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.

More Charlie Brown, please

The animation is flat, the voices are done by children, and not one superhero or explosion happens in the brief 25-minute episode. Delivered a mere ten days prior to its broadcast in 1965, Bill Melendez, who directed A Charlie Brown Christmas thought audiences would reject it. But we know how that turned out. Heh.

And this is the pivotal scene:

Charles Schultz actually had to fight to keep that scene in. Even in the 60s, religious reference was considered taboo. Looking at the plethora of Christmas shows at the time, only 9% ever made any reference to the Reason for the Season. But audiences did respond to the show and particularly to the simple recitation by Linus.

Thank you, Mr. Schultz, for fighting to keep this in.

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Ok, I can’t resist a snicker or three

If ever there was a perfect tweet to sum up all the trans nonsense in one three-word response, Dean Cain takes the award for 2022.

Savage. pic.twitter.com/LLPaVo8ySw

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) December 23, 2022

Bravo, Dean. Bravo.

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Tradition!

Ok, dears. Please share in the comments below and share what is one of your family traditions that has endured even as children grow up and our seniors are no longer with us. Do you open presents Christmas eve? Do you still fill stockings even if your kids are in their 30s? Are there assigned tasks in the kitchen that get passed down?

My grandmother had me on gravy duty from about age 8. She watched and coached until I could master it to her satisfaction. She also made a killer fruitcake — she made a batch each December to live wrapped in cheesecloth and foil in bottom drawer of her refrigerator for a full year, getting a nice dose of brandy once a month.

Yowzer!

via GIPHY

Is there a Christmas of your childhood that you remember above all others? You know, like Ralphie’s Red Ryder Christmas. Mine was when I was 11 … A brand new 3-speed Huffy bike, shiny black and chrome. And I also got my own transistor radio — silver in a black-leatherette case.

I don’t think my feet hit the ground for a least a week.

Oh, there have been so many wonderful Christmases since, especially the ones when my own children were little. But nothing can compare with the amount of pure wonder and joy as that one. As a child you feel in bright primary colors. And that’s what you remember, the sharp clarity of emotion.

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Lift up our voices

From malls to offices to 24/7 radio stations, Christmas music has been playing … almost relentlessly. I still want to end this Sunday’s post with one of my favorites. Now I grew up on Bing Crosby’s White Christmas album and have loved all the classics from Andy Williams to Karen Carpenter. But this cover is just one that raises goosebumps no matter how many times I watch it. So full of hope and yearning and joy.

And that’s my wish … indeed the wish of all of us here at Victory Girls … may today bring you great joy, may you find peace and grace and be filled to the brim with hope that tomorrow will be as good as you feel at this very moment.

I lift my glass towards you, dears. Be well and I’ll see you next Sunday. Merry Christmas!

featured image, original graphic by Darleen Click