If memes and posts are any indication, 2021 is the year when the worldwide web finally got onboard and agrees with me that Die Hard is, indeed, a Christmas movie!
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| Ornament |
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| Poster |
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| Gingerbread house |
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| Advent calendar |
Ho, ho, ho and yippee-kye-yay! Merry Christmas, Everyone!
16. Do you want any piercings? I have one in each ear, and that's enough for me.
17. What’s your mousepad look like? I don't use a mousepad.
18. Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader? Yes. It can be fun. I don't believe in it, but I understand and respect people who do.
19. How do you identify spiritually (do you follow a religion, what do you think about soul/spirit, etc.)? I am a Christian. I believe we each have a responsibility to our neighbors, to our country and to our planet. I try to live my life that way. I am 100% sure there's a place for me in Heaven.
20. Do you prefer your nails long or short? Naturally, after contemplating my immortal soul, my mind wanders to my nails. I prefer them short.
21. What are your favorite smells? Cinnamon, lavender
22. Do you still use a radio or just use your phone/computer for music? I love my shower radio sooooo much! It's a great way to start my morning.
23. What kind of socks do you prefer to wear? Plain white anklets.
24. Do you have any family heirlooms? Nothing that is of value to anyone but me.
26. Is there anything you used to love but now dislike? Since covid, my sense of smell is changed. I can no longer abide citrus. (Anyone who dismisses covid as "just the flu" is an ass; get vaccinated and boosted! Not just for your own sake, but to protect everyone you come in contact with.)
27. Your favorite place to be aside from your home? Right now, anywhere my oldest friend is. I miss her very much these days and worry about her. I wish we weren't a continent apart!
28. What is your favorite kind of tea? This year I've been drinking tons of Bigelow salted caramel tea.
29. Any old home remedies you use when you're sick? My mom was a big believer in room temperature 7UP for just about everything.
30. What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at? As bright as possible.
Last month my nephew sent me a cryptic text, teasing "exciting" news about his future, adding that he had to see my face when he shared it.
Naturally I've been going crazy with curiosity! He's graduating in May. Are we talking about a new, steady girl? A job? Does he want to go on to get a teaching certificate? As much as he's enjoyed four years of studying public policy and political science, he isn't 100% sure he wants to make it his career. He's nervous about the relocation that would likely require.
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| Another member of the family making a living with words |
Well, here's an unexpected plot twist. He has a job already lined up after graduation. As a writer! More than that, he's going to be a baseball writer!
Around Halloween, he was checking one of his favorite baseball sites and saw a job posting. Even though he didn't have the qualifications specified -- journalism degree, portfolio, experience -- he filled out the application and sent them a sample article about where he predicted where former Cub Kris Bryant would land for the 2022 season.
They liked it! Enough to give him an exercise, just to see if he could write about other teams as well. They liked that article, too, and gave him an interview. He wowed them with his deep knowledge of stats and passion for the game.
He's an intern now. One of his stories -- the original one about Kris Bryant -- was reworked and posted and they paid him for it. With the baseball strike, there is nothing going on right now and likely won't be until spring training. So the site is very comfortable letting him juggle his writing duties and his schoolwork just now.
After graduation, he becomes a full-time baseball writer with a byline! And a regular salary based on a 40-hour workweek.
He won't be a reporter. His job will include scouring social media, major news sites and individual sportswriters' columns for news and then putting his own spin on the aggregate. No reason why he can't do that from his bedroom in his parents' house.* This gives him a chance to earn money at his own pace until he moves out.
I admit it, I got weepy at the news. "I wanted to tell you face-to-face, because you're the one who introduced me to baseball," he said. A next generation baseball fan, a next generation writer. I am so proud and so very moved by this.
While the website he's working for is reputable and has been around for more than a decade, I know he's never going to get rich working there. I'm also not sure about how quick the turnover is at this site. But it will definitely open doors for him, if sportswriting turns out to be his chosen career.
If it doesn't? In May he receives a diploma that he can still use to get a job in politics and policy. Or PR, and here his web writing experience will be a real plus.
But I don't want to project too far into the future. Right now, he's happy and proud that he has his "dream job." And I'm happy and proud, too.
*His mother will love that.
