Happy Birthday to ME!!!

In eager anticipation of the big day, I'm guessing that you guys have long since picked out the perfect token of your esteem, wrapped it with the utmost care, and have had it perfectly synchronized with your local post office to be delivered to my front porch right on time for my birthday.  I can just imagine the postman as he struggles, wheezing, bringing package after package to the door.  Through the sweat and strain he is thinking to himself, "Geewhiz, someone pretty special must live here."  Unfortunately, I won't be there to collect the bounty of your generosity because I will be celebrating in true cowboy fashion (well, not exactly) - where the bloom is on the sage.  That's right, I'm trading the sparkle of birthday candles for the twinkle of starry skies in our local desert! 

"Happy Birthday Western Style" (1958)

Is it so wrong that I want all of my celebrations to be "Western Style?"  Some of my happiest times are a blinding whirl of western wear, cowboy songs, chuck wagon grub, and the warm desert wind.

Our friend, Lauren at Wearing History, showed
us the wonder of the Wagon Wheel.
Maybe this was the inspiration for the song???

Amber's western round-up birthday party.

One of my most favorite bands in the whole wide world and
 the Kings of SoCal Western Swing - The Lucky Stars.

In the afterglow of the star-spangled rodeo that
 is the Doo Dah Parade.  

A cowboy sign from one of our desert adventures.

Chow Time at the Steak Corral

Duded up with the fam.

A collection of western ties

Ready for show time at High Rockabilly.

I know I just shared these, but this lil' cowpoke is
too awesome not to include!

When I return from the desert, I'll be sure to regale you with our western style adventures.  Until the next round up,  Happy Birthday and Happy Trails!

"Happy Trails" - Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Collecting: A Christmas Care Package from Santa's Village

I'm cutting it close, but there is still time for one last Christmas post before the day is done!  I will start it by wishing that all those of you who are so inclined had a wonderful day and that all of your Christmas wishes came true.

I used to believe in karma.  It seemed only fair and decent that some cosmic force meted out a universal justice; good was ultimately rewarded with good and bad with bad.  For most, it must be comforting to know that eventually the good and positive energy they put out will earn them a good and positive outcome.  For people like me, the idea of karma always filled me with dread.  What karmic justice would be issued for my cursing the name of every last driver in the Target parking lot?  What would karma think of my regular practice of getting in the express lane with one more item than is allowed - just to test the system?  And I don't even have to ask to know that karma was not smiling on me for the things I was thinking about Santa after our recent run in as detailed in a previous post.  Karmically speaking, I'm a jerk.  So, I always prepare myself for the worst.  Yes, I used to believe in karma - until the mail arrived on Friday.

The postman's delivery let me know immediately that karma is a ruse.  What other explanation could there be for a gift so wonderful and so wonderfully unexpected.  My usual delivery of bills, jury summons, and more bills always indicated that karma was in full force.  Little did I know that my brief mention of Santa's Village in a previous blog post would result in a surprise-package filled with Santa's Village collectibles and assorted Christmas wonders. 

An unused Santa's Village notepad

Illustration from the notepad

Illustration from the notepad

Illustration from the notepad

The Santa's Village Box would have been more than enough, but there was more to be found inside!

Inside the box was a cornucopia of Christmas cheer!
Vintage greeting cards, garland, ornaments, Christmas light bulbs and even cowgirl & indian hankies

And still there was more!
Christmas stamps & labels, stickers, buttons, toys and findings

Now this is how I say "Christmas!"

And then there were the SoniCard Musical Greetings - musical postcards!
The record player accommodated the whole postcard so we could listen to "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night."

Not Christmas related but equal in its ability to inspire yuletide jolliness is this awesome square dancing bumper sticker.
If this is Santa's apology, I accept! 

If there is one life lesson that I have learned from this amazing box, it is that our actions have no consequences.  Either that, or karma took Christmas off.  To be perfectly honest, I am truly concerned that the latter is more likely to be true and now I fear that the karmic retribution will be rather intense.

All kidding aside, I am truly grateful to the senders of this wonderful Christmas gift.  The older I get, the harder it gets to fully embrace the spirit of the season and this really made my wacky tacky Christmas very merry!  Furthermore, all of this wacky tacky goodness has easily made up for any residual disappointment I harbored for never actually making it to Santa's Village.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Holiday Cheers!

Mr. Tiny