To Tree or Not to Tree?

Filed Under being creative, lil things, plans, pop culture | 5 Comments

After carefully reading this MSN article (sent by my friend Sabby) about whether fake trees are the “green” choice, I am really in a quandary. This was going to be the first year I had a Christmas/Winter tree* and I was planning on getting a fake one. Reasons: 1) I have no idea how to take care of a live tree - I’ve never lived in a household where Christmas was celebrated; 2) I don’t have a vehicle large enough to go get one, unless it’s tiny, 3) I don’t want to deal with having to discard/dispose of the tree.

I didn’t consider it a more “green” option simply because I live in the Pacific NW, land of the Douglas Fir, and I’ve seen enough fir tree farms to know that those commercials depicting rosy cheeked families tramping off into the wilderness with an ax and a 4-wheel drive is not how most Christmas trees are born.

Sooo … what do I do? I was kind of looking forward to a tree. The Winter tree idea I read about from a co-blogger several years ago. She and her kids had a Winter tree that they decorate - not with shiny balls and santa clauses (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but with things they’d collected from the outside - you know, things that are from the winter. This blogger is a homeschooler and she’d take the kids on little nature runs and the tree would be decorated with their finds. I thought that was awesome, and I *have* been trying to get more into celebrating the seasons.

Unfortunately, I suck at celebrations. I’ve given up on Kwanzaa for the time being (that’s a long story). And now that I’m thrown for a loop what kind of tree - if any - to get, I feel in limbo.

I lack any kind of imagination about these sorts of things.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Nov

28

Was it SAD or Was I Just Sad?

Filed Under small happinesses | 3 Comments

It’s another gray, and rainy day in the Pacific NW, and I’m loving it. Every year for the last decade (at least), I start to get the blues right after Halloween. That’s typically when the beautiful autumnal weather transforms from “ooh, Sweaters!” to “my Hands are going to Ice Over and fall off in Chunks!” And day after day of gray skies darken my world.

*cue Emo music*

But this year - so far - I don’t feel bummed at all. I thought I had Seasonal Affective Disorder. What the hell happened? I guess we’ll see how I’m handling this come January, after a solid month of dreary weather, but for the past few days I’ve been welcoming this winter weather - looking forward to being at home, putting up my first ~~Christmas~~ Winter Tree, making low-carb stews, instituting Auntie Hafidha’s DayCare for my nieces and nephew over the winter break, and catching up on my reading. And definitely not traveling. After this weekend, I’m not going anywhere for at least a month!

So why do I want to be home, here in cloudy Portland in the most depressing months (December and January)? Why, instead of down, do I feel so up?

Popularity: 18% [?]

Nov

21

Hate the News

Filed Under away from home, current affairs, media, rants | 1 Comment

I cannot believe the so-called quality of news reporting. Am currently watching CNN’s Prime News and apparently it’s big news that several people have been arrested for the killing of Natalee Holloway. The police have said they have “new evidence” but haven’t yet revealed what that is. So I love how the newscaster gets a newspaper editor from Aruba on the line and proceeds to ask her, “Any ideas what that new evidence is?”

No, the woman does not.

Later, a story on two young brothers (ages 4 and 7) outside of Chicago, whose father is suspected of setting them on fire in a “botched murder suicide attempt.” The father hasn’t been charged with anything, and teachers, neighbors, and family all seem shocked, but the newscaster is very excited to report: a friend of the wife’s family reports that in 1997, the wife expressed that there were some problems in the marriage - which (*hint, hint*) was arranged.

*pulling hair out*

Some celebrity rag may have broken the news about Dennis Quaid’s twins (who, by the way, were birthed by a surrogate mom, just in case you needed to know) being given a dangerously high dose of Heparin, a blood thinner. So of course it makes total sense to bring on two doctors, unrelated to Cedars-Sinai where this screw up occurred - and ask them, “How did this happen?!”

And then the most recent story I saw was about a NY police officer who doesn’t understand what could be “offensive” or “political” about having a license plate that says GETOSAMA. He blames it on the Department of Motor Vehicle’s lack of patriotism. He says the proposed plates are his way of expressing “support for the troops.” Hmm. Maybe GOSOLDR was taken.

Whew! The grandparents are out of the room - I think we can change the channel!

p.s. I Love Lucy is still funny after all these decades.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Nov

21

Seven Things I’ve Learned in LA

Filed Under away from home, lil things, small happinesses | 3 Comments

List follows:

What some residents refer to as fog I would refer to as smog.
White people really do seem to be the minority - at least on the freeways.
If you live here, you should get a car you really like, because you’ll be spending a lot of time in it.
Retirees are a lot of fun!
What limes look like on a tree.
I’m the worst at miniature golf.
Women here are far more into accessories than woman in the Pacific NW; it’s almost unfathomable.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Nov

17

Back to School, A Few Months Late

Filed Under being creative, plans, small happinesses | 3 Comments

Hooray, I’m going back to school in January! The LH and I decided to start attempting un bebé next fall, and I want to have completed my degree by the time it comes a-squawking. When I met with my advisor, I learned that I have six terms left of classes. Hooray!

My classes for the Winter term will likely be: Political Criticism in Film, Modernization to Globalization, and Psychoanalysis and Film. I am torn, however, about the fourth class: Should it be the course on Medieval Women Writers, or the History of the Middle East? The advantage of the medieval women’s class is that it meets weekly, whereas the Middle East class is a three-day seminar - not my favorite format.

But in any case, I’m happy to be going back to school! This also means I can work on the college’s literary magazine (unless I submit something to it), and join the writers’ club.

It occurs to me just now that I haven’t been in a club since … 6th grade.

Popularity: 20% [?]