Saturday 9: Please Come Home for Christmas (1992)
Unfamiliar
with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1)
In this video, Jon Bon Jovi recalls decorating the tree with Cindy
Crawford. They took turns wearing a Santa hat. Will anyone in
your household be donning a Santa hat this season? Not a Santa hat. But in years gone by, my friend Henry has cheerfully worn the hat with elf ears I gave him.
6) Jon once guest-starred as Carrie's love interest in an episode of Sex and the City, the popular HBO sitcom set in New York. The new reboot, And Just Like That, also centers around NYC life. Where does your favorite TV show take place? Right now, I'm loving the old Dick Van Dyke Show, which alternately takes place in Manhattan and New Rochelle.
7)
Jon met his wife, Dorothea, when they were still in high school. Do you
remember who you wanted to marry when you were in high school? Oh, yes! His name was Walt. He was 6'5, warmed the bench for the basketball team and had shiny black hair that always fell in his eyes. I found him devastatingly attractive! Last I heard, he was a paint/wallpaper contractor in a nearby suburb.
8) At Christmastime 1992, when this song was released, toys that tied into Disney's Little Mermaid were very popular. Have you purchased toys for anyone on your gift list this year? No one I know personally. But I got earrings, Hot Wheels and a Star Wars sticker book for the children who will be spending Christmas with their moms at the local women's shelter. Then there's the jewelry-making kit I was persuaded by my favorite-most ball player, Anthony Rizzo, to contribute to a pediatric cancer patient at Lurie Children's Hospital. I love buying toys! It's such a happy thing.
Here are gifts arriving for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation Amazon Toy Drive for Lurie Childrens Hospital. For every toy we bought, Anthony bought one, too. He's such a good boy and I miss my favorite (former) Cub sooooooo much!
9) Jon recorded "Please Come Home for Christmas" to benefit The Special Olympics. Here's your chance to plug a cause
or organization that's near and dear to you. Since I've raved about it already, let's go with The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. More than half of the families battling pediatric cancer will file for bankruptcy. This organization, begun by All Star first baseman and cancer survivor Anthony Rizzo, provides much-needed financial assistance. Everything from parking at the hospital (yes, many hospitals charge $20/day or more for parking!) to meals in the hospital cafeteria to daycare for the family's other children, and more. All those costs not covered by insurance that strain a family's budget at an already stressful time. I'm grateful that Rizz opened my eyes to this need.
The pastor is a lovely man. I have worshipped with him at Christmas in the past, but to be honest, it's not his sermon I recall. Last year, when I was battling covid, Henry was very worried about me and so Pastor Steve asked the congregation to pray for me. I saw it when I watched the service live on Facebook. How can it not lift your spirits to know that a churchful of strangers, 1500 miles away, is praying for you? I am happy I'll get to thank Pastor Steve in person this year.
What a difference a year, two vaccinations and a booster make!
Stay safe, everyone. I am so very much hoping this will be the first normal Christmas we've enjoyed in years!
WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 
Anthony Rizzo was in Chicago this weekend! Saturday afternoon, he checked out his toy drive at Lurie Children's' Hospital. Then he had dinner with Chris Chelios (former Blackhawk) and Ryan Dempster (former Cub). He capped off the night seeing comic Sebastian Maniscalco at the United Center. I never heard of Sebastian Maniscalco before, but he must be pretty popular to play the House that Michael Built two nights in a row.
Sunday Rizz watched the Bears game in a bar and made some very drunk man's night by crashing his video.
Twitter is a wonderful thing!
I wish that Anthony Rizzo sightings in Chicago were still commonplace. I am healing, but I don't think I'll ever stop missing him.
"We are all broken vessels, infinitely precious in the eyes of God." I stumbled upon that verse from the midrash in, of all things, a frothy holiday chick-lit and it's stayed with me. It's burrowed in because it's something I need to work on.
It's easy for me to see when others lack compassion. For example, a former coworker of mine, Tom, is married to an urgent care nurse. You should hear him on people who refuse the vaccine and booster! I get it. Those who insist it's "their body, their choice" and then get sick put his wife at risk, leave his wife overworked and emotionally depleted. When they argue that therapeutics should be emphasized over vaccines, he counters that it's his wife who has to tend to them while the meds are prescribed, even though a vaccine is available and she could be spending her time helping people (especially children) recover from burns and sprains and cuts and other painful and scary accidents. He's not wrong.
