Merry Christmas

A little bit about this album: 

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! . . . Maybe Christmas . . . doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas. . . perhaps. . . means a little bit more!"- The Grinch, Dr. Seuss, 1957.

I admit to a certain. . . dissonance to those words and the photos seen here. After all, much of what  you'll see here wasn't possible without all the trappings of the holiday season. Awfully hard to decorate a Christmas tree without garland, lightbulbs, decorations! 

My hope here is to show the beauty of the season without forgetting the reason. Christmas is, after all, first and foremost a birthday party. And when we put up streamers and balloons and have cake on someone's birthday, we don't forget the reason for the celebration- it wouldn't be possible with them!  So come, oh come, Emanuel, and let's all remember it's your birth we're celebrating!