Tag Archives: holiday

Escaping to Real Life Fairytale Places

Posted on March 7, 2025 by mitchteemley

Every year around this time, I start planning holiday getaways (or plan to plan them, anyway). But having cut my literary teeth on fantasies, it’s fairytale settings I dream of escaping to, or even making my new home. Say, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Is Jesus Still on the Cross?

Posted on March 5, 2025 by mitchteemley

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the traditional season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter (the Greek word for Lent means “forty”). So what? That’s just old, dead tradition stuff, right? Even after my conversion, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

50 Magical Places to Be In Love

Posted on February 14, 2025 by mitchteemley

Some places are objectively beautiful. They take our breath away, and then return it to us full of light and hope. Yet magical places are everywhere, even in the “bad parts of town.” Why? Because we carry the real magic, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Five Years Ago This Month

Posted on February 6, 2025 by mitchteemley

Five years ago, my wife and I took a spur-of-the-moment Valentine’s Day trip to Florida. We had no idea it would be our last vacation before something called a “coronavirus” was re-labelled COVID 19 and turned the world upside down. … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment and Popular Culture, Humor, Memoir, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

It’s Hard Being the Short Month

Posted on February 5, 2025 by mitchteemley

April: Let’s throw a party! October: Awesome! Who shall we invite? April: Oh, you know, all the cool months. October: What about what’s-his-name, February? April: Oh, him. Everybody loves his partner Valentine’s Day, but kind of ignores him. So he … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

11 of the World’s Most Unique Hotels

Posted on January 3, 2025 by mitchteemley

Sure, the December/New Year holiday season is past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t dream of a unique hotel getaway. And these are as unique as it gets! Underwater hotels are available in many places. But the Maldives’ Rangali Island … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

New Year’s Traditions Around the World

Posted on December 31, 2024 by mitchteemley

New Year’s traditions vary wildly from culture to culture, although most include “the three F’s,” food, fun and fireworks, plus time-honored (if not exactly proven) ways to assure good luck in the coming year. Whatever your traditions, may your 2025 … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 89 Comments

A Christmas That Lasts Forever

Posted on December 26, 2024 by mitchteemley

Most westerners think of the Christmas season as the period between late November and December 25th. But technically that was Advent. The season of Christmas begins on December 25th. Does it matter? Yes. The reason is in the words themselves: … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Merry Christmas From an Insensitive Boob!

Posted on December 25, 2024 by mitchteemley

When I say Merry Christmas in public, I’m often rewarded with an Oh, that’s right, your generation doesn’t know any better look, and a corrective “Happy Holidays.” Just for the record, I do know better. The Christmases I grew up … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 70 Comments

The Invasion of Planet Earth Has Begun!

Posted on December 24, 2024 by mitchteemley

2,000 years ago our planet was invaded by a Being of inconceivable power. His spaceship: the womb of a Jewish teenager. His weapon: a form of love more powerful than all the atomic bombs, or lasers or phasers that will … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 51 Comments