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!

The Facts Of Chocolate

A guy found a bottle and a genie granted him three wishes.

"Well," he said: "I'm broke and life sucks.
I'd like to be really stinking rich."
***POOF****
There was a million bucks.

"The best car in the World," he said;
"Is what I'd really adore,
But it costs $1.7 million.”
***POOF****
There was a Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

Finally, he said; "I'm a nerdy geek
I'm not one of those hunky jocks
I'd like to be irresistible to all women.”
***POOF****
He was turned into an automatically, refilling, giant chocolate box.
(Which unfortunately has no need for money and a car but on the other hand, will get slobbered over by all women.)

Jon Bratton 2012

Tee shirt slogan

EMERGENCY ALERT:
If wearer of this shirt is found vacant, listless, or depressed,
ADMINISTER CHOCOLATE IMMEDIATELY.

The 12-step chocoholics program: Never be more than 12 steps from chocolate!

Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete Hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate!

Elaine Sherman
Book of Divine Indulgences

Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are.

Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show, August 22nd

Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good.

Mariska Hargitay

Chocolate doesn't make the world go around ... but it certainly makes the ride worthwhile!

Chocolate is the greatest gift to women ever created, next to the likes of Paul Newman and Gene Kelly. It's something that should be had on a daily basis.

Sandra Bullock

It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man.

Miranda Ingram

Giving chocolate to others is an intimate form of communication, a sharing of deep, dark secrets.

Milton Zelman, publisher of "Chocolate News"

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process.... It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

After about 20 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of what women want. And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate.

Mel Gibson

I don't understand why so many "so-called" chocolate lovers complain about the calories in chocolate when all true chocoholics know that it is a vegetable. It comes from the cocoa bean, beans are veggies, 'nuff said.

I take chocolate from strangers.

... the taste of chocolate is a sensual pleasure in itself, existing in the same world as sex... For myself, I can enjoy the wicked pleasure of chocolate... entirely by myself. Furtiveness makes it better.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.

Forget love...I'd rather fall in chocolate.

Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and no appointment is needed.

My mouth is watering after writing this I'm off for some chocolate!!!

Keep On Bloggin’!

A Pill For Happiness

You know those days when you wake up feeling somewhat…unhappy. On those days, wouldn’t it be nice to have a happy pill to make you feel better? One that doesn’t even require a prescription?

A design firm in Barcelona has come up with a fun and different candy shop called “happy pills” selling placebo happiness in jars and pill cases not unlike real pharmacies.

So you wake up feeling bad for no reason with a full day ahead of you, what do you do? Maybe you need a bottle of “happy pills” to sweeten your day. Something that will make you happy by popping a pill that has no side effects. Imagine tasting that yummy candy on your taste buds; pills you can’t overdose on. Let the sugar rush take care of the doldrums and have an awesome day.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Nestled literally between two buildings on Avinguda del Portal de l'Angel, the “happy pills” shop would be fairly easy to miss. That is, if it weren't for the crowd of tourists and gawkers outside the store.

Once inside, you are greeted by rows of different flavors of gummy candy. You pick what kind, what size prescription you want and they pack them in tamper proof bottles for you. They seal the bottles shut and put the descriptions on the bottles in English or Spanish.

“Against the unbearable lightness of being”, “Against Mondays”, and “Against the square root” are some of the (translated from Spanish to English) prescriptions of happy pills they are offering at their unique store.

The process and the presentation are clean and enjoyable, long after the candy has been consumed (which happens very quickly). So I have a smile on my face and a bottle of happy pills on my desk as I write this blog.

What a clever idea for a candy store! Now, if I only lived in Spain…or had some stock in the company. Ha ha!

Keep On Bloggin’!