Tag: holidays

TBT: Happy New Year from TPP!

The Portly Politico7 Comments

2025 was quite a year!  Dr. Wife and I often talk about how long the year felt, for good and for ill.

It was a year with many ups and downs.  Dr. Wife’s third year of residency has been brutal, but she is doing well as the co-chief resident.  My work schedule has been far more manageable, but financing and buying a house—as well as planning a wedding!—took up a good deal of my time in the latter half of the year (to Dr. Wife’s immense credit, most of the latter-stage wedding planning fell to her—she really nailed the fun details, things I would have neglected or not thought of).  My maternal grandfather passed away; several of her close friends and family have had personal and medical crises.

But we also got married—woooooot!—and bought a house.  We have great dogs and even better families.  We have immensely enjoyed spending so much time together over the Christmas holiday, even if we’ve been rocketing all over the Carolinas moving furniture.  We are excited for 2026!

What are your hopes and dreams for 2026, dear readers?  Leave a comment and let me know.  I think Dr. Wife and I primarily want to get moved into our house completely—and get her through residency!

With that, here is 1 January 2025’s “Happy New Year from TPP!“:

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TBT^18,446,744,073,709,551,616: It’s a Thanksgiving Miracle!

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Happy Thanksgiving!  I first wrote about the Thanksgiving miracle of surviving a terrible fall from a ladder way back in 2017.  Now, the Thanksgiving miracle is Dr. Wife, and the fact that we’re together and enjoying a great honeymoon (presumably—I’m writing this before we leave, and while I’m positive it’s going to be awesome, I could be having too much fun and become physically addicted to the good times).

Thanksgiving is, of course, an ideal time to reflect on one’s many blessings.  God Is Good, and Has Been Good to me this year.  There have been plenty of trials and tribulations, but it’s been a year that’s forced me to submit to God and to stop trying to do things on my own.

I’m thankful for my wife and family, and I’m excited for the future.  Pray that I can be a good, godly man for her.

With that, here is 28 November 2024’s “TBT^4,294,967,296: It’s a Thanksgiving Miracle!“:

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Memorable Monday^16: Thanksgiving Week!

The Portly Politico4 Comments

It’s hard to believe looking back at this post that Dr. Wife was Dr. Girlfriend around this time one year ago.  It’s wild to contemplate how much can change in a year.

Dr. Wife and I have this conversation frequently, especially when enduring some trial or difficulty:  it doesn’t last forever.  Indeed, things can change very quickly.  It’s also a reminder to enjoy the good moments—and with Dr. Wife, there are many of those!

We’re honeymooning, so I actually wrote this post while Dr. Wife was still Dr. Fiancée!  I’m thrilled that she is not the former.  I’m very thankful for her, my family, my friends, and God.

With that, here is 25 November 2024’s “Memorable Monday^4: Thanksgiving Week!“:

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Flashback Friday: Happy Halloween!

The Portly Politico4 Comments

Woooooooot—it’s Halloween!  At long last!

Halloween is particularly fun when it’s on a Friday.  My little town “observed” trick-or-treating last night, but I’m going with Dr. Fiancée and my niece and nephews tonight (we’re not dressing up, but the kids are).  I’m looking forward to some family time.

How are you celebrating tonight, readers?

With that, here is 31 October 2019’s “Happy Halloween!“:

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Happy Memorial Day 2025!

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In time-honored TPP tradition, I take Memorial Day off from writing movie reviews (indeed, today’s post is almost verbatim last year’s post).  Memorial Day marks the last day off from work until summer break, which literally starts in about three days for yours portly.  It makes the day off somewhat superfluous, but, really, the next two or three days of work will be largely superfluous, too.  We’ll finalize grades for our classes by department, and by the time you’re reading this brief post, I should be done with report card comments).

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Good Friday

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Today is Good Friday, a day to remember the Sacrifice Christ Made on the Cross so that we might be saved.  The fun part of the celebration is Easter, when Christ Arose from the tomb, proclaiming victory over Death.  Today, we Christians reflect on the magnitude of His Sacrifice.

I’ll be spending this evening with Dr. Girlfriend, and we’ll be enjoying the Easter weekend together.  We are both looking forward to a relaxing and prayerful weekend after some very busy months.

Thank God that He Sent His Son to Die for our sins.  We don’t deserve it; Christ Did not deserve it.  That makes it all the more powerful.

Praise the Lord!

—TPP

TBT^2: Groundhog Day

The Portly Politico3 Comments

In looking back at posts from February 2024, it seems that February is a busy month, in that I tend to fall behind on posts during it.  I’m not sure why, but I just seem to lag behind in February.

Speaking of, I’m way behind observing this dubious holiday, the day in which a subterranean rodent in Pennsylvania predicts the weather.

With that, here is 1 February 2024’s “TBT: Groundhog Day“:

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The Portly Politico Presidents’ Day Extravaganza

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Welcome, folks, to The Portly Politico Presidents’ Day Extravaganza!  I hope you all put out milk and cookies for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln so you can get 0% APR financing until 2026 on your next vehicle!

In all seriousness, today is just a quick filler post.  As readers know, this weekend was a bit of a whirlwind on Saturday, followed by a relaxing Sunday with Dr. Girlfriend.  Yours portly is back in Lamar and Murphy is getting a much-needed bath and nail trim at the veterinarian.  I’m taking advantage of the quiet to knock out several tasks around the house and for work.

I’ll be back to regular programming tomorrow (God Willing).  February always seems to be an unusually busy time.  Work hasn’t been too crazy, which is blessing, because I’ve had quite a few other things to attend to at home and in my personal life.  Everything is good—it’s nothing bad or difficult—just a lot of getting my proverbial ducks in a row so I can feast on metaphorical mallard in the future.

I’m thankful for another day off—we’re in the midst of our “Winter Break.”  Teachers return tomorrow for a professional development day.  We’re going through the lengthy reaccreditation process, and we’re working on our curriculum guides.  Mine have been done since our teacher workday back in January (the one on my birthday—ha!), so I’m anticipating a pretty easy day.

Famous last words?  We’ll see.  Here’s wishing one and all and Happy Presidents’ Day!