Christmastide general ramblings

• Listened to one of the CDs from Gordon's parcel, today: "Neil Gaiman Audio Collection" -- well, part almost all of it. I was in the middle of 'Crazy Hair' when I realized I didn't want it to be over so soon. So I stopped the CD so I could listen to more, later.LOVE!!



• Finished up the thank you card for my neighbors, and my aide hung it on their door for me. Then went grocery shopping.



• Because it was Christmastide, I splurged, and bought two bags of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (for Brits: these are thin, very crip butter cookies with dark chocolate sandwhiched between them). I got a bag of Orange Milanos, which have been my favorite since I was about ten years old, and Raspberry Milanos, which I've never tried, but which may be my new favorites. Because I splurged on cookies, I got something healthy and sensible, and bought a crate of clementines, too. You folks in Britain probably know all about Clemntines, but I'd never tried them, before. They may be my new favorite citrus. And, if Dad is reading this: they'd be perfect for an orange and onion salad! But I forgot to get Eggbeaters. Oh, well.



• When I got home from the grocery store, the card I'd made was still on my neighbor's door. They're bound to find it, eventually



• Today is Saint Stephan's Day. In Ye Olden Tymes, this was the day that the men and boys went out in the Oh-God-Thirty hours of the morning, and hunted and killed a wren. Then, they would go to all the rich people's houses, and demand money so that they could have a wake and funeral for the wren (I.e. have a major blow-out, knock-yer-socks off party). This has roots in Ye Even Older Tymes -- before they even had "Christ's Mass." The wren was a substitute for a bigger sacrificial creature (maybe even human, once upon a time) and represented the Old Year, which had to be killed and buried before the New Year could arrive. It's the second day of Christmas, but it's the sixth day of the Solstice -- or just about the midpoint of the celebration (one day for each of the coming months, so we will have a full year of good luck).



• Speaking of "Good Luck," I saw a repeat of the British version of Pollyanna, last week. And I realized that the title character was no where near the 'pollyanna' that the author was. And actually, her philosophy (That it is possible to find something to be glad about in everything that happens, if you're willing to work at looking for reasons) is very close to that of Diogenes, the legendary founder of the Cynics in ancient Greece, who taught that our happiness is our own responsibility, and not the result of outside influence. What made Pollyanna so pollyannish, was the author, who wrote the story so that everyone who met the kid wanted to play her "glad game" as soon as they'd heard about it, and a village that had been dour and grim became sunny and special all because of her. If a sour outlook were a habit that easy to break, the villagers would never have been that dour or grim to begin with. Mary-sue, anyone?



• I've known it, sort of, for a while now, but just this last week, an idea crystalized in my head: That I'm a solitary Pagan for the same reason that I don't belong to any mainstream church, synnogogue, temple, mosque, what-have-you. The fact is, that none of the theologies I've come across in my studies bear any resemblance to the world as I experience it. And I'm almost as distracted and "yes, butting..." in a Pagan ritual as I am at a Christian sermon. But I do miss the sense of community that I see some folks deriving from their religious practices. Part of me wants to write my own theology into a book, start my own Trad, and become a Big-Name-Pagan. I can invent ancient rituals and archaic symbols with the best of them! ...And I think the power and reputation would fit me well... What do you say? Should I go for it? I could submit a manuscript to LLewellen Publishing, and everything... ;-P