A Christmas Blog

I came home to Plano to spend Christmas with my parents (and my maternal grandmother). It's been a pleasant couple of days thus far. This afternoon, we attended a crowded but beautiful Candlelight Christmas Eve service during which we were poignantly reminded that Jesus truly is the reason we celebrate at all. Afterwards, we came home for a traditional family Christmas Eve meal of tamales and queso followed by a trip through our favorite neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights. It was a pleasant evening, and we were all feeling rather warm and fuzzy inside as we pulled back up to the house. That last just just until we noticed a man standing beside my car (parked on the curb in front of my parents' house) shining a flashlight on my license plate. I'm not really sure how the conversation went between him and Daddy while Mom, Mimi, and I huddled near the front door waiting to be let into the warm house, but i know it ended with me backing my car up along the curb about three feet just to be sure it wasn't across the property line in front of his house. I'm not gonna lie, I was annoyed. I did not wish him a "Merry Christmas" as he stood there watching to be sure I moved it far enough. I did not even smile at him. (If you know me, you know this actually took some effort.) I refrained from stomping back into the house. I was annoyed. But, when I got inside, Daddy sat on the couch to find a Christmas movie. Mimi and Mama got in the kitchen to whip up desserts, and we animatedly talked about plans for tomorrow, Christmas Day. That's when it struck me. Mr. Scrooge next door has nothing better to do tonight than stand outside his house with a flashlight and pick fights with his neighbors. I think I'll take him some cookies. ;-)