25 December 2016

Christmas 2016


And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for behold, I bring you 
Good tidings of great joy,
Which shall be to all people.
--Luke 2:10


Merry Christmas!

16 December 2016

Brrrrr! So Why Are You Dressed Like That?

I don't know about where you are, but yesterday and today, it's been extremely cold in Philadelphia!  Yesterday I looked at the weather widget on my computer, and it said, "Current temp 27 Feels like: 6" and I had to laugh out loud, because the "feels like" wasn't even double digits!

As you may know, I walk back and forth to work.  In all weather.  And I have cold weather down.  I may look like the Michelin Man's homeless sister, but when I get to where I am going, I'm OK and not freezing.  To quote The Tim, I just "yeti-up and head out."



Granted, in weather like this, even if I'm not freezing while walking around, I still know how cold it is, as I am not able to completely swath my person.  But I will never, ever, ever understand certain things about people (OK, particularly women) related to this kind of weather:

1.  Sleeveless dresses without a sweater or jacket, etc.
2.  Open-toed shoes
3.  No tights, socks, etc.
4.  No gloves, scarf, etc.

Yesterday I was at a meeting with two women - who granted, looked lovely - but they were in sleevless dresses, and kept talking about how cold they were.  I asked if they'd forgotten to bring their sweaters to the meeting, and each one said they didn't bring sweaters with them at all.  One even said, "This dress looks awful with a sweater."

My sympathy level: -82

And then I see people walking around like this:


Um, no.  You may look stylin' but generally these people are also huddled into themselves, complaining about how cold it is.  1. Button your coat.   2. Buy gloves.  3. Wear closed-toe shoes.  4. Buy a hat or earmuffs.  5. (Most importantly) GET OVER YOURSELF, it feels like 7 freakin' degrees out!

My sympathy level:  negative off the charts.

I could go on: stiletto heels in the ice and snow, miniskirts with bare legs, etc.

Look, I don't know anyone whose goal is to look like crap every day of their lives.  And I can understand that for some people, looking as fashionable as possible is a goal.   I also understand the dreaded hat head issue.

But I would like to posit that you can still look nice, and be warm.  I'm not claiming to be a fashion plate by any means, but I've never scared a small child by being bundled up or made someone vomit from disgust when they see me walking around in cold weather.

And if you want to dress fashionably, and not look like I do when walking around, then SHUT UP about it!  It get so tired of people who are improperly dressed complaining that they are cold.

Now, if you used to live in a tropical climate, and just moved here, I get it.  But if you have lived here for even one winter, you have no excuse.  Even with global warming, there are still cold snaps and the polar vortex.  And I also understand that some are too poor to afford even a coat, and that is where the concern should be.

Also, don't tell me "you didn't know it was going to be like this" because even if you are obsessed with spending the day staring at your phone, there are still plenty of opportunities to hear or see a weather report.

There's a reason Santa dresses like he does, you know.  ;-)


08 December 2016

Well Hello and It's December!

You'll be glad to know - or possibly not even care - that I completed NaBloPoMo on my other blog.  It was fun, though there were days when I would remember suddenly in the evening that I hadn't done a post for that day, and then I'd have to hustle to be coherent.

But now it's December, which is one of the best months, and it's also SEVENTEEN DAYS from Christmas Day!  I love Christmastime, so I am a happy camper.  I love giving gifts, making cookies, decorating, listening to music, and just about any other aspect I can conjure up.  This year, I actually knitted a fair number of the gifts I'm giving, so now it's just a matter of wrapping them and mailing them to the recipients.  Now don't get me wrong - I didn't knit a gift for everyone, just those I know actually enjoy and appreciate hand knit things.  The others are getting purchased items that were chosen for them.

Yesterday, The Tim got us a lovely little tree.  Which, on current count, has been knocked down three times by Jack the kitten.  The others are appalled!  Particularly Pip, who is the family narc.  This morning when I came downstairs, Jack ran past me to the living room where the tree is.  Pip was laying underneath it, and hissed at Jack, big time!  Hilarious.  I thanked Pip for his service, and told him he was a Tree Patriot.  I swear to God he puffed up his chest with pride. ;-)

Hopefully today will be better.  The Tim has the day off, and hopefully Jack got it all out of his system yesterday so we can put the light and ornaments on the tree over the next few days.  On the plus side, it didn't get knocked down overnight, so that's something.  (And proof that Pip Patrol is effective, I guess.)

I know that the above event, as well as Christmastime in general, can be stressful for a lot of people.  I saw this article yesterday, and though it seems very simple, I thought it might actually be helpful for some people to read and consider.

What about you?  Are you enjoying Christmastime/the holiday season? I certainly hope so.  Even if you don't like everything about it, I hope you'll find something to make you smile.