5 Ways To Celebrate Christmas In 2009

Double digit unemployment. Housing market in the toilet. A recession groaning under irresponsible government spending. A post 9/11 terrorist attack on our homeland. Christmas season looming.

Spending thousands of dollars buying and shipping gifts to extended family and friends with plenty while many in our country are hungry, jobless, homeless and grieving seems to to miss the spirit of celebrating Jesus and Christmas. How each of us celebrates is as individual as how one worships. But if you are feeling as I do, the upcoming season doesn't have to be celebrated in a way that is hectic or expensive as we strive to capture the reason for the season.

Each holiday for the past several years, we have worked to reduce the time, energy and money expended during the holidays. We have learned to reserve our gift giving to small tokens for those we see frequently, family members with hardships and charitable organizations that support the nation's armed services. We are grateful to those far away family and friends that have eliminated us from their gift list and have donated gifts from those who haven't to others less fortunate. Last year, all my gifts to neighbors and friends were consumable, much of it made in my kitchen.

Here are 5 ways to be simplify the Christmas season, put meaning back into your holiday, give and serve in ways that matters most, and conserve both your own and the planet's resources.


Redefine Christmas "Giving your loved ones the gift of charity."


Buy Nothing Christmas "This Christmas we'll be swamped with offers, ads and invitations to buy more stuff. But now there's a way to say enough and join a movement dedicated to reviving the original meaning of Christmas giving."


Community Response to 11/5 "Those who want to help support the victims and the families of the mass shooting (massacre), please send your donations to the Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter AUSA fund."



Consumable Gift Giving "A consumable gift is one that will be used. Used up, not stashed in a closet for the next yard sale. A consumable gift is something that can be eaten, sent, read, or enjoyed by the recipient. A consumable gift is the gift of an experience, not a thing, a "keepsake", or another piece of clutter."

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink and Rejoice "Reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by preparing a menu and buying only as much as you need, and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled."

O Bow Ma

King of Saudi Arabia









Japanese Emperor Akihito










Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao














King of Burger











Queen Elizabeth...well his head is forward of his shoulders.

Top 10 Food To Turn Back Time

All About You.com offers a list of 10 foods to make a part of your wellness or anti-aging regimen. Below is an excerpt from their site...

Prunes Bursting with greater antioxidant power than any other fruit, so you're less likely to end up looking like a prune yourself!

Blueberries Packed with purple pigments called anthocyanins, which help maintain healthy skin and an alert brain.

Carrots The best source of betacarotene, a scavenger of damaging free radicals.

Broccoli Contains important plant chemicals known as glucosinolates, which appear to cut the risk of age-related cancers.

Onions Yellow and red (but not white) onions provide high levels of quercetin, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects to fight arthritis and loss of skin elasticity.

Spinach Contains two antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect against macular degeneration - the leading cause of age-related eyesight loss.

Sunflower seeds One of the best food sources of vitamin E, which boosts the immune system.

Tomatoes Linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, thanks to lycopene - which also protects the skin against ageing and cancer-causing UV rays.

Brazil nuts Packed with selenium, which studies suggest can provide protection from cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

Oily fish A rich source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. The calcium and vitamin D in dissolved bones help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Sunday Day-Tripping Around Vegas

7:45 am

"What would you like to do today?"

"Take a drive out to Red Rock Canyon"

8:45 am

"I'm starving."

Omelet House Summerlin










With an impressive 9 "Best Of Las Vegas" awards, we headed to north Summerlin for breakfast at the Omelet House. There are 36 omelet varieties and a signature pumpkin bread are featured among other traditional favorites. I had the Eggs Benedict Florentine, with tomatoes substituted for the muffin (gluten-free). The spinach and hash browns were frozen and the mushrooms canned. The blandness of the hollandaise suggests it may have been instant. The creamer was non-dairy. The place was clean and our server was cheerful and competent. The pumpkin bread sampling I had was delicious. We won't likely repeat our visit. I'd rather splurge on fresh, real-food ingredients. If you do go, best to stick with basic breakfast dishes such as eggs, sausage and toast.

Spring Mountain Ranch










Located within the Red Canyon Conservation Area, this ranch was formerly owned by Howard Hughes. We walked the overlook trail, crossing the path of desert quails and rodents.









A gathering of scattering quail.

Whole Foods









The Las Vegas flagship is located in the Town Square mall, on Las Vegas Blvd. The guys at the meat counter were the visit's highlight. We sampled slow roasted pulled pork and bought a beautiful piece of hand-cut brisket (Maggie's parting gift to us in San Antonio was her divine recipe for Texas Brisket) and turkey breast (we'll be in Destin for Thanksgiving and treating ourselves to non-traditional gulf seafood).

Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter - Ina Garten








"How does turkey breast with white truffle butter sound?" This recipe was featured in Saturday's episode. The truffle butter has a sharp fragrance and the flavor mellows wonderfully as the turkey breast roasts.

Roasted Beets










Wash and trim beets. Cut in half. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Throw in sprigs of thyme. Seal in foil patch. Roast until fork tender.

What a nice way to spend a Sunday.

Chinese Welcome Obama

Oba Mao mania hits the streets of China.


"A Beijing shop owner is celebrating Obama mania and the 60th anniversary of communist China by selling what's been dubbed 'Oba Mao' products." - Independent News Television

Mao's legacy includes overseeing policies that were directly responsible for the deaths of 50 - 70 million Chinese citizens. (The peace sign here is pitiful...seems the Chinese are as ignorant to their history as Americans are of theirs. Starving to death due to communist grand schemes is, while possibly peaceful, absurd.)

Like our President, Mao's governing ideas stem from Marxism and Communism. Anita Dunn, Obama White House Communications Director, cites Mao as "one of her favorite political philosophers." Former White House Special Advisor, Van Jones, was a Third World Communism activist. Tara O' Toole, Obama nominated Undersecretary at Homeland Security, belonged to a group known as the Marxist-Feminist Group 1. The list goes on.

While America's media and liberal citizens downplay Mr. Obama's Marxist politics and associates, it seems the Chinese can easily make the connection between The Chairman and Obama.


When American satirists created Mao-like images of Obama earlier this year, who would have thought the Chinese would be chanting "Oba Mao!" a few months later.

Jeez.

Nidal Malik Hasan is a Muslim Terrorist

"If it walks like a terrorist, talks like a terrorist, shoots like a terrorist and kills like a terrorist, HE IS A TERRORIST." - Free Republic