Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Auld Lang Syne





Edinburgh's Hogmanay, or New Year's Celebration.
This song is used to ring in the New Year the world over, and few beyond the Scots have any real idea what it's talking about.  I know, because I love Burns' poetry and songs, and have studied, also I have some Scots blood in my veins.

This is a song about remembering.  About remembering old friends, and good times gone by.  It's about the passing of time, and how we can lose people, if we aren't awfully careful not to.
It is basically asking should we forget all the good times we had before?  Should we forget our old friends?  The answer the song gives in itself is no.  We should remember.  "We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne."  Basically, we'll drink a toast in honor of those times long since.

The whole gist of it is that we should remember the good times, the friendship, and be happy.  We'll be glad we're still friends, in spite of all the time and the life that has passed since the old days.

This New Year's Eve, as I hear the song again, and see many more than slightly inebriated people trying to sing it, I will hope that they are able to remember the good times and the good friends that make life worth living, as I remember mine.

So many of you,  some of you even read this blog!  I will remember you, and raise my glass in honor of and in thanksgiving for, your friendship.  I'm honored to know you!

I think of some I've known since high school, like Brenda, and Kathleen, and Patricia, and Liz.  There's even a guy out there who was really a friend of my brother's, so he's known me about ALL my life - Roy.  Then there are the church friends, the military friends,some of whom we still see, and some we only hear from once in a while.
All the friends from work, who have been through software changes, tornado procedures, new technology, and many, many Summer Reading Programs with me.  We have an awful lot of "auld lang syne" between us, and it's all been wonderful because of your dedication to the community and keeping our library a great resource for everyone.
Then, there are my fellow #PerlGirls.  Fi, Mary, Kelly, Jana, Mallory, Paulette, Patti, Brina, Linda, Marie, Anna, and Amy. (Almost forgot our "baby sister", Chloe!)  You ladies are  fabulous.  We don't have much "auld lang syne" between us yet, but we are gathering new memories daily!  Love you, girls, and we love The Man Himself, too,
 of course!!
SO much love tonight, as we look forward to a new year in which to keep our friendships stitched together through distance, time, work, and the cares of life.  May you always remember the fun times when you need a smile, and remember I'm here if you need a shoulder to lean on.  Friendship is the greatest gift there is, and I have been given some wonderful gifts over the years!
God Bless, and may 2015 be better and brighter than you could have imagined.

Auld Lang Syne
By Robert Burns

chorus : Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the brae,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fitt,
Sin auld lang syne

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd.
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my tursty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
For auld lang syne.

Dougie MacLean singing Auld Lang Syne

Monday, December 29, 2014

Things that Bug Me

Fingers that are unbending and a bit sore when I wake up.
Eyes that take longer to focus.
Housework that seems to multiply exponentially overnight.
Electronic devices that have "helpful" software.
The way my thumbnails seem to reach a certain length and then disintegrate.
People who don't know how to play stop sign.
Freight trains that are 5 to 7 miles long and pass SLOWLY through town at rush hour.
The fact that Texas won't keep its blasted cedar pollen to itself.
When OU's football team acts like they can't remember how to play football.  Makes my friends sad.
How time speeds up when I have something important I need to finish, or when I have something good to read.

These are merely minor irritations.  There are many things in this world that disturb me greatly.  Probably the same things that disturb most people.  Injustice.  The increase of poverty. Racism.  The unrelenting slavery to greed.  Those things require reflection and discussion.  These little irritations merely need a mention, so as to get them off my mind, and perhaps for others to say , "Ha. Yeah, me, too."
So, these are my pet peeves du jour.  I am sure on other days, I will think of other things.  


Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christmas Day Reflections

I wonder what it is about this day that makes me want to wander out on windswept moors, or through winter bare woods.  Every year, I find myself wanting to walk through nature on Christmas Day, finding evidence of God's peace and the new light born into the world even in desolate places.

