I’m here in the middle of one of the biggest snow storms in Seattle history…  I’ve only been out twice in the past week – grocery shopping. Today it took me nearly 30 minutes to dig my car out from under the foot of snow.  And more is in the forecast tonight – so it looks like it will be a white Christmas. Which brings me to the point of my post – holiday movies.
I remember as a kid looking forward to the annual “Charlie Brown Christmas“, “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Rudolph” specials on TV.  But there are also some great holiday themed movies.
There are classics like “White Christmas” and newer fare such as “Elf” – but I think one of my favorite holiday movies is “Love Actually“. I know it’s not, actually, a holiday movie – but it does take place during the holidays and I really enjoy it. Â
Let’s make a list and check it twice. What are some of your favorite holiday movies?  Are there any you watch every year no matter what? Any holiday movie traditions?
NOTE: One of the weirdest movie traditions I ever participated in was at the Pearce family Christmas party. The first year was ok – someone video taped it. But the next year, our “entertainment” was watching the previous year’s taped party!!  And the following year we watched it again!!!!  Man, those Pearces know how to party…..    Â
Of my three usual favorites, the one that sounded best for this cold spell is my mom’s Taco Soup.  Probably because I had all the ingredients on hand, and couldn’t leave the house because my car doors were frozen shut!

Meet Amy Haase. I like her, and here’s why.
Can I just go off topic here for a minute and rave again about the food at this little restaurant???   Deciding between the Chicken Milanese and the Tortellini Formaggio with Cream Sauce, Proscuitto and Peas is always a daunting task. (I went with the Chicken Milanese with roasted veggies on the side – Kris opted for the Tortellini and we shared a bit with each other). Craig enjoyed the Chicken al Forno with a side of Spaghetti (which he rated 9 on a scale of 10).
While sitting on the bench waiting for me to snap a shot, she said “I feel silly.”
So I stuck my camera over the stall to snap her photo – and found the shot I captured to be absolutely hysterical. Don’t ask me why. Maybe I was drunk with the joy of my Machiavelli meal and our encounter with Amy, but I showed Kristin the photo, and we both came out of the bathroom with tears running down our cheeks, barely able to breathe from laughter. Craig thought we were nuts. I think he’s probably right.
Today is Donny Osmond’s 51st birthday. 


