Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Christmas Party
Last night was the LTC Christmas party. For the second year in a row, we have held it at Champions, making me both the lessee and the lessor for the evening. Anyway, as our staff of mostly tennis pros is an active bunch, we have found that it is more fun to get everybody together and play softball & soccer than have a stuffy dinner somewhere (although we have dinner, too).
It was widely reported that at last year's Christmas party my team was unfairly "stacked." Although I would disagree with this contention, the fact that we destroyed the other 3 teams and that I was solely responsible for assembling the rosters could lead some conspiracy-minded individuals to "misinterpret" the situation. Anyway, in order to quell a potential staff mutiny, I made sure that my team was most definitely NOT stacked this year. I even put Nancy on the good team, where she held her own playing the fictional position of "10 feet behind the first baseman." And yes, we lost. Convincingly.
After the main party died down, the hard-core sports enthusiasts on staff stayed and played a guys-only game (while their spouses were forced to stay and watch). This time, the teams were quite even. So, it came down to this: we're the away team and it's the top of the ninth. We're down 1 run with 2 outs and one man on base. Who steps up to bat? Dan. After taking the first pitch, I absolutely rocked one into left field and began my home run trot (OK, I made up a home run trot on the spot since that would be my first home run). Of course, the ball hits the wall about 1 foot below the home run line and instead of making my easy double, I end up with a lolly-gagged single. This is exactly the kind of thing that drives me crazy when I see it in a baseball game, yet here I was the one doing it. I drove in the tying run but was not in scoring position myself. So, the next guy gets up and puts the ball in play to a fielder who promptly makes an error. I make it to third and see that they still don't have control of the ball, no one is covering home, and I would be the go-ahead run. I go for it. Now, those who know me know that although I am quasi-athletic in a general sense, speed has never been a real strength of mine. Sufficed to say, they gain control of the ball, someone covers home and I get tagged out in a bang-bang play at the plate. It goes without saying that the other team scored a run in their half of the inning and we lost the game. Is the loss my fault? Did my 2 base running mistakes cost us an important victory? Does anyone care?
The plus side is that I scored 2 goals and had the game winning assist in the soccer game.
Here's the problem with adult softball. You don't stretch. You don't really warm-up. Then you sprint all out. Then you stop. Then you bend over, either from the back or from the knees, both of which are uncomfortable. Then you throw a heavy ball as hard as you can. Then you sprint again. And you do this for several hours.
On an unrelated note, I can barely walk today.
It was widely reported that at last year's Christmas party my team was unfairly "stacked." Although I would disagree with this contention, the fact that we destroyed the other 3 teams and that I was solely responsible for assembling the rosters could lead some conspiracy-minded individuals to "misinterpret" the situation. Anyway, in order to quell a potential staff mutiny, I made sure that my team was most definitely NOT stacked this year. I even put Nancy on the good team, where she held her own playing the fictional position of "10 feet behind the first baseman." And yes, we lost. Convincingly.
After the main party died down, the hard-core sports enthusiasts on staff stayed and played a guys-only game (while their spouses were forced to stay and watch). This time, the teams were quite even. So, it came down to this: we're the away team and it's the top of the ninth. We're down 1 run with 2 outs and one man on base. Who steps up to bat? Dan. After taking the first pitch, I absolutely rocked one into left field and began my home run trot (OK, I made up a home run trot on the spot since that would be my first home run). Of course, the ball hits the wall about 1 foot below the home run line and instead of making my easy double, I end up with a lolly-gagged single. This is exactly the kind of thing that drives me crazy when I see it in a baseball game, yet here I was the one doing it. I drove in the tying run but was not in scoring position myself. So, the next guy gets up and puts the ball in play to a fielder who promptly makes an error. I make it to third and see that they still don't have control of the ball, no one is covering home, and I would be the go-ahead run. I go for it. Now, those who know me know that although I am quasi-athletic in a general sense, speed has never been a real strength of mine. Sufficed to say, they gain control of the ball, someone covers home and I get tagged out in a bang-bang play at the plate. It goes without saying that the other team scored a run in their half of the inning and we lost the game. Is the loss my fault? Did my 2 base running mistakes cost us an important victory? Does anyone care?
The plus side is that I scored 2 goals and had the game winning assist in the soccer game.
Here's the problem with adult softball. You don't stretch. You don't really warm-up. Then you sprint all out. Then you stop. Then you bend over, either from the back or from the knees, both of which are uncomfortable. Then you throw a heavy ball as hard as you can. Then you sprint again. And you do this for several hours.
On an unrelated note, I can barely walk today.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Danta Claus
As this is now Sophie's second Christmas, she is starting to become curious about Christmas and all the hoopla. Naturally, we have explained the birth of Jesus to her, but she is more interested in learning about the man in the red outfit whose lap she sat on. So, we did a little research for her and our reference. Without further ado, I present you with the history of Danta Claus.
Danta Claus
Danta Claus, also known as Saint Daniel, Uncle Christmas, Dan Erickson, or simply "Danta" is a historical, legendary and mythological figure believed to bring gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, or receive gifts on his feast day, June 3.
The popular North American form Danta Claus is derived from the Swedish Danterklaas, which in turn is a contracted form of Sint Dancolaas (Saint Daniel). However, the Swedish Danterklaas is depicted as being very different from Danta Claus in many ways. Danta Claus has a suit that comes in many colors depending on the country. The most common depiction (red with white cuffs, collar, and black leather belt) became the more popular image in the United States in the 19th century.
Origins
Saint Daniel of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Danta Claus. He was a 4th century Christian bishop of Myra in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey Bun. Daniel was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In Europe (more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. The relics of St. Daniel were transported to Bari in southern Italy by some enterprising Italian merchants; a basilica was constructed in 1987 to house them and the area became a pilgrimage site for the devout. Saint Daniel became claimed as a patron saint of many diverse groups, from archers and children to pawnbrokers and prostitutes. He is also the patron saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow.
