The Holidays Are Here!

Hello!

Hope that you are getting into the holiday spirit, and signing your Christmas cards and mailing them off today, if you haven’t already done so.

I will be spending Christmas with my sister, which I am very excited about, since we haven’t had an actual Christmas together since I was like 8 years old.

 Santa on Socials

Fun fact:  Santa Claus is on social media.  He has his own Facebook page, and he live streams a lot.  

He live-streams from snow-covered places he visits, and you get to hear plinkly, plunky holiday music laid overtop the gently pitter patter of snow falling whilst gazing upon a wintery, relaxing scene.  It’s fun to have on, just playing in your earbuds whilst you are typing away completing your normal activities.

Of course, people tune in and start writing in their comments.  Don’t spend too much time reading the comments, because you’ll get bored or depressed.   Most people are just saying fun things like, “Santa is real! I believe!” "Hello to my grandchildren, from Denver, CO!"  And there is a lot of fun connection from people from all over the world saying where they are and sending well-wishes, prayers, and lots of encouragement. 

There are also lots of people who use the comments as a live connection to a proverbial deity figure, sending prayers for their loved ones,

Trying to cope with misery,

And there are plenty of folks sending Santa-sized requests like, “Santa, are you real? Could you possibly bring home our troops this Christmas?”

And then others may respond and send very encouraging words, and sometimes it briefly turns into a support group for cancer survivors or the like.  

It unites people together, and therefore, I believe in Santa.

 

I did so many fun things over Thanksgiving!

My brother (the 7’ tall brother) came to Maryland for the week from his new state of residence, Tennessee. He’s lived in Louisiana the past almost 10 years, and now he is starting over in TN. So, he took a bus over.

A few highlights: We went to NASA, where my stepdad works, and took a bit of a private tour there. Are you into outer space? Well then buckle your seatbelt.

Mario explained to us all about the new telescope they are sending out, the James Webb Space Telescope (click here)

We got to actually see it!

This actual thing is going to be launched into outer space, and will be able to see where life began, and if our universe is still expanding, and other things about the Big Bang!  It was very cool. 

Then, we went to my stepdad’s office area, and played with his toys.  Well, we didn’t actually touch anything, but he explained all the things, and showed us compression chambers and stuff.

This compression chamber could probably suck up Baltimore!

So, my stepdad made this thing with his hands.  It's a compression chamber which will test space matter to see if it can withstand the temperature and pressure.  That machine was set to something like -220 degrees F.   He makes all sorts of things like this!!

We also saw this machine/mirror that is for optical engineering (I have no idea about what its actual purpose is,) and it has a ton of little mirrors which zoom right in on your eyeball as soon as you get in front of it.  I went to take a photo of it, and it thought my phone camera lens was the eyeball (which is true) so that’s what this photo is:

Here is the machine, stand in front of it but DON'T TOUCH IT

Look up close:

ICE! and E.T.

We also went to ICE! at the Gaylord National Harbor.  You should totally go!  It was so much fun.  I went a few years ago, and it was cute (they did “Frosty The Snowman”), but it wasn’t as good as this year!   This year  is something like, “Christmas Around The World,” and it was fun!

Nativity scene

Flag ornaments

Bet you can't spot me!

E.T.

We also went to The Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra play the score to “E.T.”.  I didn’t realize that they were actually going to play the movie, and have the symphony play in front of the screen! 

It was absolutely amazing, I loved it.  You should definetly look to see when local orchestras are doing stuff like that again.  This morning I passed a billboard that was advertising “It’s A Wonderful Life” by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.   Here, here is the website.  click here.  You better go!  I want to see that Facebook check-in!!

Finally, we made a trip up to NYC to visit our great Aunt again, as you may remember we did a couple of years ago.  It’s so good to see her and her family. 

Okay, so that’s my news!

Also, at around 3 AM Thanksgiving morning, I got a message from Mike with this photo:

I love the story of Veronica.  I remember connecting instantly with her when I saw the depiction of her actions in the movie “The Passion.”   

As Jesus was stumbling and falling and bleeding and desperate walking towards Calvary, he fell a few times carrying his own gigantic cross.  One time when he fell, this lady ran to him, devil-may-care, and brought him water and wiped his face and just took a moment to BE with him, amidst the chaos and panic and torture.  

Probably, she could have been executed right on the spot, but the Lord put his hand over the whole situation.  Nothing else mattered in the world at that moment, only that she was going to run towards who she believed in.

When she looked at the rag used to wipe his face, his image remained in the blood and sweat soaked fabric.  Hence, she was dubbed the lady of the True Icon – Vera Icon. Veronica.  Click here for more.

I’d like to think I would do the same thing.

I’m going to start signing all of my emails with this signature:

Veronica

True Image, LLC

Okay, have a nice holiday!

Saw this sign at a barber shop in Pennsylvania