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Out with the Old...

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

— 1 Corinthians 13:11

 

As 2023 comes to an end and we look towards 2024, many of us will look back on the last year, some with fond memories, some with hurtful memories, and others with just memories. It’s the time of year when many will make resolutions; things they will do better in the new year. Several years ago, I quit trying to make resolutions. I found they were too hard to keep, and instead of waiting for the old year to end and the new to begin for time to make changes, I decided that change had to come when I was ready. The verse above, 1 Corinthians 13:11, says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” This is more than just Paul telling us to grow up and be mature, I think of it as a way of saying “out with the old, in with the new.” Ephesians 4: 22-24 tells us to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

I want to put those verses into context. The full passage is sometimes referred to as “The New Man” and is Ephesians 4:17-24 which says:

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

 

“But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” 

In the last few years, more and more states have attacked the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans in our community, with hateful and hurtful laws. We are told that we “should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Here Paul describes their minds as being futile and darkened, leading them away from God because of their ignorance. In my opinion, ignorance is better described as willful ignorance because people don’t want to know the truth. If you look at the books that are banned, they don’t only want to be ignorant of the real issues, but they also want to make sure others are ignorant of the issues. I know it’s cliché to say, but “knowledge is power” and “the pen is mightier than the sword,” but if knowledge and the written word are banned, then it is not mightier unless we fight censorship.

 

But it’s not just ignorance that Paul brings to the attention of the Corinthians. He says, that they have “blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Paul is warning against hardening our hearts and losing our sensitivity or empathy. He warns us not to be “overtaken by lewdness and greed.” Lewdness is subjective for a lot of people and can’t always be defined, but greed is definable. It is not only selfishness, but it is also denying help to others. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The New King James Bible uses the word love, but the King James Bible it is not love but charity: the greatest of these is charity. Does the distinction matter? I don’t think so because, without a charitable heart, there is no love.

 

So, as the old year ends and the new year begins, instead of resolutions, let us look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, “Do I live my life the way Jesus would want me to live?” I am not talking about manmade morality standards, but those of Jesus. Have we alienated ourselves from God through ignorance? Have we blinded our hearts? Have we given over to lewdness? Have we become unclean because of greed? If you have, then look at that image in the mirror and tell yourself to change. We need to open up our minds and guard against the censorship of others. We need to open up our hearts to charity and love for all mankind, not just those who look or act like us. As for lewdness, I much prefer to not be crass for the sake of being crass, but you can define that how you want. What do you consider lewdness? and how can you guard against it? Are you judging others for lewdness because of manmade standards and prejudices? We need to be more charitable to others. Remember, love and charity are interchangeable in the Bible.

 

We can be virtuous in the new year. If we believe in God, we have faith. Believing in God and trying to make the world a better place gives us hope. If we do what we can to help others through love and charity, then we have the third virtue. We don’t need our resolutions to be walking so many steps a day or losing weight, giving up cake or something else that we feel bad about consuming, but our resolutions should be broader: what can I do to make myself a better person so that I can make the world a better place.

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Moment of Zen: Jockstraps

Pic of the Day

Year’s End

One of the things I enjoy about living in Vermont and 1200 miles away from my family is that I can actually go out with friends and celebrate the ringing in of the new year. When in Vermont, a friend and I often go to New Queers Eve in Burlington. NQE is a mixture of drag and burlesque with a champagne toast at midnight. It’s a fun time, even if I’m not a big fan of burlesque. I don’t think I’d mind if more men were part of burlesque, but women in burlesque just isn’t my thing for obvious reasons. However, in Vermont drag and burlesque are often part of the same events, but I digress. It will be a fun night, nonetheless, and maybe there will be a guy who gives me a midnight kiss.

I just have to figure out what to wear. I’d considered wearing a nice shirt, maybe one in a silver/gray (something with a little shine/glimmer), and a nice pair of black pants. While that may still be what I wear, if I can decide on the right shirt, it’s supposed to be a cold night, so I’m also considering a black and gray sweater. My only concern is that the venue for NQE is likely to be very crowded and most likely overheated. Vermonters may not believe in air conditioners, they sure as hell believe in heat, which is understandable but can also be overwhelming. (The South is the opposite: often not enough heat when needed in winter and excessive air-conditioning in the summer). Again, I digress. Decisions, decisions.,,

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It’s Nice

It’s nice having some time off with nothing that I have to do unless I want to do something. I can lounge at home with Isabella and read a book or watch television. I’ve been content to do as little as possible. The only place I’ve gone all week was a quick trip to the grocery store. I’m not sure I’ll leave my apartment or do anything today. I just want to be lazy, and it’s nice when we get the opportunity to be lazy when we really need it. I know I needed some time to recharge in preparation for the new year.

