I hate it when the microwave in my office tells me "Enjoy your meal" when it is done. When did machinery get so... bossy?
I'm tired and I don't think there is enough coffee in the world to keep me going today, but as usual there is a lot on my plate so, "suck it up, buttercup".
This year the holidays are bringing out the humbug in me. I seem to be going through the motions without the joy . I need to find my Merry Christmas, you know? A lot of people are feeling that way this year. I was talking to one of my co-workers about how Christmas seems to bring a sense of obligation to some people, they have to give gifts to people when they really don't want to be bothered or they have to go to parties. Sometimes it's "the cost of doing business" and you need to do certain things. It's hard sometimes to put a happy face on it and go along. Sometimes when you do that, the situation becomes much nicer than you thought it would be. I was thinking about Jacob Marley "I wear the chain I forged in life." I wonder what "chain" a lot of people drag with them through life and how we can make it lighter.
I found, via Pandora, a singer I am enjoying. Her name is Corrinne May. Her voice is so sweet and clear, like a crystal bell. I am listening to her Christmas album, "The Gift" , or part of it, on youtube. I really need to buy it, so I have it.
I think I am finished baking cookies, at least for now. I will probably make a huge batch of fudgies for Christmas and maybe one kind of cookie. I need to see what my husband would like me to do, He is so sweet about helping me. This year I baked less than usual. My oven is quirky and burned some things. Probably needs a new thermostat. Gotta talk to the landlord. I made, sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, fruit cake, cranberry bread, haystacks, fudgies and fudge. I made chocolate chip cakes for my office mates. Taking it to work today, so I'd better pack and scoot. I have to get to the parking lot before 8:30 to get the discounted price!
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Christmas music
I know I talked about "Christmas Music" that isn't really Christmas Music ( I forgot to mention "My Favorite things" from the Sound of Music, love the song, just not about Christmas)
I have been trying to get into the Christmas spirit, by listening to music that evokes the religious aspect of the holiday. I caught the tail end of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" last night, where Linus reads from Luke to remind Charlie Brown what Christmas is REALLY about; not presents and Santa or parties, but love. If you follow the Christian faith, Jesus birth was an act of God's great love for us. At Christmas, we should remember that and try to send that love out into the world, shouldn't we? Maybe try to remember to "keep Christmas in your heart all year long" as some hokey Hallmark movie told us to do. But it's true. At Christmas, we try to be nicer to one another. I look at this as a time of reflection and to say "thank you" to people who have been with me throughout the year. The tradition of obligatory gifts smacks me as wrong. My gifts, albeit baked things mostly these days, are gifts from my heart. I hope people enjoy them.
But as usual, I digress from my main thought which is, what songs are resonating with me this year. I heard a song called "The Answer" yesterday on Pandora. So beautiful, I need to look up the artist and get her music. Not a Christmas song either, but one about faith and love.
I have been singing "The First Noel" and "What Child Is This" in the car. I need to find my Holiday Harmony cd from my favorite band in the world, America. They have a beautiful rendition of "The First Noel" Some of the songs on the cd irritate me, but that one and "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" does it for me. I have said it before and it bears repeating that it is NOT Christmas in my house until Nat King Cole sings "The Christmas Song" aka "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire". Chris made me stop what I was doing last night and just sit quietly and hold his hand while the song played. He saw that I needed to slow down a bit. I am too busy these days and need the quiet moments, no matter how brief. I think I need to do less and in the coming months will be looking at just how to do that!
I have been trying to get into the Christmas spirit, by listening to music that evokes the religious aspect of the holiday. I caught the tail end of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" last night, where Linus reads from Luke to remind Charlie Brown what Christmas is REALLY about; not presents and Santa or parties, but love. If you follow the Christian faith, Jesus birth was an act of God's great love for us. At Christmas, we should remember that and try to send that love out into the world, shouldn't we? Maybe try to remember to "keep Christmas in your heart all year long" as some hokey Hallmark movie told us to do. But it's true. At Christmas, we try to be nicer to one another. I look at this as a time of reflection and to say "thank you" to people who have been with me throughout the year. The tradition of obligatory gifts smacks me as wrong. My gifts, albeit baked things mostly these days, are gifts from my heart. I hope people enjoy them.
