca Sanchez 2012

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May we all find peace this year.

Christmas Tanka #122415

often misunderstood

the true meaning of Christmas

can’t be bought or sold

yet pets and their owners

proud of those ugly sweaters

© Rebecca Sanchez 2015

I hope your Christmas is full of all good things! After the year we had we could all use a little bit of peace, love, and understanding. Let's spread that kindness around. Not everyone has the means to have a wonderful holiday and the Christmas spirit is all about sharing. Big hug!

  Keep On Bloggin'!

Happy 4th Of July and Start Of Summer

Today it's the 4th and we like to celebrate it. Fireworks, water, alcohol, food on the grill, and being outside is the idea for the day.

My roommate and I are going to dine-in with burgers and such from Red Robin because we live in an apartment without room to grill. We are thinking of riding our bikes down to Coyote Point and spying on the fireworks across the Bay around the area by the Harbor around 8pm.

Are you going? Where do you go to watch?

Remember to keep your pets indoors and comfort them if the fireworks are too much. They shouldn't be outdoors for any reason! They won't understand our celebration but can pick up on our excitement.

As you can see I do love my GIF files. Lol!

I hope you have the best 4th with friends and family! Since it's a long weekend cycling will be in our plans quite a bit. 

I am going to have both of my knees replaced on August 26th so I only have so many days to ride until I'm laid up recovering. I look forward to it because I have a deformity in my knees called "Windswept Knees" which will be fixed along with the replacements. Just as I'm social online about my biking and life so will I be about the surgery. More later, this is a holiday.

Have a great weekend!

Christmas Is Coming

So it's the holiday season again. When I was a child, like all children, Christmas was magical. My parents were great at it. They even hid presents in the tree and around the room they really knew how to work us kids into a frenzy. 

Then one day I became aware. Being the older sister of a 4 year younger brother I was the first. I don't remember how or why but I got old enough to finally understand the workings of Christmas. No Santa Claus? That about killed me.

I grew up a child with a huge imagination. It's one of the things that has helped me through life but finding out about Christmas was just one of the "truths" of life that I found shocking signaling the end of my childhood.

No magic? What about the rest of it? The Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and more? All tall stories and for what? I still wonder. Would it be so bad to have kids know the real truth behind these childhood fibs? Maybe when we grew up we wouldn't be willing to believe every untrue lie fed to us by our government for example? The "experts"?

I don't know but I do know I'm getting off of the subject of Christmas. I'm not ready for it but I never am. Christmas was lost to me in the 90's along with Thanksgiving and most of the other holidays now all just indicators of more time passing.

If I had family who cared it might be more pleasant but I doubt it. I'm always broke these days, especially around the holidays so I don't get into Black Friday or Cyber Monday, etc. I might buy something small for myself just so I don't feel so sorry for "me".

When I think of Christmas this is what I think of. A snow-covered cabin all cozy inside with presents and a fire waiting. Perhaps a warm handsome man?

I used to have snow at Christmas but living in California that's out of the question unless one has money (and the knees) to go skiing. But this is what I do during the holidays.

I'm out riding my bicycle along the Bay Trail in San Mateo. It's really pretty year round even without snow. I miss it sometimes.

Candy canes are still one of my favorite candies! I actually learned to like fruitcake and I adore eggnog with dark rum. What do you like about Christmas?

The thing I still like each year is New Years. Now that I'm older I don't like how fast time is flying but I can't help but have some hope that each year will get better. This year is already better right now than last so I'm hoping for more of the same.

I like these old GIF's with such pretty Christmas scenery.

And even the ones with the old Christmas magic.

These are beautiful scenes that I've never seen with my eyes. Although I've seen some pretty sights in winter horse-drawn carriages and things like this are pretty much history.

You can't stop time or the holiday season. The stores would never let that happen!!

Christmas is coming just like every year...whatever way you celebrate, or don't, I hope you have the best Christmas ever!