Bracing for Impact

I’m not sure how many pictures of the Solstice bonfire I can get away with, but I’m absolutely smitten with them so I’m going to chance posting another one and reserving the right to post a couple more. Perhaps as long as it’s still December?

This one captures one of our children’s favorite Solstice Eve activities. I can’t claim originality for it seeing as Yaya learned about it last year at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, but it’s a BIG deal. The kids throw small cups full of sugar on the fire as they share their wishes for the new year (heck, adults could too). The resultant whoosh of the fire as pictured here elicits squeals of delight, multiple turns at making wishes, and will continue until the sugar I brought is all gone.

I feel like the whoosh of the fire is coming seeing as my in-laws will be arriving in less than twenty-four hours. I like my in-laws just fine just like I think the dentist is a nice guy, but I don’t love spending time with either of them. It has a lot to do with how I felt as my in-laws fought against my relationship with their son and then how much they over-stepped their bounds when we were first married (and first parents).

Yes, yes, yes, I know. Get over it already, right? We just don’t have much in common – didn’t have much in come then either. My husband and his father will be busy making furniture for the kids and I’m thankful for all that entails, but I’ll be left alone…with my mother-in-law…who recently learned that she’s mildly allergic to most everything you might want to eat.

The allergy part I can handle. This is a problem we could solve together and I don’t mind making the dietary changes while they’re visiting. We did it for my Dad several years ago. In my family that’s just what you do. You ask your sibling(s) to be in the wedding party and you accommodate food allergies so that all are included in the meal. The passive-agressive, moping, don’t put yourself out while I mope in the corner part? Not so much.

All these years later and I still don’t think we get each other. At all.

(Though, while reading a feminist blog this afternoon I had a mini-epiphany about my mother-in-law and I suppose myself to a certain degree. As much as I think my mother-in-law pretty much always gets her own way, it’s dawned on me that she seldom does so through asking. It’s always tears and not-so-subtle manipulation. I don’t know that she would be easier to deal with if she flat out asked, but it feels like I’d have more respect for her wishes, and sympathetic to her plights, if she were more upfront about them. As for the insights about myself – I’m not really all that much better at communicating what I want with others let alone my husband and can so see myself slipping into her patterns. Mirror. Me.)

Merry Solstice Eve!

As the Wheel of the Year spins again, may you and your family be filled with the wonder and magic of Yule.  Most of all, may your new year be filled with light and love. Blessed be!

The Holiday Scuffle

The penchant for Christians to mumble and complain in this country about a so-called “War on Christmas” or whatever other imaginary persecution they come up with (not so ironic given that Christians in this country still remain a majority), often leaves me mumbling to myself.  I had thought about creating some sort of witty post about it with a few choice words over the inanity, but then I loaded my RSS reader the other day and discovered that someone else had already done a better job than I would have.

So, in lieu of my own post, let me instead send you on over to The Whimsical Cottage for her thoughts on “The War over Winter” (though, if you are overly sensitive to certain words, consider yourself warned).

For those so inclined, she has a fantastically unique Etsy shop of the same name.  If I ever had to come up with a list of gift ideas for myself, I think I could just provide a link to her shop and call it a day.

The Last Candle for Advent – Merry Christmas!

On this Christmas Eve Day we light the twenty-fourth candle on our Advent spiral and look back on where we’ve been.  We remember that the First Sunday and week in Advent (November 26th) was about hope, the Second Sunday and week in Advent (December 5th) was about peace, the Third Sunday and week in Advent (December 12th) was about joy, and the Fourth Sunday and week in Advent (December 19th) was about love.  Today is about Christ.

We pray -

Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.

