An Oakland Catholic Worker Christmas

       Merry Christmas from the Oakland Catholic Worker! Here is what we've been doing lately.

       Last week, Ben and I took Maria to Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda (described in detail in this post). She LOVED it. She came back and announced “Oh my gosh, I've been to Disneyland!” I remembered my camera this time, so here are a few pictures.

  

Maria was SO EXCITED!!!!

Volunteers from the street

Christmas lights.  On their MOTORCYCLES!!!

 

I guess this is what you do if you are a Jew but still want to be festive.

Tacky tacky tacky

        I woke up to a text from Ben this morning at 8am, and then couldn't go back to sleep, because after all, IT'S CHRISTMASSSSSSS!!!!! So instead of making a Christmas supper, I decided to make a Christmas dinner, and then spend the afternoon and evening digesting my food. I bought a ham and a can of apricots yesterday and threw them together to make a delicious meat dish. Then I sat by the stove and waited for it to cook. Since it's just cold as balls out and our house is neither insulated nor heated, I sat next to the stove and read for an hour or so until the kitchen warmed up. 

        Then I made some bacon to put in green beans, heated up some leftover rolls, and tossed it all onto the table. And yes. That is actually a lace curtain, and not a tablecloth. Don't judge. We have lace tablecloths, but they are at the bottom of a closet and I didn't want to get them out.

       And finally, here is that nativity scene picture you've all been waiting for. Unfortunately, Baby Jesus #2 was kidnapped and hasn't been returned, but we still have the “Support our Troops” star, the giant Jesus-eating sheep, and the assortment of African mammals.

Now, like every Unruh should, I'm going to go take a nap on the floor and let my food digest.

Merry Christmas to all, and thanks for reading!