The Spirit of the Season

So yesterday after witnessing a truck rip the head lights off about three cars and having a mad man run screaming toward me in a separate incident, not to mention the many cars running red lights and honking needlessly at traffic, I decided that it's a miracle that more people aren't killed in mass murders, carjackings or just general knifings this season.

It's amazing actually that people still purchase gifts based upon how upsetting and hateful people in general are, not to mention the HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE of some organizations (I mention no names for fear of giving them any sort of positive advertising after 8 weeks of waiting for the product they charged for and now having to dispute the charge because of general unresponsiveness).

Today though, I found much joy reading this New York Times article explaining secular reasons for the season (or at least the reasoning behind the ubiquitous Christmas sweater). Please read this article, I hope it brings as much joy to you as it has to me.

Before realizing how blog worthy the article was I sent it around to some friends. Here were some choice comments that they provided along with some of my favorite parts of the article:

I like that kittens are great for Christmas sweaters because they're non-denominational and everyone loves them except dog lovers not to mention that fewer people are allergic to cat sweaters than to cats.

THEY TRAVEL THE WORLD FOR IDEAS AND THEY COME UP WITH CATS PLAYING WITH STRING?????? WHERE DID THEY GO? AN OLD SPINSTER'S HOUSE IN SOUTH DAKOTA? I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY TURNED IRONWORK IN PERU AND ASIA INTO CHRISTMAS SWEATERS!

YOU GUYS CHRISTMAS HAS THE WORD "CAT" IN IT AND CAN BE REARRANGED INTO "RAT SCHISM" SO KITTY SWEATERS ARE TOTALLY THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Chickadees are the new it bird because they are found all over the country but most importantly they're small so you can fit more on a sweater.

My favorite sentence is a death match between the one that uses the word intarsia and the one about how Chickadees is almost the American bird. Like it's just about to get approved by the INS so it won't be deported anymore because it's such a likable and productive member of our ecology.

I love that each sweater must match denim or black VELVET pants.

I also love the repeated refrain they make you smile.

So no matter what part is your favorite, I think you're agree that this article is a terribly good one. Please feel free to post your favorite part.

It's Snowing Again

I realize I live in Boston now and not in Alaska, but it's snowing and sleeting and I am supposed to go to a Christmas party tonight and I just want to stay in. I have decided that I am through with winter. I have weathered nearly 30 of them and I think that it's time to move someplace without it. I am sick of shoveling, I am sick of the cold and I am sick of the fear of falling.

Luckily, my roommate managed to upgrade us to far more channels (I thought she meant only HBO and Stars, but we get the Independent film channel which is fun) So if the mayor complies and declares a snow emergency (which looks unlikely at this point) I can just stay in bed and watch t.v.

Could it be a holiday tradition?!

B.Good is having their eggnog shake special again this year!!!!!!!!! The ENTIRE price of the eggnog shake is being donated to Starlight, the outreach team I support by cooking every Wednesday. If you're in the Boston area today (sadly it's only one day) Please, Please go out and get one -- there are lots of locations around the city. If you can't make it, pass the information around to other people in Boston you know who love eggnog and helping those less fortunate (and really, shouldn't that be everyone?).

I feel like I should put random tag lines in here so even the people searching for porn happen upon my site and hear about the eggnog benefit (because really, wouldn't that be a better use of their time and money too?).

C is for Cookie

So here's a random poll, my outreach group is making Christmas cookies for the homeless for next week. What are your favorite Christmas cookies? I don't think I am making rolled sugar or gingerbread/molasses simply because I think others will do that, so if that's your favorite, tell me your second favorite :).

Let me know and I'll write next week to tell you more about our Christmas on the common.

I'm getting old

That was my thought as I was sprawled in a neighbor's driveway this morning having a hard time getting up the nerve to stand back up and try skating the rest of the way to work. My friend Miriam has a notion that people in Canada dress in lederhosen and skate in the streets. I didn't see any lederhosen today, and while I could have used a stein of something to steel myself against the rotten weather, I simply had to continue on.



I have been considering writing a christmas letter (another sign I am getting old I think). My father has been talking about writing one for awhile now and I was thinking about how many friends I have lost touch with and how sad it is to see them fall by the wayside like that. Then I thought back to my post about multi-vitamins and how uneventful I find my daily life and how boring that would be on paper. I thought perhaps I should simply email everyone I miss talking to and tell them about my blog, it helps me keep in touch with lots of people, why not those friends who I have let slip? I looked back at some of my posts though, and really I tend to blog when I am annoyed (hence the last blog). So I thought perhaps that wasn't the most brilliant idea either.



Ah well, Perhaps I simply rely on the forward my dad sent a couple of years ago, to truly capture my sentiment (you don't get the full effect since the words don't zoom in and form a christmas tree, but whatever).

It's not me, it's you, no, really. . . .

When everyone in your life (except you reading this I am sure) is doing annoying things that annoy you, you have to step back at some point and ask, is it me? Am I the one being too sensitive? Is it that I drank too much the night before? Is it lack of sleep? Stress? A vitamin deficiency?

What if you just come to the conclusion, that no, indeed it is just that they're all annoying.

My small group on Tuesday talked about why we fight. According to James, it's because we're selfish and worldly and war because we do not have and think that's how we'll get what we want. As you can imagine, James had a lot of negative things to say about it.

Paul faced with people fighting had this to say in Philippians 4:8-9: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I'll try to think on lovely things, I'll try to focus on being pure and hopefully it will help the storm cloud over my head blow over. . . .

Stocking Stuffers

So a friend found the following two links today while perusing the web. I thought I would post them here in case anyone was looking for a charity (I know they're so hard to find especially this time of year) or an extra place to spend some cash. Any of the places I volunteer for would love to receive these little gems.

gloves only: http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Boundaries-Unlined-Fleece-Glove/dp/B000XSJM5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1194984581&sr=1-1

and then set: http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Boundaries-Ultimate-Fleece-Gift/dp/B000X8RFC0/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1194984581&sr=1-19

If you want to get them for my groups, you're welcome to send them to me (I can give you my address if you don't already have it). Otherwise, they'd be a great gift for any number of outreaches in your neighborhood too, I'm sure.