These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

I thought of writing a post about my frustration with the commercialism of Christmas, how we have let Christmastime become synonymous with extra stress, and how Christ has gotten lost in what Christmas has become, but that didn’t seem like an enjoyable post. So, instead of a religious tirade, I give you four of my favorite things about Christmastime.

Family & Friends

Friends and family seem to congregate around Christmas. Those of us who are students get a break from classes (hurray!), and many get time off from work. My friends have spread out as we’ve gotten married and found jobs, but we always seem to come together at Christmastime. Hugs, laughter, and good conversation always ensue. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent with family, who I don’t always get to spend enough time with even though we live near each other.

Christmas Decorations

There is something cozy about a house decorated for Christmas. Decorating our tree is fun for me because all of our ornaments have a story to go with them. I have ornaments from my childhood, my husband and I have received ornaments as gifts, and we like to get an ornament whenever we travel to a new place. I also made paper ornaments when we were first married and didn’t have enough to fill the tree. I planned to use them just until we got new ones, but now they are some of my favorites.

I also love the twinkle of Christmas lights. On the way home from church on Christmas Eve, my family would always drive around town to look at all of the homes covered in lights. I admit that I can be quite critical about light displays and feel that most people haven’t figured out that “less is more.” But, this year I realized that being critical misses the holiday spirit and the message of Christ and decided to just enjoy the festive decorations. I’ve found that my neighborhood seems more magical as a result.

Christmas Cookies

I love sweets! I like to bake sweets and I like to eat sweets, so Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things. For as long as I can remember, my family made cookies every year at Christmas. We never made anything fancy – just Christmas M&M cookies and peanut blossoms, sometimes cut-out sugar cookies. Now, I usually try a new recipe each year too. Baking is a fun creative outlet for me, and it is meaningful because I know that I am going to give most of what I make to friends and family (except for the few that I eat myself!)

Giving Gifts

I like to give gifs to my loved ones to show them that I was thinking of them. It is fun for me to plan the perfect gift for someone, and I enjoy the challenge of doing so in the most economical way possible. I often make gifts, which adds extra fun to the process because I love crafting. I also like to think of gifts that give back in some way – like adopting a friend’s favorite animal from a local zoo or shopping at Ten Thousand Villages.

On Her Way

Hello blog. It's been a while. I've missed you. This fall was busy! I feel cliche saying that because aren't we all terribly busy all the time nowadays? But, alas, I was given extra hours at work this fall, and this semester of grad school was more challenging that last. These two things took up the majority of my time, so I took a break from some of the enjoyments in my life like blogging. I am continually learning how to prioritize and manage my time. Some sacrifices had to be made in the past few months, and I've missed my creative and social outlets.

I felt discouraged at times this fall. I worked at the library, I came home and did school work. I exercised and cooked easy healthy meals because I realized that I had let myself slip up to an unhealthy weight. I did make time to rest and spend time with family and friends, but not as much as I would have liked. There were times this fall when I felt like I was going nowhere. I like my job, but I'm a library assistant, not yet a librarian, so I am limited in what I can do. I also like school, but due to financial restrictions I have to go full time, and I felt that I would learn more and perform better if I didn't have to try to balance three classes and work and the rest of life. I was annoyed that I had let myself get into such unhealthy habits and wanted to loose the extra weight right now. My negative thoughts can easily spiral, leaving me feeling discouraged.

Ed Sutter gave a sermon at the Bridge (the modern worship service at my church - you should come!) this Sunday that was exactly what I had needed to hear. (Note: When I refer to someone's work, I like to link to their webpage, blog, etc., but Ed has no internet presence, so I will just provide you with this fantastic picture of him.)

Ed started his message with the music video for the band Ok Go's song "This Too Shall Pass."