I just looked at a long term weather forecast.  Snow on Tuesday and Wednesday.   Seriously?   Good grief.

I took a little walk around the neighborhood.   Here's some photos. 

Early part of sunset from corner of 12th and Foxfire
Some neighborhood lights.
More neighborhood lights.
 Lights again. 
Stars in the tree look suspiciously like July 4th decorations.
Lots of dead toons in this yard.  Rumor has it they reanimate like Zombies after dark.
One of the more enthusiastic decorators in the neighborhood.
Go Home Frosty!  You're DRUNK!!
Looking North, believe it or not.
Sunset almost back to corner at 12th and Foxfire
The welcome lights of home.
A blurry view of my reading nook.  I had just gotten up from it after a wee snooze.









All in all a pretty quiet Christmas.  We had a few gifts, since we had gotten each other things all year that we really wanted, we only had small things for Christmas.  The best gift was being together, being with our church family, and having tomorrow to look forward to.  Our good friends will join us for the Feast of the Festive Leftovers.  It will be EPIC!! 

Topping it all off was a nice greeting from a special Twitter friend, and lots of other nice tweets and messages from far flung friends.  We love you all and are so glad we were able to share a bit of this day with you! 

Christmas Eve Ruminations

I'm awake!  Got a late start because I finally go to sleep after 2 when the pie finally got cool enough to go into the refrigerator. 
I've gotta make a list of what I need to get done.
Gotta make a list for Matt who is going out to get last minute stuff.
Little patters of squirrel feet on my roof make me smile in the middle of everything.  I'll go out and refill the feeders.  Merry Christmas, Squirrely Whirly, and birdies.

Almost 4 pm.  Chores done, presents wrapped, still some cooking to do.  We'll eat our first feast this evening, then nibble tomorrow, and on Friday, have the Feast of the Festive Leftovers with our good friends.  (There may be a few things made fresh for the "leftovers" feast.  All depends on how things go...)

Joys of the day:  A dog joyfully playing ball with his human as I passed by on my walk.  The neighbor dogs who stop barking and wag their tails as soon as I say hi and tell them how pretty and what good doggies they are.

Dinner eaten and almost all cleaned up. Soup was excellent, beef was good, beans need a little work... but they'll be OK before the Feast of the Festive Leftovers!

A tweet out of the blue yesterday really made my day!  Nice to be remembered, and a very nice thing so close to Christmas.  Still smiling.

Time now to recoup a little before getting ready and heading for church.  This late service makes for a long day for us, but we'd be up late anyway...

The service seemed  longer than usual, and boy, did we sing a LOT of carols!  Only three anthems, but LOTS of carols!  And they let us have lit candles in the loft for the end of "Silent Night".  They're either brave or crazy. 

Sermon was called "The Light Must Change Us".  About how now that the Light of the World has come to us, we should live more like we've seen that light.  Share that light by our deeds, not by preaching and trying to convert people, but by touching people's lives and hearts the way Jesus did.  It was a good sermon. 
And so, to bed.  A long day, since I stayed up so late last night. It is almost as late now.  Christmas Eve is always a bit this way.  Now that I've had some of each kind of pie (both came out well, yay!)  and some hot chocolate, time to wash up and clean my teeth and head for zzzzzzz.

The light of love does change us. It lightens and warms all those upon whom it shines.  May the Light of  Love shine in our hearts and into the lives of those we encounter, may we all be changed for the better, made more loving, by that light. 
Peace to you, and Merry Christmas!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Poetry Happens

In The Dead of Winter
By C.K. Armistead
December 21, 2014

Even in the dead of winter
There is warmth
In the smile of a friend,
The hug of a loved one,
The laughter of children.

Even in the dark of despair
There is light.
Prayers heard and answered,
A kind word when needed,
A smile from a stranger.

Even on the longest night,
There is hope
Of dawn's coming
Of the return of warmth,
The return of light.

