Christmas in excess
Disclaimer: I was working on this blog in Maui when the false missile alert occurred. That seemed more timely, so I put this one on hold. This posting is a bit unseasonably late. Portland's outdoor Christmas Tree I enjoy the holidays and have learned to embrace the 'less is more' philosophy of last year*—until this year. Being raised Catholic, our Thai student had plenty of Christmas seasons, but no country does over the top celebrating like the US, especially the commercial, excessive, and secular parts. We decided to share the whole experience. The Jingle Bell Walk Special events are part of this season. Even I participated in both, one traditional and one new. Every year, Earl organizes a Jingle Bell walk. They walk from downtown hotel to hotel looking at (and judging) the holiday decorations. This year since the weather was good, Skeeter, me, and the granddaughters joined in. We were concerned that the size of our group would discourag