diff --git a/container/site/content/posts/2025-christmas/index.md b/container/site/content/posts/2025-christmas/index.md index fe7434e..238af67 100644 --- a/container/site/content/posts/2025-christmas/index.md +++ b/container/site/content/posts/2025-christmas/index.md @@ -8,34 +8,56 @@ title = "🎄 Christmas 2025" author = "nicholas" +++ -We need Christmas decorations. The most important holiday. Late october is not too soon. How many Christmases do we get in a life? The lineup this year: Christmas tree, lights, ornaments, tree skirt, gifts, and a wreath. +We need Christmas decorations. The most important holiday. Late October is not too soon. How many Christmases do we get in a life? I do not want to think of it. -## Lights -I attached standard Christmas string lights to the plant cart, a little haphazardly. It will do. +## ✨ Lights +I attached standard Christmas string lights to the plant cart, a little haphazardly. It will do. I am not sure I will ever take these down. I used maybe 50 cable ties and it will a little tedious to remove them all. Also, it looks not explicitly Christmasy in the mean time, and the room could use more light, although they seem to exhibit a kind of flickering which I read is due to cheap half-wave rectified LED drivers. 60 Hz flickering. {{< image - src="images/plant-cart-lights.png" + src="images/plant-cart-christmas-lights.JPG" caption="Plant cart Christmas lights" >}} -## Tree -The tree is 3 ft tall unlit tree, ($15 at Hobby Lobby). I cannot trust that built-in LEDs on such disposable trees will survive long, so I will outfit the tree with removable fairy lights. +## 🌲 Tree +The tree is 3 ft tall unlit tree, ($15 at Hobby Lobby). I cannot trust that built-in LEDs on such disposable trees will survive long, so I outfit the tree with removable fairy lights. A tree skirt covers the private parts of the tree. Also, battery-powered mini Christmas lights. {{< image - src="images/christmas-tree.png" - caption="Christmas gifts on the way" >}} + src="images/christmas-tree-night.JPG" + caption="Christmas tree glowing at night" >}} -## Wreath -Bailey made a wreath. We hang this on the front door. +## 🍃 Wreath +Bailey made a wreath a very long time ago and it continues to decay each year. It will be a shame when it is no longer with us because it is beautiful. We hang this on the front door. {{< image - src="images/wreath.jpg" + src="images/wreath-day.JPG" caption="Wreath" >}} -## Gifts for me +{{< image + src="images/wreath-night.JPG" + caption="Wreath glowing at night" >}} + +## 🎁 Gifts for Me +Increasing dietary fiber could be a good thing for us, but the process of preparing digestible beans is annoying so I bought us a pressure cooker (**Instant Pot® Pro™ 6QT**). I made rice and it took 5 minutes. Incredible. Apparently legumes can be finished in something like 30 minutes. Wow. + +I can play audio through the monitor, but of course they remind me of being on public transportation. Even these very cheap, small bookshelf speakers (**Micca MB42X G2**) are way overpowered for PC speakers, but I had a 50 W stereo amplifier (**SMSL-SA50**) from a very long time ago which can drive them, so I put it to good use. {{< image src="images/amazon-orders.png" caption="Christmas gifts on the way" >}} + +## 🎁 Gifts for Thee +Christmas ended up getting CANCELED. Too many illnesses. Now there is a pile of largely empty gift-wrapped boxes arranged merrily in the spare storage bedroom. + +{{< image + src="images/gift-stack.JPG" + caption="Gifts" >}} + +{{< image + src="images/baileys-sourdough.JPG" + caption="mini sourdough loaves" >}} + +{{< image + src="images/baileys-cookies.JPG" + caption="pistachio shortbread cookies, ginger molasses cookies, earl grey macarons" >}} \ No newline at end of file