Even on the coldest day,
There is the reminder
That we are each other's warmth
We are each other's hope,
We are each other's light.



Carried On The Wind
By C.K. Armistead
December 23, 2014

Today as I was walking
The wind was strong and cold
And sounded like the talking
Of the wise ones of old.
Telling tales of mystery
Tales of wonder and joy
Tales we know of history
Of the fate of a special baby boy.
And also on that insistent wind
I heard the old songs so sweet
Sung low and soft from around the bend
Their glad tidings to repeat.
And upon the wind was borne
The scent of woodsmoke and memory
Of places and faces that make you warm
In spite of the world's harsh harmony.
Then the wind made my mouth water
With scents it carried past me
Of sugar, flour and butter
Becoming cookies and candy.
Tomorrow night the wind will bring
The sound of many bells a ringing
And my voice among thousands will sing
Songs of hope and joy fit for a King.
So today, as I was wandering
I was thankful for the wind's wild voice
That set me to pondering
The many reasons we have to rejoice.


That's about all the poetry I've got right now.  Time now to bake the pies.  Time to put some flour, sugar, butter, eggs and other good things to work becoming Christmas treats to share with friends.  May you all have a joyful and beautiful Christmas, whether you celebrate or not, you are wished a day of love and joy. 




Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Last Advent Candle Is Lit - On The First Day Of Winter

The shortest day, the longest night of the year, perhaps the coldest where you may be, perhaps the opposite in all regards if you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here, this day is dark, dreary, and COLD.  The news abroad in the world isn't much brighter.  In fact, a lot of it is worse.  There is death from disease, poverty, and murder, there is hatred, there is war.  No world for a child to be born into.
Arguably, it was the same more than two thousand years ago, when the Child some of us celebrate came into this world.  That was no time for a child to be born.  The land he was born into was under the rule of Imperial Rome.  For the Israelites, it was difficult, dangerous, and offensive to live under the sway of a pagan regime.
This theme is not a new one, in fact, I find it hard to say this in a way that might sound new.  Many have observed that this world is almost NEVER joyful, or at peace, or even safe for everyone.  Perhaps the theme is best remembered from the old carol I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

You can hear the song and read the lyricsHERE
..."And in despair I bowed my head,
   There is no peace on earth, I said
    For hate is strong, and mocks the song
   Of Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men."

