The Return To Innocence

Here, we have the ultimate expression and meaning of the winter holidays.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyQz8jWAl7s

I have been singing "Soft Kitty" to myself for a while. There is technically only one reason to sing that song, but I have at least three, all of which were mentioned by Penny in the episode where Sheldon had to care for her. I have also been attempting to sing it as a round with myself.
*PAIN SADFACE*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqSmzGj_sQc

Seriously, though. Yesterday was the beginning of the six-day Roman celebration Saturnalia. Yay Saturn, blah blah blah. I'm going to leave a little tiny something for each Greek and Roman god, be it a physical offering or a psychic offering. And then when Winter Solstice and Yule come around, more offerings to Gaia and the rebirth of the Sun God.
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/saturnalia/a/saturnalia.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
http://www.earthwitchery.com/yule.html
http://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/yule.htm

Also, once more for clarification, I am not Wiccan at all and never will be. Wiccan is a very specific, very young religion, which took bits and pieces of old pagan faiths and mixed them up until Gerald Gardner felt satisfied. Wicca has unfortunately become the main path new pagans turn to when they have no idea what to do, and such become "fluffy bunny" pagans, focusing only on the "light" and "good" stereotypes of magic and witchcraft, which is very cute and laughable. Unfortunately, Wicca's reputation has mostly been taken over by fluffies, I think; I haven't paid much attention. Any Wiccans here want to set the record straight, please?

I am eclectic pagan with firm faith in polytheism, pantheism, natural magic, elemental magic, personal magic, chthonic magic, shamanism, animism, and humanistic paganism. Which is funny, because humanistic paganism would probably cancel out the magic part, but there are a few humanistic pagans who practice magic with a scientific bent, like my husband.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/08/guest-post-humanist-paganism-on-the-rise.html

I forget my main point... but I wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule, Io Saturnalia, Merry Christmas, and Blessed Solstice. I am one of those people who just won't care what you you believe in or worship as long as you don't shove it at me, attempt to convert me, or proselytize at me. And oh, yes, that does include paganism, Wicca, and other nature-based faiths. There is a reason I am so eclectic.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas songs are the ONLY winterholiday songs I am willing to listen to voluntarily on a constant basis.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas songs are the ONLY winterholiday songs I am willing to listen to voluntarily on a constant basis.

I love October, but I don't love the chilly weather and how the drops in temperature cause Raynaud's Syndrome flare-ups, and I especially don't love the bombardment of horror movies, horror music and horror themes in general. I have nightmares about homicidal half-dead creatures frequently. When Adam isn't home I sleep with one of the bathroom lights on.
Halloween can be about horror, but for me Samhain is about death and life, and the connections between the living and the dead, and the harvest, and the turning of the season, and great feasts with bonfires, and apple magic, and dreaming stones, and meditation, and spices.

Our cats are picky about weird things. I roasted a chicken for dinner, and we took the liver and some other inner parts and cooked it all up to give to the cats, grinding and mashing it up with the immersion blender. It looked like gooshyfood and smelled like gooshyfood, but the cats kept looking from the plate to us with expressions of, "What the hell is this? This didn't come out of a can! I'm not eating this!" Which just makes me shake my head, because nine times out of ten, their canned food comes from stores that sell all-natural and organic pet food. We've tried feeding them chicken or steak that we ground up or blended, but they refused it and instead demanded whole pieces of chicken or steak. They will happily eat actual pieces of meat, but if we grind up said meat into something resembling canned cat food, they sniff it and walk away. So we gave them bits of white meat, and they licked the plate clean, and I took the untouched plate of blended chicken liver out back to the trees, so outdoor animals could enjoy it.

Adam and I made a date for dim sum brunch tomorrow. We invited our best friends friends. I haven't had dim sum in ages. It will be lovely.

I love October, but I don't love the chilly weather and how the drops in temperature cause Raynaud's Syndrome flare-ups, and I especially don't love the bombardment of horror movies, horror music and horror themes in general. I have nightmares about homicidal half-dead creatures frequently. When Adam isn't home I sleep with one of the bathroom lights on.
Halloween can be about horror, but for me Samhain is about death and life, and the connections between the living and the dead, and the harvest, and the turning of the season, and great feasts with bonfires, and apple magic, and dreaming stones, and meditation, and spices.

Our cats are picky about weird things. I roasted a chicken for dinner, and we took the liver and some other inner parts and cooked it all up to give to the cats, grinding and mashing it up with the immersion blender. It looked like gooshyfood and smelled like gooshyfood, but the cats kept looking from the plate to us with expressions of, "What the hell is this? This didn't come out of a can! I'm not eating this!" Which just makes me shake my head, because nine times out of ten, their canned food comes from stores that sell all-natural and organic pet food. We've tried feeding them chicken or steak that we ground up or blended, but they refused it and instead demanded whole pieces of chicken or steak. They will happily eat actual pieces of meat, but if we grind up said meat into something resembling canned cat food, they sniff it and walk away. So we gave them bits of white meat, and they licked the plate clean, and I took the untouched plate of blended chicken liver out back to the trees, so outdoor animals could enjoy it.