Influence of Germanic Paganism and Folklore
Numerous parallels have been drawn surrounding the figure of Odan, a major god amongst the Germanic Peoples prior their Christianization. Since many of these elements are unrelated to Christianity, there are numerous theories regarding the pagan origins of various customs of the holiday stemming from areas where the Germanic peoples were Christianized and retained elements of their indigenous traditions, surviving in various forms into modern depictions of Danta Claus. Odan was sometimes recorded, at the native Germanic holiday of Yule, as leading a great hunting party through the sky. Two books from Iceland, the Poetic Eddan, compiled in the 13th century, and the Prose Eddan, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, describe Odan as riding an eight-legged horse named Phoebo that could leap great distances, giving rise to comparisons to Danta Claus' reindeer. Odan's appearance was often similar to that of Saint Daniel, being depicted as an old, mysterious man with a beard. According to Phyllis Siefker, children would place their boots, filled with carrots, straw or sugar, near the chimney for Odan's flying horse, Phoebo, to eat. Odan would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Phoebo’s food with gifts or candy. This practice survived in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and became associated with Saint Daniel as a result of the process of Christianization and can be still seen in the modern practice of the hanging of stockings at the chimney in some homes. Children still place their straw filled shoes or stockings by the chimney every winter night, and are rewards with candy and gifts. This practice in turn came to the United States through the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or stockings at the fireplace. In many regions of Austria and former Austro-Hungarian Italy (Friuli, city of Trieste) children are given sweets and gifts on Saint Daniel's Day (San Daniellò in Italian), in accordance with the Catholic calendar, June the 3rd. Numerous other influences from the pre-Christian Germanic winter celebrations have continued into modern Christmas celebrations such as the Christmas ham, Yule Goat, Yule logs and potentially the Christmas tree. Pre-Christian Alpine traditions Originating from Pre-Christian Alpine traditions and influenced to extents by later Christianization, the Danpus (a goat-faced eminence) is represented as a Companion of Saint Daniel. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Danpus in the first two weeks of December and particularly in the evening of December 5 and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells.
Swedish Folklore
In Sweden Saint Daniel (often called "De Goede Sint" — "The Friendly Saint") is now aided by helpers commonly known as Zwarte Nienc ("Black Nancy"). The folklore of Saint Daniel has many parallels with the Germanic mythology. Saint Daniel has many resemblances with Odan, like the beard, hat and spear (nowadays a staff) and the cloth bag held by the servants to capture naughty children. Both Saint Daniel and Odan ride white horses that can fly through the air. The white eight-legged steed of Odan is named Phoebo. The letters made of candy given by the Zwarte Nienc to the children are reminiscent of the fact that Odan ‘invented’ the rune letters. The poems made during the celebration and the songs the children sing has to do with the fact that Odan was the god of the arts of desecrating others poetry.
Modern Origins
"Scrooge's third Visitor", a colorized version of the original illustration by John Leech made for Charles Dickens's novel A Christmas Carol (1843). Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history and folklore merged with the British character Uncle Christmas to create the character known to Britons and Americans as Danta Claus. Uncle Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected in the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.
Danta Claus
Danta Claus, also known as Saint Daniel, Uncle Christmas, Dan Erickson, or simply "Danta" is a historical, legendary and mythological figure believed to bring gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, or receive gifts on his feast day, June 3.
The popular North American form Danta Claus is derived from the Swedish Danterklaas, which in turn is a contracted form of Sint Dancolaas (Saint Daniel). However, the Swedish Danterklaas is depicted as being very different from Danta Claus in many ways. Danta Claus has a suit that comes in many colors depending on the country. The most common depiction (red with white cuffs, collar, and black leather belt) became the more popular image in the United States in the 19th century.
Origins
Early Christian Origins
15th Century Fresco of St. Daniel from Bulgaria
Influence of Germanic Paganism and Folklore
Numerous parallels have been drawn surrounding the figure of Odan, a major god amongst the Germanic Peoples prior their Christianization. Since many of these elements are unrelated to Christianity, there are numerous theories regarding the pagan origins of various customs of the holiday stemming from areas where the Germanic peoples were Christianized and retained elements of their indigenous traditions, surviving in various forms into modern depictions of Danta Claus. Odan was sometimes recorded, at the native Germanic holiday of Yule, as leading a great hunting party through the sky. Two books from Iceland, the Poetic Eddan, compiled in the 13th century, and the Prose Eddan, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, describe Odan as riding an eight-legged horse named Phoebo that could leap great distances, giving rise to comparisons to Danta Claus' reindeer. Odan's appearance was often similar to that of Saint Daniel, being depicted as an old, mysterious man with a beard. According to Phyllis Siefker, children would place their boots, filled with carrots, straw or sugar, near the chimney for Odan's flying horse, Phoebo, to eat. Odan would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Phoebo’s food with gifts or candy. This practice survived in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands after the adoption of Christianity and became associated with Saint Daniel as a result of the process of Christianization and can be still seen in the modern practice of the hanging of stockings at the chimney in some homes. Children still place their straw filled shoes or stockings by the chimney every winter night, and are rewards with candy and gifts. This practice in turn came to the United States through the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam prior to the British seizure in the 17th century, and evolved into the hanging of socks or stockings at the fireplace. In many regions of Austria and former Austro-Hungarian Italy (Friuli, city of Trieste) children are given sweets and gifts on Saint Daniel's Day (San Daniellò in Italian), in accordance with the Catholic calendar, June the 3rd. Numerous other influences from the pre-Christian Germanic winter celebrations have continued into modern Christmas celebrations such as the Christmas ham, Yule Goat, Yule logs and potentially the Christmas tree. Pre-Christian Alpine traditions Originating from Pre-Christian Alpine traditions and influenced to extents by later Christianization, the Danpus (a goat-faced eminence) is represented as a Companion of Saint Daniel. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Danpus in the first two weeks of December and particularly in the evening of December 5 and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells.