That verse was written in 1867.  (By Longfellow.  No wonder I've always loved it. )  Surely, peace was hard to come by, and strife very strong indeed.  So it is today.  There are wars ongoing in many places, there are horrible diseases ravaging populations, there is hatred and unrest in our very own nation.  Perhaps because we continually lose sight of the meaning behind this season.  Even if we catch up with the "true Spirit of Christmas" during the holiday itself, we lose it along the way. ALL of us.  Even those of us who really try.  We ALL need to try harder, to commit ourselves anew to remembering that Love chose to be born into this world as a tiny baby, in an occupied country, to an  oppressed minority.  That ALL the religious leaders who have ever been  revered in this world have stressed that LOVE is the only really important thing.  Love of God, love of others, the kind of love that shares and helps and believes and hopes.
May the God of Love forgive us, we have tainted that message.  We have killed in the name of religion, used our different beliefs as a license to revile and condemn those who disagree, totally ignored the more difficult call to love our enemies.
How easy it is to hate.  What a lazy way to deal with others.  Never try to see the other side of an issue, never tolerate for a moment the idea that you may be wrong, that maybe GOD would want you to listen and to reserve judgement.  So easy to get caught up in the clamoring of those who would rush to condemnation and revenge.  It is difficult to stand with Love.  Love is hard work.  You may well love someone, but not like them very much some days.  Love is stronger, deeper, and more reliable than mere liking.  How difficult it must have been for that Child, born into such a desolate land and people, to look with love upon those who reviled him because of his faith, his ethnicity.  How much MORE difficult when the ones who were his own people reviled him because he dared to preach love and forgiveness and not revolution.
Those of us who claim to be followers of that Child, followers of Christ, we have a lot of bad behavior to answer for.  We have not listened with our hearts to His call to love.  We have let Him down, let each other down, and let the world down.  We are NOT called to hate, to sit in judgement, to FORCE others to agree with us, we are called to LOVE.  It is the the single most difficult thing I have ever pondered doing.  It is even harder in practice.  Yes, we are forgiven our sins, IF we repent and recognize that we have done wrong, our resolve to do better will be blessed.  He who came and offered Himself for us in love, loves us still.  No matter WHAT we have done, it breaks His heart, I am sure, because He loves us, and WANTS that better world for us.  The world we would have if we ALL lived by the words given us by the leaders of our faiths.  If we live by love.
I do not exempt myself from guilt.  I tend to be self-centered, having lived a lot of my childhood with no playmates to speak of, I did not have to learn much about sharing and cooperation until I started school.  I am the absolute WORST at thinking of others first, of reacting immediately with love.  I do try, I remind myself, I pray for help, but I still fall FAR short.  I am still far too judgmental, even if only in my own head.  (Our thoughts can and do affect our actions, so ...)
I can only promise that I am TRYING to change.  Every single day.  For those of you who interact regularly with me, if I have hurt you, failed you, otherwise let you down, I am sorry.  I do love you, I care for you, and I don't WANT to hurt you.  (Especially my most long-suffering and loving spouse, who loves me in spite of my many, many faults.)  My gift to you at this season, and every day of every year is that I will do my utmost to learn to react first from LOVE instead of selfishness.
If all of us try that, maybe, just maybe, the world will be a brighter place.

As for the devastating news that's been circulating lately, of killings and hate, well, it is nothing new.  Those of us who were here in Oklahoma City in 1995 can tell you that.  Our church was damaged in that act of violence, and that Christmas (and the next) we were stuck worshiping in the parish hall.  I wrote a poem about it.  I'd like to share it again, if you'll indulge me:

Christmas Eve
By Carolyn Kay Armistead, 1996

The scent of pine needles, incense, and candlewax fill the air.
There is much confusion about the processional, and just who goes where.
But the night is full of magic, wonder and joy
As our Christian family prepares once again to welcome the baby boy.

The baby boy who came into a world of uncertainty and pain,
Who understands how we feel, being in Dean Willey Hall again,
And not in our beautiful Cathedral, with its comfort and sacredness.
He knows how it feels to deal with hatred's harmful effects.

Well He knows our sorrow, our impatience and our pain
And yet He makes us glad to be together, even if in the Hall again.
For He was not born in a fancy palace, or a hospital clean and grand;
But in a lowly stable, with cows, sheep and shepherds close to hand.

If He could be content with a birthplace so quiet and humble;
Who are we to be unhappy with our lot and to grumble?
After all, we are safe and still together, and together we still can sing
The same joyful song of angels, and isn't that the most important thing?


Yes, we still had each other, and that was indeed the most beautiful and important thing.  I see many of those same faces in the choir and the congregation this year, and I am so very glad to see them.  These are my fellow travelers on this road of faith, this difficult journey of trying to live up to the gift of love we have been given.  It wasn't easy then, and it still isn't.

Yes, there is a LOT wrong with this world, there is a lot of hatred and fear.  There is also Love.  I have found those who love almost everywhere I go, including the Internet and social media.  Yes, there are sour and negative and hateful people just about everywhere, but if you look, there's an awful lot of loving and kind ones, too.  Let that give you hope this season, and remember, BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.  If YOU don't react with love, how will love grow?
Back to that Christmas carol.  The next to the last verse says this all so much more succinctly.
"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

(Down, feminists; "men" was an accepted abbreviation for "human". I believe largely because the Greek Anthropos was translated as "man" instead of "human", or "mankind". )

On this longest night of the year, on this very cold day, when the darkness seems so ready to crush us and put us all in the cold, let us light the fourth candle of Advent, the candle of Peace.
To quote an old TV show I happen to be very fond of, let us remember that darkness is merely the absence of light, and all winters end!

