A Curious Statistical Anomaly

The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson is a simple story of Santa Claus who lives alone in the woods. As the Christmas holiday approaches he can feel the magic and opens his workshop and prepares a bag of toys for the children listed in his book. He polishes the sleigh and the bells and gets ready for deer to come to fly him on his rounds on Christmas eve.

The illustrations are beautiful and simple in style with deep rich colors. Santa’s orange-colored wooden house has a bright and cheerful red door that makes it look very inviting. The snow is brilliantly white with a rich deep blue sky at night and lighter blue during the day. It’s a story of the season that sets out Santa Claus as a being who is used to the magical holiday traditions.

I can see the story’s appeal to young children as it slowly shows Santa preparing for his big night. However, I wonder just how many children can hear this story or read it to themselves and not ask questions based on what they know about Christmas. Where are the elves? Who made the gifts? How do the names of naughty and nice children get in his book? How can he just show up and pack the sleigh with presents? Where did they come from? How do the reindeer know to show up?

While it’s a wonderful story and very much in keeping with the season and the holiday spirit, this is so out of line with the accepted givens of the Santa story and myth — that it may take a lot of talking to get children to understand that some people may believe that things happen in ways other than what we’re used to hearing.

Not that this is a bad thing. It’s actually nice that children would get a chance to explore some new ideas about Santa and Christmas traditions.

Bear Update:
When last we left the little bear in a previous post, it was rather scary looking. Parts scattered all over the place. I’d managed to make a back, front, two arms, and two legs. However, I couldn’t find my buttons for joints or my needle. So, things got put away.

Finally, I managed to dig out the buttons and find a workable needle. I needed buttons big enough that a child can’t swallow them even though the buttons that make up the joints are inside the bear and a child can’t get to them without a severe desire to dismember said bear — shivery scary thought. The intended bear recipient is rapidly growing since she was born in Feb and I’m totally behind.

What’s needed now is the face– eyes, nose, mouth. Those are embroidered on so there are no pieces for a child to pull off and choke on. I just need some time — a good movie should do it. As soon as I find the thick velvety cord I use for this. It’s in the house somewhere.

Baby Fan Mitts:
I’d seen Patons Silk Bamboo yarn at A.C. Moore and fell in love with the sapphire color. It felt so soft and silky but I couldn’t think of any reason to get it — I just didn’t have a project in mind or planned.

Then as these things tend to happen, I was reading the Rainey Sisters blog and saw the Baby Fan Mitts. Perfect. One skein of the yarn would make the mitts (which is true if you don’t waste any in a long tail when you cast on the stitches. Of course by the time I picked up the yarn, I couldn’t remember how much I needed so I got four skeins.

The mitts came out beautifully and fit and feel great. Much closer fit making them a bit dressier than some others I have. But as I was making them for me and after making two cowls for the moms for Christmas. I got to thinking that a nice matching cowl would then make a nice dressy set. So, out came all the stitch dictionaries and I found a cable-fan that I thought would look like a close match but would also be warm and pretty. Here’s the bit I’ve got done after a bit of experimenting and changing the pattern a bit.

I think it’s going to come out just like I want. I made it a bit loose so that if I decide it will work I can make it longer to pull up over my head to cover my ears if it’s really, really cold (like it has been the last week or so).

Anyway, tomorrow is major last minute house cleaning. Pick my son up at the airport. Buy the Turkey and catch up on his life. Just what he wants: the mother interrogation. Naw, we’ll all have fun. We’re planning to go see the new Sherlock Holmes film. I may or may not be able to post for a while. So, everyone have a great holiday if I don’t get a post or two in.

Tonight we watched the Muppet Christmas Carol. I love that film and the music. Believe it or not, it’s closer to the original story than many of the serious versions (of which I own about 6). We read the book (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) a few years back and were surprised to find that some of the lines in the Muppet version that we thought was just Muppet humor was actual Dicken’s humor.

Anyway, found this Muppet version of the Ringing of the Bells, which is one of my favorite holiday songs, and well, words just can’t quite explain this one, so just enjoy this bit of Muppet holiday humor —

Today was another day of snow shoveling to clear our driveway. The road part of our driveway got plowed by someone early this morning. So, we’ve only got to do our 5-700 feet to allow the delivery trucks (FedEx and UPS) to get here. So, tomorrow will be even more shoveling…and more…and more. Maybe I should play this video a few more times to get my spirits up.

It started snowing last night.  We made it home from a WSFA meeting.  Of course the usual 45 minute ride took slightly over 2 hours and had its moments of sliding and slipping but nothing too bad.  We did meet a nice woman who couldn’t get her car up the hill because she didn’t have front wheel drive.  She warned us of the abandoned car at the crest.  We made it up with no problem and finally got home.  Slow and steady seems to help even non-turtles get where they’re going.