But as usual, I digress from my main thought which is, what songs are resonating with me this year. I heard a song called "The Answer" yesterday on Pandora. So beautiful, I need to look up the artist and get her music. Not a Christmas song either, but one about faith and love.
I have been singing "The First Noel" and "What Child Is This" in the car. I need to find my Holiday Harmony cd from my favorite band in the world, America. They have a beautiful rendition of "The First Noel" Some of the songs on the cd irritate me, but that one and "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" does it for me. I have said it before and it bears repeating that it is NOT Christmas in my house until Nat King Cole sings "The Christmas Song" aka "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire". Chris made me stop what I was doing last night and just sit quietly and hold his hand while the song played. He saw that I needed to slow down a bit. I am too busy these days and need the quiet moments, no matter how brief. I think I need to do less and in the coming months will be looking at just how to do that!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
I'm making a list and checking it twice
These days, I can't seem to remember all the things I need to do, so I have become a list-maker extraordinaire. At work, I have little "p-slips" as they used to be called with stuff to do all over them. When I complete the task, I toss it in the recycle bin. Very satisfying at the end of the day to toss all those notes in the bin. At home I make a list of things and put it by the computer. I check things off and cross them out and when I am done I recycle that list too. Sometimes I don't get everything on the list done and have to decide whether to forget about doing it or transfer it to a new list.
I do too much.
I admit it. There is too much on my plate and I have NO idea how NOT to do what I think I need to do. Today I am baking cookies, packing and driving out to my daughter's house. We are supposed to go shopping at the outlets and then I am coming home tomorrow. It's a lot of driving. I am not looking forward to it, but I AM looking forward to seeing my little Squeaker. Just to snuggle a bit with my boy. He's getting big and doing all kinds of things.
How did Christmas get here so fast?
I am so not ready for it. I am trying to get into the "Christmas Spirit" but the pace of my life these days will not slow down enough for me to enjoy it. As a child, Christmas couldn't get here soon enough. As an adult,it's here before you know it. I've done SOME of my shopping, but the real baking can't begin until next week and I have three days to do it. I need to make a list ( see, a list!) of what I need to bake and what I need them for, so I can get myself scheduled and bake efficiently. Traditionally, I make oatmeal, chocolate chip and sugar cookies. I make fudgies for my husband and haystacks. I bake fruitcake that people REALLY like, and pumpkin bread and brownie bites. This year I am adding the five-minute fudge to the mix. I will probably be baking cookies Monday and Tuesday, the breads on Wednesday. I don't need to make as much as I have done in the past; one year I baked 90 dozen. This year maybe 5-6 dozen of each will do. My list will help! I usually give to neighbors and friends and take some in to work.
Want some cookies? Let me know! I'll add you to my list.
I do too much.
I admit it. There is too much on my plate and I have NO idea how NOT to do what I think I need to do. Today I am baking cookies, packing and driving out to my daughter's house. We are supposed to go shopping at the outlets and then I am coming home tomorrow. It's a lot of driving. I am not looking forward to it, but I AM looking forward to seeing my little Squeaker. Just to snuggle a bit with my boy. He's getting big and doing all kinds of things.
How did Christmas get here so fast?
I am so not ready for it. I am trying to get into the "Christmas Spirit" but the pace of my life these days will not slow down enough for me to enjoy it. As a child, Christmas couldn't get here soon enough. As an adult,it's here before you know it. I've done SOME of my shopping, but the real baking can't begin until next week and I have three days to do it. I need to make a list ( see, a list!) of what I need to bake and what I need them for, so I can get myself scheduled and bake efficiently. Traditionally, I make oatmeal, chocolate chip and sugar cookies. I make fudgies for my husband and haystacks. I bake fruitcake that people REALLY like, and pumpkin bread and brownie bites. This year I am adding the five-minute fudge to the mix. I will probably be baking cookies Monday and Tuesday, the breads on Wednesday. I don't need to make as much as I have done in the past; one year I baked 90 dozen. This year maybe 5-6 dozen of each will do. My list will help! I usually give to neighbors and friends and take some in to work.
Want some cookies? Let me know! I'll add you to my list.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
black, white and stupid
I wonder why people are trying so hard these days to make a racial "thing" out of everything. Isn't there enough REAL racism in the world today without looking for it in anything mentioning a color that is ascribed to a race?
