In the air

Christmas time is (almost) here

I thought i'd try to find something more seasonally appropriate in terms of colour, and so I came up with green - reminiscent of our lovely Spadina house Christmas Trees (come by and see it!).
speaking of Christmas trees - today on the CBC they were talking about the controversy that often arises as the season becomes less religious - and more PC (that's "politacally correct" - for those of you who think PC means a certain political party...)
and how some bend over backwards to the point where it becomes exclusive and offensive to Christians. And then they also spoke about a recent thing where the City of Boston recieved a Christmas tree, which they then renamed Holiday tree -
Bostonian were then threatened by the gifters with a lawsuit for the name change - they said the tree had been used in an unintended way....
but wait
I don't remember hearing mention of a Christmas tree in the Bible... if I'm not mistaken Mary and Joseph lived miles away from any such trees - their concern was baby- centred, not encircling a evergreen plant. here's an interesting note on Christmas trees that I found at http://www.holidays.net/christmas/tree.htm

The tradition of a holiday tree has been around since ancient times and has played an important part in winter celebrations for many centuries. Many pagan festivals used trees when honoring their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen a symbol and reminder that the darkness and cold of winter would end and the green of spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvests. At the festival Saturnalia the Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles.

There have also been many legends surrounding the lore of the Christmas tree. In one story Saint Boniface, an English monk, came upon a group of pagans who had gathered around an oak tree and were preparing to sacrifice a child. To stop the sacrifice and save the child, the Saint flattened the oak tree with one blow of his fist. A small fir sprang up in its place, which Saint Boniface told the pagans was the Tree of Life and represented the life of Christ.

Another legend tells of Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant religion, walking through the woods late one night. As it was clear, many stars were shining through the branches of the trees giving the impression of twinkling lights. Luther was so inspired by the beauty of the sight that he cut down a small evergreen and brought it home. He recreated the stars by putting candles on the tree's branches.

But really, these are just legends - there is not even actual tradition explaining what the deal is with the tree. So what I'm saying is - I don't get why people get so offended about calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" when really, that's what it is - and it has little, if anything, to do with Christmas at all.
I'm not saying that I don't think it a wonderful way to bring beauty into your home, a great seasonal tradition to start and continue, I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Christmas trees and what they've come to mean to me. but I am saying we should think twice when we make silly arguments on the radio.

Voice-Over

hi
me again.

I've been thinking about a blog that Sappho wrote a while back called "Voice". It was early September so I guess I've put off writing about my thougts for a long while - which is mainly because of the problem that I'm about to mention. I've been feeling that all I've been hearing for the longest while has been my own voice. I feel as though I can hear it constantly - nag, nag, complain, complain, murmur, murmur. do you know what I mean? like a child almost "I'm hungry, I'm full, I'm tired, I'm bored, I'm annoyed with this fellow, I like this guy, I don't like this guy anymore, I'm tired of this situation, I'm tired of that situation, I'm tired, I'm worried about the future, I don't care about the future, I have no money, I want to buy that book, I have too much work to do,........" and on and on and on....do you see what I mean. I feel as though I've been so inward focused (aka self absorbed) that I've been missing - well missing. missing perspective, unable to make long term plans, unable to think of others. my voice is constantly on and blocking out all other voices.
I feel as though I could do with a vacation from my own voice. And in that vacation I could remember what on earth I'm here for (what I'm here on earth for) and how I can be of help to everyone else here on earth.
Yesterday there was an article on CBC radio about Spirit councellors in the Quebec school system. Their "job" is to help children to find God - whatever the God of thier religion... or rather, to help them look for Him. One of the clips was trying to teach children how to meditate and the difficulties children encountered in doing this - they had the same reasons I do.
I think I'd like to learn to silence my voice - the one filled with doubts, complaints and distractions. the one that focuses only on the immediate present, immediate past, and the immediate future instead of the big picture.

breathe.

p.s Nutella ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm talking ROCKS!!!!!!! and I love it - not like - LOVE.

"Jungle Boogie"?

hi folks
I keep on checking my blog to see if I've updated yet.
I've come to the conclusion that the only way to see something new on my blog - is for me to put it there. so here I am - putting it there.
I hope you guys are doing well. I am. I am sufficiently recovered from the last four weeks - just crazy crazy school work - I went for an entire month without doing laundry.... :s awful, I know - but don't worry (as I assured my distressed rooommate) I wore clean underwear everyday. now, I know that you didn't need to know that - but just incase it ran through your mind (I know it did) (also, K was only distressed because I told her about the underwear, she's such a sweetheart that she never wants to know such personal details - {I think they offend her delicate nature [joke!!]}) (sorry, K - look at me making digs at you on my blog! shame on me!!!!)
also, just reading over my last sentence - I remembered how I used to feel so overwhelmed in secondary school (that's kinda like highschool for you north americans - think Harry potter - it lasts for 7 years) that there were times when I described it as such: "I feel as though the little people in my head have taken off all their clothes and are running around in their panties and briefs" - that must have been extreme distress on my part I think - or at least - that's what I felt like doing.
hmm
I just had to read over to get back to my original train of thought - that was quite a tangent.
I was busy, now I'm not. I still have lot's of things to do (and probably won't be doing laundry until dec21 when exams are done) but I'm suffering from a bit of rebound from the last round - i.e. I don't feel like getting into a tizzy, but sure enough I will be soon.... whether I want to or not.

this blog is quite long. so I will write the rest of my thougts in another blog: whereby giving me even more new blogs by me to read :).