tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post6693022804800509043..comments2023-08-25T08:48:01.101-04:00Comments on The Pagan Sphinx: What's Goin' On / Christmas / SolsticeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17296223961815248113noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-34338825493522254832008-12-15T12:08:00.000-05:002008-12-15T12:08:00.000-05:00Bobbie: I love your meanderings and you can meand...Bobbie: I love your meanderings and you can meander anytime here! I don't want or need apologies from people I know for "hijacking" a thread or whatever the netique says you're not supposed to do. <BR/><BR/>Comments is really where I get to know people relative to whatever it is I'm meandering on about! So please never hesitate.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you about people creating their own religion, in a sense. For me that "religion" has really turned into preserving certain traditions that mean something to us as a family. <BR/><BR/>What's sad to me is that in an effort to "create" their religions, so many people see fit to try to interpret things religiously for the rest of us; things we may not agree with or want to live our lives by. It's not only sad, it's maddening to me and I will appose it every chance I'm confronted with it.<BR/><BR/>Regarding the Portugal Christmases. It was charming but it changed a lot when we came here. Lots more gifts (which for me as a kid was just fine, I'll admit). I guess I've gone back a bit to those roots of declaring the holidays a lot less as a consumer and a lot more as a human being. <BR/><BR/>Yes, CR is a great human being and a wonderful father to our daughters. I wouldn't trade him with another ex for anything in the world! ;-) Seriously, I'm so glad we are able to be friends and support each other. He's like family.<BR/><BR/>Bobbie, you probably know this but I don't want to miss an opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate and value your blogging and your friendship and support. You are one of the first people to start commenting here and I've "met" so many nice people through your blog (Di, Sylvia, and I'm sure I'm leaving others out). Thank you for influencing and affecting how I think and write and act. {hug}<BR/><BR/>Sherry: I'm so glad you shared about your ugly old floor too! Now, I have to admit that if I was frivolous and had all the money in the world, I would want to remodel the whole house but since that's not possible, I had to put my foot down (hehehe) about the floor! Poor WP, he's been so nice about this. I did for a time give him hell about it, I'll admit. ;-)<BR/><BR/>Sherry, you're wonderfully eclectic and loving and sweet and very, very cool! {hug}<BR/><BR/>Betmo: We do have to rally against the Religious Wingnuts! They can celebrate whatever they want, however they want, just don't try to tell me and mine how to live our lives.<BR/><BR/>I can tell you enjoy the Pagan (or whatever) touches of the holidays, too. This year, I"m doing only what I can because I've been sick and the floor won't be finished until the end of the week. <BR/><BR/>Bet, you never stop thinking and speaking your mind. I admire that so much and take a lot from it and try to pass it on. {hug}Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17296223961815248113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-15168592398553460072008-12-15T09:07:00.000-05:002008-12-15T09:07:00.000-05:00i LOVED this post. thanks so much.we have all type...i LOVED this post. thanks so much.<BR/><BR/>we have all types of religions in the mix and atheists. most people think(and that's fine with me, eaisier, safer) that i'm a lapsed catholic instead of an eclectic.<BR/><BR/>the funny/sad thing of it is that if i discuss religion with some people, no matter theirs, they would rather i was a mainstream "anything" rather than tell them i take what i feel is honest and kind from many. go figure!<BR/><BR/>the floor bit killed me. we had 1953 faded red and yellow and black asphalt tiles here until a few years ago when we could afford to rip them up and put down new. every time i washed the old floor the mop turned red. ugh.<BR/><BR/>i'm glad you've found your soulmate. i would think there is nothing better.Sherry Pasquarellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06107407102753464356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-2635153570584356892008-12-15T08:27:00.000-05:002008-12-15T08:27:00.000-05:00this post was perfect :) you hit the right note- ...this post was perfect :) you hit the right note- i generally get my knickers in a twist and rail against christianity and their false 'war on cmas' bullcrappery. i too grew up 'christian' and we always celebrated christmas- but not religiously. we had santa claus and trees and reindeer and records sung by everyone imaginable. we never had much money but my mom began saving money and buying food months in advance and we would feast from cmas to new year. those are good memories and i didn't need jesus or the christians to enjoy the season.<BR/><BR/>nowadays, i decorate more naturally- greenery and candles and lights. and we still feast- but it isn't a whole season. i think the yule only spanned about 3 days at most- and sorry true believers- you don't get the entire month of december. happy holidays--- happy holidays to everyone.billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16206096509976316141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-4565446068713733622008-12-15T04:47:00.000-05:002008-12-15T04:47:00.000-05:00Now you've started me on another train of thought,...Now you've started me on another train of thought, and as usual, I can't shut up.<BR/><BR/>I've always felt that religion is a sort of security blanket for humans. We each believe what we have to believe to feel safe and comfortable. In other words, each of us creates his own religion, whether he realizes it or not. The more I learn about religions of every description, the surer I am that what each denomination teaches is basically the same as all the others, and individuals, if they are thinking people, each take from it what they need.