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Song for the New Year

Song for the New Year

By Eliza Cook

 

Old Time has turned another page

      Of eternity and truth;

He reads with a warning voice to age,

      And whispers a lesson to youth.

A year has fled o’er heart and head

      Since last the yule log burnt;

And we have a task to closely ask,

      What the bosom and brain have learnt?

Oh! let us hope that our sands have run

      With wisdom’s precious grains;

Oh! may we find that our hands have done

      Some work of glorious pains.

Then a welcome and cheer to the merry new year,

      While the holly gleams above us;

With a pardon for the foes who hate,

      And a prayer for those who love us.

 

We may have seen some loved ones pass

      To the land of hallow’d rest;

We may miss the glow of an honest brow

      And the warmth of a friendly breast:

But if we nursed them while on earth,

      With hearts all true and kind,

Will their spirits blame the sinless mirth

      Of those true hearts left behind?

No, no! it were not well or wise

      To mourn with endless pain;

There’s a better world beyond the skies,

      Where the good shall meet again.

Then a welcome and cheer to the merry new year, 

      While the holly gleams above us;

With a pardon for the foes who hate,

      And a prayer for those who love us.

 

Have our days rolled on serenely free

      From sorrow’s dim alloy?

Do we still possess the gifts that bless

      And fill our souls with joy?

Are the creatures dear still clinging near?

      Do we hear loved voices come?

Do we gaze on eyes whose glances shed

      A halo round our home?

Oh, if we do, let thanks be pour’d

      To Him who hath spared and given,

And forget not o’er the festive board

      The mercies held from heaven.

Then a welcome and cheer to the merry new year,

      While the holly gleams above us;

With a pardon for the foes who hate,

      And a prayer for those who love us.

 

 

About the Poet

 

Eliza Cook was born on December 24, 1818, in London, England. Self-educated as a child, she began writing poems at the age of fifteen and published her first poetry collection, Lays of a Wild Harp: A Collection of Metrical Pieces (John Bennett, 1835), two years later.

 

Cook also published poems in magazines such as Metropolitan Magazine, New Monthly Magazine, and Weekly Dispatch, which published her most popular poem, “The Old Arm-Chair.” In 1838, Cook published her second collection, Melaia and Other Poems, which was well-received in both England and America. It was reissued in 1844.

 

Known as a poet of the working class, Cook wrote poems that advocated for political freedom for women and addressed questions of class and social justice. Despite her popularity, she was criticized for the ways in which she bucked gender conventions in both her writing and her life; Cook wore male clothing and had a relationship with American actress Charlotte Cushman, to whom she addressed a number of her poems.

 

In 1849, Cook started a penny-biweekly called Eliza Cook’s Journal, which contained poems, reviews, and social essays written mostly by her for a female audience. She continued the publication until 1854. Plagued by bad health in the last years of her life, Cook published little; she died on September 23, 1889, in Wimbledon, England.

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Recovery

Having friends over for Christmas and cooking for everyone was really great, but I was exhausted by the time everyone left. I’m still tired this morning and plan to do absolutely nothing today except rest and recover. I hope y’all too had a wonderful Christmas.

P.S. My usual Tuesday poem post will be posted tomorrow.

Pics of the Day

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas Day! Here in Vermont, the food was good and hosting friends was even better. 

Merry Christmas! 🎄

Merry Christmas, everyone! Wishing you all the joy of the season from across the miles with glad tidings to you and yours this holiday season. May this Christmas season fill your home with warmth, light, and joy, and may the joy of the season extend into the new year. I hope your Christmas is full of love, joy, and all your favorite things!

🎄Merry Christmas! 🎄

True friends, close in heart, will never be far apart. 

❄️ Happy Holidays! ❄️

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Christmas

“The Nativity” by Lorenzo Lotto, 1523

The Birth of Jesus

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. 

