Yesterday, on Sit around day,
Shelley and I helped our daughter move into her new flat. Fortunately, we had two young men to do the heavy lifting. I drove a rather big van and took charge of loading and unloading it. Once you get comfortable, big vans and trucks are pretty easy to drive.
Today I guess we'll do a bit of Christmas shopping. That'll include stocking up on a few Cleanskins.
Cleanskins are Peter's first choice for vino bianco and he's the wine expert, so I just follow him.
Robert has his friend down from Bowling, so there have been no posts from him this weekend.
Christmas is very close now - three days to go after today!
Christmas trees originally came from a Pagan tradition and, from what I read this morning, Jesus probably wasn't born on December 25th. Ah, but who really cares. Anyway, it's all that bird's fault for getting young Mary pregnant.
For those who didn't read my last post, that bird is the Holy Spirit.
I hurt my left hand playing the violin yesterday. It's possible that lifting stuff in yesterday's house move set it off. Anyway, I'll have to be very careful with it today. Remember that I've got that solo gig on the 24th. Ah well, I think quite a few people may not like my solo violin tunes, so here's to nothing. Still, I do want to get those pieces right AND there will be one guy there who really enjoys my playing.
I have a double bass rehearsal on January 2nd. and I've done VERY LITTLE double practice this year, so I'd better get into that too!
It's good to see a new post from TC, and I enjoyed his joke about chick flicks. The cartoon shows a man named Roger in bed with his attractive wife.
She asks, "Fancy a bit?"
Roger, after too many chick flicks, replies, "Couldn't we just cuddle and talk about my feelings?"
Ha, ha, ha!
99.9% of the films I get to see with Shelley are chick flicks. She's not into action movies.
Okay, that's about it from me.
I just found out that my old friend Chris M reads my blog. Welcome Chris. I hope that leg gets better soon. xxx
Ciao tutti.
Please deliver 3 dozen DB Lager, 3 bottles of Blue Nun, a 40oz bottle of Gilson's brandy and two bottles of Walnut Brown sherry.
RispondiEliminaThe lift to the 8th floor is broken but there is a staircase.
You will have to double park your rather large van on Cuba Street though and, don't forget to take away the empties.
The Gilson’s brandy in the 40 oz size must be French as it isn’t bottled in the wire wrapper.
EliminaNo, that brandy is made in the Wairarapa, not France.
EliminaI’ll hire a van, not a rather large one, to ferry the smaller items from the storage centre to our new house after 14th January. A small Toyota Hi-Ace type will do the job.
RispondiEliminaI’ll get some removal guys to bring the furniture and bigger boxes. I’d have done this myself in the even recent past but have to be more sensible now (the Old Girl’s instructions).
TOG is right.
RispondiEliminaThe 40oz Gilson's was in a plain bottle with no wire wrapping.
RispondiEliminaCan I speak to the manager?
RispondiEliminaThe driver didn't take away the empties.
Why do all Christian feast days have to start with a pagan festival? I heard that Christmas trees originated in Germany as a way to brighten up (and sweeten the air) in dark houses during winter storms. If Mary conceived Jesus on the feast day in April, Christmas day would be about right. Glad your shift went well.
RispondiEliminaIt’s because Christianity has stolen most traditions and festivals from earlier religions and claimed them as its own.
EliminaYes like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Maha Shivaratri, Krishna Janmashtami, Labour day, Waitangi day, Islamic Eids, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Independence day, Lantern festival, Kwanzaa, Oktoberfest, Rio Carnival, Harbin Ice and snow festival, Panagbenga ... the list just goes on and on.
RispondiEliminaFestivals
EliminaChristmas (December 25th) The date for Christmas was likely chosen to coincide with existing winter solstice festivals.
Roman Festival of Saturnalia: This Roman festival ran from December 17th to 23rd and was a time of feasting, gift-giving, and general revelry.
Roman Festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti: This festival, meaning "birthday of the invincible sun," was held on December 25th.
Yule: Germanic and Norse peoples celebrated a winter solstice festival called Yule, which involved feasting, decorating with evergreen boughs, and gift-giving, traditions later incorporated into Christmas celebrations.
Easter The timing of Easter, which is tied to the vernal equinox and the lunar cycle, is associated with older spring celebrations.
Ēostre: The name "Easter" may derive from the Germanic goddess Ēostre, whose spring festival was associated with themes of rebirth, eggs, and rabbits/hares.
Passover: The Last Supper and Jesus' crucifixion occurred during the Jewish Passover, and early Christian Paschal celebrations were closely tied to this dating, though it was a Jewish, not pagan, origin point for the timing.
Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) The Christian festival of All Saints' Day (November 1st) and All Souls' Day (November 2nd) followed, and eventually incorporated elements of, older Celtic traditions.
Samhain: This Celtic festival marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the "dark half" of the year, involving beliefs about spirits of the dead returning to earth, which led to customs of costumes and bonfires.
May Day (Beltane) May 1st was an important date in the pre-Christian calendar.
Beltane: This ancient Celtic festival celebrated the return of the sun and the beginning of summer, focusing on fire, fertility, and the protection of livestock.
Traditions and Symbols
The Christmas Tree: Decorating evergreen trees and homes with boughs during winter was a practice in several pre-Christian European cultures, symbolizing life and light during the darkest months.
Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny: Both eggs (symbolizing new life and rebirth) and the hare (associated with the goddess Ēostre) are symbols with pre-Christian origins.
Veneration of Saints: The Christian practice of venerating saints and martyrs has parallels with the pre-Christian cults of deified heroes and local patron deities in both Roman and Celtic traditions.
Holy Wells: Many sites considered sacred in pagan traditions, particularly wells and groves, were rededicated as Christian holy sites to facilitate conversion and maintain the local sense of sanctity associated with the location.
The Concept of the Trinity: While a core Christian doctrine, the idea of a three-part divine being appears in other ancient religious traditions that predate Christianity, such as the Celtic three-faced carvings.
Wainuiomata where the girls are smarter and bloggers get the longest comments.
RispondiEliminaWow, TC, I think you've got that pretty well covered.
RispondiEliminaFor someone who is so critical of other people's blogging there doesn't seem to be a lot going on here.
RispondiElimina