Christmas 2013: London and home, with a little less wrapping

Merry Christmas, first of all!

This year, Sam and I celebrated Christmas day quietly at home here in England. November and December were a little hurried and hectic, marked by surgery, recovery and some stress. We also enjoyed time with friends, many laughs, and time in our cozy home. Because of how time has flown, I was so thankful for a quiet Christmas at home! It’s always  difficult to be away from family during the holidays, but thank goodness for FaceTime, Skype, and phone calls, right?! I felt like I had time to pause, take a breath, and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

There are so many exciting things to do around here for the holidays – visiting cathedrals, choirs and concerts, festivals and markets – but I didn’t really do my research in time at all. Instead, we headed to London for Christmas eve, even though everything I know from Doctor Who tells me that’s a terrible idea.

But we survived, as did London. 🙂

Sam went to London a few weeks ago and went to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. At that time, it was so crowded that it verged on agitating instead of enjoyable. Still, I had heard a lot about it and wanted to go! So, on Christmas eve, when I was finally feeling up to the adventure, we hopped on the tube and headed for Hyde Park. We got there early, and to my surprise, it wasn’t crowded at all!

Some of the decorations were a little creepy. This guy’s eyes even moved as he taunted people passing.

The beautiful Christmasy offerings.

For the low-low price of only £3 (~ $5) you can toast your own marshmallows! (Ha!)

Our first stop was to get Belgian waffles. Cinnamon sugar for me, Nutella for Sam. YUM.

How could we pass these by?

Nuuutteeeellluhhhh

We meandered through the lanes of stalls and rides, passing bundled kids and their obliging parents. It thankfully wasn’t too cold, but just brisk enough to make mulled wine a must. The whole ordeal was commercial, yes, but also wintery and enjoyable.  Still secretly hoping for a white Christmas, I couldn’t help but think it could have been improved by snow flurries, but the promising puffy clouds had other plans.

Hyde Park and looming rain clouds. (And yes, the grass is still incredibly GREEN here.)

After having our fill of the Bavarian bustle we headed back to the tube to move on for the day, just in time to avoid the downpour. 

Notting Hill Gate Tube Station, the prettiest one I’ve seen by far. As we waited for our train, rain drummed on the glass overhead.

Further proving what a small world it is, some friends from college were in London for Christmas! It was so nice to catch up with them over a great meal and to see some familiar faces on Christmas eve.

Our friends Katie and Chris. Katie is also a military spouse and has an excellent blog – check it out here!

The rest of our holiday was spent at home, curled in front of the fireplace, playing cards and spoiling our furry family. Watching White Christmas and Fantasia. Reading of the birth of Christ from Luke, as well as some Robert Frost.

The pup getting his Christmas treat. I must admit, our motives were partially selfish, hoping the bone would distract him as we opened our gifts.

On Christmas day we took some goodies to the troops working on base and otherwise just lounged around at home. Sam’s main Christmas gift from me was an aquarium, so he spent his time setting up filters, checking water levels, washing and preparing gravel, etc.  I asked him and he reassured me that was fun for him. 🙂

Sam knocked it out of the park this year with his main gift for me. AN ESPRESSO MACHINE!!!  I did give several not so subtle hints.  (It helped that there was a commercial of someone handing that exact model machine towards the camera, as if giving the gift to whoever was watching. I would reply each time with, “Why, thank you!”)

Isn’t he the prettiest lil’ machine? I’m still working on a name for him…

He also surprised me with two beautiful little necklaces, HAIM‘s Days are Gone on vinyl, new perfume and other goodies. Samuel’s great at gifting. He knows me so well!

We enjoyed two great Christmas services at our church. One message was given by a lively Scot who has that rare ability of sneaking in a memorable and powerful message while simultaneously making you roll with laughter. His message has really stuck with me since hearing it two weeks ago. He told a story from his childhood about how his sister wanted this very specific doll for Christmas. She did in fact receive it Christmas morning, and the speaker and his brother played their brotherly roles by immediately mocking her for it. “That is proper rubbish.” When it came up missing later that day, he of course was blamed. After much crying and denying, the toy was found in the family’s large black plastic trash bag, still sitting in the living room floor, buried under the wrapping and cardboard.

