This gave me paws

I love word play and, like many people I know, I think kittens are utterly irresistible. But the combination of same on this holiday card from U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (addressed to me) seems bizarre at best — a target for catty remarks.* 

Card front

Captioning: Pet The Cat. (term.) The act of surfing down the line of a breaking wave while dragging one’s hand across the face of the wave.”
Image: Wetsuit-clad Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, with kitty-cat Gretzky strategically positioned on her lap.  

Card inside

Captioning: “May this year’s big blue wave carry you in to a joyous and happy holiday season. Love, Loretta and Gretzky (a.k.a. “Shark Biscuit”)”
Image: Dana Point waves, by photographer Dave Sweeney

(*What, you wanted to see the fur fly? This isn’t the blog where that happens. If you’re looking for claws-extended, down-and-dirty cat fights, you gotta go here.)

Ho! Ho! Ho! A Holiday Meme!

 

 passed on this meme and headed off at the pass any ba-humbug attempts to ignore her. “Everyone has time for a few moments of fun,” she said, throwing down this holiday gauntlet for good measure:  “Don’t be a Scrooge!!!” Well, okay, since she put it like that…

 

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Chocolate triumphs over all. I drink Swiss Miss Diet hot chocolate. (Santa, are you listening? I’m trying to be good!) In my mug: none of the creamy, chocolatey goodness of traditional hot chocolate — but hey, in that 25 calorie cupful, I get all my calcium, some cocoa flavor, and none of the guilt.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
I assume he has his elves wrap them, because we always have pretty packages under our tree — and stockings, of course.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights…our ornaments take center stage. We don’t use outside lights, but if we did, I’d string up the large, multi-colored bulbs.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope. Don’t need it!  =:)

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Whenever I can get my guys to bring the tree down from the rafters in from the cold.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Blueberry buckle coffee cake, served with steaming mugs of vanilla-flavored coffee on Christmas morning.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child:
Unwrapping a Drink-and-Wet baby doll, when I was about seven years old. I immediately wrote “C.P.” (Cootie Protection) on her palm; back in the day, that’s how we “immunized” our dolls against boy germs.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
My mom told us about Santa when we were very young. I say this without any remnants of sadness: as a child, we were never allowed to hold onto fantasies for long.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, we open gifts from friends and extended family on Christmas Eve. Santa gifts get opened on Christmas morning…assuming, that is, that Santa hasn’t put us on his “naughty” list! 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
On our 7-foot tree, we hang a host of commercially–produced and homemade ornaments — each of them well loved because they’re gifts from someone important to us, or they’re memories of an occasion or place that we’ve visited. Unwrapping the ornaments and hanging them on the tree is an annual trip down Memory Lane.

11. Snow: Love it or dread it?
Snow is beautiful on a greeting card, but I really, really dislike being out in the cold.

12. Can you ice skate?
I could, if I took a private and prolonged set of lessons, but again, I wouldn’t want to subject myself to freezing conditions.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My favorite gift is being surrounded by family and friends. I know that sounds treacly, but it’s true.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
See #13.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
I don’t eat desserts (not that I don’t love them, mind you, but see #1). If I wanted to indulge, I’d probably choose something untraditional, like warm berry crisp with vanilla bean ice cream melting over the top.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Lighting the Christmas tree and lighting the menorah.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel ornament…except when she topples down from the top, whcih is often, because I can’t figure out how to get her to sit and stay. It’s frustrating, but there’s something humorous and metaphoric, isn’t there, about a fallen angel?

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Hmm…Is Santa listening? Seriously, , I love to find the Perfect Present for everyone on my holiday list. I practically wriggle out of my chair, just waiting for my family and friends to open their gifts. Does anyone other than me wake up early on Christmas morning, then have to wait (impatiently!) for everyone else to get up and see what Santa brought?

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Going back to my gospel roots, I love “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” which also has meaning as a civil rights song. Who can keep from smiling when they hear that song about Mr. Grinch? And for sheer beauty, I love “Ave Maria.”

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Meh.

Whew; I’m all finished! So now, I get to pass along the joy and gladness of doing this Holday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends to the following list of LJ people. You know the drill:Copy, and paste this into your Journal. Be sure to change my answers to your answers, then tag your own victims friends. 

brandie_writer
cherryredd
edenzdream
cocoskeeper
dragonegg
gneri
kelcrocker
kidlitkim
linbinwriter
marperez
pamm
papadan
jonstephens
and YOU! 
Whether you choose to play or not, God bless you, every one! 

Wombs with a View, reprise

I’m reposting this entry, just in case you overlooked it the first time but might be interested in seeing it tonight. (Click here for additional broadcast dates and times.)

Every once in a while, I discover an image so amazing, so beautiful that it moves me to tears. Then, of course, I want to play show-and-tell. So it is with this incredible,
first-time photograph of an elephant fetus floating in its mother’s womb. 

I”ve just been browsing through an awe-inspiring photo and video gallery of pre-birth baby animals on the National Geographic website.  Now, I can’t wait to see their two-hour special, Animals In The Womb, tonight! 

Set up your TiVo or snuggle up on the sofa to watch the program with your family this evening. Meantime, you can peruse intrauterine pictures and videos of a swimming dolphin, a panting puppy, and a burgeoning baby elephant here.