Christmas 2007. My Blushing Bride knows that I like to play Monopoly®, but she can’t really stand the game. So what does she do? She finds this interesting item called “Make Your Own Opoly”. It’s loosely (really loosely) based on the classic game, but provides for the owner software and game pieces to build a game custom tailored to their life.

It took a year, but the result I got was Benj-Opoly. Players can travel around a board and “buy” significant places or memories from my life. Once bought, you can charge rent when opponents land on that particular square. There are spaces for my birthplace, my school years, colleges, significant employment events, and references to my love for reading and writing.

There are a few drawbacks in the design of the game itself—such as “play the lottery” squares, which don’t square with my life, and the “Chance” and “Community Chest” squares have been re-dubbed “Good News”/“Bad News” with a little leeway for personalization, but not enough. I’m working on making necessary adjustments to these as well. Enjoy the pictures. And have a great day.

. . . that two of the big names in American modern history passed away this week, and I am waaaaay behind the curve on getting up an announcement, but in honor of these two men, I give you some of their work:

Andrew Wyeth (enjoy his painting, Easterly)

Ricardo Montalban (in his quintessential role -- Khan)

Yes, that's right. Today is Christmas . . . at least on the "old" calendar. In much of the world where the Eastern Orthodox church (and it's many variations) is the norm, Christians hold to the January 7th observance of the birth of Christ. In these cultures, the celebration is more of a solemn, religious experience and is not accompanied with the materialistic bent that has grown up around December 25th. (Often, as in my beloved Ukraine, this is left up to Grandfather Frost at New Year's)

So, may the blessing of the Christ visit you today.

May the Blesser bless you with all the blessings that He has for you this year.

Happy 2009, everyone!