Favorite bottled tea of the year. Yum yum. Try it!
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“I think you can be cynical about religion on occasion, and certainly skeptical about the degree to which some people use religion to manipulate other people.” —
peter jennings
(one of my favorite quotes that i read over the holidays)
Live the game!
See photo (caption unnecessary)
Holidays Schmolidays... HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE! -
Here’s a link to a song that is very CHRISTmas and whether you celebrate that specific holiday or simply a general idea, I hope you can at least appreciate the sincerity behind the French poem by Placide Cappeau who wrote this. Yes, I looked it up!
“Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Growing up with a Jewish mom and a Catholic dad, these were the two common expressions that my brother and I would hear/process/repeat. As a child, I would imagine the two families trying to outdo the other by way of yelling and screaming, but in all reality they found a nice middle ground and happily celebrated both. Initially, I favored the Jewish holiday, only because it seemed to bring a steady flow of presents and it started sooner…then again, Christmas probably brought the same amount of gifts (if not more). I was concerned about what I was going to get and how I was going to get it, but the spirit of both holidays escaped me. This is a reoccurring theme in my life and that’s what I’m slowly, but surely getting to the bottom of.
In this world full of politically correct nonsense, we are left with vague ideas and a dumbed-down version of sayings that strip away the freedom of expressing whatever these phrases mean to us personally. Should I really care whether or not I say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” or “Happy Holidays” or “Bah Humbug”?? It bothers me that this thought process even occurs or that I hesitate with what to say to someone, only because a minority of loudmouthed people have a platform to stand on, but don’t actually understand the sentiment behind any of it! If there is a store that wants to hang a huge banner that says, “HAPPY HANUKKAH” or “MERRY CHRISTMAS” or “I HATE THE HOLIDAYS BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF [insert emotional upheavals]”, then why should I care? Why should any of us care or have to tiptoe around this sort of thing? If there is some sort of significant meaning behind any of these phrases, then why does it matter which one is presented? Most of the time it becomes a meaningless social gesture anyway. And to break it down even more, isn’t the spirit behind most of these holidays essentially the same? At least it is for the two examples that were in my life. Here’s the point (sorry)… what they both have in common and the true spirit behind all of this is giving and caring for others, which is something we should be doing on a regular basis regardless of the religious mumbo jumbo that they’re labeled with. Unfortunately, I need to be reminded of this every year or so. This brings me back to the earlier post on Thanksgiving and I’m trying not to be redundant with you, but maybe it keeps coming up because it’s something that I am struggling with. I could be alone on this, but I think we all do.
MUCH LOVE AND HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE (which will be a catchphrase for 2012 and it’s today…check it out!)
I probably shouldn’t have taken this photo, because I’m sure I increased the chances of getting my ass kicked, but I couldn’t resist. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? This sudden need for foot exposure or foot expression? I hate feet. They are the worst. And seeing the outline and imagining the sweat and fungus accumulating disgusts me. Are these comfortable? What’s happening??! Please enlighten me. Thanks!
p.s. my flash was on :)
hold onto what you love… make sure it loves you too :)
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Forward thinkers