Wishing all a Joyous Yule!

Blessings and Merriment to everyone on this holy day!

War on Xmas

This was penned by a dear friend, and I had to share:

War on Xmas


My friends, I want to talk to you about an insidious plot to destroy the greatest holiday of a generation.

The generation: Gen-X

The holiday: Xmas

Yes, the most revered day in Gen-Xdom (Well, the day we lost our virginity is a contender. As is, most definitely, payday.) is being ANNIHILATED as we speak!

Look around, at this time of year, “Christmas” is everywhere and even more prevalent is “Happy Holidays”!

What we see is no less than the attempt to brush aside a great day of a great generation!

We, Gen-X, who have known life without cable, without remotes, and who fondly remember pinball, “Pong”, and of course, “Space Invaders”!

Armed with degrees in Philosophy, English, Women’s Studies, Art, and, yes, even Theatre. When our time arrived, we proudly stepped forward and proclaimed “DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?”

Friends, we cannot let the pernicious purveyors of “PC” prevail in this war.

As we did after the famed final Moon landing, we must direct our gaze to the abyss of the universe and ask “NOW WHAT?”

What? I’ll tell you what! We must fight to put the

X

back in

Xmas





Kyle Weir

Xmas 2005

Would you believe I'm cooking??

No, it's true. Those of you who know me can attest that this simply does not happen. But I've taken up actually cooking things, you know, in the kitchen, with ingredients and such. For last Saturday's Yule gathering, a cheese log. For the Nomads Christmas party, my friend Erica's Jalapeno Corn. For a dinner party at my home on Sunday, Cajun Pork Roast with Rosemary Potatoes, and pecan pie. For a dinner at work today, Cheesy Apple Bake. For our Classified Open House tomorrow, the legendary Swedish Spritz cookies made for us at the newspaper for years by my friend Sue before she retired, cheese straws, and, if they ever defrost, Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Not only that, but for the last month, I've actually been cooking dinner nightly for me and my husband. And enjoying it.

Check the weather forecast, because I'm pretty sure hell might have frozen over. ;)

Santa does exist!!

I came home tonight to find an unexpected package from Amazon. The rare Japanese CD pressing of Kate Bush's Aerial, sent to me from a dear friend who shall remain nameless since she is uncomfortable with public displays of gratitude. I had heard the music on mp3, but hadn't yet been able to buy a copy of the CD. I've been a collector of Kate's rarities for years, but I never expected to own this piece! The artwork is breathtaking.

I wish I knew what I could do for her to give her the same sort of all-encompassing feeling of love and gratitude I'm basking in right now.

I can say, without reservation at this point, Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas

I never thought in my entire life that I would begin to cringe when I hear those words. This media-manufactured "War on Christmas" has turned a perfectly innocent blessing into a bigoted statement. Now, when I hear "Merry Christmas" used pointedly as it is being used these days, I don't feel blessed. I feel like I'm being told that their holiday is inherently better than my Yule, or his Chanukah, or her Kwanzaa.

This Solstice holiday is much older than Christ, although his life and teachings have enriched it tenfold.

I want to recapture the true spirit of the season, when for just a while, we could be tolerant of others.

This was on my Gmail RSS feed this morning...

Word of the Day for Friday December 9, 2005
voluptuary \vuh-LUHP-choo-er-ee\, noun:
A person devoted to luxury and the gratification of sensual appetites; a sensualist.

adjective:
Voluptuous; luxurious.

Colette used to begin her day's writing by first picking fleas from her cat, and it's not hard to imagine how the methodical stroking and probing into fur might have focused such a voluptuary's mind.
--Diane Ackerman, "O Muse! You Do Make Things Difficult!" New York Times, November 12, 1989

Though depicted as a decadent voluptuary, she remained celibate for more than half of her adult life.
--Michiko Kakutani, "Cleopatra Behind Her Magic Mirror," New York Times, June 5, 1990


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Voluptuary derives from Latin voluptarius, "devoted to pleasure," from voluptas, "pleasure."