Swedish Folklore
In Sweden Saint Daniel (often called "De Goede Sint" — "The Friendly Saint") is now aided by helpers commonly known as Zwarte Nienc ("Black Nancy"). The folklore of Saint Daniel has many parallels with the Germanic mythology. Saint Daniel has many resemblances with Odan, like the beard, hat and spear (nowadays a staff) and the cloth bag held by the servants to capture naughty children. Both Saint Daniel and Odan ride white horses that can fly through the air. The white eight-legged steed of Odan is named Phoebo. The letters made of candy given by the Zwarte Nienc to the children are reminiscent of the fact that Odan ‘invented’ the rune letters. The poems made during the celebration and the songs the children sing has to do with the fact that Odan was the god of the arts of desecrating others poetry.
Modern Origins
"Scrooge's third Visitor", a colorized version of the original illustration by John Leech made for Charles Dickens's novel A Christmas Carol (1843). Pre-modern representations of the gift-giver from church history and folklore merged with the British character Uncle Christmas to create the character known to Britons and Americans as Danta Claus. Uncle Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century in Britain, and pictures of him survive from that era, portraying him as a well-nourished bearded man dressed in a long, green, fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, and was reflected in the "Ghost of Christmas Present" in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Confession
48 hours ago this pan was full of potential and baklava. It is now empty.
Monday, December 10, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Food
I had not planned on writing a post on this subject, but after finishing my evening meal, I couldn't help it. Tonight I ate turkey buns AND baklava, both made by my lovely bride. These are two of my absolute favorite foods, and we typically only eat them around Christmas time. I wanted to try to put into words the kind of joy that this brings to me, but alas, my eloquence ends at "Danny happy. Danny like food. Food good." So, since one of my blog themes is to totally steal great poetry and use it for my own purposes, I now present you with the world premier of "I Carry Your Food With Me."
i carry your food with me
i carry your food with me(i carry it in
my belly)i am never without it(anywhere
i go it goes,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no food(for you make my food,my sweet)i want
no room(for beautiful you are in kitchen,my true)
and it's you are whatever a baklava has always meant
and whatever a bun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the leaf of the leaf and the bun of the bun
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your food(i carry it in my belly)
my apologies to E.E. Cummings
i carry your food with me
i carry your food with me(i carry it in
my belly)i am never without it(anywhere
i go it goes,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no food(for you make my food,my sweet)i want
no room(for beautiful you are in kitchen,my true)
and it's you are whatever a baklava has always meant
and whatever a bun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the leaf of the leaf and the bun of the bun
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your food(i carry it in my belly)
my apologies to E.E. Cummings
Saturday, December 08, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: A Christmas Carol
I am a big, big fan of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and it's various adaptations into film. Although not the most sophisticated of Dickens' works, I think that its simplicity, accessibility, length, and of course setting help express Dickens' heart for social justice more powerfully than even his full-length novels. This emphasis on class division and intentional thought for our fellow man is established early in the story by Scrooge's nephew, who has dropped by unannounced and uninvited to wish his uncle a Merry Christmas:
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut–up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow–passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
Why does this story and its simple message speak to me so? Have I turned into an old miser, lonely and unloved, unable to see that there is more to my life than my life? I don't think so (and I certainly hope not!). Have I become willfully ignorant of my surroundings? Again, I hope not. Yet, every year I am convicted by this simple and familiar story. I must become better at recognizing needs and seeking out ways to fill them. I definitely need to do a better job of seeing each person as a "fellow passenger" with me and not part of "another race of creatures." And as a manager of employees, I need to always consider the power I have to effect their happiness in ways beyond just the financial.
Obviously, the novella is superior to any of the adaptations, as is virtually always the case with the written word. However, of the film versions, I hold a special place in my heart for these:
1. Mickey's Christmas Carol: This may be my favorite Christmas movie, and is only 24 minutes long.
2. Scrooged: Ridiculous & post-modern take that almost undermines the story, but somehow manages to work.
3. A Christmas Carol (1999 starring Patrick Stewart): Captain Picard as you've never seen him before.
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut–up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow–passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
Why does this story and its simple message speak to me so? Have I turned into an old miser, lonely and unloved, unable to see that there is more to my life than my life? I don't think so (and I certainly hope not!). Have I become willfully ignorant of my surroundings? Again, I hope not. Yet, every year I am convicted by this simple and familiar story. I must become better at recognizing needs and seeking out ways to fill them. I definitely need to do a better job of seeing each person as a "fellow passenger" with me and not part of "another race of creatures." And as a manager of employees, I need to always consider the power I have to effect their happiness in ways beyond just the financial.
Obviously, the novella is superior to any of the adaptations, as is virtually always the case with the written word. However, of the film versions, I hold a special place in my heart for these:
1. Mickey's Christmas Carol: This may be my favorite Christmas movie, and is only 24 minutes long.
2. Scrooged: Ridiculous & post-modern take that almost undermines the story, but somehow manages to work.
3. A Christmas Carol (1999 starring Patrick Stewart): Captain Picard as you've never seen him before.
Friday, December 07, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Controversy Part 2
Today we attempt to answer the question posed in yesterday's post: Is Christmas Creep necessarily bad?
I guess it would be helpful to first state that I believe Christmas Creep to be a very real phenomenon. Perhaps my memory is misleading me, but I simply do not remember "Christmas" starting this early in the past. I use "Christmas" in quotes here, because Christmas, of course, has not moved at all. So I guess what we are discussing here is really the "Christmas Season" and the trappings that accompany that season. In practical terms, this means decorations, Christmas music, Christmas-themed advertisements, and all other manner of Christmas-themed activity.