Adam and I made a date for dim sum brunch tomorrow. We invited our best friends friends. I haven't had dim sum in ages. It will be lovely.

http://community.livejournal.com/fibromyalgia/1861970.html
Cheered me up rather nicely, though!

http://community.livejournal.com/fibromyalgia/1861970.html
Cheered me up rather nicely, though!

Warm and cozy, surrounded by people I love.
Charlotte and Adam cooked a great dinner, and Billy's father and stepmother came over, and there was good conversation and good food. Prime rib, roast chicken, green bean casserole, cucumber salad, roasted potatoes and vegetables, and sweet potato pudding served in cupcake tins with melted marshmallows on top. It was quiet and sweet, and now we're watching movies, the four of us.

It hasn't snowed since the beginning of December; today was bright and sunny and kind of warm. I like it. But then, you all know I don't like snow and cold. This is one of the few times I can remember when it hasn't been a White Christmas. But it doesn't have to snow to be the spirit of a winter holiday.

I felt awful for still being in a fibro flare that made it difficult for me to help with the preparing and cleaning up. I did the best I could. I have a feeling this flare might last a while.

This morning, I finally managed to write past the block in the novel. That's a bit of a success. The right music playlist helped: Tangerine Dream, Deep Forest, Delerium, The Waterboys. Go me. I can actually finish the book now. I know where to go.
Merry Christmas from my writerbrain!

We've been helping Charlotte prepare food and gifts for her family since this morning. Charlotte and I went to the mall so Charlotte could buy gifts for her young cousins. I got a gift for my husband to share with me. Or for me to use when he's not around. It's very pretty, with a blue marble color pattern. Charlotte and I got separated for about twenty minutes, and since she doesn't have a cell phone, she called me from a pay phone so we could meet at the food court. I still hate malls. However, I always love shopping with a girlfriend.
Tomorrow, Adam and I will be here at Charlotte and Billy's again, to hang out with their cousins and aunts and uncles for a while.
I just found out that Billy loves "A Christmas Story." You know, the classic movie that goes on and on and on in marathons from tonight until tomorrow night. But he'll only watch it once on Christmas Eve. Which is good, because that's about all anyone can take. So that's what we're watching. Pizza should be here soon. We ordered from Pizza Boli's: Extra large thin crust, half black olives ad green olives, half pepperoni and fresh tomatoes. And mozzarella sticks. I'm drinking a bottle of Bom Dia Acai Berry With Pomegranate Juice.
My attitude toward the $winter holiday$ has gotten so casual. I refuse to participate in the rampant commercialism, so I mostly stay at home, or at a friend's home, doing non-holiday things. When we buy stuff for each other, it's simple and sentimental and usually we let the person pick what they want.

I enjoy meditating on the spiritual aspects of the season and not the commercial aspects. I love being with friends and family more than I love buying gifts, honestly.

We've been helping Charlotte prepare food and gifts for her family since this morning. Charlotte and I went to the mall so Charlotte could buy gifts for her young cousins. I got a gift for my husband to share with me. Or for me to use when he's not around. It's very pretty, with a blue marble color pattern. Charlotte and I got separated for about twenty minutes, and since she doesn't have a cell phone, she called me from a pay phone so we could meet at the food court. I still hate malls. However, I always love shopping with a girlfriend.
Tomorrow, Adam and I will be here at Charlotte and Billy's again, to hang out with their cousins and aunts and uncles for a while.
I just found out that Billy loves "A Christmas Story." You know, the classic movie that goes on and on and on in marathons from tonight until tomorrow night. But he'll only watch it once on Christmas Eve. Which is good, because that's about all anyone can take. So that's what we're watching. Pizza should be here soon. We ordered from Pizza Boli's: Extra large thin crust, half black olives ad green olives, half pepperoni and fresh tomatoes. And mozzarella sticks. I'm drinking a bottle of Bom Dia Acai Berry With Pomegranate Juice.
My attitude toward the $winter holiday$ has gotten so casual. I refuse to participate in the rampant commercialism, so I mostly stay at home, or at a friend's home, doing non-holiday things. When we buy stuff for each other, it's simple and sentimental and usually we let the person pick what they want.

I enjoy meditating on the spiritual aspects of the season and not the commercial aspects. I love being with friends and family more than I love buying gifts, honestly.