A Favorite Aspiration

The Rockwell image above has always been a personal favorite and a bit aspirational too.  I now do wear my beard and mustache similarly robust and fluffy as this fellow.  And, although I am as grey as grey can be.... I am still more of the “steel wool” coloration rather than white.  I do not know if my genes are such that I will forever appear as if a “Brillo Steel Wool Pad” or if I will eventually get to be white.... but it would be nice in some fashion to become fully white, for I could then attend “Santa School” and have the fun of such an endeavor to imagine in retirement.  I think I would greatly relish being a "Santa". 

I do think the “pure white” look may elude me, however, as neither my Mom or Dad ever lost the blueish, steel wool grey coloration.  And, while I used to be as pleasantly stocky as the fellow above, I now would need to supplement my belly with considerable padding to acquire appropriate girth.  

Santa’s beautifully ornate pipe in this particular image is one I have always admired too.  The ash cap / wind guard is just pure art.  The pipe Santa has in the above is also one of my favorite shapes.... the full-bent bowl and shank.... but especially the quite broad, robust and stout stem.  It is a stem design that is especially comfortable for clenching between the teeth.  I do have 3-4 pipes with that beautifully wide and stout stem, and they have always among my most comfortable and favorite pipes to indulge with.   I have regularly imagined that if I were to play as Santa, I would indulge in a delightfully  “gingerbread and molasses” flavored aromatic burley while conducting my work as a facsimile helper of the jolly old elf.  I did at one time have a half pound of the pipe tobacco blend that I think would be perfect for this task.  I may need to check my stockpile of pipe tobaccos to see if I have any left.  I am not sure, but I think I may have smoked through all of this delightful leaf unfortunately, as it used to be my blend of choice at parties and such during the Holidays. It has likely been at least four years since I can remember purposefully having a bowlful of this aromatic, and, I believe it was at a gathering of the families at my in-laws home.   

The slight amber hue of the more distal hairs of Santa’s mustache are a perfect part of his “look” too.  I miss that my mustache has lost its amber tinted edges since I began the task of refraining.  

But, I *did* have a heavily icicle encrusted mustache and also a fair amount of ice in my beard by my mouth when I had completed running my 9 miles this morning.   It was briskly cold (15 degrees F, -9.5 degrees C) and I had on three layers on my legs, four on my torso and two on my head to withstand the temperature.  Fortunately the wind was minimal this morning.  

I am going to continue to cyborg into the afternoon, but then I may "sneak" onto the U's campus in the later aspect of the afternoon to check on my various critters. My wife and I and some of the kids are planning a cookie bake-off for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our goal is to produce around 25 dozen cookies that we will package and distribute to a variety of relatives and friends on Sunday and/or Monday. It is the one time of year where I actually will work on making cookie recipies "as is".... meaning following the given recipe.... I usually like to experiment and alter ingredients in recipes of all sorts.... including cookies. Typically, I  end up making cookies without butter during the regular part of the year.... and they usually are quite good, just a bit more "cakey" than traditional cookies.  But, for Christmas, we will use real butter, and what the original recipe says in terms of ingredients will be the "LAW".  My wife and I reached this "agreement" of sorts several years ago after some cookies from one of my "experiments" ended up accidentally getting into part of  the cookies we gave as a gifts.  If I remember correctly, it was a very experimental mollasses & sugar cookie fusion I made with added curry, tahini, & raisins that I created on a whim. :)  They actually WERE quite tasty... but one somewhat "stogy" sister-in-law who abhors virtually any kind of spice, and DOES NOT like "experiments" was not amused.   :)

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