 

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

—Luke 2:1-7

 

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

 

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

—Luke 2:8-21

 

The Three Wise Men

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”

 

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, “In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

“And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.”

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

—Matthew 2:1-12

 

The New Testament contains two Christmas stories, not one. They appear in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. They have some points in common. However, there are many differences in their characters, plot, messages, and tone. In the verses above, I have chosen only to use the verses directly related to Christ’s birth, the shepherds, and the Magi (the three wise men). In the Christmas story, we all know, that Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted in a census so Rome can levy taxes throughout the empire. Once they get to Bethlehem, they find that there is no room in the inn and the baby Jesus is born in a stable and placed in a manger. His humble birth is celebrated by choirs of angels and shepherds, and he is given precious gifts by the mysterious Magi. This version freely blends material from the two biblical accounts. It has become enshrined in Christmas carols, nativity scenes, and readings during the Christmas season.

 

Matthew wrote his Gospel in the late first century CE, perhaps in Antioch. He was a Jewish Christian writing primarily for other Jewish Christians. He wanted to show that the legacy of biblical Israel was best fulfilled in the community formed around the memory of Jesus of Nazareth. Now that the Jerusalem temple had been destroyed and Roman control over Jews was even tighter, all Jews had to face the question: how is the heritage of Israel as God’s people to be carried on? Matthew’s answer lay in stressing the Jewishness of Jesus. This setting helps to explain why Matthew told his Christmas story as he did. He begins with a genealogy that relates Jesus to Abraham and David, while including several women of dubious reputation who nonetheless highlight the new thing God was doing in Jesus. Next, he explains how the virginal conception of Jesus through the Holy Spirit fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (7:14), and how Jesus the Son of God became the legal Son of David through Joseph. Besides Jesus, Joseph is the main character in Mathew’s Christmas story. Guided by dreams like his biblical namesake, he is the divinely designated protector of Mary and her child Jesus.

 

The Magi story in Matthew 2 is part of a larger sequence that involves danger for the newborn child and his parents. When King Herod hears about the child “King of the Jews” as a potential rival for his power, he seeks to have Jesus killed. As a result, the family flees to Egypt, while Herod orders the execution of all boys under two years old in the area of Bethlehem. Only after Herod’s death does the family return to the Land of Israel, though to Nazareth rather than Bethlehem. At each point in their itinerary, the family is guided by dreams and texts from the Jewish Scriptures. In his Christmas story, Matthew wants us to learn who Jesus is (Son of Abraham, Son of David, Son of God) and how he got from Bethlehem to Nazareth. Thus, he establishes the Jewish identity of Jesus, while foreshadowing the mystery of the cross and the inclusion of non-Jews in the church. The tone is serious, somber, and foreboding.

 

Luke wrote his Gospel about the same time as Matthew did (but independently), in the late first century CE. He composed two volumes, one about Jesus’ life and death (the Gospel of Luke), and another about the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts of the Apostles). In Luke’s narrative, there are many characters besides Jesus: Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, and Simeon and Anna, as well as various angels and shepherds. These figures represent the best in Jewish piety. Thus, Luke creates an ideal picture of the Israel into which Jesus was born. Furthermore, Luke seems intent on comparing John the Baptist and Jesus. His point is that while John is great, Jesus is even greater. So, the announcement of John’s birth as the forerunner of the Messiah is balanced by the announcement of Jesus’ birth as the Son of the Most High (1:5-25; 1:26-56). And so, the account of John’s birth and naming is balanced by the birth and naming of Jesus as Savior, Messiah, and Lord (1:57-80; 2:1-40).

 

Luke portrays Jesus and his family as observant with regard to Jewish laws and customs. With his narrative, Luke wants to root Jesus in the best of Israelite piety, while hinting at Jesus’ significance for all the peoples of the world. That is why Luke’s genealogy of Jesus (3:23-38) goes back beyond Abraham all the way to Adam. Luke’s infancy narrative has provided the framework for the traditional “Christian story.” Its tone is upbeat, celebratory, and even romantic.

