That's how I feel somedays. Not necessarily today...all day, but...
Hearing the "drama" playing out in politics, I couldn't help but think of circuses today. Bill Richardson, Roland Burris, Rod Blagojevich, and Leon Panetta are all definitely acts for the media circus to ruminate. Then there's the Obamas moving to Washington D.C. and the upcoming inauguration. Not to mention the craziness going on between Israel and Hamas.
And while these "acts" are capturing our attention...
In Wyoming (a state that most people have probably rarely, if ever, given a passing thought to, let alone actually know where it is located) in the Yellowstone National Park, there have been 400 earthquake tremors since December 26, 2008. This may not seem like a big deal, but there is considerable concern that the amount of activity is unusual and what is triggering the level of activity unknown. Due to this information, there is speculation (by those paying attention) as to whether or not something catatrophic may be about to occur.
All the while we are going on about our daily lives, for the most part, unaware. It makes me wonder...why is so little said about this area and the potential for a catastrophe? I think that I tend to notice because Wyoming is my birthplace, and in the last year I've been considering visiting Yellowstone. As a result I've been listening to videos and reading up on this park, which is why I took the time to read the info about the recent tremor activity when it appeared on January 3, 2009.
Again I have to ask, "Why is so little said about this area?!" I'm thinking very few people know the info that is in this video clip. It's all really kinda crazy, and just a bit eerie...
Here's a link to the above video clip: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/yellowstone-super-volcano-jan-2009-warning/846011007/?icid=VIDURVNWS01
and a link to info on the tremor activity at Yellowstone National Park.
http://news.aol.com/article/yellowstone-earthquakes-raise-fears/292261
So what am I/what are we suppose to do with the above information?!?!?!? It's not like the USGS has released any significant warnings or directives to people in the area of impact on how to prepare for a possible supervolcanic eruption. So honestly I'm really unsure...other than "you could live each day, as if it were your last", but for me that just takes too much thought and emotion, and I'm not even going to get into that mode.
So, despite the above information (putting my head in the sand, I guess, so to speak), I'm on to other topics. I spent this day prepping the "Christmas/New Year" packages to send to family and to a friend. And I am easily overwhelmed by the seven I am sending. ...that's me! Easily overwhelmed with my own personal conflict of what I want to do and what I can realistically do each year during the Christmas season.
You may be thinking right now, "But Christmas was almost two weeks ago!?" Yeah! I know, but for some crazy reason every year it is so hard for me to get into the "Christmas mood" until Christmas eve and then I want to celebrate Christmas for the next several weeks!!! And, of course, that is just the opposite of the people around me. For example, one of my friends loves Christmas music, but she can not stand to hear another Christmas song played after December 25th. Me? I'm just getting started... So each year I'm ready to begin celebrating Christmas when everyone around me is ready and glad for it all to be OVER and put away til the next November!
Truly tho, I'd prefer to celebrate the Twelve Days (plus two) of Christmas or "the Christmas season" from December 24 through January 6th, rather than from November 29th to December 25th as is most common. It seems my preferences, often, do not line up with what is conventional.
I think this is how I would celebrate Christmas, if I could. I would attend one or two christmas plays/events sometime before December 25th...to spark the mood. Watch "A Christmas Carol" (one version or another of this classic favorite of mine) at least once before December 25th. Get a tree Christmas eve day and decorate it with family. Attend a Christmas eve service, preferably after dark, to begin the Christmas celebration. Help out an outreach ministry on Christmas morning, hopefully with the family along. Spend Christmas evening with family playing board games and eating delicious food. Over the next 11 days: 1)put up a new Christmas decoration in the home each day (something small, not elaborate), 2)make holiday treats and give them away to family, friends, and pan handlers, 3)do something unusual for someone unexpected each day, and 4)look for bargains (due to holiday sales) on Epiphany gifts (for the children in the family) and birthday gifts for the next year. Give small gifts to children in the family on January 6th, Epiphany, and gather as a family with a dinner celebration to remember once again not only Christ's birth, but the visit, worship and adoration from the wise men over the Christ child. Sometime during the twelve days of Christmas it would also be nice to go Christmas caroling in the snow and participate in a progressive dinner with family too. Well that's my "ideal" traditional Christmas celebration, but as you can see it doesn't really fit in with how everyone else celebrates the traditional American Christmas. So how much of it will ever play out for me in "real life"? At this point, most of it is just fantasizing...
So far, over the last eight years, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday, as I usually had it off from work, and was able to get together with family and friends to celebrate. Whereas during the Christmas holiday/New Year celebrations, I've usually had to work. Plus being single with no children in my house, the fact that most of my family live out-of-state and circumstances regarding my daughter...well...holidays of Christmas/New Year tend to be more melancholy for me.
I have been mulling and stewing over the celebration of Christmas for years. And every year I'm "late" in sending Christmas greetings and gifts to family and friends who do not live in Arizona. Having put into words what goes through my mind about Christmas celebrations, and how it plays out in my emotions...is basically an attempt to explain my persistant procrastination every year.
Regarding celebrating The Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany, here is some info I gleaned off the web. Seven years ago I did Christmas programming in detention that included similar information, which is when I was first exposed to and realized the interesting differences in how people around the year celebrate this time of the year.
January 6th – A Holiday Around the World
The Epiphany, Three Kings' Day, Twelfth Night, La Befana, and More
© Jennifer L. Price Dec 30, 2008
Link: http://holiday-entertaining.suite101.com/article.cfm/january_6th_a_holiday_around_the_world
January 6th is a special day in many countries and cultures--and is celebrated with various traditions all over the world.
The Christian holiday known as The Epiphany is celebrated each year on January 6th. The holiday is a feast that began to commemorate the introduction of Jesus in human form—the specific date of January 6th was first mentioned in 361.
Eastern Christians believe that The Epiphany was the day Christ was baptized in the Jordan River, while Western Christians believe the day commemorates the day the Magi (also known as the Three Kings and Three Wiseman) visited the baby Jesus Christ bringing gifts.
Three King’s Day (Spain, Philippines, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and more)
Many countries celebrate January 6th as Three King’s Day, celebrating the day Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar visited Jesus as a child bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
In Spain, the Philippines, and certain parts of Latin America, El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings) is celebrated with children leaving shoes out overnight to collect gifts from the Kings and sweets, drink, and hay as a gift for the Kings and their camels. A special cake known as Rosca de Reyes is made with a small doll of Jesus baked inside—depending on the country, the finder of the doll must pay for the cake, host a party later in the year, or simply serves as king for the day.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the day is known as Drie koningen (Three King’s Day). Three children dress in costume to represent the three kings and visit houses singing songs, receiving sweets or coins from each door. German children also visit houses singing songs dressed as the three kings, but leave behind the initials of the three kings above the door frames to bless the family for the new year.
Twelfth Day of Christmas (some parts of the United States, United Kingdom)
According to many historians, the well-known twelve days of Christmas actually represent the twelve days between December 25th and January 6th, not the twelve days before Christmas. In the past, these days were celebrated with gift giving feasts with January 6th serving as the Twelfth Night, made popular by William Shakespeare’s play.
Some traditions are still carried out around the world with a yule log burning all twelve nights in America and Christmas decorations being taken down on the 6th in the United Kingdom (some think it’s unlucky to do so earlier).
Speaking of tradition...here's a video clip of some dance moves in Mexico. I'll be showing a dance video with each of my posts this week, as I stated in the Jan. 4th post.
This video is not the best quality, but it is a form of mexican dance that I enjoy watching. I really like the vibrant colors that Mexico, China, and India use in their dance customes, and how they use their costumes as a part of the dance.
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