Views of the Neighborhood – Christmas Past

~ John W. Howell

Today, we are cruising the neighborhood to check out the remains of the Christmas decorations. This is a trigger warning that some of these images may be disturbing to those who don’t want to let go of the Christmas spirit. We are catered by Juniper of East Austin. Our entertainment is Home Free.

NEW YEARS EVE TASTING MENU

PAO DE QUEIJO – Brazilian cheese bread
CURED HAMACHI TARTARE – Maine uni, finger lime, colatura vinaigrette, serrano
CRISPY POTATO & OSSETRA CAVIAR – crab gribiche, chervil
SPINACH & CATUPIRY CHEESE AGNOLOTTI – pecorino fonduta, confit peppercorns, chives odd white truffle
SEARED SCALLOP – toasted fregola, oyster cream, seaweed oil
SEA BASS “MOQUECA” – crispy rice, coconut broth, dende oil
ROSEWOOD WAGYU NY STRIP – hen of the woods mushrooms,
black garlic vinaigrette, watercress, odd black truffle
BRIGADERIO – dark chocolate cremeux, hazelnut praline,
chocolate crunchies

Picture of an old time school bus

Back to our old bus – Let’s go.

Poor little fella.

Goodness. Looks like a mass deflation.

I have no idea what this is supposed to be.

Another view gives no new ideas on what this is supposed to say.

Whoops, an overserved Reindeer.

That Reindeer should have partnered with the overserved Santa.

Or maybe we should all go to a meeting together.

We know pops. You’re just tired.

Speaking to tired. Wake this one in the morning.

I hope you had at least one laugh on the tour. Now, it is time to enjoy the food and entertainment.

 

 

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

98 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood – Christmas Past”

  1. I think all the decorative people are ready for the holidays.Lol Lakeway always surprises me.This is community fun of the best. Since it is possible that we will not meet before, I would like to wish you a wonderful start into a successful and blessed new year! xx Michael

    Liked by 1 person

  4. The mysterious display looks like The Handmaid’s Tale Christmas! Perhaps that is Margaret Atwood’s place. LOL Thanks for the trigger warning. Always sad to see dead Christmas ornaments. Happy New Year!

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Deflated holiday decorations are fun to see on their own 🙂 I wonder if the red-gowned decorations are the handmaids from “The Handmaid’s Tale.” I haven’t seen the TV series, but I’ve seen clips of it.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I always wait until Epiphany to take down decorations … and then, I do it fairly fast (so I won’t have to think about how sad and bare everything looks without them!) Hope your holidays were simply grand, John!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Gee whiz!

    I thought we were living in inflationary times, however this post sends an opposite message. (rim shot)

    The menu sound a bit fishy, but the BRIGADERIO sounds yummy, so I’ll go straight to that, with a couple of coffees.

    That should keep me up until midnight, on the 31st!

    Thanks for the tour, John! It’s always fun.

    OX 🐖

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Nice tour, John. They do look a little sad, but I’m sure they all served the season well.

    I’ll skip right to dessert – Brigaderio – dark chocolate cremeux, hazelnut praline, chocolate crunchies.

    Gotta have the crunchies 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I’m so grateful for the eats- where you somehow outdid yourself with this menu. And the music, well that song is just perfect.

    But the rest of this tour? Biz? Meer arre!

    Those inflatables look as if Tom Brady got to them. The Nightmare Before Christmas crew just looks so damn sad, I want to hug them but I don’t want to be visited by the ghosts of Christmas Spent. And what in the blessed humbug is Santa doing? It looks like he’s trying to strangle Rudolph before Blitzen comes along and kicks his fat ass.

    And yet, I loved it all.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Pingback: Smorgasbord Festive Blogger Special – #Neighbourhood John Howell, Xmas Fondant Robbie Cheadle, #Leftoversoup Carol Taylor, Children’s books Jennie Fitzkee, Humour Beetley Pete | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

  25. I really enjoyed that! Home Free was a real bonus – it always fascinates me that they can create that sound just using their own voices and bodies. Happy New Year, John! Hugs!

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Saturday most of my neighborhood took down their decorations us included because we had a break between rain storms. Those that still have their decorations up look pretty deflated like your neighborhood does. 😢 I’ll miss the pretty lights.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. The Grim Reapers of Christmas have passed in the first few and you’ve caught them in the act on the next ones! The last ones best get in their last hurrahs before the Reapers arrive!

    Love this, John.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Inflatables are made worse when they’re deflated. Just put the doggone thing back in it’s storage bin! And please leave it there forever.

    P.S. Can you explain the dinosaur inflatable thing at Christmas. I just don’t get it. And the Halloween rework/morf into a Christmas scene is a sure sign of the strange workings of some people. And to think they walk among us. Yikes!

    Liked by 1 person

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