“Don’t throw the gift out with the wrapping.”

Obviously upon opening my espresso machine, I didn’t jump up and down with joy and then promptly bin it.  No… After opening it and realizing what it was, I carefully placed it down and admired it, I thanked Sam immediately and hugged both him and the espresso machine. Now I can’t wait to get it set up, figure out how to use it properly, and take advantage of that gift every single day! The speaker challenged us to treat the ultimate gift – Jesus Christ, sent to be our salvation – the same way. This holiday season, as you’re attending parties, getting things checked off your to-do lists, travelling, or enjoying your other gifts, remember that those things are really just the wrapping. Bonuses. Blessings. We’ve already been given the only gift we need. This world and the good things in it are simply ways God shows us the gift that has already been given. Though I did miss being home in the states for the holidays, I am thankful for a holiday with a little less “wrapping.” I doubt I would have been able to see through that wrapping this year. I fear I would have distractedly swept up the true gift in the busyness of it all, missing the message that God so wants me (and you!) to understand. Christ was sent to earth, and ultimately sent to his death, to bear my sins and set me free. What a gift indeed!

Although it’s been said, many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you! 

Favorite UK Adverts

Today anything thoughtful or witty eludes me. (Side note: this happens often.)  Nothing incredibly new or exciting is happening in our lives at the moment, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about one of the things Sam and I appreciate about being in England:  Lack of American television.

Whenever we’re on base and we see snippets of CNN, Fox News, or any other never-ceasing-news-drivel, I am reminded of how much I do not miss it. The constant diatribes over the same topics, just slightly reworded or looked at from a different viewpoint make me want to scream. I do NOT miss any of the political blabbering, I do NOT miss hearing about what new pseudo-celebs are all the rage, I do NOT miss the vast majority of American television.  There are a few shows I keep up with through Hulu:  The Voice, The Sing-off, Project Runway when it was on, and occasionally Parenthood, though this season is a little lack-luster. But overall, Sam and I have discovered quite a few British shows we love – their sense of humor is right up our alley – but one thing I’ve really appreciated is the commercials, or “adverts.”  I find them significantly less annoying than their US counterparts. First of all, most try to be upbeat and funny without lowering the comedic bar or they’re visually impressive and creative, they are family friendly for the most part, they don’t make mothers appear all-knowing while the bumbling fathers just try to keep up.

So, here are some of my favorite commercials I’ve seen here lately. I hope they are all visible to you in the states… I know on occasion I’ll try to watch a video and it will say it’s available in the US only, so I apologize if the opposite happens for you. There are quite a few videos, but most are short and sweet. Enjoy! 🙂

Up first, a commercial for Haribo gummy candies, which are by the way, DELISH. And this little girl is precious and funny.

“Unfortunately… his head fell off.”

Next up, a commercial for Specsavers, a chain similar to Lenscrafters.

Just to clarify, that is not how I used to teach Zumba.

Next is one that, I must say, is one of me and Sam’s favorites. It’s very well done.  Ha! (Maybe steer your young kids away for this one though…)

This one I love. It’s unique for what it’s advertising, and it has great music by a band I love, M83.

Okay, now we’re getting into the Christmas category. The Brits do these very well.

Animated and filled with the Christmas-warm-fuzzy feeling, this is one of my favorites:

This next one is great. I love this imagery and the joy of the kids. Plus, CADBURY!

Aldi over here has great commercials as well. This sneaky little brother makes me smile.

Here’s one additional excellent Christmas commercial, although it is a few years old. I think it is precious, and it’s EXACTLY how I feel about Christmas this year. (ONLY 7 MORE SLEEPS!)

