A Christmas blog becomes a Christmas story if you aren’t careful. If I start listing all the things I’m thankful for I will end up writing another book. Wifey, Shawn and Bonnie, Jason and Amanda, Gunner, the GRANDKIDS who are hilarious etc. etc. I honestly feel like I am one of the most blessed men that I personally know. So I can’t list it all. The point of the blog is that I just love Christmas! I love everything about it. Yes, I have to be careful in my enthusiasm. Reminding myself often that it is Jesus Christ that makes me so joyful about Christmas. I mean come on, just think about having an eternal Christmas Party! 

But in my celebration of Christmas there are essentials. One critical element in my yearly rejoicing of this most Holy season always includes my departing from the island and fighting my way across the Howard Franklin Bridge through rain, hail, ice and snow until I reach The Tampa Theater.

Every Sunday in December I am standing at the front doors of The Tampa Theater…built in 1926…at precisely 2 P.M. for the 3 P.M. Christmas classic movie series. I am one of the very first people at the door to make sure I get my favorite balcony seat or seats if I can talk anyone else into going with me. These seats, at the front edge of the balcony, provide a perfect view of the large screen and giant organ that comes up out of the floor. The organist plays Christmas carols while the bouncing ball on the screen gives us the words as the audience sings along. It is wonderful!  These perfect seats also provide a place on the ledge of the balcony to set my Goobers, Popcorn and Wine which are indispensable much the way a Christmas tree is on Christmas morning.

My favorite Christmas classics? “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby is critical each year if I am to be happy. Of course “It’s A Wonderful Life” is a must and “It Happened On Fifth Avenue” is very important. And in my futile effort to stir up romance I will nag Nancy into going to see “Christmas In Connecticut” which will round off my season of cinematic rapture. If “A Christmas Story” happens to come into view, I am of course thrilled to shoot my eye out. Naturally I did not mention “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” but assumed any intelligent person would also assume that it would be a part of my visual rejoicing.

As you can tell, this tradition has become an important part of my Christmas celebrations. Which makes the following even worse... a Grinch has officially stolen Christmas from the Tampa Theater! In a most foul form of cinematic horror, they've temporarily closed theater doors to renovate the seating. Of the 12 months of the year, they chose our treasured Christmas time to make these updates.

However, in spite of my own personal agony this Christmas, I hope that all of you have Joy and read my books.