Magic

We had just finished reading some sappy, sentimental library book called The Christmas Princess. It ended with something like, "She had brought the gift of Christmas magic to the world."
"What's Christmas magic?" Xine wants to know.
""The feeling you get when you look at your Christmas tree in your dark living room," I said, the first thing that came into my head. "Look."
We turned out the lights and gazed at our beautiful tree for a quiet minute.
"I'm a real fairy," Maxine then told me.
"That wouldn't surprise me," I said.
She then explained that Miriam, her best friend at school, was in fact a real fairy, and that she had transfered her powers to Maxine by holding both her hands, with their eyes closed.
I love those sweet girls.

And also in the "my daughter is the sweetest and best girl ever" category, yesterday Maxine came home from school with a card she had made for me. It said "LOVE YOU MAM" and was chock full of angels, rainbows, hearts, and inside, a picture of her and I in princess dresses, fishing. Yes, fishing. This is apparently something we need to do together someday.
And then she brought out a tiny, one inch square card that just said "LOVE" inside, with hearts. "This one is for my new sister. Or brother." AWWWWW! I will save it forever!

Holiday! Celebrate!

My very favorite part of the season has always been parties. I love getting together with friends and loved ones during the coldest, darkest part of the year and welcoming winter. We had some of our parent friends over for a potluck last weekend, and a good time was had by all. We had a great spread of yummy food, some hearty winter beer, and mulled cider. Among us we had Christians, pagans, atheists, all celebrating the same thing. It was also the first snowfall of the year, which made it even more memorable.

The grown-ups...

...and the kids.



Jenny organized a craft for the kids: making pinecone peanut butter bird feeders, which they all had fun with.


We had such a good time eating and talking, we mostly and we let the kids run around wild. It gets a little "Lord of the Flies," but in a good way.

Last but not least, here's a little bonus picture. Maxine had her Holiday Strings concert on Friday, and I was very proud. Her kindergarten class did great at their little four-note song, "The Chrysnathemum Jam."

The Story of Stuff

Val posted this over at Goddess Hobbies, and I loved it. Just in time for the Christmas shopping season, wait a minute, doesn't the phrase "shopping season" turn your stomach? This is a very important, big picture kind of message.

the story of stuff

I believe in these things so strongly, but I never know what to do beyond changing my own habits. And I believe its a constantly evolving process. I bought from local artists this year, but I also slipped into a chain store or two. Once, while waiting for Jason to get off of work, I found myself in Family Dollar. Well, I needed a certain size picture frame, and I'm on a budget. Also some ornament making supplies would be nice. I found myself dazed by all the cheap crap, most of which looks cheap, but still shouldn't cost a dollar. I was even tempted by the stuffed mermaid dolls, "Groovy Girl's" knock-offs... well Maxine was interested in them for half a second. Maybe I could buy some for her stocking... and she'd love me that much more... and it would only cost a dollar! When I got to the checkout, I realized that I had forgotten my wallet. Oh well, there goes four dollars worth of stuff I would have bought. And in the end I found a better frame at Goodwill, and realized I didn't need cheap dollar store crap to make ornaments. And Maxine already has little handmade mermaid finger puppets that she loves.
I think it is an american impulse to think, "If I have something I like, then more of them would be better." But actually, the less I have, the more the things I do have are worth, to me.

O Holy Night

Things to do when you're bored: go on YouTube and compare versions of a famous song.
Tonight's selection: O Holy Night.
Almost nobody can really sing this song. Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Donna Summer, a selection of American Idol stars... you know what it will sound like. Lots of people do lovely versions that show they can sing, but in my opinion, very few can feel this song. The key line: Fall on your knees.
"Fall on your knees!" When most singers get here, they sing it gently, reverently. At most, boldly and sweetly. If there's one line ever written that demands passion, this is it. Imagine a mere mortal suddenly shown the terrifying presence of God. Nobody says it better than Rilke in the Duino Elegies:

"Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels'
hierarchies? and even even if one of them pressed me
suddenly against his heart: I would be consumed
in that overwhelming existance. For beauty is nothing
but the beginning of terror, which we still are just able to endure,
and we are so awed because it serenely disdains
to annihilate us. Every angel is terrifying."

Fall on your knees, in anguish, everything you've ever known was just a shadow of this sudden revelation. Not humbly or slowly because you know its appropriate, but FALL ON YOUR KNEES! In terror, almost pain at the purest beauty possible to experience. You're weeping, you're overwhelmed, you fall on your knees, what do the angel voices sound like? Can you hear them?
I want a singer to show me that.
I know, it's asking a lot from YouTube. Maybe in the true platonic sense, a perfect version of this song exists but is impossible for a human to sing.

Tonight's Winner: Christina Aguilara. I'm not the biggest fan of her vocal style, but she gets closest on the key line, and can definately sing something like she means it.
Runner Up: Johnny Mathis in the 50's. I love the emotion in his face.

People who I'd like to hear sing this song:
Bjork
Will Shef from Okkervil River
Régine Chassagne from The Arcade Fire

What song would you like to hear, performed by what singer?