蜜柚直播

As sure as none of the holiday lights I stored last year will light up this year, this holiday has got a hold of my jingling-jangling heart like a grinning Gila monster with lockjaw. I knew the holiday season had arrived when I felt a chill in the night air, caught a whiff of mesquite drifting out of a distant neighbor鈥檚 fireplace, and got a text from my granddaughter.

鈥淕randpa, I love you.鈥�

鈥淓mma, I love you.鈥�

Her next text was a link. Ding. 鈥淢y Amazon Wish List.鈥�

I replied with my own wish list. Double ding ding.

Bells on delivery trucks ring, making deadlines tight. O what fun it is to shop. Online. Tonight.

Yesterday I bought firewood from Carlos at my local Christmas tree lot. Do not tell Greta Thunberg. It鈥檚 once a year and we鈥檙e all doomed anyway. Carlos told me a story. 鈥淚 was cutting a tree for a couple.鈥�

As he set the saw blade against the trunk he noticed a small soggy envelope. Together they opened it. It was a note from a 鈥淐indy LouWho鈥� schoolkid in the Portland area asking whoever found this fine tree from Oregon to please mail a picture of the tree, decorated, along with the story of the tree鈥檚 final destination. No clue how it got there. 鈥淒o you folks want the letter?鈥�

鈥淵es! We鈥檙e teachers. We鈥檇 love to answer the letter.鈥�

Since then Carlos has seen a few more envelopes in some of the trees. Who doesn鈥檛 thirst for joyful connection at this time of year?

When I long for Noel nostalgia, coupled with sore feet, I head to Winterhaven, a painstaking re-creation of a Wisconsin atomic age suburb funded by the Williamsburg Foundation and built by Mid-West World, a subsidiary of West World Enterprises. Period re-enactors such as 鈥淒onna Reed,鈥� 鈥淒r. Ben Casey鈥� and 鈥淭he Beaver鈥� actually reside in the homes built to replicate the range of postmodern styles that reek of authenticity. The realism and attention to detail is beautiful, from the lifelike vegetation to the spectacular effects in front of many of the homes.

If you think Christmas is a humbug, a waste of time, or a wicked capitalist plot, I commend to you two more experiences that will light your heart鈥檚 candle.

First, join us next Thursday at one of my favorite 蜜柚直播 traditions, right up there with the tiny Santa hats that appear on the ears of Padre Kino鈥檚 horse, eating way too many Christmas tamales, and rolling down Tumamoc Hill wearing a lit Christmas light necklace.

Every year a bazillion elfin 蜜柚直播ans show up at a holiday sharing event to donate toys, wrap that glorious mountain of toys, laugh, gossip, dance, play games, sing holiday songs and listen to mariachis play holiday favorites loud enough to wake the reindeers at the pole. Who doesn鈥檛 love the challenge of enjoying Mexican food without accidentally taping a ribbon on a burrito?

Mi amigo, Dan Eckstrom, emailed me a reminder last week. 鈥淎migo, let鈥檚 celebrate the holidays by sharing!鈥� That鈥檚 鈥渃ode鈥� for 鈥淟et鈥檚 party, chingon.鈥� Dan, eternally empowered by the memory of his beloved Mary Alice and the Hispanic Women鈥檚 Corporation, throws one amazing gift-wrapping party.

鈥淲hen, Danielito?鈥�

鈥淭hursday. 6 p.m. Kino Community Center.鈥�

鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 miss it.鈥�

The first time Ellen and I went, years ago, she listened to me complain all the way to Kino, over the river and through the barrio, convinced this Scrooge wasn鈥檛 going to have a great time. I was as wrong as a U-turn on Grant at rush hour. By the time we left the event our hands may have been covered with paper cuts and Scotch tape, but our hearts were so full of horchata, churros and the glorious spirit of Christmas, we floated home like untethered parade floats.

Second, next Friday, the very next morning, we鈥檙e rising to witness a glorious Christmas miracle firsthand, for lo, a miracle is promised, at the corner of 12th and Ajo and lo, we鈥檙e never disappointed. Verily it shall come to pass, around 8:30, in front of the church of St. John the Evangelist, thousands of children shall gather to meet Santa, who, with his inexhaustible love for children, and a little help from Nova Home Loans, fundraisers and the simple kindness of strangers, will not disappoint a single child. It鈥檚 a 蜜柚直播 meets Frank Capra scene that will realign your soul. In this Bedford-Falls-with-saguaros story, our George Bailey of the Barrio wants every kid to have a wonderful life for one magical day. Drop off your toys at any Nova office, then come to the celebration and marvel.

It鈥檚 not hard for the wise among us to see the forest for the Christmas trees. Greet the bell ringer, embrace the prodigal, share your feast with the least among us and joy will come your way. Magic, too. You may even find an envelope with a message tucked into your Christmas tree.