But, that experience last night on the way home was what fed our unbelievably silly actions today.  Pride goeth before a  fall and while we didn’t fall — well we did slip and slide and have lots of other adventurous stuff happen.  You see … we’d sold some books on Amazon and we thought we could mail them out on time if we did it today.  The snow didn’t look that deep.  Really, it didn’t– maybe a foot.

Well, dressed and packed and in the car, we started out.  We’d agreed if when we got to the real road and it was not looking good we’d turn around and come back. Those of you who have been reading for a while know our mailbox is about a quarter mile from the house and that’s where the real road is — the road that is our address. So off we started on our adventure.

We got about 1/2 way to the road when disaster struck. We hit ice beneath the snow and slide and fish-tailed and other fine movements of driving adrenaline surges. That stopped our slow and steady pace and we just never got it back. Hyperion walked back to the house for the garden shovel (we intended to buy two shovels while we were out, the one from last year had mysteriously vanished) and some gravel. He came back with the garden shovel and the stiff plastic broom and a bucket of gravel. He shoveled. I swept. We cleared out a large area around the car and under it.

Seems the snow was deeper here — maybe 15 inches and it was dragging on the undercarriage of the car. You can probably guess the rest. An hour and a half later we’ve shoveled a good percentage of the road/driveway maybe 30-40 feet (if added all together) and we haven’t really gotten enough stability and movement to turn around. I’m really dragging. We’re both soaked. So, we headed home — walking. Luckily only about 1/6th of a mile. In snow which is by now 18 inches deep. Even walking in our tire tracks didn’t make it much easier.

To shorten the story. We peel out of the wet clothes changed and got into dry things. Took a short break with hot chocolate and lots of hind-sight evaluations, head-shaking, sage but too late advice to each other, and the knowledge that we still had a car sitting out there in the driveway and not quite far enough over to let a snowplow (which we devotedly hope to engage tomorrow) to get by.

After several rousing games of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock– I got to stay home and do the wash and get supper started and Hyperion went out with shovel and a heavy heart to see about moving the car either into the tire tracks and home or far enough off to the side for the wished-for snowplow (if it can be made to appear) to get by. He didn’t have much time, we were losing the light and it was still snowing.

He managed to move it over. Get home and once again dry off and dress warm. We made Shepherd’s Pie — can’t think of a better comfort food item for today. It’s still snowing and is expected to all night tonight. [Photos taken this evening.]

Tomorrow is another day. Maybe. More humbly, we’ll be able to retrieve the car. Find some real shovels and put this all behind us. Can’t believe we were this clueless. It must be the scent of Christmas just fogged our brains.

This is going to be a political and social rant, so those not interested can move along.

Okay, at first the Medical Bill submitted to Congress was not great, but it was a start. Over the months of discussion in the House and Senate, our Congress critters have managed to strip the bill of any utility to the people of this country who were looking to them to help them get medical care. I’ve heard that some members of Congress think that the falling approval of the bill is because it’s taking so long. NOT. The falling approval of the bill among the populace is because Congress has managed to remove everything in it that we wanted.

As it stands now the Senate bill is missing the Public Option, the extension of  Medicare (include 55 and over), the coverage of prior conditions clause, and has added yearly caps on spending. So, now there’s a totally useless bill that gives the insurance companies everything they wanted while giving the people without insurance nothing. Not only that, but health insurance is now mandatory and there’s a penalty for not having it. So, you force people who can’t afford insurance in the first place to get insurance that doesn’t cover anything and then penalize them when they can’t afford to buy it. Great work guys and gals.

And while I’m ranting. What’s with trying to slip the no funds for abortions into this bill. In case you’re not aware of it, abortion IS legal in this country and has been for a while. Suck it up folks. You know you can’t get it made illegal because the American people overwhelmingly want it legal. Trying to  stop it through the back door because you’re afraid of right wingnuts is no excuse to make medical decisions for people other than yourself. Abortion is not something a person does because they have a spare couple of  hours in the day — it is a very serious decision made between a woman and her doctor. Sorry to have to be the one to let you know that Congress is not part of that equation and shouldn’t be either. It seems that getting government off our backs and allowing us choice only applies when we do what you want.