 

Since the beginning of Christianity, there has been a debate about when Jesus was born. Why do we celebrate Jesus’s birth on December 25? The simplest answer is that early Christian leaders incorporated known holidays with Christian holidays: the Winter Solstice/Christmas, the Spring Equinox, etc. Not everyone agrees on the date being December 25^th. In the third century, the date of birth of Jesus was a subject of great interest, with early Christian writers suggesting various dates. Around AD 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote:

There are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon [May 20] [...] Further, others say that He was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi [April 20 or 21].

A late fourth-century sermon by Saint Augustine explains why the winter solstice was a fitting day to celebrate Christ's birth:

 

Hence it is that He was born on the day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us up chose the shortest day, yet the one whence light begins to increase.

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Pics of the Day 🎅🏻

Did you make Santa’s naughty or nice list this year?

Santa will know!

Moment of Zen: Cooking for Christmas

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Best Laid Plans

I had a plan for today. I was going to get up around 5:30 am, have breakfast, shower, get dressed and be out the door in time to be at the grocery store shortly after it opened. None of the grocery stores had everything on my list, so I planned to go to one grocery then go to a second one that had the rest of what I needed. Then, my plan was to go to a few stores that were in the same shopping center as the second grocery store. The plan was to come home and put up the groceries in my now working refrigerator. Then, I was going to finish my shopping in West Lebanon, NH. (Most major stores are either in Burlington or West Lebanon. I prefer West Lebanon because there is no sales tax in New Hampshire.) I have already put in orders at Petsmart and Target to just drive up and pick up. Then, I had a few things I am looking for at HomeGoods, one of my favorite stores. Im sure I’d have lunch down in West Lebanon before heading home and getting some rest.

But…as the saying goes “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” First off the bat, my refrigerator did not get fixed nor did I get a replacement yesterday. I called to get an update, but never got called back. So, now I have to wait until I can get in touch with someone to know what the hell is going on and to emphasize how imperative it is that I have a refrigerator today. So, I won’t be doing my shopping early and getting it out of the way before the crowds get too crazy.

This morning didn’t start out too well. I woke up at 3 am (no fault of Isabella’s) and could not go back to sleep. So I finally got up and made some tea. I waited until at least 4 am before feeding Isabella, who, surprisingly, seemed okay with that. With the way this morning is going, I’m afraid my plans are going to be even more derailed than I expected. 

Best laid plans…

Quick Update: They just finished installing my brand new refrigerator, and it looks great and is quickly cooling. Now, two hours later than I had planned, I’m going to start my shopping trip.

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Winter Is Here

There’s not a lot to say this morning. 

Fingers Crossed 🤞 I have a working refrigerator when I get home from work today.

It’s my last day at work for 2023. Our holiday break starts next week. The holiday break is one of the best perks of working at a university. The museum (and campus) will be closed from December 22 to January 2. I won’t actually go back to work until January 5 because I’m taking some time off after the first of the year. All of my coworkers took time off this week, and since I wasn’t going anywhere for Christmas, I didn’t mind having the museum to myself for a few days.

Lastly, it’s the first day of winter. It feels like it, too, at least temperature wise. Right now, it’s 22 degrees. However, it doesn’t look like winter. With the rain and moderate temperatures earlier in the week, there’s very little snow on the ground. While it’s cold today (our high will only be 27 degrees), it’s going to be 42 degrees on Christmas Day. It feels like I’m in the movie White Christmas, which took place in Vermont where there was no snow. Unlike White Christmas, I don’t think we’ll get any snow at the last minute to make a picture perfect movie.

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Not Cool

When I called about my refrigerator no longer cooling, I was told to unplug it, wait 15 minutes, and plug it back in that sometimes that works to reset the refrigerator, and it will begin cooling again. It did not work, so I called back and let my maintenance guy know. He called me back (albeit the next morning) to say he would remove my old refrigerator and put a new one in. Then, several hours later, he called back to say that the owner of my complex had overruled him and said they’d have an appliance repair person come in to look at it. Grrr! It’s even more aggravating (and thoroughly pissed me off) that the repair guy can’t come until Thursday. I stressed that I needed a working refrigerator by Friday. I explained, though I really shouldn’t need to, that I had people coming for Christmas and I had to have a refrigerator so I could stock it back with what I needed to cook for my guests. My maintenance guy, who is very nice and I like a lot, said he would make sure my landlord knew that I had to have a working refrigerator before the end of the day on Thursday. If it could not be easily fixed, then they would switch mine out for a working one. 

