This Year's St. Nicholas Boxes

Being pressed for time, I couldn't paint my St. Nicholas box design this year.  Instead I drew and scanned it, then put it into the Windows Paint Program to color them and then did the rest as a word document and printed them at Kinko's. I was up late cutting them and gluing them (with Peter's help) I couldn't get gifts or bake the shortbread cookies that I put in the boxes--just that sort of year; but I did keep the tradition again this year--however minimal-- and passed them out to my coworkers on time.  I sure miss the years when my kids were little and all excited. They would get so jazzed.  So Elizabeth, if you are tuning in here, there's one for you when you come home for Christmas.

A Girl Named Ginny

It is the first Sunday of Advent and I'm not very functional and can't get all the work done to make this work.  I need candles for an Advent wreath and decorations and a thousand little details to take care of.  I've got a Sisyphean paper to do that I may not be able to finish.  I may kiss my 4.0 goodbye.  But I'm gonna' try. 

Most things about Christianity turn my stomach these days and that is largely due to so may denominations, mostly Protestant evangelicals, who can't seem to see how much they have confused their religion with political Conservative and would rather do law and conformity than celebrate love, freedom and dignity for all human beings.  It is a sad day when so many Christians have learned how to hate in the name of love; who blame the poor for being poor, calling them lazy and parasitical.  But, as the Bible says, the Lord hears the cries of the poor.

True religion is about compassion.  I did have time to write a song for this first week of Advent.  It is more of a Christmas song than an Advent song, but it dwells on the theme of compassion.  My piano, like me, is old and out of tune, but I'm so glad to have it.  The song takes place back in the days of abolition and well, nuff said.