Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas in B-Town

It's a holly jolly Christmas!! Christmas in B-Town is a very old fashioned and romantic place to be. It has all of the old world charm of a Norman Rockwell painting.  Although we have no snow this year and the weather is relatively pleasant. Meaning it is above freezing and pretty much dry!  It still has the "Christmas Feeling" around town.  I think that this is because of the small town feeling that Burien has.  The quaint main street that traverses Olde Burien and the small businesses that comprise our business district.  They are all dressed up for the holidays:

The window display at Poggi Bonsi the greatest kitchen store ever!

Burien Books- Some of us still like the smell of ink and paper and the feel of a real book in your hands.

So, I did my "Shop Local" business today in Olde Burien. Shopped at Poggi Bonsi, a truly gourmet store with products from around the world. Harold and Marge,Clothing, Accessories & Gifts



A hip boutique destination for Guys, Gals and Youngsters alike.




Also Poggi Bonsi!

And as you stroll around town, it really gives you a way back when Christmas feeling.  And the people are in that spirit as well. Merry Christmas shouts a passer by.  The shopkeepers as well, wish you a happy holiday and you have not purchased anything from them. It's a very neighborly way of life here in B-Town.
It reminds me of the old movies that I so love on TMC.  Complete strangers wishing you well, for no reason at all. Thats Burien and why we love it so much!  Only 10 miles from downtown Seattle and a million miles away.  I keep waiting for Jimmy Stewart to run by saying "Merry Christmas Tin Room, Merry Christmas SkinPerfect, Merry Christmas Key Bank!"  This is the time of year that living in a small town makes the most sense. And speaking of the greatest movie of all time...... the Tin Theater is playing it right now.
The Tin Theater:

Enjoy 2nd-run movies at The Tin Theater, classics and foreign films and offering your favorite beverage while sitting in a intimate 48-seat theater.
The theater lobby is open and features another
bar and wine shop, The Tin Cellars, which is open
Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 5pm.
Thats right!! A bar at the Theater!!! And if you speak to the bartender beforehand, Jeremy will bring you a refill to your seat! Just tip him very well!!!!


Thats Right, on the big screen!


IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!!!!!!


My children will tell you of the torture of sitting through the mandatory screening of this movie throughout their entire childhood.  There would be signals at the dinner table, Mom is making us watch "The Movie" tonight.  Gee Mom, I have homework I have to do, a Scout meeting, Water Polo practice, Diarrhea, narcolepsy, anything they could think of to not have to watch this 20 hour long old black and white movie starring nobody they had ever heard of.  It became a joke in our family, stay away...THE MOVIE is on tonight! Thank goodness the movie came out on DVD. Now I can pop it in when everyone is at home! 
They think the coast is clear and all of a sudden-it's on!
Then they grew up. Alex joined the Marines. And his first Christmas away they had a showing on base of "THE MOVIE"
He cried like a baby and called to say that he wished he was with his family watching the movie with us. Even though he was in a very different place, watching It's a Wonderful Life made him feel closer to us. And made him feel connected to the family even though he was miles away.
Peter went away to school.  Similar situation to his brother, loved watching "THE MOVIE" at Christmastime. Made him feel connected to us at the holidays.
So Last Christmas, I bought them a copy of the movie and sent it to them. We all watched it at the same time while talking on the phone. Me in B-Town, Alex in Arizona and Peter in North Carolina.  It is one of the closest family experiences we have ever had. And they no longer dread the time they are forced to watch "THE MOVIE", it is a time to cherish the experience of holidays past and future. A time of shared tradition. Special time we spent together.
So I now look forward to terrorizing my future grandchildren with "THE MOVIE"
"We're going to Grandmas kids. Is she going to make us watch that old movie Dad? Gee, I hope so son."

So if you have a tradition at the holidays that the younger generation is trying to shrug off.......
DON"T LET THEM!!!!!!
They are the ones that will be on the losing end of that proposition and will lament it in the future.
And if you are a young person that feels that your old fashioned parents are forcing you to partake in some antiquated Christmas tradition, hang onto that, someday you will be trying to relive that quaint tradition and recreating that for your own family!
The ties that bind are no stronger than Holiday ties and traditions!
I will lasso you the moon!
Happy Holidays from me... Denise in B-Town and my family......
Roger, Alex, Peter and Charlie







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