Let us resolve to try and BE the light!
LOVE to you and PEACE!

The Advent Wreath 

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

There's A Crack In Everything...

A friend posted the quote from Leonard Cohen this morning.  "Ring the bells that still will ring, forget your perfect offering.  There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

It is one of my very favorites.  It spoke to me especially right after our dog Bear died.  It broke my heart.  He was such a sweet boy, and had fought through so much in his 13 years on this earth, and I STILL miss him.

Today, though, it fit with my ruminations about music.
There is a true feast of music available to us today.  You can search out and find something beautiful to just about any taste.  My own musical horizons have been expanded by interactions with friends sharing their favorites online.  To think I might not have found Post Modern Jukebox, or Pink Martini; that would have been tragic!

Where the quote comes in is in my own pondering over the recital I will sing in on Sunday.  It is the holiday recital given by the voice students of Karen Smith-Pearson.  We range in age and skill level all up AND down the spectrum.  There are always mistakes.  The mistakes aren't a problem.  They are beautiful reminders that we are present in a REAL moment, hearing music made LIVE, by people who sing because they LOVE it.  When you are the one making the mistakes, though, they feel awful.  I especially feel a burden, because I SHOULD be able to give a near-perfect performance.  I've been at this a LONG time now.  As always in my life though, I just don't have the time or patience with myself to practice as much as I really NEED to.  I will practice, I run over the runs in my head, my subconscious chews on the piece constantly.  I even hear it in my DREAMS!
The piece I will do my best not to mutilate on Sunday evening is "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion" by Handel.  (From The Messiah).
My worries aside, the recital will be wonderful.  In this world, we tend to be far too concerned about "perfection" and not nearly concerned enough about the beauty of spontaneous humanity.  Music is an expression of the soul, it is not always going to be perfect, especially not if performed with true feeling.  Emotions are an important part of humanity, and are reflected in our music.  Voices are as individual as we are, there should be NO SUCH THING as Autotune.  It is a lie.  Live performance, out in the open, exposed, on your own with just the piano, that is a scary, scary place to be if you are not the world's most confident singer.  (And I most assuredly am NOT.)  I would wager there are some pop sensations out there today who would not do so well in that environment as even our most timid young singer.  When you sing like we do at this recital, you are putting yourself out there, warts, flat notes, forgotten lyrics and all for others to hear.  In THIS crowd of fellow students, chances are that the more experienced students who sing in the same voice part have done your piece themselves.  They know it intimately.  They will KNOW when you screw up.
Those who hide behind Autotune and studio fixes would not like this environment.  You have to be true, you have to be human, and you have to count on the charity of your fellow humans when you step up to sing at one of our recitals.

Truth is important in this life.  It isn't always pretty, sometimes it's painful, but it is the only thing that will stand in the end.  It has taken me a long time to figure this out, but I am now content to be who I am, to stand up and sing because I LOVE the music, and I want to share it.  I also learned that when you DO step out in sincerity and truth, people respond well for the most part.  They honor it, because sincerity is a beautiful thing.  Truthfulness is difficult; it leaves you vulnerable.  Learning to be vulnerable when you have spent a whole lifetime trying to protect yourself is very hard.  A long,  slow process.  This has been happening for me over the last few years.  Friends have noticed.  I am more willing to speak up, more open and present in conversation, more willing to forgive others their faults because I have learned that others will forgive me mine. I do not have to be perfect.  I just have to be myself.

There are people out there who hide their truth, and lie about themselves constantly.  How much they must be hurting to live like that.  Perhaps they have tried showing their real selves before, and have been badly hurt.  We humans are not always so kind to one another.  I know, from hiding, not really lying, just not sharing, who I am how isolating and how difficult life is under those circumstances.  You miss SO much, you miss the joy to be found in sharing with others.  It's easier to focus on others when they sense you are sincere, and they in turn are relaxed and sharing with you.

