It's beginning to look like X-mas............

[colman]

....everywhere you go.........
    Ingredients to make a large batch of Colombian tamales--$109.00
    2 bottles of Cristal Aguardiente--$32.00
    5-disc set of Discos Fuentes Colombian Christmas "Villancincos"  
    music containing Colombian holiday classic hits such as "el
    burrito savanero", "yo no olvido el ano viejo", and "faltan cinco
    pa' las doce"--$40.00
    Biting into a large portion of plantain leaves wrapped tamale with the "masa" tender but strong enough to hold the beef ribs and white meat pork and vegetables together whole sipping on "refajo" (traditional Colombian beverage containing a half glass of Colombiana soda pop with the other half full of "club Colombia" premium Colombian beer, while watching my grandmother remove the tray full of "pan de bonos" from the oven, and giggling when my mom pinches my father's arm, scolding him and telling him that the "natilla" with "bunuelos" are for after dinner, while my 1 yr. older brother in his "chanclas" prepares a concoction of Coke-Cola and Aguardiente knowing full well that this is the only time when our parents consume anything that is considered an alchoholic drink, knowing this will be the "fuel" for our parent's "cuentos viejos" (old tales), back when they were kids in Colombia, some boring, others genuinely entertaining, alll this while listening to "Yo no olvido el ano viejo..porque me...
      dejo cosa muy buena.....
      me dejo una chiva.....
      una burra negra.....
      una llegua blanca.....
      y una buena suegra.....
All this excitement and jubilation even affects the family dog (pacheco) sitting in his corner wagging his tail knowing full well it would only be a matter of time before he is in dog heaven (forgeting the purina today) with beef and pork bones, all this energy replaying itself each year...lol...knowing we each must buy and wear new yellow underwear and consume a a dozen fresh opulent grapes (other Colombian traditions) All of us simultaneously watch the snow falling from our kitchen window, A beautiful white Christmas in Chicago on Diversey ST...........UNBELIEVABLY AND UTTERLY PRICELESS---GOD BLESS ALL--
Colman...............