Three Beautiful Things 12/30/12: Christmas Season, "Trouble with the Curve", Bombay Bomber

1.   The climactic Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations now give way to living in the Christmas season in the first Sunday after Christmas and with Epiphany Sunday on January 6th and then the five Sundays after the Epiphany.  (The Epiphany is the day Christ was revealed to the Magi.)  In the secular/shopping world, the Christmas season precedes Christmas Day.  That makes perfect sense.  In the world of the Christian calendar, however, Christmas Day is followed by a season of reflection upon Christ coming into the world.  Like so many Christian observations, the season of Christmastide/Epiphany is about 40 days (not precisely) and means that, in the church, the emotional joy of Christmas stretches out into reflection, into understanding.  Anticipation, Celebration, Reflection.  It's the rhythm of the Christian Calendar in the Anglican world.  And today, Rev. Betsy Tesi invited us to reflect upon Christ born of a woman, that we might receive adoption as children.  Adoption, as she helped us see, is a powerful metaphor.  It was a splendid sermon.  Deep reflection upon Christmas is underway. 

2.   After much unnecessary delay, I went to the David Minor Theater, ordered myself a Buffalo Chicken Salad, sat in a cushiony chair, and watched "Trouble with the Curve", a movie I found wholly satisfying.  For years, I've been wanting to add "Dead Women Awaking" to my growing list of "Dead Men Awaking" movies.  These are movies where a spiritually or emotionally dead character comes to life.  "Trouble with the Curve" is a Dead Woman Awaking movie in its portrayal of Gus' daughter Mickey.  Moreover, it's the next in a long line of salvation by baseball movies!  I enjoyed the movie through and through.  Humm Baby!

3.  After the movie, I dropped in the Steelhead for single pint of Bombay Bomber.  I hadn't had one of these pale ales for a few years and the pleasure of its balance and refreshing finish came back to me as I sat and stood at a buddy bar with a silly loved-that-movie-love-this-beer-love-that-the-Cowboys-are-out-of-the-playoffs grin on my face.