St. Augustine of Hippo

And we read Luke 2:1-20 -

^1-5About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

^6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

And we remind ourselves that “[t]he Ancient of Days has become an infant.  He who sits upon the sublime and heavenly throne now lies in a manger….[H]e has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and abject humiliation the measure of his goodness….Because God is now on earth, and man is in heaven; on every side all things commingle.  He has come on earth, while being fully in heaven; and while complete in heaven, he is without diminution on earth.  Though he was God, he became man, not denying himself to be God.  Though being the unchanging Word, he became flesh that he might dwell among us…..To Him, then, who out of confusion has wrought a clear path; to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever.  Amen.” (from “Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas“)

Many thanks  to ChurchYear.net for their wonderful Advent resource that makes up the vast majority of our family’s personal liturgy.

Celebrating Advent – Crystals and the Light

As part of our Advent celebration, we took a day for crystals of many different shapes and sizes.  Our first project as to get the Borax Crystal Christmas Ornament experiment under way.  The kids helped me select the colors of pipe cleaners that we should use and tried their hand at twisting shapes together.  Seriously, if it wasn’t for the metal factor, I’d gladly spend $2.10 on what would likely be hours of pipe cleaner fun.  In the end I did most of the pipe cleaner twisting as it required a bit more small motor skill than the kids were able to muster.  It was a bit difficult to get them to be satisfied with the number of ornaments we had created.  They had plans, though, for giving them as gifts to our neighbors and family as well as decorating our trees (including L’s “tree with breakable duff on it”) so it was of the utmost importance that we have enough.

We actually had an issue with the ratio of containers to ornaments meaning that I had to find a way to hang multiple ornaments in each container.  We set our ornaments aside and returned two hours later to find…crystals!  Super nifty!

To carry on with our crystal theme we also took the remainder of the “melons” (aka oranges) from the fridge and made the candied orange peel recipe from this blog.  Both J and L found them super tasty!  We’re thinking of taking the candied orange peels and using them to make chocolate covered pretzel rods studded with the peels.  I thought they looked a bit like sunshine on a plate – the perfect antidote to the darker days so prevalent in Winter.

Oranges have a traditional significance in the Christmas and Winter celebrations of the past.  In some regions they functioned similar to apples as fertility symbols and reminders of the sun.  The sun, of course, being a central focus to Winter holidays in Europe.  I can imagine that the declining hours of sunlight would have been frightening for early Europeans who would not have had the understanding of why it was happening.  The German tradition of hanging glass Christmas balls on the tree finds its roots in these practices.  Oranges would also have been considered a sign of affluence as citrus fruit was not readily available like it is today.

The symbolism is definitely lost on the kids.  They’re far more interested in the process of crystallization and the sweet taste of sugar on their lips.  As for me?  I welcome the symbolism and the bits of brightness along the way.  Winter is far too long, too cold, and too dark not to notice.  It matters little to me whether Jesus was actually born in December.  I could care less that December 25th was the European missionaries’ attempt at usurping the place of Saturnalia or any other similar celebration in Europe (wise on their part considering the fact that it’s easier to win people over when your big holiday falls on the same day as theirs).

The simple fact of the matter is that the winter ebb and flow of light (and cold…gosh it’s cold!) can help us to remember the Light that came to Earth.  The cycle of the Church year and the practice of counting down through Advent can help to center our hearts and mind.  As we watch for the Light, we remember:

If everyone were holy and handsome, alter Christus shining in neon lighting from them, it would be easy to see Christ in everyone.  If Mary had appeared in Bethlehem clothed, as St. John says, with the sun, a crown of twelve stars on her head, and the moon under her feet, then people would have fought to make room for her.  But that was not God’s way for her, nor is it Christ’s way for himself, now when he is disguised under every type of humanity that treads the earth.

- Dorothy Day

Counting Down to Christmas – The Fourth Sunday in Advent

On this fourth Sunday in Advent we light the nineteenth candle on our Advent spiral and see we haven’t far to go.  We remember that the First Sunday and week in Advent (November 26th) was about hope, the Second Sunday and week in Advent (December 5th) was about peace, and the Third Sunday and week in Advent (December 12th) was about joy.  This week is about love.

We pray -

O Emmanuel, Jesus Christ,
desire of every nation,
Savior of all peoples,
come and dwell among us.

