It's hard to blog when you're dead tired...it's hard to be in the Christmas spirit when working retail...but I am giving it my best. I feel disjoined this year. Shuffled around the country, my belongings in storage, my dog hoping desparately that Santa brings him playmates and a yard (the second is definitely not happening this year...GUILT!!!)
But through everything, I've had moments when things break through. For one thing, I'm in a part of the country where people still say "Merry Christmas" to store clerks and smile as they shop for presents. Of course, I'm from Chicago where the holidays are a Christmas/Hannukah/Ramadan/etc. minefield of political correctness and not wanting to offend (not to mention the Greek Orthodox who celebrate Christmas and Easter after everybody else is bargain shopping and packing up the decorations.) In Harrisonburg, things are slower, and more simple and definitely more Christian and as I worked today, I received many "Merry Christmases" from customers and I know my face registered shock each time, but I managed to reply in kind to most before they walked off. It was kind of nice, refreshing.
So, MERRY CHRISTMAS! to all...and of course Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
This is a bit late, but forgive me...I was cooking for most of Wednesday and Thursday, then eating and in that happy state of Turkey Coma for most of yesterday.
This morning I even cooked up the giblets and made my dog his favorite dog treats - homemade turkey & cheese treats. He loves these so much that all I had to do was pull the glass bowl of inerds and turkey neck out and find the blender and he started going bonkers...Thanksgiving should be a happy day for pets too!
So, I've been thinking of Thanksgiving and the things I'm thankful for (okay, so this year, it's not a real long list) and I thought of something my brother-in-law Kurt said about why he likes the holiday. There's no dressing up, no church services, no parties, just eating and watching television. I have to agree.
The main Christian holidays - Christmas & Easter - have slowed down considerably from the days I worked as a youth minister and literally did not leave the church for weeks on end during the festivities, and the days of working retail, when I did not leave the showroom during the busy shopping times. But, Kurt's right. Thanksgiving is still that pure holiday that is about nothing more than enjoying food and family and football. You don't have to dress up. You don't have to worry that you forgot to send someone a card or present. You don't have to worry about upsetting your children and sending them into therapy because you bought the wrong toy. There are no choir practices, play practices, 18 services (okay, I'm Episcopalian, so it might be fewer for some of you) or negotiations with family...hey, it's the first holiday so you can always say, "we'll see you next time!" This gets infinitely harder at, say Easter, if you have already blown off your mother-in-law for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
And, the best part might just be the built-in four day weekend (unless you are a minister, in retail, or well, unemployed as I am right now and then who cares if it's Thursday or Saturday - they both look the same right now anyway). It's not as rushed, it's not as cold (hopefully) and it's not as chaotic. And if that's not something to be thankful for, well, I don't know what is.
So, Happy Thanksgiving...enjoy the food and football smorgasbord...for a weekend anyway.
This morning I even cooked up the giblets and made my dog his favorite dog treats - homemade turkey & cheese treats. He loves these so much that all I had to do was pull the glass bowl of inerds and turkey neck out and find the blender and he started going bonkers...Thanksgiving should be a happy day for pets too!
So, I've been thinking of Thanksgiving and the things I'm thankful for (okay, so this year, it's not a real long list) and I thought of something my brother-in-law Kurt said about why he likes the holiday. There's no dressing up, no church services, no parties, just eating and watching television. I have to agree.
The main Christian holidays - Christmas & Easter - have slowed down considerably from the days I worked as a youth minister and literally did not leave the church for weeks on end during the festivities, and the days of working retail, when I did not leave the showroom during the busy shopping times. But, Kurt's right. Thanksgiving is still that pure holiday that is about nothing more than enjoying food and family and football. You don't have to dress up. You don't have to worry that you forgot to send someone a card or present. You don't have to worry about upsetting your children and sending them into therapy because you bought the wrong toy. There are no choir practices, play practices, 18 services (okay, I'm Episcopalian, so it might be fewer for some of you) or negotiations with family...hey, it's the first holiday so you can always say, "we'll see you next time!" This gets infinitely harder at, say Easter, if you have already blown off your mother-in-law for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
And, the best part might just be the built-in four day weekend (unless you are a minister, in retail, or well, unemployed as I am right now and then who cares if it's Thursday or Saturday - they both look the same right now anyway). It's not as rushed, it's not as cold (hopefully) and it's not as chaotic. And if that's not something to be thankful for, well, I don't know what is.
So, Happy Thanksgiving...enjoy the food and football smorgasbord...for a weekend anyway.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Bread & Wine, Part III
So, I have commented before on the Eucharist before and as I visit new churches from time to time will continue to do so. I think it is facinating how everyone thinks that their way is "the normal way" when everyone does it so differently!
I was visiting a Presbyterian church this past week (which will remain nameless). My parents have started attending there and I agreed to join them. It was a communion Sunday (Presbies don't like to over do it like the Episcopalians, and only have communion once a month or quarter.)
