Merry Christmas!

I have been thinking lately about a particular scene in one of my favorite Christmas time movies, Clarence is being assigned to help George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life. Clarence is told that George needs his help and he asks, "Is he sick?" One of the other angels responds, "No, worse he is discouraged." All of us at times have been discouraged to some degree, hopefully not to the level of George Bailey. Life throws difficulties and discouragement at us constantly, it can begin to wear us down, make foolish decisions, and even give up on things we want most. Fortunately we have the opportunity every year during the Christmas season to remember that there is hope. We can reflect on the words of the angel of the Lord who said to shepherds, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." I hope that this Christmas Season finds you and yours happy and healthy, and that the hope of Christ will remain with you throughout the year. The following a friend sent me and wish to share it with you here.

The Three Levels of Christmas

By: William B. Smart

This is a beautiful time of the year. We love the excitement, the giving spirit, the special awareness of and appreciation for family and friends, the feeling of love and brotherhood that blesses our gatherings and Christmastime. In all the joyousness, it is well to reflect that Christmas comes at three levels.

Let’s call the first the Santa Clause level. It’s the level of Christmas tree and holly, of whispered secrets and colorful packages, of candle light and rich food and warm open houses. It’s carolers in the shopping malls, excited children and weary, but loving parents. It’s a lovely time of special warmth and caring and giving. It’s the level at which we eat too much and spend too much, do too much and enjoy every minute of it. We love the Santa Clause level of Christmas.

But there is a higher, more beautiful level. Let’s call it the “Silent Night” level. It’s the level of all our glorious Christmas carols, of that beloved familiar story. “Now in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus…” It’s the level of the crowded inn and the silent, holy, moment in a dark stable when the son of Man came to Earth. It’s the shepherds on steep, bare hills near Bethlehem, angels with their glad tidings, the new star in the east, wise men traveling far, in search of the Holy One. How beautiful and meaningful it is, how infinitely poorer we would be without this sacred level of Christmas.

The trouble is…these two levels don’t last. They can’t.

Twelve days of Christmas at the first level is about all most of us can stand. It’s too intense, too extravagant. The tree dies out and needles fall. The candles burn down. The beautiful wrappings go out with the trash, the carolers are up on the ski slopes, the toys break, and the biggest day in the stores for the entire year is exchange day, December 26th. The feast is over and the dieting begins. But the lonely and the hungry are with us still, perhaps lonelier and hungrier than before. Lovely and joyous as the first level of Christmas is, there will come day, very soon, when mother will put away the decorations and vacuum the living room and think, “Thank goodness that this over for another year.”

Even the second level, the level of the baby Jesus, can’t last. How many times this season can you sing, “Silent Night?” The angels and the star, and the shepherd, even the silent, sacred mystery of the holy night itself, can’t long satisfy humanity’s basic need. The man who keeps Christ in the manger will, in the end, be disappointed and empty.

No, for Christmas to last all year long, for it to grow in beauty and meaning and purpose, for it to have the power to change lives, we must celebrate it at the third level, that of the adult Christ. It is at this level—not as an infant—that our Savior brings his gifts of lasting joy, lasting peace, lasting hope. It was the adult Christ who reached out and touched the untouchable, who loved the unlovable, who so loved us all that even in his agony on the cross, he prayed forgiveness for his enemies.

This is Christ, creator of world without number, who wept because so many of us lack affection for each other…and then willingly gave his life for all of us, including those for whom he wept. This is the Christ, the adult Christ, who gave us the perfect example, and asked us to follow him. Accepting that invitation is the way, the only way that all mankind can celebrate Christmas all year and all life long.


Have A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! CHS

Lego my lego

More Legos to Come!

Turkey

Just wanted to give a little behind the scenes look at the magic that is............me. I had meant to get this up around Thanksgiving time, but its not quite Christmas so I am ok. This is the infamous Thanksgiving shot, I say infamous because of the usual reaction to it (OOH NASTY!). I tried my best to find the original image of just the turkey but I could not get it. I have posted what I found, you can see I am moving the cabinets on the right and removing the window on the left, but you can see the shot in its infancy and the final shot. My thanks to the chef for being willing to hold up the turkey to get this photo. Later I took shots of myself in similar lighting at the proper angle and with a dash of paprika and some Photoshop, tada!

