That Time of Year

Has it really been 3 weeks since I last posted?  Shame on me.   All I can say for myself is that it is "that time of year".

You know the time of which I speak.  In theory it seems that everything should be slowing down a bit as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter.  Of course, that is not reality.  The reality is that while the days may, indeed, be getting shorter as in "less daylight" but the demands on our time seem to remain ever vigilant.   PLUS...holiday preparation rears it's demanding little head, nagging us to be strategically planning for Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanuka/Kwanzaa and/or whatever holidays you have going for you.

Currently I am sporting a bit of a cynical attitude.  ( I know...shocking isn't it?) I am feeling a bit saddened that Thanksgiving got over shadowed by Christmas decorations and the anticipation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  While this has been going on for several years, it appeared to me that Black Friday is now usurping the whole meaning of Thanksgiving and hogging the month with weeks and weeks of  PRE-Black Friday deals and steals.

With all that being said, I am clearly in the minority here with my negativity on the subject.  A early analysis of the numbers tells us that 154 million people were out shopping over the weekend.  The fact that since all the pre-black Friday advertising began (supposedly) people have spent around 36 Billion (yea...billion with a B) dollars.   

I have to think that perhaps I am not alone in my inner conflicts.  It seems to me that the whole country talks about the season of love and thankfulness in the same breath as they are spending hours scrutinizing the Internet and paper ads looking for the big bargains that they are hoping to get on more STUFF.

Not to be a total party-pooper, I typically find my holiday spirit in holiday baking, Christmas music, and all the pretty holiday decorations. OH and I do love a lot of the Hallmark Christmas movies.  Sure you can say they are sappy, but I think they are sweet.  I am prepared to immerse myself into holiday movies to remind me that everything about the holidays is about love and joy and has the added bonus of a happy ending.  Not reality you say???

Reality is a thing of the past according to the rise of virtual reality head gear.  I was reading an article about the newest techy devices on the market to stream VR programming.  Let me be the first to say that I would totally embrace a virtual world where children are awestruck by the lights and sounds of the holidays.  I suspect though that just as with many other things, young children are so inundated with the commercialism of Christmas that they no longer even notice how special the decorations are let alone the meaning of it all. The added component of decorations coming out in August (or is it now July?) doesn't help foster awe.

I know this picture is grainy as it is 60 plus years old but this is a picture taken in Kankakee, Illinois.  It was, in fact, taken nearly a year prior to my birth but Schuyler Avenue remained pretty much the same through my childhood.   I LOVED going Christmas shopping and seeing all the Christmas lights.  Sadly, the wreaths that were put on every light pole are not terribly pretty in a black and white photo but to my little child eyes they were magical. It was looking not so differently 17 years later when I got my engagement ring at Edward's Jewelry...also at Christmas time. 

Anyway as I was saying...where is the magic?  If we  now require head gear to live in alternate, virtual reality shouldn't THAT be magical and wonderful???

In the same paper that was talking about the choices we now have for virtual reality head gear there was a separate article about  a virtual reality program that allows you to actually feel what it is like to die in a traffic accident.  Yeah, how much fun is that?  I can hardly wait to ask Santa for some of that escapism....well that is if I can't find it online in a POST Black Friday give away. 

The placement of Black Friday being the day after Thanksgiving seems questionable.

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and have plenty to be grateful for. 

I Am Talking About Christmas

Thought Number One:  Have a Politically Correct Holiday

Happy Holidays is now the politically correct term to say, as not to offend people of other religious or non-religious beliefs.  So here is a version of a toally PC greeting.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions  of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2014, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other countries nor the only "America"  in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.

Thought Number Two:  To Those That Use the Word Christmas, Celebrate Christmas, and Are Comfortable with Embracing the holiday that is Christmas.

Click to enlarge

(Note:  While I gave it my best effort to add all my regular readers names, there may, in fact, be omissions. I assure you the absence of your name doesn't mean that you aren't on the "nice list" as much as it means my memory isn't what it used to be.)











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Merry Christmas....


                                                         Happy Holidays......


From Our Family to Yours
 

Music Helps Put the Merry Into the Season

Here we are.... just two days away from Christmas.  While there are a lot of things I enjoy about the holiday season, one of my VERY favorite things is Christmas music.  LOVE IT!

I might be not within the normal range on this.  (Normal is a subjective word in most instances with me.) Here in Kansas City, there used to be 9 radio stations that played around-the-clock Holiday music.  Now there is ONE.  One lonely little station that plays Christmas music.

I, however, am not to be deterred. I have an embarrassingly large collection of Christmas CDs.   They have been playing pretty much non-stop since my "can't start being Christmasy until December" rule kicked in.

SOOOO on the outside chance you haven't had quite enough  Christmas music, I have posted a few to help bring you  up to your "ENOUGH ALREADY!!" level.  The first video is  of  one of the Christmas songs from  the Straight No Chaser Christmas Cheer album.  I think it is a really fun song that incorporates the joy of the season.


A FUN ONE

A NEW ONE


I think this one is pretty.  Lindsey was one of the contestants on the X Factor in 2010. She released this video this year.