I suppose that the arguments against Christmas Creep are that by having Christmas shoved in our face all the time, it cheapens Christmas, turns it into a holiday about greenery, twinkle lights, & shopping, and in general that more does not mean better. It is difficult to disagree with these arguments.
In practice, I guess I would say that I oppose Christmas creep, but this has not always been the case. There used to be a time where I would start listening to Christmas music in October, and only because I had to stop myself from listening to it before that. At some point, it just didn't feel right any more, and I pushed it back.
Nonetheless, the Christmas season captures me and changes me. The truth is that when I watch even the stupidest movies like Scrooged, I get genuinely convicted by the message. When I am in a place that has garland and twinkle lights, I feel more peaceful and seem to act kinder to others. Maybe this is an indictment of my character the rest of the year, but I suspect that I'm not the only one. When I hear the word "Christmas" I think of the birth of Jesus. When Christmas activities cause me to act better towards people, it reminds me of Jesus' message of how we should always behave.
Am I alone in this? Am I weird because I act and feel better during the Christmas season? Is there a reason why I shouldn't want this feeling to creep into my life more and more?
I guess it would be helpful to first state that I believe Christmas Creep to be a very real phenomenon. Perhaps my memory is misleading me, but I simply do not remember "Christmas" starting this early in the past. I use "Christmas" in quotes here, because Christmas, of course, has not moved at all. So I guess what we are discussing here is really the "Christmas Season" and the trappings that accompany that season. In practical terms, this means decorations, Christmas music, Christmas-themed advertisements, and all other manner of Christmas-themed activity.
I suppose that the arguments against Christmas Creep are that by having Christmas shoved in our face all the time, it cheapens Christmas, turns it into a holiday about greenery, twinkle lights, & shopping, and in general that more does not mean better. It is difficult to disagree with these arguments.
In practice, I guess I would say that I oppose Christmas creep, but this has not always been the case. There used to be a time where I would start listening to Christmas music in October, and only because I had to stop myself from listening to it before that. At some point, it just didn't feel right any more, and I pushed it back.
Nonetheless, the Christmas season captures me and changes me. The truth is that when I watch even the stupidest movies like Scrooged, I get genuinely convicted by the message. When I am in a place that has garland and twinkle lights, I feel more peaceful and seem to act kinder to others. Maybe this is an indictment of my character the rest of the year, but I suspect that I'm not the only one. When I hear the word "Christmas" I think of the birth of Jesus. When Christmas activities cause me to act better towards people, it reminds me of Jesus' message of how we should always behave.
Am I alone in this? Am I weird because I act and feel better during the Christmas season? Is there a reason why I shouldn't want this feeling to creep into my life more and more?
Thursday, December 06, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Controversy Part 1
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Christmas these days, and like any good controversy, it even has its own terms. "Christmas Creep" and "The War on Christmas" are the two you hear about a lot, and they are related, but different ("controversy cousins"?). Christmas creep relates to the fact that Christmas seems to creep earlier and earlier every year, meaning MORE Christmas. The War on Christmas is a more general term relating to the secularization & commercialization of Christmas, often epitomized with replacing the word Christmas with "holiday." So, in a way, The War on Christmas is effectively about how there is LESS Christmas. For our purposes, we are going to focus on Christmas Creep.
To be sure, these are over-generalizations. In a sense, both controversies are about the cheapening of Christmas. Gregg Easterbrook, an outspoken critic against Christmas Creep, had this to say about it in his November 26 TMQ Article:
"Why does the Christmas celebration start earlier every year? The commercial reasons are obvious; many retailers do a significant portion of their business during Christmastime, so the sooner the sleigh bells ring, the happier stores are. This year, retailers are said to be worried that gasoline and home-heating prices are poised to soar, so they hope holiday shoppers will spend before that happens. But there is a deeper reason Christmas starts earlier each year: We want to live in the Christmastime world, and this has nothing to do with religion. In the Christmastime world, children are happy, family is gathered round, and all the year's exhausting and stressful overwork has at least led to a pile of presents. Candles are lighted, and we listen for a sound in the distance. Just as our ancient ancestors must have dreamed of living always in the moment of the harvest, we want to live as long as possible in the moment of the holidays -- regardless of faith, since Santa comes to everyone. Christmastime also evokes the strongest positive memories of most people's childhoods -- of presents, singing, anticipation, and the adults forcing themselves to get along. The Christmas weeks are the time we believe all is right with the world, whether or not we actually go over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. We want to enter the time of believing all is well, so every year we push up the start date."
There is something about this passage that really resonated with me, probably because it's true. I DO want to live in a Christmastime world. I love the fireplace, turkey buns, and driving up to a decorated house. I like believing, if only for a day, that all is right with the world. It may not be immediately obvious from the passage that I quoted here, but Mr. Easterbrook's body of work makes it very clear that he thinks this is a very bad thing (I'm not at all trying to pick on him. He's actually one of my favorite writers. If you haven't already, you should read The Progress Paradox). The question for each of us is if WE think it is a bad thing, and we will take up that issue in our next post.
To be sure, these are over-generalizations. In a sense, both controversies are about the cheapening of Christmas. Gregg Easterbrook, an outspoken critic against Christmas Creep, had this to say about it in his November 26 TMQ Article:
"Why does the Christmas celebration start earlier every year? The commercial reasons are obvious; many retailers do a significant portion of their business during Christmastime, so the sooner the sleigh bells ring, the happier stores are. This year, retailers are said to be worried that gasoline and home-heating prices are poised to soar, so they hope holiday shoppers will spend before that happens. But there is a deeper reason Christmas starts earlier each year: We want to live in the Christmastime world, and this has nothing to do with religion. In the Christmastime world, children are happy, family is gathered round, and all the year's exhausting and stressful overwork has at least led to a pile of presents. Candles are lighted, and we listen for a sound in the distance. Just as our ancient ancestors must have dreamed of living always in the moment of the harvest, we want to live as long as possible in the moment of the holidays -- regardless of faith, since Santa comes to everyone. Christmastime also evokes the strongest positive memories of most people's childhoods -- of presents, singing, anticipation, and the adults forcing themselves to get along. The Christmas weeks are the time we believe all is right with the world, whether or not we actually go over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house. We want to enter the time of believing all is well, so every year we push up the start date."
