Consistency, Remembrance, Activity

Bay leaves, rosemary and thyme from the garden 

                 
  In various lexicons of herbs  bay leaves are associated with consistency, rosemary with remembrance and thyme with activity, thriftiness and energy.  Yesterday I snapped this picture above my head before leaving to give these sprigs from my garden.  Such a little thing to give but most gifts are just a symbol...  

Today, seeing the picture for the first time I was initially disappointed that only a few of the bouquets were captured and I hadn't meant to photograph the salt or candle. Within moments I was grateful for the photo's haphazard documentation; I can't imagine cropping out salt and light and prayers are never fully represented in what I can vocalize.  Still, I try, and so I wish you a Happy New Year: that is to say for a start,  health, safety, joy, purpose and hope to you in the days ahead.

Christmas Greetings

You Feelin' Christmasy Punk? The Sequel

"You feelin' Christmasy Punk" is a rough paraphrase of a Clint Eastwood line in a film about tough police detective, Dirty Harry.  And what does that have to do with Christmas? That's a question I could ask all month long...

It happens every December, I have to grab a big breath to even push open the doors of the local pharmacy, (yes one of the many franchises that have pressed sameness and uniformity and anonymity upon us) and face all the doo-dads and bling and ding -dong and blinkie and fuzzy stuff that it is hoped we will purchase to celebrate....  

And even at my usuallly staid dentist's office there was... no, I'm not going to describe and thereby burden your mind with another such image.  

But here's a post from 2009 that I hope you'll enjoy...

You Feelin' Christmasy, Punk?

So I have posted a picture of an Advent Calendar we made a number of years ago. I have not figured out a title for this post, and have to laugh at the things that pass through as possibilities.
Okay, I admit that "You feelin' Christmasy Punk?" wasn't the first title that came to mind this morning, but it is something that popped out of my mouth the other night as I handed my husband a Christmas napkin. Dirty Harry invaded the culture and sometimes I let my guard down and like those winsome viruses we are all trying to avoid, I catch my share.

I love Christmas, but I don't like what's been done to it. One of my brothers said to me this week that Christmas doesn't last long enough...and my heart pounded hard. We were on the phone, but I could see him so clearly, working in the cold days to keep abreast of the on-going demands and that nicely positioned December 10th property tax deadline, and yet thinking of all the people he would like to make gifts for...the families he would like to stop by and see...yummy, what kind of cookies are you making? I remember the year, time was slower then, he made us all little copper pots.

But I hear stories about people just feeling all stressed out from the holidays...and that is a sad thing. There are the unresolved family issues, the concern for buying gifts that are too big or too small, unneeded or unwanted...or desperately needed and out of sight.

I just have a few of Aunt Dorothy's little Christmas napkins. She's been gone for many years now. They are faded and were just simply a collection of holly fabrics but she made them and she loved Christmas for what it is. Of course I handed my husband one of his aunt's napkins and asked him "You feeling Christmasy, punk? "

 I'm just fighting off what the tear-it -all- down bullies would erect. What do you mean that doesn't make any sense? ...of course it doesn't. I should just focus my energy on the part of it all that re-members me with what really matters.

"Advent, advent let your little light shine." Today another chicken flew up to roost in the manger. Christmas is coming...don't despair...it doesn't matter what you wear...or how you feel about your hair...or if your hand is empty when you arrive. Just come as you are...you don't even need to feel Christmasy, punk.

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