Done with Xmas. Time for Christmas.
This morning, I had to invoke some extreme self-discipline. That is to say, I didn't let myself turn on my computer until I'd addressed all my Christmas cards.
That was the last thing I had to do for the traditional, American Christmas. And despite the grumbling I do about it, I'm really not against that part of the holiday, provided I can keep it from getting too commercialized. But Thanksgiving is my big social holiday. By mid-December, my social capacity is reaching its limit, and I'm ready for a more inward-looking holiday.
So, of course that means I go to Pasadena and sing with forty other people in front of a congregation several hundred strong, right?
Yes, that's true, but despite being in the midst of all those people, it's still a very personal experience. What I wrote about it last year did a good job of capturing the mood. This year, it's our first major holiday since James Walker left as our Music Director, which is an even bigger adjustment than having a new Rector last year. Fortunately, we have a good Interim Choirmaster in Jenny Wong, and some different music from what we've done in the past. Yesterday's dress rehearsal for tonight's Advent Evening Service went well, so I'm feeling pretty good. Even if I did come down with a nasty cold again this year, one that hasn't been helped by the ongoing Thomas Fire.
And then there's my writing. In some years past, I've lost the entire month of December writing-wise, and I went into this season determined not to let that happen again. I did write an entire chapter over my Thanksgiving vacation, but then I got sick and the Christmas frenzy began to take hold. Perhaps it's just as well that those two went together. There's still two weeks to go in the month, which is plenty of time to get myself going again.
But it will be my books that get my attention. I've started half a dozen blog posts over the past couple of weeks, full of clever things that let me show my cleverness when it came to the Trumpocalypse or related issues, but I never finished any of them. I decided that I don't have time to write clever things just to show my cleverness. I'm sure that sooner or later, I'll have something worth contributing to the ongoing conversation - but for right now, my books need all the words I can give them.
In any case, I hope your holidays are going well, whether they're Christmas or Xmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or the winter solstice or whatever else you care to celebrate. And I hope you're getting to celebrate it your way, whatever way that is.
That was the last thing I had to do for the traditional, American Christmas. And despite the grumbling I do about it, I'm really not against that part of the holiday, provided I can keep it from getting too commercialized. But Thanksgiving is my big social holiday. By mid-December, my social capacity is reaching its limit, and I'm ready for a more inward-looking holiday.
So, of course that means I go to Pasadena and sing with forty other people in front of a congregation several hundred strong, right?
Yes, that's true, but despite being in the midst of all those people, it's still a very personal experience. What I wrote about it last year did a good job of capturing the mood. This year, it's our first major holiday since James Walker left as our Music Director, which is an even bigger adjustment than having a new Rector last year. Fortunately, we have a good Interim Choirmaster in Jenny Wong, and some different music from what we've done in the past. Yesterday's dress rehearsal for tonight's Advent Evening Service went well, so I'm feeling pretty good. Even if I did come down with a nasty cold again this year, one that hasn't been helped by the ongoing Thomas Fire.
And then there's my writing. In some years past, I've lost the entire month of December writing-wise, and I went into this season determined not to let that happen again. I did write an entire chapter over my Thanksgiving vacation, but then I got sick and the Christmas frenzy began to take hold. Perhaps it's just as well that those two went together. There's still two weeks to go in the month, which is plenty of time to get myself going again.
But it will be my books that get my attention. I've started half a dozen blog posts over the past couple of weeks, full of clever things that let me show my cleverness when it came to the Trumpocalypse or related issues, but I never finished any of them. I decided that I don't have time to write clever things just to show my cleverness. I'm sure that sooner or later, I'll have something worth contributing to the ongoing conversation - but for right now, my books need all the words I can give them.
In any case, I hope your holidays are going well, whether they're Christmas or Xmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or the winter solstice or whatever else you care to celebrate. And I hope you're getting to celebrate it your way, whatever way that is.
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