"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Searching for Santa

     I don't know how many of you still believe in Santa Claus. I know I do. And it seems like a lot of baby boomers are . . . well, at least they're open to the possibility that he really exists.

     Why else would I be looking out my window as a I sit here and see a statue of Santa Claus standing in my neighbor's lawn across the street? My other neighbor, three houses down, also has a figure of Santa on the front lawn, along with his companion Mrs. Claus. I can't say where in the Scriptures it says that Santa Claus is married. But knowing what I know about men and women, I honestly don't think Santa Claus could have come up with the idea of Christmas all by himself.

     With that in mind, I have greetings to you from a baby boomer in the Arctic Circle. Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting doesn't explicitly say that she is searching for Santa Claus as she continues her sea journey along the Norwegian coast. But she does report that one unexpected addition to her itinerary included the opportunity to experience Norwegian socialized medicine. She describes the medical interlude and life aboard ship in Traveling Inside the Arctic Circle. And then, if you want to find out about how they treat border crossings in the north country, try her latest at I Can See Russia from My Bus Window!
 
     P. S. If anyone is looking for a Christmas gift for "the hub," perhaps we've got a hint here: a new pair of socks.

     Blogger Linda Myers of Thoughts from a Bag Lady in Waiting also has Christmas on her mind. Is she sending a letter to Santa? No, not exactly. Instead she writes her Holiday Letter from Tucson, in which she reflects on family, gardening, playgrounds and traveling. I don't know about you, but all those things would rate high on my Christmas list. 

      Meanwhile, blogger Laura Lee Carter sometimes thinks that Americans are the worst at doing nothing. We feel guilty if we're not producing something at all times. So she takes a lesson from the Italians in The Sweetness of Doing Nothing involving happiness, peace on earth, simplicity in our lives, and the joy of children singing  Her inner quietude might make us all yearn for the rural life amid the snowbound high country of Colorado.

     Rita Robison of the Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide offers no less than four posts focused on Christmas, warning us of hazards that consumers should look out for during the holidays and offering tips on gift cards and free shipping. And while I do not know what the consumer journalist is doing right now, today, I'm betting she's made a trip to the North Pole to test out the safety ratings of all of Santa's gifts and toys.

     Another baby boomer setting off on a journey is Kathy Gottberg of SmartLiving365, who clearly believes in Santa Claus and his folksy wisdom. How else could she do a post called 8 Smart Life Lessons from Santa?

     I'm not exactly sure where she's headed -- if you were searching for Santa, would you tell anyone exactly where you were going? -- but while she is gone she has invited a few of her friends to submit guest posts on her blog. This week there happens to be a very perspicacious post called "How to Age Gracefully" which, I hear, comes from a handsome young man who recently revealed that he lost his camera and has a wider than usual, but perfectly suitable bile duct. 

     Am I talking about Santa? Hmmm, you'll just have to sleigh over to SmartLiving365 to find out.

8 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

Interesting focus on Santa. I won't say anything positive or negative about this until after Christmas because why tempt fate and end up with coal in my stocking.

Anonymous said...

Of course Santa exists.

Tabor said...

Golly I hope there is a Santa. I don't think I can take another idol being abolished.

DJan said...

I've read most of these posts but somehow missed the last one, with the one from some handsome guy who lost his camera. Going over there now to check it out. :-)

Laura Lee Carter said...

I think you have aging down Tom. The secret is to enjoy your life more than you ever have before!

Rita said...

Santa. Since I don't like the NPR Saturday night music from the swing years and beyond, I turn to the TV. I've been watching movies on the Hallmark channel. There has been movie after movie, which are usually called Chick Flicks, focused on Santa Claus. It's incredible. I've probably watched six or seven.

One was about a doctor who didn't get an intership because she only applied to one place. She went to a small community near Anchorage. There weren't any Alaskan natives in the movie.

Anyway, it was strange to see so many movies about Santa Claus that were romance movies.

Rosaria Williams said...

Gee, not believing in Santa is not an option. Especially when we finally begin to look like him and with just a bit of trickery we can convince our grandchildren too.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if my grandkids believe in Santa. I should ask them if they do.