But can you imagine the crippling regret one must feel who -- after having refused the free vaccine and booster -- contracts a severe case of covid? How disillusioned they must feel for believing Tucker Carlson and News Punch instead of Dr. Fauci and their own family doctor? Plus, I had covid and know even a mild case (mine was unusually long-lasting but I, fortunately, was never in danger) can be terrifying.
The folks who refuse the vaccine are broken vessels and deserve our compassion, not our scorn. (Even as they call me a "sheeple" or a "liberal vax-hole" for wanting to keep myself and neighbors safe. That misplaced anger is just another place they're broken.)
So why am I angry at myself right now? Where can I dial up the compassion? For almost two weeks now, I've had a simmering anger at my art director. Here's why.
On the morning of Tuesday, November 23, we received an email from our boss, Aaron, welcoming a new team member. Marilyn. A creative director.
What the hell? Is Marilyn our new boss, instead of Aaron? Why weren't we told?
Both my art director -- my equal, my partner, my opposite number -- and I were upset. But I said to her, "Aaron must have a good reason and a plan. He's earned our trust."
"I barely know him," she said. I was shocked. When she began her battle with breast cancer (which she handled with tremendous gallantry), he put her in touch with his mom, a breast cancer survivor. He got her the promotion she wanted, and the accompanying raise. For her to be so dismissive rattled me.
Later in the day, Aaron requested a Zoom meeting with me and the art director. He told us he was leaving after the New Year (probably January 15). He's straight up quitting, taking time off, because he's burned out. Being a creative director at a major agency during covid, and while his live-in girlfriend has taken on a new and challenging job of her own, has just left him exhausted. I get it. It happens. While I understand his actions, I was hurt that he didn't tell us before Marilyn was hired, and I know I will miss him tremendously.
I was appalled.
Later that day, in our team meeting, when we were discussing Aaron and how Marilyn would come on board, my art director began to cry again.
Wait, there's more. At our next private meeting with Aaron, just the three of us, she started up the water works again.
So which is it? Is Aaron just someone she "barely knows," or is he worth these red-faced public displays of emotion? I want to sock her in the throat
Now that is on me. I think I'm so creeped out by her tears because I was raised that you don't do that sort of thing in public. I'm also very aware that women are still considered over-emotional in the workplace and feel that three (count 'em, THREE) instances of tears at the office just reinforces that. And poor Marilyn! At the mention of her name, one of her new direct reports keep dissolving! Then there's the hypocrisy. Is Aaron someone she "barely knows," or does she truly recognize all he's given her over the past year?
But have I stopped to consider why she keeps crying over this? No.
Is she afraid Marilyn won't be as supportive as Aaron? Does she now realize that she likes him? Do I care?
Honestly, no. And shame on me. I know my art director considers me a friend, and I'm not behaving as one.
I'm a broken vessel, too. A few quarts low on compassion myself. I must work on that, and be grateful that I am still precious in God's eyes.
1. Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm? Yes. That's why I keep an umbrella in my briefcase at all times.
2. Did you ever build furniture forts as a child? Yes. My oldest friend was the architect. I just helped drape the blankets.
3. Do you use any medicines daily? Yes, for cholesterol and allergies.
4. When was the last time you used a disposable camera? I don't recall. It's been a long while.
5. When was the last time you flew on a plane? When I went to my niece's wedding in October 2020. I'm flying to Florida for Christmas in Key West later this month.
6. How many first cousins do you have? Six (though I only know two of them well).
7. What’s the longest period of time you’ve gone without sleep? 20 hours. When I finally got to bed, I didn't so much fall asleep as surrender to it.
8. Did the house you grew up in have a big yard? Yes. It was so big that, at one point, my parents contemplated getting a built-in pool. My mom nixed it. In Chicagoland, it would only be used three months/year. Plus she worried about neighborhood kids getting in and drowning. (My mom was a worrier; I come by it honestly.)
9. What has been the most difficult class you’ve ever taken? Chemistry. Keep that frigging periodic table of elements away from me!
10. What’s something that’s much more difficult than a lot of people realize? Acceptance. I learned a phrase recently from the midrash: "We are all broken vessels, infinitely precious in the eyes of God." I need to learn to have greater compassion for my own failings and for the failings of those around me. This has been top of mind for me since last month's Compassion Challenge. Funny how a Jewish verse would bring me closer to having a more responsive Christian heart, but that's how God works sometimes, isn't it?
