Christmas greetings!

Like Charlie Brown, Christmas depresses me on the whole. Perhaps because the build-up is so long and disappointment is practically guaranteed by the time the day arrives. I agree with Loudon Wainwright III on this one:

Outside it’s positively balmy
In the air nary a nip.
Suddenly it’s Christmas
Unbuttoned and unzipped.
Yes, they’re working overtime
Santa’s little runts.
Christmas comes but once a year
And goes on for two months.

I’m not complete humbug about it all. I love buying, wrapping and giving gifts. I love getting them all the more. However, it’s just the length of the holiday that gets me down and know that a long winter is about the begin. Too bad Christmas doesn’t come in the middle of winter – something to look forward to during the long, cold, dark days.

I’m not a Christian but I do appreciate the wonderment of the occasion.

Merry Christmas. “God bless us every one.”

Tags: life, christmas, commercialism, holiday, Loudon Wainwright III, pop culture, Charlie Brown, depression, cartoon

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Food Banks Are Low On Supplies!

Cupboards Are Bare at Food Banks – washingtonpost.com

The Capital Area Food Bank, the region’s primary distribution center, reported that it had about 230,000 pounds of goods on its shelves this week, down from 570,000 pounds at this time last year, officials said.

The short supplies, which are hitting food banks and soup kitchens across the nation, stem from a combination of factors: Federal supplies of excess farm goods have dropped, in part because of the summer drought and because farmers are selling more of their products internationally. Donations from grocery stores, a major source for food banks, have fallen as supermarket chains consolidate, increase efficiency and tighten inventory controls.

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America’s Second Harvest, the country’s leading hunger-relief charity, is projecting a shortage of 15 million pounds of food this year at its more than 200 network food banks. That would be enough food to serve 11.7 million meals or fill 400 trucks.

At food banks from Maine to Florida to California, “demand is up, and food is flying out the door faster than ever,” spokesman Ross Fraser said.

“Our inventories are as depleted as they’ve ever been before,” Fraser said. “Our food banks keep calling here saying, ‘My God, you’ve got to help us. We desperately need help.’ “

The above text are just excerpts from the linked article. During this time of holiday giving, please help your local food bank if you can. I donate to America’s Second Harvest – they are a great group.

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Tags: food, giving, holiday, food-banks, donation, Washington-Post, hunger