One of the things I loved most about Easy Street: The Hard Way, Ron Perlman's memoir, is that he tells it completely in his own voice, no trying to sound like someone he's not, no hiding behind a ghost writer, he puts it all out there.
 A favorite quote from his book:  "What's the point in having a hero in name only?  What good is it to admire someone and not be willing to emulate them and to try to live up to the qualities that made them inspirational to you in the first place? They stood for things that were noble, spoke about the human condition.  What good is it to complain about cowardice or the lack of backbone or resolve that you see in others if you're going to do the same things? Whenever I catch myself being hypocritical I chastise myself, have trouble sleeping at night."

This challenged me to be more true to myself, to live more fully into the faith I profess, to stop hiding and start living.  Some may say that I am just being a "fangirl", but Mr. Perlman seems more like one of my siblings to me.  I have met the man, however briefly, and I know he is the genuine article.  He puts himself out there, flaws and all, and ya know what? It makes him loveable.  He makes you feel at ease, because he isn't pretending.  He genuinely appreciates his fans.

I guess the point of all these ruminations is this:  It takes guts to really be ourselves, to step out and do the things we want to do, to stand up for what we really believe. I was timid and content to lurk in the shadows, afraid to let my flaws be seen for so many years, it has taken a lot of work to finally really join the rest of the world.
It  takes courage to stand up in front of a bunch of people and sing.  I have finally found that courage. It is also important to cherish those flubs, goofs and flaws that make a live performance REAL.  They let you know you are HERE, living this moment, this isn't a creation made by a machine.  This is REAL.  This is HUMAN.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

It's Already Time For The THIRD Advent Candle To Be Lit!


This week we light the pink candle, the third candle.  Pink, or more properly rose, because this is the week we rejoice and celebrate with joy the coming of the savior.

The liturgy will be a little different, we will of course light the different colored candle, we will be almost ready to move to full-tilt celebration mode that comes on Christmas Eve. (Next Sunday is still a time of solemn preparation, though.) 
This reminds me that though the Christmas tree is up and decorated, I still have LOTS to do before Christmas Eve arrives.  There is still the small matter of unfinished and unsent Christmas cards, cookies to be made.  (Only a few, we can't eat too many, and most of our friends are in similar circumstances!) 

The tree went up today, as any of my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram friends know.  I shared a lot of pictures.  Meeting all  my ornaments again is always fun and full of memories.  I also think I felt my Pop hanging around telling me where the bare spots were.  We decorated many Christmas trees together over the years.  I always miss him at Christmas.  He was my Pop, I was his Baby Girl, and he spoiled me.  At Christmas he seemed to approve of my singing because I did it at church.  He always discouraged the serious pursuit of music or writing, the two things I enjoyed most, because they weren't practical. ( I sometimes wondered if it was because he thought I wasn't very good.) 
He loved Christmas more than any other adult I've ever met except for my Uncle Dick, his older brother.  They both got almost childlike at Christmas time.  It was good to see them share happy memories, because they had so many that weren't so happy.  Pop was a teen  during the Depression.  Even his relatively well-off Grandfather, who was a physician, was for the most part paid in farm produce by his patients during those years.  At least they had enough food...

On another subject, I have found new music to listen to, not Holiday music, but many renditions of Burns' songs, which I love.  The artist is Dougie MacLean. I found him because my friend Gillian mentioned him to me on Facebook.  Gorgeous stuff.  Relaxing.  Here's a link to Ae Fond Kiss  It's my favorite of Burns' songs.  This is a lovely rendition.  Thanks, Gill! ;-)

My sister has taken to buying me the "Beauty of Birds" ornaments that I collect each year.  She is carrying on the fine tradition all of them started when I was little.  She spoils me.  Still.  Even though we are both grown-ups now.  Now, I have several more special memories of trips to Mom's to help Susie with the yard work that I bring out and polish as I hang the ornaments on the tree.

