If you love Christmas so much, why dont you MERRY it

Oh. What a terrible pun.

In past years, Christmas was not fun for me. Too much pressure, stress, perfectionism, wanting to do things I didn't have money or time to do. It was my yearly "beat myself up" fest. What a great thing, what a lovely gift, to give oneself for Christmas.

It sucked, because when I was little, I loved it. Who doesn't love Christmas when they're little?

But as I grew up and expectations changed, and most of those expectations were expected of me, it became hard and yucky and a season, sadly, to just get through.

One thing changed that: My stake's Festival of Nativities.

It's usually held the weekend after Thanksgiving, right when all things Christmas (TV and radio ads and crazed shopping) are getting under way. I still remember the first time I walked into our transformed cultural hall and was amazed, almost to tears, at the beautiful scenes and the obvious hard work that had been performed. What a crazy thing to do - ask people to bring their Nativity sets and household furnishings to the church, so we could all experience this awesome Christmas feeling together. And what a huge impact it had on me.

The year I started helping with it changed all my Christmases forever. I don't do anything very important for it - this year I ironed large pieces of fabric and made up the scavenger hunt the hosts pass out to the kids. "Find a Nativity made entirely of frogs... Find the Lego Nativity..." It is service easily performed, and it is completely voluntary and really has nothing to do with me. My name isn't on the committee members list; it's just for fun. It's for my benefit.

This week of helping and this weekend of enjoying sets a sweet tone for the rest of the month, putting the focus on the Savior. He's so nice. And He doesn't care if I get my Christmas cards mailed on time or if I take treats to every family on the block.

There are other things that have resurrected the Christmas spirit in me, but we'll talk about those another time. This is probably the biggest and most important thing anyway. This is my reason for wanting to celebrate of my own free will, instead of doing it just because it's expected.

I wish you success in finding your reason, and I wish you a very merry Christmas, full of letting go, and lowered expectations, and lapsed deadlines, and long deep breaths, and love.

Enjoying the Christmas present,
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Holy Poop! What a dream I was havin'!

And while we're quoting movies -

Thank you sir! May I please have another?

Rapidly fanning herself,
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Pondering

I just finished watching "Little Women" with Winona Ryder, and the ending with Professor Bhaer made me wonder...

Do you suppose Louisa May Alcott has a boyfriend yet?

Match-makingly,
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I'm a million times more humble than thou art

Before I launch into this: I am a Christian. I believe Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. I love him and try to follow him.

This is a commentary on some things I see going on this time of year.

It seems to me that if one is a Christian, one would behave more like Christ and not so much like a pouty brat.

Such as assuming that all of one's family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or strangers on one's street all believe the same things about Christ and Christianity that one does. They don't - couldn't possibly. There's not much that can be scientifically proven about Jesus. Faith in him is a personal thing. Even members of the same church might disagree about one or two points.

Such as insisting that Christmas is the only religious holiday in December. It isn't, and while the others may seem unholy or ungodly, other people believe they are holy and godly, or at least worth celebrating. It's no reflection on Christians that other people believe in or want to celebrate other things.

Such as getting one's knickers in a twist when someone else says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Go ahead and wish people a merry Christmas. Just don't get bugged when other people say something else. Jews have been listening to some equivalent of "Merry Christmas" for a long time.

I'm not saying Christians need to become politically correct or sanitized versions of themselves; I'm saying calm down, be humble. It's a holiday. It's one day out of the year. It's not even Christ's real birthday. I really don't think he would freak about this stuff.

What I do get my Christian shorts in an uproar about - the one thing I would change, though it's actually pretty stupid and petty - is that the local news media won't call the big lit-up tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square

A CHRISTMAS TREE.

Is there another holiday that is celebrated with a tree?

But like I said, it doesn't really matter. I doubt the Lord is that invested in our celebrating His birth with decorated evergreens.

I love Christmas and I'm happy it's here again. It can bring out the very best and kindest and most generous in people. It would be nice if we could keep it just to that.

Priding herself on her humility,
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I am SO sick of cop-bashing.

Bashing in general, but cop-bashing in particular.

Not there aren't less-than-great ones, or that I love it when they follow me down the road. But all this Occupy stuff has me sick of "bad cop" stories, particularly after hearing Occupy Portland's sniveling, whining, spoiled brat garbage. These officers are working a lot of hours and having to waste precious time on Occupiers' crap, when they should be out serving the REAL 99%.

I had more sympathy for the Occupy protesters earlier on. Then they started holding press conferences. They are among the snottiest and most deluded people I've ever seen. And I have teenagers!

Ugh!,
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So You Hate Twilight.

Fine.

Just don't keep going on and on about it. It makes you look like you're secretly obsessed with it.

I'm talking to YOU, Stephen King. What, have Stephenie's books and movies outsold yours? Money grubber?

Doesn't care if vampires sparkle, since vampires are FICTIONAL,
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Oh, the Phrases You'll Google!

1) Avery Schreiber

Remember the Match Game show from the 70s? Avery was a frequent guest - he always sat on the top left spot next to Brett Somers. Yeah, you remember. I think he was on The Love Boat at least once. Apparently he was funny, or something? He's kind of before my time (which is saying something).

2) Irena Warsaw Ghetto

In this enlightened age of debunked urban legends, I don't know how or why these old email forwards still make their way into people's inboxes (ahem, my parents' generation), but every so often, one email produces quite a gem, and Irena Sendler is one of those. Read her moving and amazing story here. She's my newest hero.

3) Fifty butts in the ashtray, I've got those Vantage blues again

From Saturday Night Live, a spoof advertisement for a fake LP titled "Stretch Marks". Gilda Radner played the singer. My siblings and I are Gilda fans and have her "Best Of" SNL video memorized. Interestingly, Google failed this test - it was as if this "Vantage Blues" song existed only in my brain, a beyond-scary prospect. I was thrilled to find the video.


(one naughty word)

Up since 3 AM,
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