Okay, and now I have to end with the one commercial that haunts us. We HATE this jingle. It might not sound terrible at first, but the last five seconds really stick with you, especially when it comes on during just about every commercial break. It’s almost as shrill as Jared’s Galleria of Jewelry (“That’s JARREEDDDD!”) and as mind-numbing as either of Menard’s Jingles (“Save big money at Menarrrds,” or “More season’s greetings to you all from Menards!”). Anyway, give it a listen:

So, what do you think? Any comparable US commercials that I might have missed recently?

Catching Fire

As I continue to recover, I’m trying to slowly add things back in to my everyday life. Yesterday I got dressed in nicer clothes – pants that weren’t jeans, a top that wasn’t a hoodie – got my near-mullet-stage hair cut, and went out to the movies with my man. We FINALLY saw Catching Fire.

I realize that most of you who are Hunger Games fans probably saw this movie weeks ago. You’ve already discussed it with friends. Maybe you posted about it on Facebook or commented on other’s posts; I avoided these posts so I could go into the movie fairly unbiased. But now I’ve seen the movie and I want to talk about it!

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I don’t always approve of  book-to-film productions. It often means leaving out large parts of the story or characters all together (Madge? Who’s Madge?). Sometimes the films are still as enthralling as the books, even though they become a new creation from the many changes. (I felt that was the case with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.) Often the original story is told abstractly or from an omniscient voice, contributing vastly to the whole of the story. That doesn’t always translate to film. (This is my fear with The Book Thief! It’s not out in England yet, but I’ve heard good things about it. If you haven’t read the book, READ IT.)

Since we went to the theater on the opening weekend of The Desolation of Smaug, I thought our theater might not be as packed. Wrong. It was full. I always hate it when people sit directly behind or in front of me… how dare they… but I realize it’s bound to happen. The seat in front of me was empty (YES!) but the seats behind us were occupied. They were noisy. Audible commentary, occasional curse words, bad breath that wafted over my head, but their worst offense was the popcorn crunching. I am so thankful my mother constantly reminded me to chew with my mouth closed because now as I see others without that decency, I realize how annoying it is. My dear dear husband has some slight quirks… one of them is the complete loathing of what others might consider fully ignorable noises: a pant-leg rustling, someone smacking their gum, Toby licking his netherregion, the bathroom fan flapping from a draft, and popcorn crunching. He bristles, teeth clenched, sometimes seethes. I think it’s adorable.

In his defense, I’m convinced they were eating their popcorn like this:

Sam asked if we could change seats. (We didn’t.)

Anyway, time for the movie review… First of all, I think they did a great job of sticking to the book while still sticking to a run time under three hours. I enjoyed the movie greatly but it did still seem a little long… maybe that was just my achy back contributing to the seemingly slow passage of time. Although, to be fair, I don’t know what else they could have cut.

There was sufficient build up to the Quarter Quell, as we saw how they lived post-Hunger Games. The new arena was as I pictured it, with the exception of the beach. I visualized more sand, ha. I didn’t picture the Victor’s Village as it was shown… I saw something grander, with large lush lawns, gaudy and inappropriately ornate, mocking the rest of the district.

The casting was very well done; Philip Seymour Hoffman was the perfect choice for Plutarch and, as with the first movie, I loved Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman (I think I love him in every movie he’s in – including Beethoven).  BUT here’s my one Hunger Games casting beef: Peeta. At first, I thought I wouldn’t like Gale’s casting, but I’ve warmed up to that. But now, I still can’t see Josh Hutcherson as the Peeta from the books. My book version of Peeta is bulky and boyish, clunky, well-fed. A thick but forgettable figure that doesn’t fit with his kind nature. Josh Hutcherson isn’t a terrible actor, I’m not bashing him. He just doesn’t mesh with the Peeta in my mind.

Overall, we enjoyed our trip to the movies! Catching Fire lived up to my expectations, even if it is merely a necessary bridge to Mockingjay. But, as we walked back to our car, our discussion centered not around the film, but on the raccoon snackers behind us. It gave us a good laugh, even though it was annoying! But, as I said, I’d love to hear what YOU think about Catching Fire. What did you think of the casting? The book-to-film transition? The production as a whole? Comment with your thoughts! 🙂

I sneezed.