This year's Beauty of Birds Ornament   
Time now for me to try to get some rest so I can do all that needs to be done in preparation for Christmas.  This week is the week to remember that amid all the rush and bustle, we are supposed to be happy, to live with joy, because the Gift of Love is being born into the world!  May that Love be in our hearts, may it shine in our smiles, and show in our actions all year long. 
As Bing sang "It's not the things you do at Christmas time, but the Christmas things you do the whole year through."

This year's tree.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

As The Second Week of Advent Begins

 I STILL haven't started on the Christmas Cards, and I have not done any more decorating.  This year, things feel like they are really getting away from me.  There are no lists made, so I am adrift.
Yesterday, I did a bit more decorating.   The Christmas cards are still sitting untouched on the corner of my desk.  There are songs I should rehearse, for a recital is coming.  I should think about the few gifts I intend to buy, and the tree still needs to go up.
There has been a bit of bah, humbug! about our house this year.   We do not have children,  so there's no one counting on us to do the holidays up big.  However, we DO have our small traditions,  and I will likely put up the tree, we will have a good dinner on Christmas Eve, probably smoked brisket this year, and we will go sing at church as usual.
I have been trying new things lately.  I've found a stylus that actually works with the Android phone and both tablets.  Since it makes typing on the phone easier,  I am using it to test the mobile Blogger app for this post.  I can add photos directly from the phone this way, I hope.
I have added photos of the Christmas lights, the decorations up in the house so far, (including Baby Jesus hiding out in the shot glass in the drawer of the liquor cabinet so we don't lose him before Christmas Eve.)  There's also a shot of tonight's sunset with pretty contrails through the clouds, and a picture of these styluses . (Styli?)
That's about all I got tonight.  More as the season progresses.
Sunset from the library parking lot this evening.  Lovely bright contrails.
The Christmas lights this year.
Decorations here
Decorations there,
Decorations on the mantle,
Manger on the piano, awaiting Baby Jesus
Baby Jesus waiting safely in the liquor cabinet until Christmas Eve
The beautiful, useful styli. Also ballpoint pens.




So, now that I have saved what I typed on the phone, I had to come back to the desktop interface to finish it up properly for posting.  I could post short bits from the phone, with maybe one picture, but for my usual posts, the desktop with my trusty keyboard and more powerful text editor are going to be my tools of choice. 
As for the Christmas decorations and our unusual seasonal ennui, I guess I'll just have to work on it!  
 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Found Poems Quickly Posted

Vanity
By C.K. Armistead
December 2014

Vanity
Suffering for fashion
Yet most of the time
There is no pain
And I feel so good
About myself
The extra time
And slight pain
Become very much worth it.

Exercise
Working hard
Sweating
Challenging my body
Pulls the excess pounds off
Makes me stronger
Helps my singing
Makes me feel good
AND look good.


Passing Time
By C.K. Armistead

Once, time seemed endless
So many, many years
Spread out before me.
Time enough to dream
And make dreams come true.
Now, days seem far too shrot
TIme has collapsed
Dreams are a luxury
The ones realized
A tremendous gift.
So many things still to do
Books to read,
Poems to write,
Places to explore,
People to meet.
I fear my idle nature
Has left me
With too little time
And too few resources
To get it all done...

