A Visit From St. Nicholas

[gblowfish]

Peace on Earth.
Good Will To Men.

And for your CP Christmas Present, tell us one thing you're grateful for on this Christmas Eve, and Santa will give you some Nick Rep until Rudolph runs out of electricity for his red nose.

Merry Christmas to All on the CP from Mr. and Mrs. Blowfish and the Blowfish Kitties.


A Visit from St. Nicholas
By Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

[gblowfish]

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

[lewdog]

2014 was very good to Mr. and Mrs. Lewdog. Bought our first house in February, week long trip to Hawaii, renovated our entire backyard, got a pay raise, watched the Royals in the World Series and my wife isn't pregnant.

All is all, that's a whole bunch of win.

[ShortRoundChief]

Many, many things to be grateful for but the two big ones happened in the last 2 weeks. Graduated college and got a kick ass job.

That's the gift that keeps on giving./Cousin Eddie

[FlaChief58]

Merry Christmas everyone. My greatest gift this year is having 2 of my grandbabies in town.

[threebag]

Merry Christmas

[EPodolak]

Grateful that the heavens see fit to keep us matriculating in this cosmic orbit around a beautiful, fleeting orb that gives us life and warmth. For a measure of safety and security. Grateful for a passable amount of intelligence and taste, one or two measurable talents and other fortunate accidents of birth. To be upright and free from pain. Happy that people I care about reciprocate, and that there are wiser people than I who are also more generous than me. And for second chances and an ability to forget.

Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday season and prosperity in the year ahead.

[Lonewolf Ed]

I was putting a fresh bandage over my chest wound and the doorbell rang. I saw no one outside and opened the door and heard someone running down my driveway toward a car by the road. A laundry basket full of goodies was at my feet, with fancy chocolates, soup mix, candy canes, a Forrest Gump DVD, and more. All that stuff had to be over 50 dollars. A card inside merely read: Merry Christmas! May God continue to bless you in the coming year. I have no clue who left the basket, but I was very surprised and grateful.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Not trying to be a downer, but honestly, I'm most thankful 2014 is almost over. This has been a pretty shitty year for my household, acquaintances, and friends.

I'm thankful that most of us (RIP, Lois) made it out alive, if a little worse for wear. I'm thankful for my personal support system.

And I'm thankful for CP for being there to distract my mind.

We're all family, if you ever need to talk...

[stumppy]

It's been one hell of a long rough year. Probably the most trying in my 52 years.

I am so grateful all my children and grandchildren are healthy. Anything after that....well, is a bonus.
I am also grateful I decided to make some major life changes this year and have been able to follow through with the choices I've made.

Nice thread Mr. Blowfish.

[Dunerdr]

I'm thankful for my 16 month old son. When everything's gone to hell, and the wife's not putting out, and the chiefs are being the chiefs, I can sit down watch him enjoy the simplest things and it reminds me that life may be made up of so much more but it's the little things that build the big picture and love that holds it together.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I'm grateful that one of my girls was able to make it through a corrective neuro-spinal surgery well, so that after a few years of therapy hopefully she will be able to walk independently.

Well, that's a pretty good one. I hope she does it--and as quickly and painlessly as possible.

[Prison Bitch]

It was a very boring year for me and the only thing ill remember is the World Series run. Honestly nothing else even happened other than my kids and I getting one year older. I guess no news is good news.