Flash Mob for Christmas??? Perhaps you have seen this as it has gone viral on the Internet but it does contain a  lot of the more traditional music. At over 5 minutes long, it still is a very heart warming mix of holiday music.


AN IMPROMPTU ONE

June is Lane Courtesy Month

My first thought for today concerns the creation of a new observance for the Month of June.  I live to keep you abreast of all the national observances that you might have managed to overlook.

June is now "Lane Courtesy Month". Who knew?? Had I not been "sort of" listening to the Today Show when somebody mentioned this, I would have been totally unaware.  So, of course, me being me, I  had to look up the what, where, why and whatever associated with a whole month being designated to the cause of drivers using lanes properly. 

The National Motorists Association declares June "Lane Courtesy" Month.  (By the way, bloggees, do any of you know if anyone can declare a month for a cause?  What are the rules about making up special days, weeks or months?   Just wondering.  It might surprise you to know that I have a couple of ideas for "causes" to be recognized.)

For today though, I am especially anxious to get the word out on using individual lanes when operating a motor vehicle.  It seems there is an inordinate amount of confusion on this matter. Just today, on the way home from the gym someone decided to take a left hand turn from a right hand lane, all without the use of a turn signal.  Not that I wouldn't of bitched them out from the confines of my vehicle anyway but if they are going to make such a "rock star" move as to cut me off, I would have appreciated a little warning. 

In honor of this newly announced "monthly holiday/celebration/observance or whatever the heck it is, the National Motorist Association has put quite the informative web site up for all of you that might need a refresher course on which lane you should be driving in, turning from, or turning into.  So for those of you that need to be put into the remedial driving class  be sure to read this educational article.  If you are unsure whether you need to be in the remedial driving class, just ask your spouse, I am sure they will tell you if you qualify.

To read the article on the prerequisites for us all using our lanes courteously you can click here.

For those of you that are so confident that none of this applies to you, I put a little blurb of interesting reading just to give a little value added to my post.

The granddaddy of all "left-lane hog" excuses is "I'm driving the speed limit, I shouldn't have to move over."
Of course, anyone who honestly looks at speed limits on our roads know they rarely reflect actual travel speeds. Instead they are arbitrary, politically generated numbers that have no relationship to real engineering standards.
This means a driver going the speed limit in the left lane can still be a serious problem. They can cause abrupt lane and speed changes, as well as hostility or road rage. Even if our speed limits were more realistic, there is no good reason to remain in the left lane if a faster vehicle wishes to pass you. It only creates friction and makes our roads more dangerous

Whoa....Is it just me or do I sense that someone over at the NMA thinks the posted speed limit is hooey and that people that are actually confused enough to be going that "suggested" speed needs to get the hell out of the way.

Second  of all, I would like to point out the June is already maxed out on all the "Month of"...observances.
These categories are to be recognized for thirty full days.  I guess, after that you pretty much can ignore any or all of them if you are so inclined.   I, personally, might have a problem devoting a full 30 days to Fighting the Filthy Fly, I will give my best effort to observe Candy Month.

• Aquarium Month
• Candy Month
• Dairy Month
• Fight the Filthy Fly Month
• Gay Pride Month
• National Accordion Awareness Month
• National Adopt a Cat Month
• National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
• Rose Month
• Turkey Lovers Month

If you are short on "the ability to stick with anything" longer than 24 hours (and maybe  even that is a push) June has a whole bunch of 24 hour observances that you might try.  I am sorry to admit that because I was slow to get this post done in a timely manner, that you have already missed a few relatively importance days.
I am sorely remiss and apologize profusely. Really..I do!  Sorry, sorry.

Here are just a few of the June days to be mindful of:.  I admit, I am doing the condensed version. While I am sure that you think I fritter away my entire day doing nonsense, that actually is only partly true.  I only fritter away part of my day.  So here is the abbreviated calendar for June.  Oh, just in case, you are wondering if I am making some of these days up (so believable and all) I am not.  Here is the link to the complete list, if you want to truly celebrate your way through June. June special days

1st      Dare Day
1st      Flip a Coin Day
2nd     Bubba Day,
2nd     National Donut Day
2nd     National Rocky Road Day
3rd      Repeat Day, Repeat Day
4th      Hug Your Cat Day
4th      Old Maid's Day
8th      Name Your Poison Day
11th    Hug Holiday
17th    Eat Your Vegetables Day
18th    National Splurge Day
18th    International Panic Day
19th    National Sauntering Day
19th    Father's Day  (I know, you know this but, just as a reminder)
21st    Go Skate Day
23rd   National Pink Day
23rd   Take your Dog to Work Day
24th    Swim a Lap Day
25th    Log Cabin Day
26th    Forgiveness Day
28th    Insurance Awareness Day
29th    Waffle Iron Day
30th    Meteor Day

So feel free  to send some me some of your favorite days to celebrate in the month of June.


_______________________________

I think this person might be lane challenged.






The Good for the Day...Days to celebrate and appreciate.

The Bad for the Day...crappy drivers

The Weird for the Day...  An example of being in the wrong lane.

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