A Poem That Begged to Be Written

By C.K Armistead 12/4/2014

What year is it?
And how is it that
Young black men still die
For no good reason
At the hands of those
Whose authority
We are supposed to trust?
Why is it that no one
Is brought to account
For breaking that trust?
Is this the Old South,
The age of Jim Crow
Come again to mock
Our assertions of Liberty
And Justice for ALL?
It cannot be so.
Laws abolished that
Abomination.
And yet...
The shame that should be
Behind us
Appears to face us again.
The ugliness of hate
Dares show itself
Among us.
Old wounds ripped open
And salt rubbed on them.
What of those like
Rosa Parks, Dr. King,
President Kennedy,
Robert Kennedy,
And many others
Who fought the injustice
And brought the changes
We had seen?
Were their sacrifices,
Their very lives,
In vain?
Shouldn't Justice now
Be something ALL
Can count on?
Shouldn't EVERYONE
Be free
To walk about without
Fear?
For if ANY are denied Justice,
If ANY are treated
With disdain and
Subjected to such
Terrors
We ALL are.
NONE are safe.
And those of us who still dare
To dream of this land
As free and fair
Weep for that dream
Still deferred.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Of Books, Birthday Cards, Backaches, and Advent

I am almost done with the cataloging of the physical books I own.  In fact, before I post this tonight, I will have finished the cookbooks.  (I'm taking a break, see "Backaches" mentioned above.) 
There are over 900 books so far.  I am not cataloging the books in Matt's office.  That's HIS job, if he wants to do it.  There are almost 300 books on my Nook reader, and I have no idea which ones may already be in the database because I put them in Goodreads when I read them.  Just going to have to type those ISBNs in and see what I get.

I have an AWFUL lot of books about writing.  I have a lot of books on prayer, too.  Of course, I have a LOT of music books, too.  The cookbook collection trumps them all, though.  I have two bookcases in the dining room full of cookbooks.  I also have several cookbooks on my Nook.  The ones on the Nook are nice because you can keyword search the contents.  EASY to find a recipe.  Downside is, gotta find a way to protect the device while you use it in the kitchen.  Not usually too big a deal.  If I know it's going to be a situation where flour will be flying, or there may be splatters, I put the Nook on the far side of the peninsula, or on the dining table, and I walk over and write down the next few steps so as to avoid damage.

Back from finishing the cookbooks.  Database book count now at 1,013.  That is all of the physical books, plus a few digital ones.  Now for the Birthday Cards. 


I make the cards for the staff birthdays at the library where I work.  My Hallmark Card Software updated today, so along with the cards I feel qualified (ie I know the people well enough) to make custom, I have new prefab cards to choose from.  It is refreshing to be able to access new content.  Sometimes I just can't come up with a good custom card, even when I know the person pretty well.  Can't make the idea work, usually.  I try to touch on their hobbies or favorite entertainers when I make cards. I'll be back when I finish the cards for December birthdays, I HOPE!

I made it!  It isn't even midnight yet! Yay!  All the December birthday cards are done. Including a couple that I apparently didn't  need to make for a couple of our police officers who used to work security for us.  Hmm.  Oh, well, I can still have people sign the one card and I'll mail it to the police station. 

My back feels a lot better now that I'm no longer crawling around on the floor pulling books off bottom shelves, scanning them, and putting them back.  My left leg hurts, but that's the way I've been sitting here. 


It is officially Advent.  The season of preparation for Christmas in the more liturgical Christian traditions.  (Catholic, Episcopalian, some Lutheran, some Methodist, and some Presbyterian congregations.)  At  our house, it means that Christmas decorations trickle in slowly.  Today, I put the December quilt square on the door in the entry hall.  It was made by my Mom and is hand quilted.  It's a wreath, very seasonal.  Tomorrow, the jingly bells that go on the doorknobs may show up, and maybe some stuffed animals.  I like to prepare carefully for Christmas, not rush it.  We don't do it up really big anymore, but we have friends and special food, and we put up the tree eventually.  No kids in our house, so it's easier to be more meditative about it.
The one thing that may panic me is, I haven't done Christmas cards yet!  Gotta get on that, I used to always do them the day after Thanksgiving, but this year, I had The Book Cataloging Project. 

The hour grows late, it's cold in here, and I am more than tired. 
If you stuck with me this far, I thank you.