six word saturday

Sting's Christmas album sounds too creepy

the frugal gourmet

Ya, thats right. Thats a box of wine carcass. It has been gutted and is being squeezed to the last drop. My mom, the eternal frugal gourmet. :)

love liberates

I'm wrap wrap wrapping my presents, listening to SNL's greatest Christmas moments, featuring "Martha Stewart's Home for the Holidays, Topless Special" giggling to myself, and I still can't get the events of this afternoon out of my head.

I was in the checkout line at Target, waiting for a financially challenged, govermentaly assisted, twenty years past over the hill lady to write her check for her 2 cases of toilet paper. After the ink finally dried and she was able to tear the check out, and exchanged it for the receipt and started to leave. The sales girl smiled and said "Merry Christmas!" and the woman said "Oh, I'm so glad you said that! Merry Christmas! None of this Happy Holidays rubbish." To which the girl replied, "Oh I don't say that. I ONLY say Merry Christmas!" (said with an overabundance of disdain).

Oh. My. God. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut. Howwww I wanted to slap them both. Or at least unload on them. But I asked myself, "What would Jesus do?" Hahahaa, no, but really? Their conversation offended me more than any Happy Holidays could have ever offended them. Really? Are you so full of yourself, so disrespectful to others, that you're proud to be closed minded?

I'm not terribly religious. However, I do believe in a higher power, and I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are a wonderful thing. The actual teachings of Jesus. Principles such as forgiveness, caring, compassion, empathy and love. Not of superiority, exclusivity, arrogance or contempt. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for saying, Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, or Happy Kwanzaa, or Happy Hanukkah, or whatever tickles your fancy. As long as you mean it from the heart with all sincerity, it don't care what you say to me. I understand the meaning that is untended, not reading literally into your words. "Oh, she said Merry Christmas, she must mean Fuck You Jews!" Right. Does anyone actually think that? I doubt it. But again saying "Happy Holidays" doesn't mean "Suck it Jesus!" *Sigh* Am I making sense here? Just the fact that she was talking about she on purpose says "Merry Christmas" instead of anything else seemed just so rude. Why are we talking about it? Really? It seems the same to me as saying "Good Night!" or "Eat it you stupid retail whore, get out of my store, my shift is almost over, Fuck you very much for coming in 5 minutes before we closed, asshole!" Oh--sorry, 10 years of retail coming out of me.

But I digress... Why can't we just embrace the good things about each other and forget about the bad things? Why do we need to focus on our differences? You're different, you must be bad, and therefore, I will shun you and all of your beliefs. We have so much to learn about each other, I just can't wrap my head around intolerance. Its just insane!!

My favorite author Paulo Coelho said it best in his book The Fifth Mountain:

"Do you see the Mountain? From whichever side you look, it appears different, though it is the same mountain. Thus it is with all of creation: many faces of the same God."

And now, on a lighter note, my stocking stuffer recommendation for anyone on your Christmas list, for young AND old...

TALLBOYS!!! They fit so neatly into any stocking (and help fill it up so you don't have to get so much of that fattening candy. Ewwwwww. ;D

district 9

I just finished watching an AMAZING movie.


District 9. Seriously. Amazing. I can't get it out of my brain how great it was. It doesn't matter if you're not a sci-fi fan, or a lover of alien movies, its just A GREAT MOVIE!! WOW!! Its a fantastic commentary on compassion, or lack thereof, that is capable by we humans. It really shows the good, the bad and the ugly. But don't worry, it won't leave you feeling void of all hope (which I thought was going to happen, and in the first 15 minutes I was already rooting for the aliens to just blow up the whole Earth). But keep watching, and you will be mindblown! Good. Very very good.

Check out the trailer: District 9

Luckily I have "connections" at the video store and got to watch it today. For the rest of humanity (or those of you who actually pay money to rent your videos legitimately) it is available on Tuesday!!

snuggle up

Isn't she the cutest old dog around? She can barely get on the bed anymore cause her knees are so bad. I just couldn't resist snapping this picture this morning. Fast asleep at the crack of eleven thirty am!