Cases in point:
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, there was a meme going around about how "Black Friday" referred to the selling off of blacks the day after Thanksgiving to other owners, essentially holding a "Fire sale" of humans and how we should NOT participate to honor those slaves. The MAJOR flaw in that thinking is that Abraham Lincoln, remember him- the Emancipation Proclamation guy?- was the one who created Thanksgiving as a national Holiday. So.. there was NO big selling off of blacks, who were called "Negros" as a more common generic term during that period in time, if I remember my history. Black Friday is a term from BUSINESS, meaning that the sales put them "in the black" and they had made a profit. Black ink was a good thing in the ledger book.
A few years ago, Pixar announced it was developing a film, tentatively called "Brave" a small group of Native Americans, without bothering to discern the plot, protested Pixar's exploitation of Native Americans. The film was about a red-haired Scottish girl. There were lot of Scottish stereotypes in the film, but those exist in literature as comic relief or to move the story along, don't they? You don't say everyone behaves this way, but you paint a character with a large and somewhat unbelievable brush to make the tale move.
White Christmas????? There is a huge protest about the singing of the song in New York recently. Uh.... it's about SNOW and a nostalgia for the snowy Christmas of the past. It has nothing to do with pale people like myself celebrating the birth of Christ with only other pale people like myself.
I think we should look at real issues and try not to make a mountain out of a molehill, although I will admit to being hacked off at the term "Paddy Wagon" that was used by LAPD as a St Patrick's Day free ride program. "Paddy" is a pejorative term for an Irishman. Every year I would call and talk to the officer in charge about how insulting that was to Irish people. He didn't care, but eventually they stopped using it. The inference that they needed a special vehicle to lock up all the drunken Irishmen was not something that should have been associated with what is for Irish Catholics, a holy day. Here in America, it's a day to drink green beer.
Don't get me started on the little "Fighting Irish" guy that represents Notre Dame.....
Cases in point:
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, there was a meme going around about how "Black Friday" referred to the selling off of blacks the day after Thanksgiving to other owners, essentially holding a "Fire sale" of humans and how we should NOT participate to honor those slaves. The MAJOR flaw in that thinking is that Abraham Lincoln, remember him- the Emancipation Proclamation guy?- was the one who created Thanksgiving as a national Holiday. So.. there was NO big selling off of blacks, who were called "Negros" as a more common generic term during that period in time, if I remember my history. Black Friday is a term from BUSINESS, meaning that the sales put them "in the black" and they had made a profit. Black ink was a good thing in the ledger book.
A few years ago, Pixar announced it was developing a film, tentatively called "Brave" a small group of Native Americans, without bothering to discern the plot, protested Pixar's exploitation of Native Americans. The film was about a red-haired Scottish girl. There were lot of Scottish stereotypes in the film, but those exist in literature as comic relief or to move the story along, don't they? You don't say everyone behaves this way, but you paint a character with a large and somewhat unbelievable brush to make the tale move.
White Christmas????? There is a huge protest about the singing of the song in New York recently. Uh.... it's about SNOW and a nostalgia for the snowy Christmas of the past. It has nothing to do with pale people like myself celebrating the birth of Christ with only other pale people like myself.
I think we should look at real issues and try not to make a mountain out of a molehill, although I will admit to being hacked off at the term "Paddy Wagon" that was used by LAPD as a St Patrick's Day free ride program. "Paddy" is a pejorative term for an Irishman. Every year I would call and talk to the officer in charge about how insulting that was to Irish people. He didn't care, but eventually they stopped using it. The inference that they needed a special vehicle to lock up all the drunken Irishmen was not something that should have been associated with what is for Irish Catholics, a holy day. Here in America, it's a day to drink green beer.
Don't get me started on the little "Fighting Irish" guy that represents Notre Dame.....
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Keyboard warriors
The Executive Director of my union used the phrase "Keyboard Warrior" to define people who sit and complain on the web or via email, but don't actually DO anything about the problem. In the last week, I have received TWO such missives from people regarding a group I am involved in. I would like to answer them in a snarky way but must maintain my professional distance, however I am feeling a bit evil so here is a generic response.
"Thank you so much for taking time to point out the obvious. Your powers of observation are astonishing. Are you a genius? Without your keen insight to the problem we have been working to resolve for the last several months, we would NEVER have KNOWN there was a problem. Your offer of help.. wait there was no offer of help in your letter...let me start that again.. your solution to the problem was... oh WAIT AGAIN, you didn't OFFER a solution, you just sat at your keyboard and complained. Gee, THAT was helpful of you. I suppose I should just say, thank you for your input. Do you also bring coals to Newcastle?"
