2016 Advent Calendar --- preamble

The Holiday season--for me, it's Christmas (secular, in the main), but I feel a kinship with those who celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukkah or whatever their personal beliefs may be--is my favorite time of year, but with the recent election, I've been feeling more anxious and irritated than I'd like.  Couple that with the general truth that so much of what qualifies as news is not good news and it just feels like a wet blanket of malaise (rather than mayonnaise, which would be equally gross and disappointing) is trying to wrap itself around me.  Sounds like a good R.L. Stine book.

Anyway...



In the spirit of the season, I decided to post one thing uplifting/positive/humorous/comforting/insert-your-descriptor-of-choice-here every day leading up to Christmas Day.  An Advent Calendar, of sorts (thus, the title for this and subsequent posts).  Initially, I planned on just posting these on Facebook or Twitter, but those feeds get so bogged down so quickly, by myself as much as others, that I've made the decision to shift it over to the blog, here.



I want to cull many of these "gifts" from news stories I hear on my commute or see online but will also be including other items that bring a smile to my face -- images, reminiscences, personal anecdotes, maybe some youtube videos of favorite holiday songs.  I hope you (yes, all three of you) enjoy this series.  At the very least, it should inject some positivity into the season for me.

So, with that preamble out of the way, let's get started...