What I think they should do (or have already done) is to go ahead and switch it out for a working one and then have someone repair my old one. If I do not have a working refrigerator after the repair guy leaves, and there is any problem getting a replacement, I will call and talk to my landlord myself. I will abide by the decision to wait on a repair person, but I will have either my refrigerator working or a replacement refrigerator by the end of the day on Thursday. 

Sadly, I can’t be at my apartment when the repair person comes. I am the only person at the museum today and tomorrow as everyone else is taking time off for Christmas (I’ll be taking two days after New Year’s). I trust my maintenance guy to be at my apartment when the repair person comes. He said they would not be left in my apartment alone. 

Pic of the Day

Usually, on Tuesdays I post a picture of a guy with a camera, but because I’m posting Christmas pics, I had to make a compromise and post guys taking pics with iPhones. I decided to post two pics instead of just one to balance out the compromise.

Family Secret

Family Secret

By Nancy Kuhl

 

Too many cracks precede 

the spectacular breaking. Each 

 

story begins in a different dark- 

ness. And light: think how it catches

 

on any surface (pane or 

hinge or keyhole) and 

 

out of night (out of nothing),  

all at once: a window, 

 

a door. It’s a metaphor 

(and then it isn’t), darkness. 

 

When I dream again 

it’s the old kitchen—I 

 

open the oven and sound, 

like ropes of heat, drifts 

 

out; a shimmering. Familiar 

and confusing. Uncanny,

 

and then unmistakable: our 

voices, recorded. Playback 

 

and loop, now—every aching 

word we whispered here.

 

 

About this Poem

 

“I’m fascinated by the ways in which secrets are kept and revealed in families, how sometimes what can’t be acknowledged doesn’t drop out of sight so much as it becomes ambient, atmospheric. Coming to recognize the truth, then, is like a trick the eye plays: suddenly it is possible to see what was always there, unrecognized, and the world becomes newly tangible and remarkably uncertain at once, charged with the ordinary strangeness of a dream.”

—Nancy Kuhl 

I think all families have their secrets. I know mine has numerous ones: I’m gay, my niece is transgendered, several members have had affairs on their spouses, and the list goes on, probably more than I know. So, when I read this poem, it seemed appropriate for this time of year. It’s the holiday season when everyone keeps their secrets as bottled up as possible. Sometimes, the secrets come out in whispers, sometimes in dribbles, sometimes with shouts, and sometimes not at all. Secrets can tear a family apart even though most believe keeping the secrets can keep the family together. Some secrets are worth keeping for self-preservation, but mostly, they are just a lie of omission.

There were a lot of pictures I could have used for this post: a family gathered around a holiday table, someone looking out a window with his image reflecting off the windowpane, “any surface (pane or / hinge or keyhole,” a guy sleeping, “ When I dream again,” or a guy opening an oven, “open the oven and sound.” However, I thought that someone looking at their reflection in a mirror was “ a metaphor / (and then it isn’t).” Because when we look in the mirror, we see our ourselves, and hopefully, we see who we know we are, not the secrets that we keep.

 

About the Poet

 

Nancy Kuhl is the author of several collections, most recently On Hysteria (Shearsman Books, 2022) and Granite (A Published Event, 2021). She lives in Black Rock, Connecticut.

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If It’s Not One Thing…

...it's another. Why can't things just go smoothly? Last night, I noticed that my refrigerator and freezer had quit cooling, instead it's blowing warm air. Ugh! Several things spoiled and left a bad odor. I called my maintenance person this morning and left a message, but I am still waiting to hear back from him. I hope it can either be fixed simply and quickly or that I can get a replacement. 

I am hosting a Christmas lunch on Christmas Day, which is only a week away. I have the menu all planned:

• Roasted Chicken with Croutons
• Cornbread Dressing
• Collard Greens
• Corn Casserole
• Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
• Cranberry Apple Jello Salad
• Coconut Custard Pie

How am I going to get this meal prepared without a refrigerator? I'm looking forward to having friends over for Christmas and getting to cook. I love cooking, and it will be nice to host my own little Christmas party since I am not going anywhere for Christmas this year.

If it's not one thing, it's another. *🤞fingers crossed 🤞* Nothing else will go wrong. (Famous last words...I know.)

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