11. What are some things a house would need to have for you to purchase it? A really good bathroom with updated plumbing and ventilation.
12. Would you ever go out in public wearing pajamas? Well, if there was a fire I wouldn't waste time changing into my street clothes.
13. Have you ever had a lemonade stand? Yes.
14. Do you think you look older or younger than your real age? Yes. I should, too, because I work at it. I'm a 64-year-old woman in a young person's industry! My skincare regime is pretty unshakeable and I whiten my teeth regularly. (Need to do that before Christmas.)
15. Where have you lived throughout your life? A certain toddlin' town. Home of the 2016 World Series Champions.
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| I consider this my favorite birthday card |
I got presents! In addition to the ones in this photo (from my auntie, my cousin, Snarkypants and my friend Nancy), I got little gifties from my Joanna, my oldest friend and newest friend, Elaine. They're all festive and thoughtful and appropriate and so very appreciated.
I ate! Thanksgiving dinner with Gregory and John was the start. (He got me a giftcard to my favorite local movie theater -- another perfect present!) Then Joanna and I got together at a local restaurant I haven't been to in nearly two years! Last night, Elaine and I dined at a trendy little Asian kitchen downtown near the ballpark. It's a tiny space with great food and I'm so glad it made it through the pandemic when many other small businesses didn't.
Anyway, last night, surrounded by classic movie fans who knew all the dialog (and hissed whenever mean Mr. Potter appeared and jingled bells whenever Clarence mentioned his wings), I saw It's a Wonderful Life. It was a very emotional experience for me. Not just because the film is so positive and moving, but because it was a favorite film of my favorite uncle. I miss him all the time -- more often than I would have predicted when he died more a decade ago -- and he would have loved this.
There were no children in the audience, but in addition to Boomers like Elaine and me, there were plenty of Millennials. It was so nice to enjoy the movie going/Christmas experience in a crowd again!
I woke up this morning feeling very happy. Loved and grateful. Excited about Christmas 2021 ... and hoping that when I post about my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas 2022, vaccinations and masks will make covid a mere mention and not a big part of our memories.
*Nor my Cousin Rose or my oldest friend. All three of us ended up spending the holidays with covid. Like me, my friend had wicked gastrointestinal symptoms. Rose had the more conventional respiratory symptoms. All three of us were sick for weeks. Since we're still on work-from-home, one of my vaccinated coworkers got through his very recent "bout" without missing a day's work!
Saturday 9: Drivers License (2021)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about a girl who just got her drivers license. Who taught you to drive? My dad at home, Coach Brown at school, and I am no credit to either of them. I was a terrible driver.
2) Do you like your drivers license/state ID photo? It's OK. I've endured worse.
3) Think back to the first ticket you received. How old were you, and what was it for? Since I've never been a driver, I've never gotten a ticket.
4)
In this week's song, Olivia Rodrigo is brokenhearted, driving through
her boyfriend's neighborhood, certain that he has taken up with the
sophisticated blonde girl. When it comes to romance, do you have a
jealous streak? Oh, yes! It's wide and unattractive.
5)
Olivia grew up in Temucula, California. Temecula is home to 40 wineries
and dozens of tasting rooms. Have you ever attended a wine tasting? I've been to two. The first was a formal fundraiser for The Field Museum. It was so funny to see all these people (me included) among the dinosaurs, dressed to the nines, spitting into buckets. The second was a far more casual affair at a spa right outside Atlanta. I enjoyed the sweet port wines. Alas, now that even a sip of the grape gives me migraines, my tasting days are over.
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| The main hall, prepped for an event. |
7) She went on to star in projects for Disney studios. That's also how pop stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Christina Aguilera got started. Arguably the first teen star created by Disney studios was Annette Funicello. Do you remember her? "Ask the birds and ask the bees and ask the stars above who's their favorite sweet brunette. You know each one confesses: Annette, Annette, Annette." When I was a little girl, my mom's dad lived alone in a pair of rooms he rented in this lady's house. He had his own bedroom and bathroom at the top of the stairs, but no kitchen! I found his living arrangement fascinating. Anyway, he kept a record player and some children's records for me to play when I'd come visit. "Annette" was a thick yellow plastic disc with a Disney logo, a paean to the most popular Mouseketeer. I played it all the time, but since Mickey Mouse Club wasn't on anymore, I didn't really know who Annette Funicello was until I was older and saw her Beach Party movies on TV.
