Improvables: Christmas Party

On the fifth day of Christmas, Paco brings to you: photos from the Improvables' Christmas party last week.

One of the highlights was the white elephant gift exchange, which always bring a number of creative and well-chosen gifts by and for our troupe members. Among other items, there was Danny DeVito wrapping paper:

. . . a Kazakhstan t-shirt for Ricky:

. . . and a Henry the VIII and His Wives paper dolls cutout book for Erica:

While some of the group huddled around a TV set for some Smash Bros. gaming on the Wii U, the rest of us played the Buzzword board game.

Food, folks, and fun . . . what more can you ask for?

The Family Christmas Shindig

On the fourth day of Christmas (yes, the Twelve Days technically go through January 5, in spite of all of the radio stations cutting off the Christmas music on the 26th and all of the clearance sales), Paco brings to you pictures from the Plowman family Christmas Eve shindig, which is always a great deal of fun for all involved: 24 total, including both of my parents, all five siblings and five siblings-in-law, nine nieces and nephews (with more to come in 2015!), two dogs (Kuma and Saru), and a partridge in a pear tree.

Once again, Biz put together an excellent Christmas program, in which the six-year-olds, Jackson and Kira, played Joseph and Mary, respectively:

Ben also dressed up as "Man on Porch" from It's a Wonderful Life for a sketch he took part in along with Steve and Summer:

It was a great way to spend my favorite holiday of the year. I hope yours was an enjoyable one, too.

A Paco for Christmas

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend part of an afternoon helping out one of my fellow Improvables troupe members at her school, where she had begun to teach a two-week intensive improv class. The day's topic was jump out ("step out") games, and together we enjoyed playing some old favorites such as "World's Worst" and "185."

You know, like the cool kids do.

Later that day, I was informed by said colleague that the kids had really enjoyed me being there for that brief amount of time. The feeling was mutual, as I had been privileged to meet some very talented, outgoing, fun-loving kids. They are, in fact, off to a rather advantageous head start at theater and improv that I never got when I was in either junior high or high school.

Until college, my theater/improv experience was, in fact, a big ZERO.

One of the students, I was also told, even remarked wanting "a Paco for Christmas" this year.

Kids . . . they say the darndest things. And, sometimes, they can also give out really nice compliments, which hopefully are a reflection of their good upbringing. That comment immediately soared into my Top 5 All-Time Greatest Compliments Ever Received list.

What's the best compliment you've ever received? Or what's the best compliment you've ever given? Feel free to post in the comments section below.

As far as getting "a Paco for Christmas" this year, well, ladies . . . we can all dream. And all this can be yours if . . . "The Price Is Right."

*rim shot*

Merry Christmas, everybody.

The Tree of Life

Last Friday night, I got to see the beautiful "Tree of Life" in the Draper City Park in person. The lights were a wonderful sight, and so was the company.

I first heard about it early in the month and made the goal to go and see it before Christmas. So, I can now check that off of the ol' bucket list. If you live here in Utah or are visiting for the holidays, I highly recommend you go and check it out.

A Merry Little Christmas, Now

We all have our favorite Christmas tunes—that is, of course, unless you're an Ebenezer Scrooge about Christmas, in which case Jacob Marley is already on his way to visit you tonight, followed later on by three spirits who will get medieval on your hiney and show you the error of your ways.

I divide up Christmas songs into two categories: "happy holidays," which are the ditties about Santa Claus and Rudolph and Frosty and caroling and walking outside in (or staying inside from) the winter cold, and the "true meaning" songs, which are songs that are actually about Christmas—"Silent Night," "The First Noel," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," etc.

Of the "happy holiday" songs, the one that continues to grow on me each year is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Its message is a simple but powerful, beautiful one.

Until recently, I didn't know that the song originated in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. (Musical nerds already knew that, I'm sure.)

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight . . .

"Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star
Upon the highest bough
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now"

To me, the most important lyric in the song is the word now.