There is something about this passage that really resonated with me, probably because it's true. I DO want to live in a Christmastime world. I love the fireplace, turkey buns, and driving up to a decorated house. I like believing, if only for a day, that all is right with the world. It may not be immediately obvious from the passage that I quoted here, but Mr. Easterbrook's body of work makes it very clear that he thinks this is a very bad thing (I'm not at all trying to pick on him. He's actually one of my favorite writers. If you haven't already, you should read The Progress Paradox). The question for each of us is if WE think it is a bad thing, and we will take up that issue in our next post.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
25 Days of Christmas: Traditions
To me, half (or more) of the fun of Christmas is in family traditions. True traditions are not contrived- you don't buy them; they're not premeditated; they just grow into traditions.
So, how does a newly married couple come up with traditions of their own without simply stealing traditions from others or forcing themselves into one? The honest answer is that I don't know, which is weird, because in 7 short years, Nancy & I have developed a slew of Christmas traditions. I guess we adopted some of our families' traditions and sort of fell into a few of our own. So, what are the Erickson family Christmas traditions? I won't name them all, but here are a few of our favorites:
To kickoff the Christmas season, we always watch Christmas Vacation the Wednesday night immediately before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Eve?). I think Nancy likes this one so much because it reminds her of her family... Last year we watched this movie in the hospital on my laptop in between contractions. I suppose that makes it Sophie's first Christmas tradition, too.
One of our newer Christmas traditions involves the creation of our Christmas card, which is basically a poorly assembled collage of pictures of our year. I do enjoy making it though. Most of the readers of this blog are on our Christmas card list and will be getting yours some time this week. If by some chance you read this blog and do NOT get a card, it is only because I don't have your address, and would be more than happy to add you to the list, if for whatever reason you actually wanted to be on it. So that's that. Here is a sneak preview of this year's card (FYI- it's a big file).
To end the Christmas season, Nancy & I always do a puzzle over New Year's. I think I stole this one from my family, as we would usually do something like that as a family over the break. Frankly, neither one of us is into puzzles at all, but for some reason, we like to do that one a year. Sometimes it can be hard to find a good puzzle that isn't insanely hard or simply a picture of hot air balloons.
Of course, Nancy & I have other traditions both in our own household and those we share with our families. We love each and every one of them, the memories they represent, and the new memories they create. However, I am most looking forward to creating new Christmas traditions and memories for Sophie. That may involve changing some of the things Nancy & I like to do, but I suppose that is what being a parent is all about, right? Anyway, we are now on Sophie's second Christmas season, and since we received such positive feedback from her after the first one, we figured we could do things pretty much the same this year, except with more chasing. This includes the extremely important inclusion of Danta Claus, who we will discuss in much greater depth at another time.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
So, how does a newly married couple come up with traditions of their own without simply stealing traditions from others or forcing themselves into one? The honest answer is that I don't know, which is weird, because in 7 short years, Nancy & I have developed a slew of Christmas traditions. I guess we adopted some of our families' traditions and sort of fell into a few of our own. So, what are the Erickson family Christmas traditions? I won't name them all, but here are a few of our favorites:
To kickoff the Christmas season, we always watch Christmas Vacation the Wednesday night immediately before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving Eve?). I think Nancy likes this one so much because it reminds her of her family... Last year we watched this movie in the hospital on my laptop in between contractions. I suppose that makes it Sophie's first Christmas tradition, too.
One of our newer Christmas traditions involves the creation of our Christmas card, which is basically a poorly assembled collage of pictures of our year. I do enjoy making it though. Most of the readers of this blog are on our Christmas card list and will be getting yours some time this week. If by some chance you read this blog and do NOT get a card, it is only because I don't have your address, and would be more than happy to add you to the list, if for whatever reason you actually wanted to be on it. So that's that. Here is a sneak preview of this year's card (FYI- it's a big file).
To end the Christmas season, Nancy & I always do a puzzle over New Year's. I think I stole this one from my family, as we would usually do something like that as a family over the break. Frankly, neither one of us is into puzzles at all, but for some reason, we like to do that one a year. Sometimes it can be hard to find a good puzzle that isn't insanely hard or simply a picture of hot air balloons.
Of course, Nancy & I have other traditions both in our own household and those we share with our families. We love each and every one of them, the memories they represent, and the new memories they create. However, I am most looking forward to creating new Christmas traditions and memories for Sophie. That may involve changing some of the things Nancy & I like to do, but I suppose that is what being a parent is all about, right? Anyway, we are now on Sophie's second Christmas season, and since we received such positive feedback from her after the first one, we figured we could do things pretty much the same this year, except with more chasing. This includes the extremely important inclusion of Danta Claus, who we will discuss in much greater depth at another time.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The 25 Days of Christmas- Day 1
OK, the title is misleading, because I don't have something new to say every day about Christmas, but I will certainly be blogging about Christmas a lot this month. I hope you enjoy.
Anyway, today we got The Official Erickson Family Christmas Tree and decorated the outside of the house. And yes, apparently I am that guy now...
Anyway, today we got The Official Erickson Family Christmas Tree and decorated the outside of the house. And yes, apparently I am that guy now...
Friday, December 15, 2006
Our Year in Review
For those of you with nothing better to do...