I’ve got a good health care plan. It’s through my husband’s work (I’m self-employed, a freelancer). I’m also a cancer survivor, who also has asthma, allergies, migraines,  fibromyalgia, and arthritis. If we were to lose our current health care plan and had a lapse in coverage (even for one day), none of those things would covered. So, the very problems I have would be ones that I couldn’t afford to have taken care of. We currently pay about $10,000 per year out-of-pocket. That’s just the “medical” stuff that is allowed on our tax form. It’s probably closer to 13,000 if I added in the non-allowable but nevertheless medical costs. Remember that I’m not that ill — not really. I work. I function. I just can’t do a 9-5 M-F work schedule.

On many online forums that I belong to, we’ve been talking some about the health care bill. At first I wanted it passed. It wasn’t perfect but it was a good start and would help a lot of people. Now, I hope it doesn’t pass, or at least not in the current stripped down useless version as it exists now. Now it gives no coverage, and punishes people who don’t pay buy it anyway. Not only that but all the insurance cost are going to skyrocket. What makes me think the insurance rates will go up? The insurance companies said so. Unlike members of Congress, I do read and comprehend what I read. So, we have a useless bill that hurts people, doesn’t do the job, and punishes those who can’t afford this extra cost.

Remember what I said about my yearly out of pocket? We’re lucky. With careful budgeting, we can manage. But imagine those out of pocket expenses on a minimum wage job when you have kids. You can’t. But with the penalties for not getting insured, you be between a rock and a hard place.

So, I’ve come up with a way to see that Congress passes a decent bill that would cover everyone including no pre-existing conditions, a public option, and no caps. Whatever bill Congress passes, their current medical insurance for Congressional Members will be canceled — thus lapsing their coverage (no Cobra guys and gals). And, here’s the clever bit, members of Congress must now get health insurance under the rules and regulations of the bill they just passed. So, guess trying to get health care when it won’t cover your existing health problems will be a bit of an incentive to think about what it’s like for the average American family. Maybe if Congress had to live under the laws they pass, they’d spend a little bit more time thinking about the ramifications of their changes and less about how it effects the corporations who put money in their campaigns.

The older I get and the more I read about our government leaders and watch them in action, the more I believe I’m watching a remake of recess in any playground in America where all the children have been replaced with adults. I’m also reminded that Congress lost their bank because they couldn’t pay their bills, balance their personal checking, or remember to spend less than they had. These same people make the laws for this country — something is wrong with this picture and the mess that has been made of the health care bill doesn’t change my opinion.

America needs leaders. We need people who are dedicated to seeing that our founding documents are respected and followed. That laws are made to make life better for the people of this country. Americans work hard. They give their best and some give their lives to see that this country remains strong, free, and economically viable. The citizens of this country should not be sold out because it just might make a company happy and give them a better bottom line so they give more to help get “me” re-elected. The people of this country deserve better than that.

Besides, whatever made anyone ever think that a for-profit insurance company was the right way to provide health care?  Some ideas are just bad and perpetuating them is just plain wrong.

For once do the right thing. Put the things that the people need back into the health care bill. Stop the childish power plays and vote to give American’s the health care bill they need. And for heaven’s sakes stop the bickering, back-biting, and just plain dirty fighting.

That’s it for now. I could rant for hours but I think in my meandering way, I’ve expressed my dissatisfaction with the childish behavior of our government leaders in the face of real problems that need real solutions.

Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775 and died in 1817.  She was 41 when she died.  During her life she wrote several novels that live in the hearts of her many readers.  The novels (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibilities, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and Lady Susan) have been in print almost continuously.  I say almost because during her lifetime, she found it very difficult to get her novels published and she made very little money from them.

The books have been made into movies that either use the books as a base and then modernize the nearly out of recognition (Clueless) to the wonderful BBC productions.  I own most of the BBC and A&E movies and watch them often.  I also love the books and find that they have joined the other books on my comfort shelf for those times when I really need to visit with some dear and old friends — special books.

There are societies and clubs that have sprung up where those who enjoy her works can get together and discuss them in depth as well as the society that is depicted in the novels and other related topics.

You can find a brief biography of Jane Austen’s life on the website of the Jane Austen Society UK. This biography includes photos of some of the places where she lived.

The Republic of Pemberley has a wealth of information on Jane Austen, her life and times, and her works. Including the text of her major novels. I’ll warn you if you’re a fan of her works you can lose a lot of hours just dipping into the various areas of this website.

There have also been many books written that either continue the stories of Jane Austen’s characters or deal with the impact that her novels have had on readers. I’ve reviewed a number of these books (and movies) on this blog. You’ll find them if you scroll through the Reviews link at the top of the page.

So, celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday. Go read a book.

The Lost is composed of four novellas, one from each of the authors listed on the cover. Each of the stories deals with loss in one way or another — literal loss of a body, loss of self, a loved one, direction, family, connections. While loss in our own lives might not have so happy or satisfactory a solution, each story is, in its own way, gripping, fascinating, and or comforting.