Everything that happens in the video starts with one domino. Barrels, full-size cars, and a grown man are flying around all because one domino was knocked over. Ed encouraged us to remember that our small actions can lead to big ones. The small things we do today can have a great impact tomorrow. This made me think of Mother Theresa's quote, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

I was already starting to feel better before I heard Ed's message. My work hours had returned to normal, my school semester was almost done, and I was seeing results in returning to a healthy weight. This message really helped me to reflect on the fall and put everything into perspective. I may not be able to do all that I would like to at the library, but I am certainly working towards it. The extra hours I put in show my commitment and give me opportunities to learn. I may not be able to give as much time to my studies as I would ideally like, but I am still highly committed, doing well in terms of grades, and most importantly, learning. I did not drop the extra weight right now, but I have made significant changes to my eating and exercising habits that I will carry with me beyond reaching my goal weight.

I found that one little domino can send me into a spiral of negative thoughts and discouragement, but a different domino can also lead to positive changes. I may not be doing great things, but I am giving my all to the small things.

"She wasn't where she had been. 
She wasn't where she was going
...but she was on her way." 
~ Jodi Hill

My Voting Conundrum

When I first started this blog I decided not to write about anything controversial because I didn't want to offend anyone. Obviously I've strayed from that decision, and any hope of clinging to it is about to go out the window. I still aim to not offend anyone, but straying from any issue that could be controversial would make this a very boring blog. So, let's talk politics.

It is political ad season, and I've noticed that the theme of many ads for Democratic candidates is, look how much like a Republican I can be! As a disclaimer, I don't consider myself to be a Democrat or a Republican. I am aligned with the Green Party, whose candidates, I realize, will probably never have a chance of being elected. But, they often represent my beliefs. Seeing as there are rarely Green candidates on the ballot, I often support Democrats. This creates a conundrum for me next Tuesday because I feel like almost none of the candidates represent my views. I am a huge proponent of voting, and making an informed decision not just voting for a strait party ticket without knowing the candidates or picking a name because you saw it on a sign on the side of the road. So, what do I do when none of the candidates espouse the values I believe in? I vote anyway, because I am proud to have that right as an American, but I pick the candidate I dislike the least, which is disappointing. I know I can be an idealist, and there may rarely be a candidate I can really get excited about, but I've had this quote from (what else?) The West Wing swimming around my head.

"Because I am tired of working for candidates who make me think I should be embarrassed to believe what I believe, Sam. I'm tired of getting them elected. We all need some therapy, because someone came along and said that liberal means "soft on crime." Soft on drugs. Soft on communism. Soft on defense. And we're gonna tax you back to the stone age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to. And instead of saying, 'Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, Leave-it-to-Beaver-trip-back-to-the-fifties!' we cowered in the corner and said, 'Please. Don't. Hurt. Me.' No more. I really don't care who's right, who's wrong. We're both right, we're both wrong."

We're both right. We're both wrong. Wouldn't it be amazing to have a true civil dialog between candidates who are firm in their beliefs instead of saying what they think people want to hear so that they can be elected? As I said, I'm an idealist, but at least that means I can always dream and always have hope for a better day.

My all-time favorite commercial, from 2000.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

*Please wear purple tomorrow, October 20, for Spirit Day. Show your support for gay teens, and remember the tragic loss gay teens to suicide.*

I was glad to read that a bit of progress has been made in overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The Pentagon told military recruiters to accept openly gay applicants if they meet all of the other requirements. There is still a chance of this being overturned, but I have hope.

I can't understand why we would want to turn people away from serving the country simply because of their sexual orientation. I am not going to address my views on war or the military in general in this post, but I will say that I sure as heck don't want to serve in the military. If there are people who feel that calling, please let them. I understand that it would be a change. In those close quarters, it could be difficult to work next to someone who might be attracted to you in a way that you do not return. But don't men and women serve together? Surely there must be some unrequited feelings among heterosexuals in the military. The West Wing (my all-time favorite show, as you have probably figured out if you've read some of my other posts) also makes a good point through Admiral Fitzwallace. The quality of the video below is poor, so I also listed the text of what I think is the most important part.

MAJOR TATE

Sir, we’re not prejudiced toward homosexuals.

ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE

You just don’t want to see them serving in the Armed Forces?

MAJOR TATE

No sir, I don’t.

ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE

‘Cause they oppose a threat to unit discipline and cohesion.

MAJOR TATE

Yes sir.

ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE

That’s what I think too. I also think the military wasn’t designed to be an instrument of social change.

MAJOR TATE

Yes sir.

ADMIRAL FITZWALLACE

The problem with that is that what they were saying to me 50 years ago. Blacks shouldn’t serve with Whites. It would disrupt the unit. You know what? It did disrupt the unit. The unit got over it. The unit changed. I’m an admiral in the U.S. Navy and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...Beat that with a stick.

I don't pretend to know a lot about the military. But I do know that all people deserve to be treated with honor and respect.

Taking My Own Advice

On Tuesday, I took my own advice.

I think it is important to take time in our busy lives to rest. I have loved ones who are extremely committed to their jobs and volunteer work, and I encourage them to step away from the workaholic mindset and take time to relax and unwind. This is often counter-cultural, but I think it is important for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. God even thinks it is a good idea. The longest of the Ten Commandments is the fourth commandment, which says,

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

I think taking time to rest is important and I encourage those I love to do so. But this doesn't mean that I always take my own advice. I get wrapped up in work and grad school and church and family and friends and, and, and... These are good things, important things, but when all of my time is schedule, my brain starts to get fuzzy and my energy level goes down. I start to feel cranky and disconnected.

Early Monday evening I tried to figure out why I felt so tired and realized that I had a day free of work and school in at least 15 days. So on Tuesday, I took the day off. I read for pleasure. I took a nap. I did yoga. My husband came home from work late in the afternoon for a few hours before he had to go back for a meeting. This was when I started to feel guilty for taking the day off. I thought that if Jason worked all day, I should do something too or I'd seem like a waste. Fantastic husband that he is, he talked me out of it. I did tidy our desk with intentions a bigger cleaning project, but then I returned to my book instead. It was a wonderful day.

After my day of rest, I felt energized. I was more focused on my schoolwork and more alert when I was at work. I think taking a day away from work helped me to accomplish more in the days that followed. And I felt more relaxed, happy. Hopefully I'll continue to remember to take my own advice.

No Hate

My heart broke when I heard about Tyler Clement (this article explains), and I agree with Ellen. The bullying needs to stop. The hate needs to stop. I personally do not believe that being gay is a choice or a sin. Even if that is your view, I think we can both agree that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of sexual orientation. In the articled linked above, Tyler Clementi's parents said that they hope their son's death "will serve as a call for compassion, empathy, and human dignity." I pray that it will be. 

To take a small step to help end the hate, you can add your name to this letter that will be sent to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan asking that gender identity and sexual orientation be included in anti-bullying programs. And check out the NOH8 Campaign because that is what we need - no hate.

It's a Book

I was poking around the bookstore the other day and came across It's a Book by Lane Smith. It is a picture book about books and technology, and it is laugh-out-loud funny. The three characters are Monkey, Mouse, and Jackass (more on his name in a minute). Monkey is trying to read a traditional paper book, but Jackass keeps interrupting by asking questions about the book's features. "Can it text? Blog? Scroll? Wi-fi? Tweet?" Jackass asks. Monkey continually, and with growing annoyance, answers, "No. It's a book." I think my favorite part is when Jackass, thinking the book is a computer, asks where the mouse is, and Monkey lifts his hat to reveal the third character in the book, Mouse. Donkey finally takes the book from Monkey and becomes engrossed in it.

It is a fantastic picture book. I do think some parents will object to the character name of Jackass instead of Donkey, and because of this I was surprised to see that seven libraries in the Allegheny County system (including my own USC Township Library) have ordered copies in their children's sections. The first definition in the dictionary for the word jackass is "a male donkey," though.

I like Smith's humorous take on our increasingly digital world. I am obviously not anti-technology or I wouldn't be blogging on the internet, but I do think that we need to be aware that our lives are now permeated with technology. I also think that as great as e-books may be, physical books have a certain magic to them. In an interview, Smith said, "I wasn't trying to make a statement or get all preachy or anything. I just thought it [digital v. traditional] would make a funny comedic conflict." I completely agree.

Above is the trailer for It's a Book. Ironic?