January
January is typically Dan’s busiest month at work (so many companies, so many year ends…) and Nancy was trying to get her teeth into her final semester of classwork as a PhD student. Mostly, January in Kentucky is cold (but not too cold) and drab. There is a reasonable chance you don’t see the sun for the entire month. Good times.
In church news, after opening our new facility on Christmas Eve, we began a Saturday evening celebration in January. Nancy and I had been among the team to “plant” the early service several years earlier, so we thought it would be fun to do the same for the Saturday service. Although it started out a bit slow, we have really come to enjoy going to church on Saturday nights!
February
In the first weekend of the month, Nancy’s parents came to visit, and a wonderful time was had by all. Later in the month, there was Valentine’s Day, and in what I can only imagine is a coincidence, Nancy got pregnant.
March
On the first Saturday in March, Nancy & I were fortunate enough to have tickets to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They played a mixed (read: somewhat random) selection, but it was well performed and we enjoyed getting a little culture for a change.
As a follow up to the February entry, March was the month that we received the wonderful news that Nancy was pregnant. Although we had been trying for a while, I was nonetheless surprised to hear the news on that Sunday morning. The rest of the week can only be described as “blurry.”
April
For the first weekend of Spring Break, Dan’s Mom and sister Kelsey came down to visit. The highlight was undoubtedly Mom’s first trip to the disc golf course. For several years now she had heard Dan & Mike talk about their new-found love for the game and she wanted to see what it was all about. She had a reasonably successful first outing, and she is now a (somewhat) regular playing partner with Mike.
On April 19 Nancy had her first doctor’s appointment with her OB/GYN since we found out she was pregnant. Not only did Doctor Slone confirm the pregnancy, but we were surprised that we also received an ultrasound at this early stage. At best, the baby could be described as some sort of strange looking peanut. The word that seemed to most appropriately describe her appearance at the early state, however, was “blob.” Thus was born Sophie’s first nickname. So well did this appellative stick, that she was referred to as “The Blob” until quite literally the day she was born.
On April 22 & 23 the Mikes (Erickson & Grove) came down to Kentucky. We played in a Supertour Disc Golf tournament, which may have been a bit much to bite off for our first tournament. Of course, we played in the lowest division available, which helped to minimize the embarrassment. Mike Erickson actually finished high enough to get prizes (in this case, discs and disc paraphernalia). Mike Grove finished somewhat in the bottom half of the middle. Dan, however, had the very prestigious honor of finishing last among the adult players who actually finished the tournament. Apparently I am only better than kids and quitters. Sheesh.
May
The big news in the beginning of May was Derby weekend. Through some business friends, Dan was lucky enough to be able to buy a box for the Derby. So, splitting the box with Jan & Drew Deener, we decided to go for it. We knew that Nancy’s sister Amy had for years longed for a chance to go to the Derby, as horses have been a passion of hers since she was a little girl. It was our pleasure to be able to invite her along, and an even greater pleasure to see the look in her eyes at the event itself. In advance of the Derby, Dan was also invited to spend the day with work friends at the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. Between the two days, that was a once in a lifetime type opportunity that I will never forget (although I certainly hope that it won’t be once in a lifetime!).
To celebrate Nancy finishing her PhD coursework, we spent a weekend at the Tussey’s lakehouse in Danville. We love to sneak away there for the occasional weekend and can’t even begin to thank Lyne & Bob enough for letting us use it. The best part of the trip is always sitting in their enormous screened in porch at night. It is a little cool at the lake at night, and it invariably rains at least one night while we are there. As we sit on the porch, all we hear is the mooing of unseen cows echoing off of the limestone cliffs that make up the shoreline of Herrington Lake. As the cows fall silent, we get the first smell of the advancing storm. Nancy & I sit close together on the covered couch in the eclectic collection of patio furniture and soak up every minute of the storm. In these moments, time has no meaning. A weekend at the cottage is like a week anywhere else.
June
On June 3rd, Dan celebrated his first annual 29th birthday. Nancy claims that Dan ate all of the birthday chocolate birthday pie, but I specifically remember her getting at least one piece. In any case, you are all invited to Dan’s second annual 29th birthday party next year. I think with some positive word of mouth, we could really turn this thing into a real event.
Later in the month, we made a brief trip to Indiana and Michigan. In a few short days, we witnessed the wedding of Nancy’s cousin Steven to his lovely bride Yvonne, visited South Haven (where we honeymooned so long ago), hung out at the beach, played disc with Mike & Mom, and celebrated Dan’s step-brother Nick’s high school graduation.
At the end of the month, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. As we fancy ourselves both traditional and modern we split the difference and got each other both iron and wood gifts. I was hoping this would mean a complete set of golf clubs for me, but it was apparently not meant to be.
July
We spent the first 5 days of July camping with Nancy’s family at Turkey Run. As far as I can recall, Dan won the annual fishing contest. Strange that there are no pictures of me with any fish, but I’m sure I won… We also celebrated Nancy’s cousin Faith’s half birthday, celebrated Nancy’s 28th birthday, reintroduced Nancy’s family to disc golf (Dad had to walk extra far that day), played croquet, and most certainly did not play any Jarts. That would be illegal.
The highlight of the month was the ultrasound on the 11th. Not only did the Blob resemble a human person, but we received the wonderful news that she would be a she. Although we briefly toyed with “Blobette,” we decided that Blob was a gender indeterminate name and would continue to work just fine.
Late in the month, Dan spent most of his time at the annual Fifth Third Tennis tournament. This is a Challenger level pro event that Lexington is fortunate enough to have in town. As the presenting sponsor for the doubles, Dan presented the trophies and tried not to act like a goofy sponsor type and talk peoples’ ears off. Dan’s Mom, Allen, & Kelsey were in town during part of the event and got their first taste of pro tennis.