<BR/><BR/>Never mind. Once I start on something like this, I'm liable to meander on endlessly.bobbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00658103343742852411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-514750714422628202008-12-15T03:54:00.000-05:002008-12-15T03:54:00.000-05:00If I inspired you to write this post, I am very pr...If I inspired you to write this post, I am very proud of myself. <BR/><BR/>Your memories of Portugal and all the rest are beautiful. I could not agree with you more about the gifts and the ridiculous way so many rush around doing things that have nothing to do with what life is all about. I am so grateful that you have found someone with whom to share the rest of your life in harmony.<BR/><BR/>CR sounds like a pretty good guy too.bobbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00658103343742852411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-30617124974837412832008-12-15T03:06:00.000-05:002008-12-15T03:06:00.000-05:00jcf: you wrote: "there's a part of me that's sad t...jcf: you wrote: "there's a part of me that's sad that you can't connect that Baby Born in Bethlehem (or was it actually Nazareth?"<BR/><BR/>I can always put my boot out for the Baby Jesus, if you want me to! ;-)<BR/><BR/>Seriously. I CAN connect to that Baby but I don't need to celebrate his birth. What I can do is wish my Christian friends Merry Christmas, my Jewish friends Happy Chanukka and my Pagan friends Happy Winter Solstice. Etc. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17296223961815248113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-50479635544303791122008-12-15T00:14:00.000-05:002008-12-15T00:14:00.000-05:00Oh, and Feel Better SOON!It's funny: just a few ho...Oh, and Feel Better SOON!<BR/><BR/>It's funny: just a few hours ago, I was comparing notes w/ a good friend, who's having a terrible time recovering from a dental infection (and discovered she's now allergic to penecillin, in the process). <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I told her that MY last bout w/ antibiotics, was when I had an <B>ear infection</B> (mid-90s). I went through a complete prescription, but my ear was still plugged. Being on vacation at the time (that the antibiotics ran out), I saw the "country doctor" at Chatauqua: he gave me another prescription for antibiotics (similar, but different), AND (I was afraid he was crazy at the time) he pumped a <B>large hyperdermic cyllinder</B> full of warm water into my stuffed ear.<BR/><BR/>Between the two (more antibiotics and the water)---and more time, of course---that did the trick!<BR/><BR/>Be well, Gina. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-91615034926639820902008-12-15T00:06:00.000-05:002008-12-15T00:06:00.000-05:00Very interesting, Gina.Because I am a Christian (P...Very interesting, Gina.<BR/><BR/>Because I <I>am</I> a Christian (Psst! Don't tell anyone---and I'm really more of an Episcopalian than "Christian," per se ;-/), there's a part of me that's sad that you can't connect that Baby Born in Bethlehem (or was it actually Nazareth? Must consult the Jesus Seminar! *g*), with the "Rebirth of the Sun" (which is why, of course, Jesus's Birth is celebrated around Solstice time). Y'know, w/ maybe a Creche under your Yule Tree?<BR/><BR/>Sigh. Christians have ruined so much of Christianity. I consider it <I>criminal</I> that they've spoiled (for so many) the Nativity, and/or "Christ's Mass", as well. :-/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-79707492615334113442008-12-14T23:00:00.000-05:002008-12-14T23:00:00.000-05:00I think, Steve, that perspective is responsible fo...I think, Steve, that perspective is responsible for my writing a lot about the girls' education. You know, it just doesn't seem possible the leaps and bounds our family has made in education in this country. Both my brother and I have held that very tight value of wanting our kids to access highter education - if that's what they wanted. And they both said yes. So that's where we're at. :-)<BR/><BR/>I genuinely could relate to the stories of the Obamas during the "get to know him" period of the DNC. Scholarships and grants became sort of my mantra for a few weeks! ;-)<BR/><BR/>Maybe I'll write more on the topic of education in a post. It's all bad-ass and crazy, really. But we tumble along...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17296223961815248113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-17958962463710277842008-12-14T22:27:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:27:00.000-05:00This was really good for me to read - I mean that ...This was really good for me to read - I mean that part about the holidays. I really liked your reminiscences of Portugal and your Christmases there. It put things in perspective, which is, I suspect, what you intended.<BR/><BR/>But I'm very sorry you have been so sick. It really augments the already gloomy doldrums of this time of year.<BR/><BR/>And I'm with you on solstice - celebrating the bottom of the tunnel - light returning! Hooray!Steve Emeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08628329561652344403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-83230197096470486992008-12-14T22:03:00.000-05:002008-12-14T22:03:00.000-05:00I'm so glad you've finally found that, Gina. I wa...I'm so glad you've finally found that, Gina. I was cheering for you as I read it.<BR/><BR/>WP is one helluva guy, and I see why he works for you. Two good people moving in the same direction: what could be better?<BR/><BR/>:)The Cunning Runthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11480635074548499383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2512858685634922680.post-31426714498531521172008-12-14T19:12:00.000-05:002008-12-14T19:12:00.000-05:00I hope you feel really better soon. SAD is such a ...I hope you feel really better soon. SAD is such a strange animal. It really does make you feel dragged out as if you are sick with something indefinable.<BR/><BR/>I like what you have to say about the gift of time. MathMan and I spend a lot of quiet time together doing our own thing next to each other at the desk or kitchen table.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com