It happened. Yesterday, while knitting on the couch, I sneezed.

Newsworthy, right?

This wasn’t just any sneeze though… this was my first post-surgery sneeze. The one that I was completely dreading. That I had been warned about. The sneeze that haunted my thoughts. The sneeze that I was sure would feel as if my chest was splitting open and the bar was punching my lungs.

Since my surgery, I’d had several of the “ahh… ahhh… AHHHHH….” noisy inhales that lead to a sneeze, but it was as if my body shut them down before the “CHOOOO” could follow.

“No.”

“You’re not ready for that yet,” my body said.

But then, as mentioned, yesterday it happened. I could feel it coming. I accepted my fate and awaited the painful, agonizing “CHOO!”

And you know what? It wasn’t terrible. Typically my sneezes bring to mind terms like “explosive,” “messy,” or possibly even “equine.”  But his sneeze was soft and gentle, maybe even dainty. It didn’t hurt a bit. It also wasn’t nearly as brain-clearingly satisfying as my pre-surgery ones, but I was completely fine with that. 🙂

All of this is a strange way of saying that I’m feeling a bit better. When I wrote my last update two weeks ago, I was feeling discouraged and extremely uncomfortable. Today, as I type this, I’m sitting up at the table, my back only mildly aching. I’m just taking Ibuprofen instead of the strong painkillers and muscle relaxers I was on back then. Sure, my chest aches a bit. My endurance isn’t great. I am SO tired of sleeping flat on my back. BUT I’ve come a long way. God brought me out of a painful and tough time and I can feel the promise of healing ahead.

God has taught me in the last few weeks that when I’m not focused on myself, I’m not focused on my pain. I’ve been challenged to look at His promises, sacrifices and love. I’ve seen the compassion of friends and family, and I’ve tried to find ways to give back to them. I’ve been blessed with laughter and hope, even in the most painful moments.

I can testify, God is good. ALL THE TIME. Even when we’re blinded by earthly circumstances and can’t see it. He loves us, cares for us, and teaches us to trust him… sometimes through something and silly and simple as a sneeze.

Christmas Movie Favorites

As if you couldn’t tell by the Facebook posts of decked out trees, ugly sweaters on sale mall-wide, catchy (and maybe corny) tunes blaring over store loudspeakers, or by your calendar, well, it’s that time of year. My FAVORITE time of year. 🙂 I love the anticipation and traditions embedded in the whole month of December. I love the celebration of Christ’s coming and all that represents. While I love sharing the joy and traditions with my family and friends, and it is difficult at times being away from so many of them this time of year, those traditions make me feel a little closer… like we’re celebrating together almost.

Of all of the traditions associated with Christmas time, one of the first categories I give in to is holiday movies. First of all, I love cozying up on the couch with a warm mug of goodness and watching a Christmas movie. My criteria for Christmas movies is not always rigorous, especially when it comes for made-for-t.v. Christmas movies. You know what I’m talking about. All those require are 1) a sappy love story or a reunion/change of heart of some sort, 2) sappy Christmas music and special effects, and 3) some elaborate or mushy gift wrapped in a big red bow, often it’s a puppy. Does a glowing halo form over a characters head as they perform a Christmas miracle? Check!  Do 1990’s CG snowflakes appear on the screen at any point? Yesss. Does it seem like everything is going wrong until the last moment when the holiday spirit overcomes all problems and joy abounds?! Perfection. Well… maybe not perfection… but it makes for a great t.v. Christmas movie. As I  write this, I’m on the couch in my p.j.’s, drinking some Chai and watching the made-for-t.v. movie All I Want For Christmas. I give it a C. It gives me a cozy morning. 🙂

But those aren’t the movies I’m talking about now… I’m talking about my favorites. Ones that were actually made for a theater audience, that have at least 3 recognizable actors, and that significantly symbolize the coming of Christmas in my mind. Here’s my list, in no particular order.

