Welcome, dear friends, to Christmas Eve! You game for some spiked egg nog? How about a mug of mulled cider or an Irish coffee? Come sit with me by the fire and let’s indulge in cheer, nostalgia and a little bit of snickering behind our hands.

Let me start passing the plates for a glorious brunch and assure you this will be a kinder and gentler Sunday in keeping with the season of Our Lord. Oh, I might push a boundary or two, but I hope to send you from the table later, stuffed with good food and cheer. Raise your glass and let’s get to it.

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Sunday prayers for the holiday travelers

Yes, it’s a particular joy to have family and friends from across the country gather during Christmas, but, sheesh, it’s such a pain to travel. And the TSA certainly adds to the stress with not a lot to show for it. For pity’s sake, TSA at both Portland and San Francisco missed the handgun in WA state senator Jeff Wilson’s briefcase on his trip to Hong Kong. Until something changes, best just to laugh about it.

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Matchmaker Matchmaker

Make me a match …

This guy posted about finding husbands for his sisters this Christmas and there’s been so much interest they’ve created an application form

A great mix of love and good humor. And who doesn’t love a Christmas romance?

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Wonka is a charming, fun film

I know if I call it appropriate for families that the usual suspects will run shrieking for the exits. And yet, I went to see it Thursday with no expectations (I hadn’t seen trailers or read reviews) and I left the theater thoroughly enchanted by film. I haven’t seen the inside of a movie theater in about two years because there just haven’t been many movies that were worth the time and money to watch. I have no idea how this beautifully crafted movie got made. It has just the right nod to the Gene Wilder original and tells you right from the opening scene this is storybook fantasy you’re in and to sit back and enjoy.

The music is a delight, mixture of familiar and new. Timothée Chalamet, as young Willie, finds the sweetspot of faint suggestions of Gene Wilder while making the character his own. And his voice and singing inflections are a delight. And the fun of all the supporting characters, including some great cameos by some well-known faces (Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa stalker of Wonka is a hoot).

I raise my champagne flute in their direction and heartily recommend it to you. Whether you’re 7 or 70, it is well worth your time.

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Christmas 1944

Be sure to bring your hankies.

Americans are reminded of the deep emotions of wartime holidays today in the ironically idyllic words of “White Christmas.” The World War II anthem is so powerful it became, and remains, the most popular song in human history.

U.S. Army PFC Vincent Vecchione, 23, was serving in Europe when he wrote a Christmas card to his family in East Boston, Massachusetts, on Dec. 5, 1944.

He opened the message by speaking to his daughter, Carol, who was just 8 months old.

Maybe this will be your first letter? At least from me. I hope you are eating and doing everything Mommy asks you,” the young Army soldier wrote, knowing that he might never spend a single Christmas with his precious baby girl.

Do read the whole thing. Whatever most of us are facing this Christmas, we should take a moment to remember what our grandparents or great-grandparents experienced. All the while trying to keep things as normal as possible for their children.

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Sorry to say, dears, time to wrap up our brunch and to head out and enjoy Christmas Eve. Whether it is a family gathering of epic proportions or a quiet evening at home with a favorite Christmas movie and some mulled cider, I hope you enjoy every moment. And, of course, my wishes that your Christmas is all you wish for. See you next Sunday! Cheers.

featured image, original graphic by Darleen Click