A lonely Jew at Christmas
sacramento.metblogs.com
Man, this time of year is always tough for a nice Jewish girl like me (if any Jewish mothers are reading this site and have a handsome son for me, please comment back). It makes it even harder when certain items that are used to celebrate the season have no place in the mainstream shopping malls or even specialty stores. I'm not asking for equity in holiday items or displays in stores, just throw me a freakin bone!
I went to no less than TEN stores yesterday in search of a dreidel and came up empty-handed. . Rest assured "War on Christmas" believers, there were ornaments and decorations, and clothes and games and slippers and all things Christmas at each of these stores. I've come to terms with the holiday season and can sit back and enjoy a good holiday tune or two, but it's nearly impossible not to feel alienated when not one of the stores you normally shop at will even recognize that your religion and holiday exist.
Real vs. fake Christmas trees
donteattheshrimp.blogspot.com
The Fight Before Christmas: Real Trees vs. Fakes - WSJ.com: "`To look at it from a distance, you wouldn't know it was fake,'" .
Is a fake tree more "convenient?" Probably yes, especially if you live in a place where storage isn't a problem for the other 11 months of the year. Real trees shed needles, sometimes have creatures in them (we had a bird's nest last year), need to be watered and aren't perfect.
This article was most likely pitched by "The National Christmas Tree Association" whose site is chock full of useful information such as: "Actually fake trees were invented by a company who made toilet bowl brushes, the Addis Brush Company. Regardless of how far the technology has come, it's still interesting to know the first fake Christmas trees were really just big green toilet bowl brushes."
Even if you aren't turned off by the toilet bowl argument, the thing is that if we are making everything "easier" we may miss some of the ride. We had a great time this year going up to a Christmas tree farm, my girls helping pick out the tree and chase each other around in the dirt. That was much more fun than going out to the garage and getting the box of tree.
Helping hand
millers_time.typepad.com
Lindsay Giambattista, a 15-year-old in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has started a ministry that reaches out to teenage girls living in the foster care system. . Her idea is to give local girls a chance to receive designer clothes at absolutely no cost. It is her plan to one day have a similar store in all 50 states.
With everything going on in the world, it was refreshing to see this kind of story in the news. . [I]t was evident that Lindsay was a believer and that Taylor's Closet was Christ centered. The Web site for Taylor's Closet highlights Matthew 25:36: I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.
Currently, Taylor's Closet is accepting donations via U.S. mail, but they are working to put a donation button on the site soon. If you are looking to make one last year-end donation, this looks like a very worthy charity.
Winter in Sacto
jmsamuels.blogspot.com
Yep, it's a seasonal theme lately. And winter has definitely arrived. Not the typical rainy, gray winter that we expect, but rather a COLD winter. Yes, COLD. Because 28 degrees . is COLD no matter whether you're in New England . or even sunny Northern California.
Scooter apparel for mornings like this - wool knee socks, jeans, ankle boots, turtleneck, wool sweater, leather jacket, scarf, peacoat, gloves. And my hands were still white by the time I got to class for my Spanish final this morning. Yes, Virginia, there IS cold weather in Northern California. Winter has arrived.
The behavior of adults
www.phoblographer.com
An astounding 95 percent of Americans - even women born way back in the 40s, says the article - have engaged in pre-marital sex. Older generations just weren't as open about it. Or perhaps TV wasn't. Regardless, the study is touted as yet another reason Bush's abstinence-only programs are silly.
However you feel about the main subject of this article and study, I hope you noted the following paragraphs (READER WARNING: irony or hypocrisy sensitive readers may wish to skip this part):
"Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defended the abstinence-only approach for teenagers. . He insisted there was no federal mission against premarital sex among adults. `Absolutely not,' Horn said. `The Bush administration does not believe the government should be regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults.'"
Really? The administration doesn't believe in regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults? Of ANY adults? I'm having a rather difficult time believing that statement.
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