August
On August 9, always a surreal day for me, we had our next ultrasound, which included the amazing 4-D ultrasound. This was the best 45 minutes of television I have ever seen. That weekend, we saw an opportunity to sneak away, and made another short lakehouse trip. Well worth doing while Nancy still could!
In the middle of August the Cincinnati Masters Series tennis tournament takes place. Aside from the Grand Slams, the Masters Series are the biggest, richest, and most prestigious tournaments in professional tennis. Every player in the top 50 in the world is required to play them. Although Dan has spent at least one day at this tournament for many years now, we began a new tradition in 2005. Dan typically takes a busload of members from the Tennis Club up to the tournament. Nancy will drive up later in the day, and after seeing the members off, Dan will join her for an evening in Cincinnati. We’ll then spend the next day at the tournament together. It’s a good time with tons of amazing tennis.
September
We kicked off the month with our final vacation as a childless couple, and chose Chicago, an old stomping ground of ours. Nancy made her second trip to Wrigley Field, although it was her first actual Cub’s game. The matchup was a classic- the Cub’s &Pirates were the worst and second to worst teams in the league. Still, a night game at Wrigley field is better than a night doing anything else.
I’ve always said that Nancy is a dork. As she is apparently a career student, this always seemed a defensible position, and as I work in sports and played sports, I must then be a jock. This trip proved, however, that we are both dorks, as we both spent and enjoyed virtually every minute of it trying to learn and soak in as much as we can. We spent one entire day at the Field Museum (very highly recommended), another day at the Adler Planetarium (incredible), and a day at the Brookfield Zoo. Of course, we also made some time for Chicago’s fine dining establishments, as well as the not so fine dining at Navy Pier, and a small chocolate shop very near our hotel in the heart of the Magnificent Mile.
On the back end of the trip, we spent several days in Indiana. Nancy was showered with baby gifts from our families, and I spent the day tailgating and watching Notre Dame’s only truly impressive outing of the season, as they whooped up on Penn State.
Two weeks later we spent a Saturday being educated on the ins and outs of childbirth. For those of you who have not spent 8 hours on a beautiful Saturday in September learning about effacing, dilating, & pushing, rest assured that it is every bit as boring as it sounds.
October
By the time most women are 8 months pregnant, they typically begin to slow down a bit. Nancy however, had it in her mind that this would be the ideal time to sit through 3 eight hour long comprehensive exams (Hebrew/Biblical Criticism, Akkadian, & History/Archaeology). Most students who finish their coursework in May, as Nancy did, wait until at least March of the following year to take their exams (and most do not pass all 3 even then). With the pregnancy, however, she wanted to try to squeeze them in before the baby came. I suppose that if someone continues to do amazing things one should no longer be amazed that they do, but we were nonetheless amazed when her results came back. She received a High Pass grade (a significant achievement) and is now officially ABD (All But Dissertation).
After passing her dork tests, Nancy was showered with gifts from friends at church and we had a couples shower with friends from the Tennis Club. Many thanks to Amber & Jan organizing the showers and also to everyone who came or sent gifts. Our baby is officially spoiled thanks to you all!
November
Finally, the month we had been waiting for all year arrived. This was to be the month when the Blob turned into a real person. Sure enough, we found ourselves heading off to the maternity ward in the middle of the month, but NOT to have the baby! Nancy was involved in a head-on collision just two weeks before the baby’s due date. Of course, the doctors wanted her to come in to monitor the baby, and they ended up keeping us in the maternity ward overnight. Although it was a disconcerting day, it did give us sort of a “dry run” at the hospital, which gave us a comfort level for when the real deal actually arrived.
And arrived it did. After a follow up appointment, Dr. Slone determined that the Blob was ready to make her grand entrance to the world. Nancy was quite simply amazing through the entire birthing process, which ended up as a Caesarian Section delivery. Almost a Thanksgiving baby, Sophie Lyne Erickson was born November 22 at 11:45 pm. By 11:46 pm she had me wrapped around her little finger. A belated apology to all of those whom I called at 12:30 am on Thanksgiving morning, but there is some news that one can simply not keep inside.
As it was Thanksgiving, Nancy’s parents were coming into town that night anyway to spend the holiday weekend with us. Having them there the very next morning to see us and (let’s be honest here) Sophie was wonderful. As joyful as the birth of a child is, I couldn’t imagine going through that experience without family close by. We love Kentucky, but we miss sharing our lives with our families, so having them there to see us in the hospital on Thanksgiving morning was so special for both Nancy & me.
The Dayton’s left on Sunday morning and passed Dan’s Mom, who was making her way down to Kentucky the same day. Not only was she a wonderful help, but she glowed with an unrestrained excitement that helped keep our energy up in those early days.
December
Nancy’s Mom was back to help out for the first few days of December. Not only did she keep us well fed while she was there, it will take us the rest of the month to go through all of the food she prepared for us and froze.
Both of our Mom’s were such a big help in those early days. Most importantly, they freed up Dan to get back to work and let Nancy have no responsibility other than learning to be a Mommy. Maybe it’s because Sophie was born at Thanksgiving, but we can’t stop being thankful for her and for all the help and support we’ve received from family and friends. We love you!
If you’ve made it this far (and if you have, you have too much free time), thank you for reading about our adventurous year. It’s been easy to see God working in our lives, both in the previous years and in this one. I know we will enjoy, and hope you do as well, celebrating the birth of our savior this Christmas. For the first time, it will mean something even more special to us.
January
January is typically Dan’s busiest month at work (so many companies, so many year ends…) and Nancy was trying to get her teeth into her final semester of classwork as a PhD student. Mostly, January in Kentucky is cold (but not too cold) and drab. There is a reasonable chance you don’t see the sun for the entire month. Good times.
In church news, after opening our new facility on Christmas Eve, we began a Saturday evening celebration in January. Nancy and I had been among the team to “plant” the early service several years earlier, so we thought it would be fun to do the same for the Saturday service. Although it started out a bit slow, we have really come to enjoy going to church on Saturday nights!
