B-Ball
Cherry Creek High School is the largest secondary school in Colorado, and it is also the local school for my granddaughter Kaiya. I was very proud of her when she decided to try out for the basketball team. I was even prouder when she made the freshman team. Yesterday afternoon, Bill and I attended their first game, in which they played — and decidedly lost to — Columbine freshmen. Nevertheless, it was fun to see the young women playing their hearts out. Kaiya got to play some of the third quarter. She is small, but mighty. She really gives it her all against girls that are substantially taller than her. As for me, I always forget how much I enjoy watching basketball, even freshmen first-games-of-the-season basketball. I also forget how much I appreciate the teachers who spend their valuable free time coaching any kind of sports. The poor man coached the ladies throughout the entire game, admittedly sometimes with his head in his hands.

Silver Bells
It was dark when Bill and I made out way back home. It was fun to see all of the Christmas lights all around town. Some of the business centers seemed to have gone all-out this year with their amazing lights. It was the first time we drove into Wind Crest in the dark. It was absolutely beautiful. So many people have creatively decorated their balconies and patios. And the outside of all of the apartment buildings are lit up gloriously by the wonderful staff of Wind Crest. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Part Two
One of my favorite Christmas movies of all times is The Christmas Story. I had mixed feelings when I learned that there was going to be a part two to that movie. Actor Peter Billingsley — who played Ralphie in the original movie — plays a grown-up Ralphie who comes back home because his father has recently passed away. He is determined to make Christmas as special for his kids as his father made it for his family. I held my breath, because it could have gone either way, I’m happy to say that I enjoyed The Christmas Story Christmas very much. It lacks some of the nostalgic feeling of the original, but Ralphie is just as charming as he ever was. It was fun to see all of the original actors all grown up. I’m going to watch it again sometime before Christmas.

Bit By Bit
I’m getting a bit of Christmas shopping accomplished, thanks to Amazon. I’m taking it easy because Bill and I have had a lot of changes in our lives recently, and I don’t want to go too crazy. Or at least not crazier than I already am. What did we do before Amazon?

Ciao.