Let me give you a quick update and then I am off too bed...RIGHT!

The last few nights the Daniels family traditions have been in full swing as we did our "fun holiday stuff", you know, the stuff that doesn't require money, schedules or insincere conversations or reactions too gifts you really don't want.

It started last Sunday night when we went too German Village, a neighborhood in the downtown Columbus area. The neighborhood association and a few corporate sponsors had gotten together and lined the BRICK streets with candles...While we were walking around it started to snow and not just a little a whole bunch. Additionally store owners stayed open later than usual and everyone that was walking around in the snow was in the best spirit I have seen since "Black Thursday"...it was great.

While we were there we tried a new deli, not too be confused with "New Delhi"...it is called the "The Brown Bag Deli"...if I am not mistaken it has been open for a while but they just got a new owner (MOLLY) who is looking to increase her catering business. Trina and I split a sandwich which was OUTSTANDING!!! I am not certain what it was called but it was Smoked Turkey, Havarti Cheese and Cranberry Sauce, Mayo on Toasted Sourdough Bread! YUM! It Was it good.

If you want to find me before 8PM some night of the week when I am in town, I will be there drinking coffee writing some new material....The Brown Bag Deli is located on the corner of Mohawk and???? Boy, I can't remember the cross street right now...but the address is 898 Mohawk St Columbus, Ohio 43206 and just to give you more info about The Brown Bag
Deli, their number is (614) 443-4214!

An extra special treat while we were eating, the very best Santa Claus made a stop into the deli. Let me explain, this guy was naturally large, not padded, his beard was the real thing and he was dressed as the European Santa from the early 1900's. He carried some sleigh bells and the most wonderful thing was how a young girl who is at that age where she is on the fence about "Does he or doesn't he exist?" reacted too him. I am pretty sure she has a couple more years of sleepless nights on Christmas Eve. I got my picture made with him as did Trina and I'll have those up here before long. You can learn more about him on his website.

We continued our trek around the village and on Third Street it is the main drag through German Village. We visited my favorite bookstore, The Book Loft It's 32 rooms of literary heaven and hell...they have some real stinkers in there but by and large it is the best stuff at a discounted price.

We went next door too Cup O' Joe and scored a free sample of some new Coffee blend which is coming out...and let me say as a Coffe-holic, it was AWESOME! From there we went to Caterina
Ltd where we were thrilled too see former Columbus Mayor, Greg Lashutka...He is a former OSU Football player so the man is LARGE! 6' 4', maybe 6' 6"...additionally the staff their was so welcoming as we just sort of browsed the really beautiful pieces of art and other household decorations with function.

This is getting sort of lengthy but I want to also point out the carolers we listened too outside of Helen Winnemore. Now in the Daniels family Helen Winnemore has a real personal connection. My brother, Mark, who is a really wonderful Pastor and talented writer purchased the wedding rings
for he and his wife, Ann there back in like, 1970-something. Since then it has always been a place where I have purchased SPECIAL gifts for Trina. When you go there you need to look through their Kaleidoscopes, they are a real treat!

Other hits on the walk were Schmidt's Candy...OYE! Red Stable Antiques, Gifts & Fine Foods and Urban Axis which is a really nifty store just for the four legged friends that help rule my otherwise pretty unruly life! At Urban Axis they were taking pictures of all the dogs that came in in front of a Christmas Gift against a green backdrop...it was really nice.

I love German Village and at Christmas time it gets even better!

It's getting pretty late. I'll post about my visit too the Columbus Zoo and the kickoff of our "Christmas Movieganza" with the always delightful Todd Biros and a trip too The Mad Greek tomorrow!

GET A LIFE!

OPERATION SMILE



Tonight on TV was an amazing story. Not fiction or fairy tale this story was true and nothing less than miraculous.

The story is about Operation Smile. An organization that repairs childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for children and families.

Very quickly -

• Operation Smile has U.S. and International Chapters that raise funds and awareness to support international programs.
• Mission teams are hosted by International Foundations that are responsible for all in-country mission logistics and that also raise funds and awareness throughout the year.
  88% of cash and in-kind donations go directly to programs helping children.
• Every $1 donated yields $6 more in additional program services.
  It takes as little as 45 minutes and costs approximately $750 for an Operation Smile cleft lip surgery to change a child's life.

Click on the link below to make a donation to this organization.

Operation Smile

HUNTER S. THOMPSON

The guy was a very strange man. I just read the AP story from Aspen where he took his life the other day and here is a small portion of it...Hunter S. Thompson heard the ice clinking.

The literary champ was sitting in his command post kitchen chair, a piece of blank paper in his favorite typewriter, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot through the mouth hours earlier.

But a small circle of family and friends gathered around with stories, as he wished, with glasses full of his favored elixir — Chivas Regal on ice.

"It was very loving. It was not a panic, or ugly, or freaky," Thompson's wife, Anita Thompson, said Thursday night in her first spoken comments since the icon's death Sunday. "It was just like Hunter wanted. He was in control here."

I don't get the cavalier attitude about the value of life. To me this is just as shocking and disapointing as an abortion or an execution in a prison...I don't get it.