O King of all nations, Jesus Christ,
only joy of every heart,
come and save your people.

O Key of David, Jesus Christ,
the gates of heaven open at your command,
come and show us the way to salvation.

O Wisdom, holy Word of God, Jesus Christ,
all things are in your hands,
come and show us the way to salvation.

(From Christmas Prayers, Victor Hoagland, C.P.)

And we read Isaiah 52:7-10 -

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all’s well,
proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,
telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,
shouting in joyful unison.
They see with their own eyes
God coming back to Zion.
Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem:
“God has comforted his people!
He’s redeemed Jerusalem!”
God has rolled up his sleeves.
All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm.
Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other,
sees him at work, doing his salvation work.

And we remind ourselves that Jesus taught us to pray “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  What greater example of love can one find than the willingness to forgive?

Many thanks  to ChurchYear.net for their wonderful Advent resource that makes up the vast majority of our family’s personal liturgy.

Music for Friday – You Found Me

I’ve been a bit short on Folk Music for Fridays lately.  I’ll probably take the rest of the year off (ha!), but thought I’d share this one today.

Celebrating Advent – In Search of the Familiar

I’m not sure what’s more quintessential to most classic holiday rituals than the search for the familiar.  The things that we eat, the things that we wear, the people that we spend time with – the comfort that comes with the familiar wraps around you.  Just one of the many ways that we experience an abstract concept like home.

Haves, Have Nots, and Who is to Blame

It’s probably not surprising, but the interplay between The Haves and the Have Nots often weighs heavily on my mind.  Classify it as bleeding heart liberal syndrome if you must, but I find it difficult to escape the responsibility that we all bear in helping those Jesus classically referred to as “the least of these.”  The continual caricature of those in our society who fall along the bottom rungs of the ladder as somehow less than us or lazier than most irritates me to no end.  It’s a caricature for a reason – hyperbole, generalization, prejudice.

Advent typically magnifies the discomfort within me.  Advent in a recession is probably a double whammy as I think it apt to consider what Jesus meant by “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Hint:  Something entirely different I suspect than the most powerful folks among us who consider themselves Christians.

I think Laura Conway painted the picture best:

What seems more likely, at least to me, is that Americans will consign our broken health system to the list of problems on which politics has no bearing. Our worldview tends toward believing that what’s wrong with our economy is not our government’s choices but China. And what’s wrong with our schools is not our policies about families and funding, but with parents’ character. And what’s wrong with health reform is not that our system relies on for-profit insurance companies, but that insurers are doing us wrong. It’s no recipe for a long-term political solution.

It’s not a recipe for a long-term solution of any kind and this focus on “individual responsibility” as if all of our ills are due to some sort of moral failing is a distraction at best and something far more sinister at worse.  It’s not a narrative that has served us well in the past and I fear where it will deliver us in the months and years to come.

Counting Down to Christmas – The Third Sunday in Advent

On this third Sunday in Advent we light the twelfth candle on our Advent spiral and remember back on how far we’ve come.  Is it really possible that we’re already half way there?  We remember that the First Sunday and week in Advent (November 26th) was about hope and the Second Sunday and week in Advent (December 5th) was about peace.  This week is about joy.

We pray -

O Emmanuel, Jesus Christ,
desire of every nation,
Savior of all peoples,
come and dwell among us.

O King of all nations, Jesus Christ,
only joy of every heart,
come and save your people.

O Key of David, Jesus Christ,
the gates of heaven open at your command,
come and show us the way to salvation.

And we read Isaiah 9:1-7 -

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this.

And we remind ourselves that Jesus taught us to pray “give us today our daily bread.”  We live in the First World and have more than so many others.  We never worry over where our next meal will come from and so often forget to be thankful – joyful for that very basic fact.  We’re called to share and know we’ll find joy in the process.

Many thanks  to ChurchYear.net for their wonderful Advent resource that makes up the vast majority of our family’s personal liturgy.