February
In the first weekend of the month, Nancy’s parents came to visit, and a wonderful time was had by all. Later in the month, there was Valentine’s Day, and in what I can only imagine is a coincidence, Nancy got pregnant.
March
On the first Saturday in March, Nancy & I were fortunate enough to have tickets to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They played a mixed (read: somewhat random) selection, but it was well performed and we enjoyed getting a little culture for a change.
As a follow up to the February entry, March was the month that we received the wonderful news that Nancy was pregnant. Although we had been trying for a while, I was nonetheless surprised to hear the news on that Sunday morning. The rest of the week can only be described as “blurry.”
April
For the first weekend of Spring Break, Dan’s Mom and sister Kelsey came down to visit. The highlight was undoubtedly Mom’s first trip to the disc golf course. For several years now she had heard Dan & Mike talk about their new-found love for the game and she wanted to see what it was all about. She had a reasonably successful first outing, and she is now a (somewhat) regular playing partner with Mike.
May
The big news in the beginning of May was Derby weekend. Through some business friends, Dan was lucky enough to be able to buy a box for the Derby. So, splitting the box with Jan & Drew Deener, we decided to go for it. We knew that Nancy’s sister Amy had for years longed for a chance to go to the Derby, as horses have been a passion of hers since she was a little girl. It was our pleasure to be able to invite her along, and an even greater pleasure to see the look in her eyes at the event itself. In advance of the Derby, Dan was also invited to spend the day with work friends at the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. Between the two days, that was a once in a lifetime type opportunity that I will never forget (although I certainly hope that it won’t be once in a lifetime!).
June
On June 3rd, Dan celebrated his first annual 29th birthday. Nancy claims that Dan ate all of the birthday chocolate birthday pie, but I specifically remember her getting at least one piece. In any case, you are all invited to Dan’s second annual 29th birthday party next year. I think with some positive word of mouth, we could really turn this thing into a real event.
At the end of the month, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. As we fancy ourselves both traditional and modern we split the difference and got each other both iron and wood gifts. I was hoping this would mean a complete set of golf clubs for me, but it was apparently not meant to be.
July
We spent the first 5 days of July camping with Nancy’s family at Turkey Run. As far as I can recall, Dan won the annual fishing contest. Strange that there are no pictures of me with any fish, but I’m sure I won… We also celebrated Nancy’s cousin Faith’s half birthday, celebrated Nancy’s 28th birthday, reintroduced Nancy’s family to disc golf (Dad had to walk extra far that day), played croquet, and most certainly did not play any Jarts. That would be illegal.
August
On August 9, always a surreal day for me, we had our next ultrasound, which included the amazing 4-D ultrasound. This was the best 45 minutes of television I have ever seen. That weekend, we saw an opportunity to sneak away, and made another short lakehouse trip. Well worth doing while Nancy still could!
We kicked off the month with our final vacation as a childless couple, and chose Chicago, an old stomping ground of ours. Nancy made her second trip to Wrigley Field, although it was her first actual Cub’s game. The matchup was a classic- the Cub’s &Pirates were the worst and second to worst teams in the league. Still, a night game at Wrigley field is better than a night doing anything else.
October
By the time most women are 8 months pregnant, they typically begin to slow down a bit. Nancy however, had it in her mind that this would be the ideal time to sit through 3 eight hour long comprehensive exams (Hebrew/Biblical Criticism, Akkadian, & History/Archaeology). Most students who finish their coursework in May, as Nancy did, wait until at least March of the following year to take their exams (and most do not pass all 3 even then). With the pregnancy, however, she wanted to try to squeeze them in before the baby came. I suppose that if someone continues to do amazing things one should no longer be amazed that they do, but we were nonetheless amazed when her results came back. She received a High Pass grade (a significant achievement) and is now officially ABD (All But Dissertation).
After passing her dork tests, Nancy was showered with gifts from friends at church and we had a couples shower with friends from the Tennis Club. Many thanks to Amber & Jan organizing the showers and also to everyone who came or sent gifts. Our baby is officially spoiled thanks to you all!
November
Finally, the month we had been waiting for all year arrived. This was to be the month when the Blob turned into a real person. Sure enough, we found ourselves heading off to the maternity ward in the middle of the month, but NOT to have the baby! Nancy was involved in a head-on collision just two weeks before the baby’s due date. Of course, the doctors wanted her to come in to monitor the baby, and they ended up keeping us in the maternity ward overnight. Although it was a disconcerting day, it did give us sort of a “dry run” at the hospital, which gave us a comfort level for when the real deal actually arrived.
And arrived it did. After a follow up appointment, Dr. Slone determined that the Blob was ready to make her grand entrance to the world. Nancy was quite simply amazing through the entire birthing process, which ended up as a Caesarian Section delivery. Almost a Thanksgiving baby, Sophie Lyne Erickson was born November 22 at 11:45 pm. By 11:46 pm she had me wrapped around her little finger. A belated apology to all of those whom I called at 12:30 am on Thanksgiving morning, but there is some news that one can simply not keep inside.
December
Nancy’s Mom was back to help out for the first few days of December. Not only did she keep us well fed while she was there, it will take us the rest of the month to go through all of the food she prepared for us and froze.
Both of our Mom’s were such a big help in those early days. Most importantly, they freed up Dan to get back to work and let Nancy have no responsibility other than learning to be a Mommy. Maybe it’s because Sophie was born at Thanksgiving, but we can’t stop being thankful for her and for all the help and support we’ve received from family and friends. We love you!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Christmas Card
Most of you will probably be getting this card in the mail, but in case we accidentally left you off the list, here is our Christmas card. (If I don't have your address, I would love to, so feel free to send it my way...)
Enjoy!!
Enjoy!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)