There I feel better.
When a problem appears, if I complain to the management, I often am sympathetic and try to offer some sort of remedy. It's something I learned in business practices early on. A co-worker warned me NEVER to go to a certain boss with a problem unless I had one or two possible solutions. He said it showed her that I was thinking about it, not just reacting to it. I am, by nature, a problem solver which has served me well in my current job and in many facets of my life. I hope never to be considered a "Keyboard Warrior" but a do-er in the world.
"Thank you so much for taking time to point out the obvious. Your powers of observation are astonishing. Are you a genius? Without your keen insight to the problem we have been working to resolve for the last several months, we would NEVER have KNOWN there was a problem. Your offer of help.. wait there was no offer of help in your letter...let me start that again.. your solution to the problem was... oh WAIT AGAIN, you didn't OFFER a solution, you just sat at your keyboard and complained. Gee, THAT was helpful of you. I suppose I should just say, thank you for your input. Do you also bring coals to Newcastle?"
There I feel better.
When a problem appears, if I complain to the management, I often am sympathetic and try to offer some sort of remedy. It's something I learned in business practices early on. A co-worker warned me NEVER to go to a certain boss with a problem unless I had one or two possible solutions. He said it showed her that I was thinking about it, not just reacting to it. I am, by nature, a problem solver which has served me well in my current job and in many facets of my life. I hope never to be considered a "Keyboard Warrior" but a do-er in the world.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
"Christmas" songs
Well, it's that time of year again. Everywhere you go they are playing "Christmas " music. Some of it is so awful, I wan to flee the place where I am just to get away from it. It seems everyone who ever sang has recorded some kind of Christmas song. Some of them are quite good. I love James Taylor's "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for instance, but I love James' voice so MOST things he does are just fine with me. We were in a restaurant and they were treating us to "Country" Christmas. Some of it was ok, but one song had so much vibrato on every single note, it was painful. I think it was Carrie Underwood, who has a nice voice in most circumstances. Chris and I leaned in closer to talk to block the noise out.
It got me thinking about the songs we sing at Christmas and what "Christmas" songs are not really about Christmas. I don't mean songs that don't talk about the birth of Jesus, which despite rampant consumerism, is the meaning behind the holiday. The word holiday itself comes from "holy day" , doesn't it? So in no particular order:
Winter Wonderland. Yeah. Go back and listen to it. No mention of Christmas.
Jingle Bells. All about a sleigh ride.
Sleigh Ride. Ditto.
Good King Wenceslas. One of my favorite "carols" to sing when I go caroling, which I have not done in ages. It does not mention Christmas, but does talk about "the Feast of Stephen" which is the day AFTER Christmas.
Let it Snow. It's about a hot date.
Frosty the Snowman. This goes without saying, but it shows up at "Christmas" concerts on a regular basis.
I will be doing my holiday baking in the next week or so. I am baking for the McGroarty Holiday Boutique, where we will be doing a cookie decorating booth on Sunday; Saturday is the Chili-bowl sale and a bake sale. I am not sure what I am baking for that, depends on my mood, I suppose. I will be listening to Christmas music as I bake. As always, Nat King Cole will usher in the season for me. It is NOT Christmas in my house until Nat sings. I bake a lot over the holidays. I know I will be baking my mom's fruitcake. Before you knee-jerk about fruitcake, I have to tell you it's really good ( or I wouldn't bake it, you don't catch me making stollen, which is just god-awful) Stop by the house and I will load you up on cookies!
It got me thinking about the songs we sing at Christmas and what "Christmas" songs are not really about Christmas. I don't mean songs that don't talk about the birth of Jesus, which despite rampant consumerism, is the meaning behind the holiday. The word holiday itself comes from "holy day" , doesn't it? So in no particular order:
Winter Wonderland. Yeah. Go back and listen to it. No mention of Christmas.
Jingle Bells. All about a sleigh ride.
Sleigh Ride. Ditto.
Good King Wenceslas. One of my favorite "carols" to sing when I go caroling, which I have not done in ages. It does not mention Christmas, but does talk about "the Feast of Stephen" which is the day AFTER Christmas.
Let it Snow. It's about a hot date.
