This is the season of joy and happiness. All you negative crybabies out there should LIGHTEN UP! In war we had a "Christmas Truce". Nobody fired at the enemy for the 24 hour Christmas truce. Let's see if we can all do the same. For Christians it is the most Holy time of the year. The Birth of Jesus Christ.
Actually, some might argue that Easter is the most holy. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's the birth of Christ, With Easter (the death of Christ) coming in a close second.



For our family is is both Blessed and fun. Kids and Santa are some of the most precious moments you can witness during this special holiday. Now, this particular greeting card did not go over that well. No surprise there. But honestly? When my family screams "NO!!!" I think "GO!!!" And as you can plainly see, I listened to that inner voice of mine. And this is the results.



However, I do have that soft side. And I am serious when it comes to World Peace. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. I'm all for that. The future of our world depends on that kind of thinking.



Taking these pics last night left me with a warm and peaceful feeling.



The ice and the snow glistening in the night sky was...well, it was magical.



This particular pic really felt warm and fuzzy to me. It almost looks fake.
But it's real. No filters. No photoshop. The real deal. Merry Christmas to you
all and Happy Holidays!

"Surfing and Christmas Heals All Wounds"

I chose this photo of Ed for this week's Ed's corner pic. I love the personal behind the scenes photos that I have of Ed and Kathy. I miss him. As those of us who knew him do. Merry Christmas Ed. Photo courtesy of Ed O'Connell
*Click the photo above to see a larger version of Ed's Pic.


Now for Some Local, National and International News
Just imagine what it must have been like to have your birthday on the same day as Jesus. Well my dear friend Tony has had to deal with that his entire life. So I took the liberty of photoshopping his head on one of the Wise Men. He is after all, one of the most wisest men I have ever know. Happy Birthday my wise friend.



I'm sure he got a kick out of this. But if he didn't? Well, he knows what he signed up for when we became friends. I sure as hell know what to expect from him. Trust me, he's not that far from my way of thinking.



"Oh My!" those two words were synonymous with Dick Enberg. Enberg was a classic old school sportscaster. He will be missed.

KSM Photoshop of the Week
There are some jobs behind the scenes at this most special of Holidays that are best kept in secrecy. This is one of them. Each Christmas down in GITMO some of the guards put on a Santa Show for the inmates. They have real Reindeer to parade around the compound. They give rides to all the converts and their children. But somebody has got to clean up the stalls after the show. And wouldn't you know it, our boy KSM gets picked every year to clean the reindeer shit out of the stall. Poor Khaliddy.



So my friends, please take advantage of this weekly photo shop of the mastermind who planned 9-11 and resulted in the deaths
of 3,000 innocent civilians by KSM (Khalid Sheik Mohammed).

*Note to self -must pick up a case of Reindeer Manure at Home Depot this week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tony Berardini December 24th, 2017!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Baby Jesus December 25th, 2017!
HAPPY 33rd Anniversary baby December 23rd, 2017!
CONGRATS To The CARS for being inducted into The Rock
and Roll Hall Of Fame!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HANUKKAH!

THE GRANITE GIRLS has been pushed back to a later date.
MORE INFO TO FOLLOW.



Sending positive thoughts and prayers to Jo Ellen Bunton in Idaho. GET BETTER and GET STRONGER with each day JE! You look great and it sounds like you have not missed a beat when it comes to preparing a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! Oh I can just smell the turkey from here. Our love and respect to you.

Please Support ALL The photographers who contribute to
Ralph's Pic Of The Week every week for the last 13 years.
** BUY a HIGH RES Photo from any of the weeks on RPOTW.

Remember my friends... Surfing Heals All Wounds.
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.

Ralph

(Above) This is doubtful. December 23rd, 2017 Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Jon Kiskinis pulling in under the rain soaked lip.
December 23rd, 2017 Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Erik Cannon jamming a cuttie in the rain. December 23rd, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) That's Kai Nichols in that barrel. December 23rd, 2017
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) This is one of the bigger waves that swung through. Kai Nichols. December 23rd, 2017 Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Brown gold. December 23rd, 2017 Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON on each clip to view videos

The Little Drummer Boy by Ralph G. Fatello from Memory Lane Movies on Vimeo.

34 years ago tonight, I met Cory Bunton at a show I was playing at. The club was called "SPIT" in Boston. The First Annual WBCN Christmas party on December 23rd, 1983. It was a pivotal point in my life and musical career. Although, the new VINNY LP was recorded in 1983 and released in 1984, my writing and music, was transitioning into something completely different than VINNY. My Vietnam experience was bubbling to the surface, and basically I had this epiphany of what I should be writing and singing about. Love and war was my new direction. Cory went to this show, because of rumors of me playing "The Little Drummer Boy" dressed in my combat fatigues. She was curious to say the least. However, that was just a rumor. I dressed nicely for the show.

But this version of this famous Christmas song? I played all about my experience in Vietnam with the 9th Marines. The Vietnam footage is actual footage of my unit in Vietnam. I played it in a Hendrix style. And I improvised by adding new words and chords at the end. I met Cory after my show and I asked her for her phone number. Before we parted that night, I kissed her.

I lost and found her number in late January of 1984. We were meant for each other. On December 23rd, 1986 I asked her to marry me at 33,000 feet, while flying over our nation's capital. We were married the next year on October 10th, 1987. But this day, the 23rd of December would remain a special day in our lives. And this song would become "our song".

Big thanks to Beth Harrington, Barry Marshall, and Scott Mclean (who introduced us). I love you baby Merry Christmas! And to all my friends and family Happy Holidays! And have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

FIRST SNOW 12-10-17 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

The first snow of December 2017. We had a strange fall with temperatures reaching 80 degrees in October, and November was not that far behind. Getting snow this significant in early December caught a lot of us off guard. However, there was surf. Not great surf mind you, but surf none the less. All this footage was shot on one day. December 10th, 2017. Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow! Enjoy.