Here comes Christmas and before you know it New Years Day, I love the holidays! Eating too much, visiting friends and family, undoing the top button on your pants and eating more, christmas carols, lights, and of course Christmas Movies!
Here are my favorite ones in no particular order:
A Christmas Story
Its a Wonderful Life
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Christmas Vacation
Elf
Holiday Inn
I think I may be missing one or two, What are your favorites?

November Already

Hey everyone! Its been way too long since I last posted, way too long. In fact all this moving around business has left me a bit drained. Kevin and Jackie decided to move to Twin Falls, Idaho, something about Kevin was unemployed then got a new job or whatever I don't know I wasn't really paying attention. Anyway I moved with them, decided free room and board was too hard to pass up. Yeah I'm a moocher. So since right now I don't have any cool new pictures to share, I don't have them ready yet, I figured I could hold an owl show. I would like to see any cool owl pics/drawings/stories you may have and want to share. I will put your stories/pics/drawings up here on the blog for the world to see. I might even try and send some of my favorites some prizes. Just send your submission to chs@kevindbrown.com
Thanks!
Colonel Sanders

My Eye

I went camping with the Brown family the first weekend of August. We camped up in Island Park, at a place called Box Canyon. The campgrounds were nice, well kept, and not very full. I think the noisy smelly Browns chased the other campers off. Anyhoo, it was fun until I lost my eye. I was with Kevin when it happened, the big oaf nearly fell off a ledge, luckily his ginormous foot caught and he was able to rescue us, minus my eye. He was bleeding all over me and walking back to camp when he realized that my eye was missing. So I made him go back and find it, he got there just in time. A tasty meal of a rodent was eyeing it(no pun intended) when he got there. He was able to rescue my eye and after a surgically precise application of hot glue my eye is 100%. Anyway the rest of camping was fantastic, I highly recommend Island Park as a camping destination. Enjoy the pics. The Colonel

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Tyler Hill, he correctly answered the question in the previous blog Origins for his free Colonel Sanders iron-on. The answer was The Wizard of Oz. So congrats Tyler, put on those ruby red slippers and wear the iron-on with pride!
Stay tuned there will be more giveaways soon!
Thanks, CHS

The First Portrait

So as promised (Please read the previous post), here is the first Colonel portrait. It is the first official shot of the Colonel that I took waiting to leave for Vegas. He may have appeared in the background of other shots around our apartment in Alhambra, kind of like a "Where's Waldo?" thing. Anyway, enjoy!
Kevin

Origins

Hey everyone,
The Colonel himself asked me to fill in for him today and write a blog. I would like to share with you the origins of that plastic owl head that is the Colonel. It should start with something dramatic like.... A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... or For nearly forty years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion..... or There it lay, face down, slightly cracked near the ear. Its body was no where to be found. There were no witnesses, or at least no one willing to come forward. Two beady golden eyes reflecting the greenish gray soup that is an L.A. sky, digging with the tender purpose of a jackhammer through my soul. Hmmmm.... I like that last one, in fact that's an almost exact quote of what Jackie said when she found the Colonel in the parking lot at our apartment in Alhambra.
Yes, the Colonel is a decoy owl, well what's left of it. We don't know what happened to the body. I think the Tony Soprano of pigeons must of put a hit out on him. Anyway Jackie brought him home and he lived on our entertainment center for quite a while. Then a couple of years ago, while we were getting ready to meet my brother Jeff in Vegas, I took the first Colonel shots outside the apartment. I will attach one of the first portraits tomorrow. That trip brought the colonel to life, he met Elvis, fell in love with the green M&M, and had his picture taken on a urinal. Yes since that maiden voyage he has been frozen in snow, camping, in Mexico, bowling, and tons of other adventures. He is currently working on his typing skills(he hunts and pecks) so that he can regularly update this blog.
The Colonel, Jackie, and I want to thank all of you for your support and kindness, especially those who have been with the Colonel on adventures. Thank you.
Kevin
P.S. I will mail an iron-on colonel decal to the first person who emails me at kevin@kevindbrown.com their address and the name of the movie the second movie quote is from. Please include Iron-On in the subject line.

So...

So... I am working on getting this blog up and going, my idea for this blog is to show photos of my adventures and talk about them. Kind of like VH1 behind the music except without music, and not on TV, and narrated by an owl, and without a drunken band but other than that pretty much the same. I am also working on my website, the look of it and also some of the content. Look for the finished product hopefully with in the next month. Anyway, stay beak end up and never eat dryer lint.CHS