The Santa Clause

Released in 1994, this was the epitome of  holiday films for a 7 year old girl. First of all, I loved (still love!) Tim Allen. He’s always reminded me of my dad, so I instantly smile whenever I watch Home Improvement or hear his recognizable voice on a commercial. But make Tim Allen Santa, write some great dialogue, and throw in cute elves on a tactical response team (hey, I was 7) and you have that movie sold! “This completes the ensemble.”

I can still quote the majority of that movie, and I picture them walking down the alley all decked out every time I hear Gimme All Your Lovin’ by ZZ Top.

Elf

First of all, did you know this movie came out 10 YEARS AGO?! It does not seem that old!

Of all of the recent Christmas movies, I think this one has the biggest generational appeal. It had Will Ferrell when he was at his peak and Zooey Deschanel before she was cool. It also has New York City during Christmastime, another indicator of a quality Christmas film. The music is bright and original, the claymation is notoriously Christmas-y, the laughs constant. And it is oh-so quotable. How can you not love this??

A Christmas Story

This film is probably pretty polarizing… you love it or you never want to see it or hear anyone quote it again. You can clearly see where I fall in this debate. I watch this movie every year (as I’m sure many people do) and I still crack up every time he comes down the steps in those stupid pajamas and whenever his dad yells at the stinkin’ furnace. It’s a classic.  Especially when watched on the old 1980’s recorded-from-t.v. VHS version my dad has (complete with 1980’s commercials).

And did you know that Ralphie makes an appearance in Elf? He’s the elf in charge of toy quotas at the North Pole!

White Christmas

I’m…. dreaming… of a white…. Christmas!

Rosemary Clooney. Bing Crosby. Danny Kaye. Vera-Ellen. An all-star cast, music and dancing to captivate anyone, 1950’s charm. Sigh. I love everything about it. I love also that it’s about showing kindness to someone else during the holidays – the true definition of love.  And, of course, the warm-fuzzies abound at the end when (spoiler alert!) the snow starts to fall to the tune of the title song.

One year I went to see White Christmas at a dinner theater. It was absolutely amazing, and it made me fall in love with the movie and songs even more. This is one of my favorite moments:

Surprisingly, I have never seen Holiday Inn, which led to White Christmas and which many people prefer. I plan on watching it this year. I’m sure I’ll love it.

 

Home Alone

Have you ever gone back to watch a movie or show that was a favorite as a child? Sam and I watched some Rugrats on Netflix the other day… and I think it’s ruined now. Not the same. Home Alone, thankfully, is not like that. It still has all of it’s humor and thrill years later. Kevin is still hilarious. The Wet Bandits are still dopey and villainous. The music still sticks with me for days after.

Now that I’m a “grown-up” and don’t get to always be with my parents and brother for Christmas, I well up a bit every time the family comes streaming back into the house at the end. It’s the holiday reunion I’d love to have every year.

Home Alone 2 is a close second, but I’ll always love the original more.

Well, those are my favorites. There are of course other ones I greatly enjoy, and non-Christmas movies that take place during Christmas that I love (The Holiday, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, etc.).  You may notice a few (of what you may call glaring) omissions. No claymation classics for me, sorry. I never really enjoyed those… they never kept my attention as a kid. A little too slow I guess. And… I may lose some friends here… I don’t love It’s A Wonderful Life. I know. I know. I somehow made it the majority of my life thus far without seeing this movie. And when I watched it for the first time a few years ago, my first thought was, “Wow, this is sad.”  The majority of this movie is not what you’d call cheery! I know, it’s redeeming at the end and teaches you to appreciate your life, get your priorities straight, etc. etc. but it’s not in my Christmas canon. For that, I apologize. Still be my friend. Please?

What are your favorite holiday movies? Any that actually teach the gospel? There’s a sad lack of those. Comment and let me know! 🙂