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| Singer Jimmie Dodd and his Mouskamuse |
8) "Drivers License" was one of this year's most popular songs. One of this year's most popular books is John Grisham's The Judge's List. Do you expect to do much reading between now and the end of the year? If so, what's on your TBR (to be read) list? I've been doing something new for me: reading Christmas chick-lit. I'm hoping it will help me get into the swing of things. Next up is The Matzah Ball (Kwizgiver turned me on to it). Then I'm going back to my "regularly scheduled" reading. There's a biography of Lady Bird Johnson I'm eagerly looking forward to. She was the First Lady I remember most clearly from my girlhood, but I know so little about her. Let's fix that! (I love reading about First Ladies.)
9) Random Question: What is the longest line you ever stood in, and was it worth it? I don't know that it's longest line I've ever stood in, but in December 2019 I waited forever in the State of Illinois building to get my new, TSA compliant Real ID. The memory is vivid because it was the last time I was in a crowd, surrounded by strangers (remember, everything shut down in March 2020) until my nephew and I went to Wrigley Field last summer. December 2019 to August 2021. Nearly 20 months. Wow. Covid.
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| The tree I stared at for hours in line |
Stolen from League of Extraordinary Penpals
1. What are your plans for December? First I finish the latest BIG PROJECT, then I head to Key West to spend Christmas with Henry, Reg and Patrick.
2. How do you celebrate your wins/success? I don't really. I just try to appreciate the moment.
3. Are holiday movies only for the holiday season? No. There are some I watch every holiday season, but I'm not averse to watching them all year around.
4. What would you consider a waste of money? If it made you happy, it wasn't a waste of money.
5. What do you like to eat for breakfast? Depends on if you're cooking, or I'm cooking. If I'm cooking, I'll just have a bowl of cereal.
6. How do you feel about poetry? I like song lyrics a lot, but I don't consider poetry at all.
7. Are you shy? Professionally, not at all. Personally, very.
8. Do you take time to reflect on your goals? Yes
9. Something you are curious to know more about. The SALT tax deduction. I keep hearing about it, but I don't understand it, and I mean to learn more about it.
10. Something that makes you feel fancy. Real napkins. I use paper towels or paper napkins at home.
11. How you’re still handling the pandemic. I'm exhausted.
12. A close friend you’ve never met in person. Just about everyone who is reading this! My "blog buddies" know me better (or at least differently) than people who deal with me daily and in real life.
13. Do you get in on trends early or later? Later.
14. What is something you do on a regular basis? This. Blogging.
15. Do you enjoy spending time with family? I love spending time with my niece and nephew.
Saturday 9: Got My Mind Set on You (1976)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
WWW.
WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly.
To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. I'm encouraged to participate in this November challenge with my church congregation.
Inspiring Compassion: The 30 Day Compassion Challenge. 30 days to explore the topic of compassion: Mindfulness, Compassion for Friends & Family, Self-Compassion, Compassion for All, Compassion for Our Planet.
Sunday, once again, I kept my mouth shut.
I went to Boston Market because I didn't feel like cooking and I had a coupon for 15% off. I ordered a chicken pot pie, a side order of stuffing (to enjoy later), and, to put me over the dollar amount to qualify for the savings, a cookie. FYI: They have very good chocolate at Boston Market.
The cashier, clearly new, forgot my cookie. I discovered this when I got home. I was unreasonably unhappy. I admit I'd been thinking about that cookie all the way home.
I was too lazy to go back. But I also didn't become a keyboard warrior and log into "Tell Boston Market."
I know that there's a school of thought that she had a simple job to do: put my ordered items in a bag and take my money. She didn't do it.
On the other hand, Thanksgiving is The Super Bowl at Boston Market. I imagine the staff -- who may not have wanted to work at all because they have loved ones, too -- worked very hard and are tired. Plus, she is new. AND no one really needs a cookie. Not even a big, delicious chocolate chunk cookie.
Compassion for All.