The first story “Missing in Death” by J.D. Robb is, of course, an Eve Dallas murder mystery. This time Eve and Peabody are called in to investigate a missing woman and a women’s room with a deadly amount of blood on the floor on a Staten Island ferry. So with 3,000 plus possible suspects, they have their hands full. This one has a missing person, missing time, and missing body. As usual it’s a tightly woven plot with some surprising twists.

Patricia Gaffney’s “The Dog Days of Laurie Summer” is a very surprising story of a life lost and found. There are more ways to lose one’s life than dying. The Laurie we meet at the beginning of the story is definitely not the Laurie at the end. Reminded me very much of “The Christmas Carol” without Christmas and the ghosts but definitely some of the same message comes through.

Continuing the theme of redemption is Mary Blayney’s “Lost in Paradise”. A nurse, Isabelle, travels to a small island with a priest to help give medical care to the population. On the way, a storm destroys the ship, nearly killing Isabelle. Once on the island, nothing and no one is as she suspected. The Master of the island is living under a curse and Isabelle sets out to free him, but his manners and attitude certainly don’t help.

“Legacy” by Ruth Ryan Langon is one of those stories that most of us at one time or another dream of happening to us. Aidan O’Mara’s mother has died. Aidan gave up her job to nurse her mother and now learns that she has no job to go back to. Out of the blue she gets an invitation to Ireland and a note explaining that her mother was this man’s daughter and he wants to meet her. Since Aidan knew her grandparents, she’s sure there has been some mistake but a short vacation in Ireland along with a hefty sum of money for the inconvenience of the visit would certainly help with the bills and her mental health. Of course that was the plan. Her maybe-grandfather and his handsome single lawyer are much more than she expected. This one is mostly a straight story of love found in the most unexpected places. Not only love but possibly family when Aidan thought she’d lost it all. A heartwarming story, especially at this time of year.

Each story is a gem. Well told with strong central female characters who struggle with who they are and where their lives are going. What values to stand up for and willing to take the consequences.

November and start of December have seemed to pass in a haze at times. Hyperion and I have both had swine flu. However, we both had lots of commitments — things that just can’t be pushed off. Some days it seemed like pushing that boulder up a mountain just to do it over and over and over again.

However, I did find a December coffee cup. I spotted this at Home Goods and just burst out laughing. After the rough few weeks I just had, anything to make me smile, let alone laugh out loud just had to be the December cup. The only drawback to this design is it has to be used right handed. So, good ole lefty me has to remember to pick it up with the right hand.

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love it. I love the smiles, the happiness, the anticipation. The happy holiday wishes from everyone. I don’t like buying gifts, wrapping them, or doing all that other stuff. But I love the feeling behind the holiday, not the commercialism. Heck, today is December 11th and I’ve only watched two holiday films so far this month. Well okay we’ve been watching the Star Trek (original) movies and just finish The Undiscovered Country but still I miss not seeing the Christmas ones. The ones I did see are The Polar Express (this is the 25th Anniversary of the book) and Love Actually. Maybe if I finally get caught up on my writing and reading I can watch some more as I quickly knit to finish off Christmas gifts.

Last year I complained because we’d looked and looked and looked and couldn’t find a tree topper. We ended up buying a Santa that was made of white painted tin in a conical shape that fit on the top though it wasn’t an actual tree topper. This year, we stopped at one store and looked and found this one. This one looks much better lit up than in the box. It’s sort of poinsettia shaped and has lights inside it. It took a while to get it up since the cord is short and the tree we have has the lights already on it so the cords for each section go all the way down. Took two days to find an unused extension cord. But it really does look good at night.

We didn’t feel like going all out for Christmas this year, so just did the tree and put out my collection of Santa statues — or most of them, some are still packed. We’ve been collecting Santa and folk art ornaments for years and the statues were just an extension of that collecting. If you look very carefully at the tree you’d see that most of the ornaments are Santa variations, bears, or folk art type, or some from our childhood trees.

My son is coming down for Christmas this year. He normally only comes down for Thanksgiving, but this year he couldn’t make it then and will be here for Christmas. We’re looking forward to his visit and we hoped to put up all the decorations since he hasn’t seen the house fully done up. We normally put up the tree the evening of Thanksgiving day or the day after since he lives in a small apartment and has a teeny tiny tree when he bothers with one at all. We may do more later but probably we’ll call it enough this year since we still catching up. I feel like I lost November all together.

However, I hope that you’re all enjoying getting ready for the holiday and forget the stress and the rush and just enjoy the spirit that’s in the air– I think it’s pine, cinnamon, and spice.