It was the saddest communion service I'd ever been to. I kept thinking if there were other Episcopalians there, or God forbid, Catholics, there would have been open revolt! The minister said the bare minimum of words, it seemed disjoined and kind of like he didn't know what he was doing. He was second string, mind you, so perhaps he really didn't know what he was doing.
If I've complained in the past on how chinzy communion offerings can be and how we should all receive a whole loaf of mouth-watering bread and a whole bottle of wine to symbolize the grace we are receiving, then this church was the absolute antithesis of that! The "bread" was the size of a Chicklet and looked uncooked. It tasted like salty play-dough and I'm not sure what exactly it was. The cup, was of course, grape juice, but it was generic and I'm guessing watered down, or it was Kool-Aid. It was watery and bitter and horrible! No wonder the world thinks we're a bunch of grumpy pusses and they don't want anything to do with the church! I wouldn't either if this were my first experience with communion. Everyone sat in their seats, the organ played a mournful durge and the ushers (who also did not know what they were doing) bumbled and shuffled along like beetles.
I wanted to stand up and scream, "This is the celebration of the Lord's table! The passing of His GRACE to us! Spend a little cash on the communion offerings!!! And for God's sake CHEER UP!!!"
But, alas, I sat and said nothing and tried to focus, which was hard, since there were no words from the minister or choir (there was no choir) or hymns being sung by the congregation.
Sigh...I'm going back to the Episcopal church next week...
I was visiting a Presbyterian church this past week (which will remain nameless). My parents have started attending there and I agreed to join them. It was a communion Sunday (Presbies don't like to over do it like the Episcopalians, and only have communion once a month or quarter.)
It was the saddest communion service I'd ever been to. I kept thinking if there were other Episcopalians there, or God forbid, Catholics, there would have been open revolt! The minister said the bare minimum of words, it seemed disjoined and kind of like he didn't know what he was doing. He was second string, mind you, so perhaps he really didn't know what he was doing.
If I've complained in the past on how chinzy communion offerings can be and how we should all receive a whole loaf of mouth-watering bread and a whole bottle of wine to symbolize the grace we are receiving, then this church was the absolute antithesis of that! The "bread" was the size of a Chicklet and looked uncooked. It tasted like salty play-dough and I'm not sure what exactly it was. The cup, was of course, grape juice, but it was generic and I'm guessing watered down, or it was Kool-Aid. It was watery and bitter and horrible! No wonder the world thinks we're a bunch of grumpy pusses and they don't want anything to do with the church! I wouldn't either if this were my first experience with communion. Everyone sat in their seats, the organ played a mournful durge and the ushers (who also did not know what they were doing) bumbled and shuffled along like beetles.
I wanted to stand up and scream, "This is the celebration of the Lord's table! The passing of His GRACE to us! Spend a little cash on the communion offerings!!! And for God's sake CHEER UP!!!"
But, alas, I sat and said nothing and tried to focus, which was hard, since there were no words from the minister or choir (there was no choir) or hymns being sung by the congregation.
Sigh...I'm going back to the Episcopal church next week...
Monday, November 24, 2008
Back to writing...
Wow, I hadn't realized just how long it's been since I posted something on this blog! Time flies when you are busy...or full of busyness, but nothing so exciting as to share with the world.
Anyway, since my last post I...
*Got a dog, Deacon, a brittany spaniel and joy of my life (curled up at my feet as I type)
*Spent six months studying for the LSATs, and well, now I have to decide if I'm taking it again or not
*Moved from Chicago to Virginia, spent two months writing book reviews, visiting friends and looking for a job in D.C.
*Moved from Virginia to Louisiana when said job-hunting lead me to a campaign down there.
*Partied and ate my way through three and a half months on the Don Cravins for Congress campaign (now that was a good time! Too bad I didn't have time to write about it)
*Survived two hurricanes
*Moved back from Louisiana to Virginia and now I'm job hunting again. Hopefully more book reviews and finishing my second novel, which has only taken six years to write, it should be finished any day now.
*Bringing this blog back, although still doubtful that anyone actually reads it, so if you are, please let me know or I will slip back into my slothful ways and stop writing.
Anyway, since my last post I...
*Got a dog, Deacon, a brittany spaniel and joy of my life (curled up at my feet as I type)
*Spent six months studying for the LSATs, and well, now I have to decide if I'm taking it again or not
*Moved from Chicago to Virginia, spent two months writing book reviews, visiting friends and looking for a job in D.C.
*Moved from Virginia to Louisiana when said job-hunting lead me to a campaign down there.
*Partied and ate my way through three and a half months on the Don Cravins for Congress campaign (now that was a good time! Too bad I didn't have time to write about it)
*Survived two hurricanes
*Moved back from Louisiana to Virginia and now I'm job hunting again. Hopefully more book reviews and finishing my second novel, which has only taken six years to write, it should be finished any day now.
*Bringing this blog back, although still doubtful that anyone actually reads it, so if you are, please let me know or I will slip back into my slothful ways and stop writing.
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