Frosty the Snowman. This goes without saying, but it shows up at "Christmas" concerts on a regular basis.
I will be doing my holiday baking in the next week or so. I am baking for the McGroarty Holiday Boutique, where we will be doing a cookie decorating booth on Sunday; Saturday is the Chili-bowl sale and a bake sale. I am not sure what I am baking for that, depends on my mood, I suppose. I will be listening to Christmas music as I bake. As always, Nat King Cole will usher in the season for me. It is NOT Christmas in my house until Nat sings. I bake a lot over the holidays. I know I will be baking my mom's fruitcake. Before you knee-jerk about fruitcake, I have to tell you it's really good ( or I wouldn't bake it, you don't catch me making stollen, which is just god-awful) Stop by the house and I will load you up on cookies!
Monday, December 1, 2014
What happened to manners?
I swear, I think I am getting old. I wonder these days what ever happened to common civility and manners. Can I blame technology?
People walk down the street with their eyes glued to the screen on their phone; they don't look where they are going. When you say, rather loudly "EXCUSE ME" before they barrel into you, they look up and often times as not GLARE at you, as if YOU are the problem. Heaven forbid you should interrupt their VERY IMPORTANT text message about a sale at Macy's.... My husband calls it the Zombie apocalypse.
More than once this weekend, in restaurants, I have wanted to walk over to grown adults and say "USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE" This is particularly true of people who still do the "cell yell" I am not sitting with you, I don't need to hear the details of your conversation from across the room. One woman was having a conversation with a woman she was sitting with at a tiny table that was so loud I wondered if she were talking on her cell phone, but no she was shouting at her dinner companion about a party she was planning. I wanted to ask her what time we should all be there and what I should bring.
As we approach the frantic holiday season, even the grocery store is hard to navigate. Every year I complain that there is so much CRAP piled in the aisles that you can't get a cart down it. I have been know to move displays to the center of the aisle to get to the thing one the shelf - that is NOT what is in the display- and LEAVE IT THERE. Complaint to the store, only result in change for the moment. Once they had so much product piled in front of the shelves you couldn't GET to the shelves. Any of them in this particular aisle. I realize you may have too much stock, but you aren't going to sell it that way. Sometimes I worry that the place is a fire hazard, or the Collyer Mansion.
My invisibility superpower is in full force in the stores. Yesterday, this woman sailed her cart down the center of the aisle, almost hitting me. "EXCUSE ME! I called out to her, as proper manners SHOULD have elicited a similar response, but NO, she didn't even acknowledge my presence. Hmm, I wonder how I can use this superpower for good in the coming month of holiday insanity. I have to think about that one.
People walk down the street with their eyes glued to the screen on their phone; they don't look where they are going. When you say, rather loudly "EXCUSE ME" before they barrel into you, they look up and often times as not GLARE at you, as if YOU are the problem. Heaven forbid you should interrupt their VERY IMPORTANT text message about a sale at Macy's.... My husband calls it the Zombie apocalypse.
More than once this weekend, in restaurants, I have wanted to walk over to grown adults and say "USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE" This is particularly true of people who still do the "cell yell" I am not sitting with you, I don't need to hear the details of your conversation from across the room. One woman was having a conversation with a woman she was sitting with at a tiny table that was so loud I wondered if she were talking on her cell phone, but no she was shouting at her dinner companion about a party she was planning. I wanted to ask her what time we should all be there and what I should bring.
As we approach the frantic holiday season, even the grocery store is hard to navigate. Every year I complain that there is so much CRAP piled in the aisles that you can't get a cart down it. I have been know to move displays to the center of the aisle to get to the thing one the shelf - that is NOT what is in the display- and LEAVE IT THERE. Complaint to the store, only result in change for the moment. Once they had so much product piled in front of the shelves you couldn't GET to the shelves. Any of them in this particular aisle. I realize you may have too much stock, but you aren't going to sell it that way. Sometimes I worry that the place is a fire hazard, or the Collyer Mansion.
My invisibility superpower is in full force in the stores. Yesterday, this woman sailed her cart down the center of the aisle, almost hitting me. "EXCUSE ME! I called out to her, as proper manners SHOULD have elicited a similar response, but NO, she didn't even acknowledge my presence. Hmm, I wonder how I can use this superpower for good in the coming month of holiday insanity. I have to think about that one.
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