Students of history are well aware that the year 1944 wasn't exactly the brightest or most optimistic time to be alive. Here in the United States, as well as in other Allied lands, many people lived in fear of the very real possibility that they would have to live out the remainder of their lives under the Nazi or Japanese flag if World War II were lost. They also sent their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons off to fight in the war, not knowing when or if they'd see them ever again. It was a time of uncertainty, of walking by faith day by day, of sacrificing, and of doing what was necessary in order to confront and destroy evil, both on the homefront and abroad.

In other words, it was a time of "troubles." But even in the Christmas season, at least for a little while, those "troubles" could "be out of sight"—at least for a few days, or on Christmas Day itself. In the moment called now. People would all "be together, if the fates allow" in some future day, but even while families and friends were separated, they could still set those worries and cares aside, for a brief time, to celebrate the holiday and to have a measure of joy in it. In fact, I believe the original lyrics were, "Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow."

Muddle, they did. And they persevered.

So it goes for us. Whatever worries or cares are on your mind this holiday season; whatever problems, heartache, pain, uncertainty, or grief you're dealing with, set them aside at least a day to celebrate the season. To enjoy one another's company. To both reflect on the year that will soon end, and also to look forward with optimism to the possibilities of the future. Above all, to celebrate the reason for it all: the Redeemer of the world, Jesus the Christ.

I recently finished re-reading Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's book Shepherds, Why This Jubilee? If you don't have a copy, I would recommend that you get one. Or you can borrow mine. It has become required holiday reading for me each year.

In that wonderful (and short!) read, he teaches:

"You can't separate Bethlehem from Gethsemane or the hasty flight into Egypt from the slow journey to the summit of Calvary. It's of one piece. It is a single plan. . . . Christmas is joyful not because it is a season or decade of lifetime without pain or privation, but precisely because life does hold those moments for us. . . . In the end it is all right. It is okay. (Trials and sorrow) are sad experiences, terribly wrenching experiences, with difficult moments for years and years to come. But because of the birth in Bethlehem and what it led to they are not tragic experiences. They have a happy ending. There is a rising after the falling."

House Sitting

Last week, I got to house sit for my brother and his family while they took a vacation to Disneyland and to other fun spots throughout southern California.

This cute puppy, Neala, kept me company throughout the week and slept curled up by my feet every night.

Welcome to Paco Nation

Like so many Time Lords, the Angry White Loner has regenerated. The new result is: PACO NATION.

It's the benchmark date of 12-13-14, so why the heck not? A lot of people are wigging out at the significance of it all, so why can't I, too?

It feels nutty and spontaneous. Maybe both!

In the past, I've blogged under a few different names/titles: The Epistle of Jon, which later became Electronic Bassoon. That blog was followed by a pictures-only blog titled The Gobblewonker and another blog with a series of random postings called the Angry White Loner.

That last name possibly put me onto an NSA watch list. (Just kidding. Most likely.) Who can say for sure? I don't want to take any chances. As a result, the blog has been discontinued.

For the record: Hail, Hydra! And, I love you, Big Brother.

*Ahem*

Maintaining more than one blog at a time can also be a bit time consuming, not to mention a bit confusing to those attempting to follow along. My original purpose behind creating a blog was to both keep a record of my own personal history and to share comings and goings, flotsam and jetsam, and so forth with both family members near and far and friends alike. That will still be my purpose with Paco Nation.

Nevertheless, I'm simplifying the process. One blog to rule them all.

I still have both photos to post and thoughts, or a lack thereof, to share, including more Love Poetry for Dummies and movie reviews and Top/Bottom Ten lists and basically anything else that pops into my noggin. Also, I've got a lot of love to give. So little to do, and so much time.

Wait . . . strike that. Reverse it.

Welcome aboard for the experience. You don't need a passport or a visa to visit Paco Nation. You don't need no credit card to ride this train.

So to speak.