Minor Update

             Well readers, I know it has been a very long time since I have posted. There are a few reasons for this actually. The first is that most of my posts are about my weekly picture game. We have temporarily stepped back from the game until the end of the year. In all the chaos of the holidays and everything that happens this time of year, we have decided to take a moratorium until the new year. A few people had stopped posting and even more had stopped voting. So we decided it was time for a break and we would attack it with fresh ideas in a fresh year. People always say the new year is a time of new beginnings, so we will apply that concept to our game. Also, I happen to work at an ice skating rink so the Christmas season is our busiest time of year. Thus, on top of typical holiday craziness, I am also super busy at work. Then there is, of course, that holiday craziness itself. I have been so busy with shopping, and making holiday plans since I don't live in the same state as my family anymore, and making cookies, and running my normal life on top of it. So my posts have been few and far between because of my hectic schedule. There is also one other, rather large, reason I have not posted. At the beginning of the month, there was a death in my immediate family. I know that a blog is a great place to get out all of one's thoughts and feelings about important things but it just wasn't possible. I am not sure what I want to sure with other people just yet, and I am also not ready to write it all down. I can tell any of you that may be worried that I am fine and dealing with things as best as I can. It's a weird situation for me so I am just trying to find my way. So for now, I am also going to continue my sabbatical from the blog. I ask that you not desert me, but be patient. I will be back, I promise. I just don't know when. More than likely, I will resume posting after the holidays. So in the mean time, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I can't wait to start fresh in 2013. Hopefully I'll see you then.

Baby It's Cold Outside

                Well readers, as I’m sure you know it is time to reveal the secondary theme from last week. This was another interesting week. The theme was very broad and not one particular item. For our secondary theme, we found pictures of cold things. There were some obvious choices such as ice and snow. But we also managed to find some cool pictures. For example, I pictographically represented the idea of cold hearted by using pictures of frozen hearts. This theme was fun for me too because I got to use a photo I had taken myself. The house across the street from me has a decoration in its yard that I think is adorable, and it fit the theme perfectly. It is a blow up decoration shaped like a snow man but it shivers and is holding a sign that says brr. It is sitting right next to a creepy Santa that waves, moves its head, and talks. But that is neither here nor there.  This week’s secondary theme is one of the many that involves more showing than telling. Therefore, I will leave you with pictures and remind you to stay tuned for more.

                       

 

      

  

Suck My Kiss

                Well readers, I did it again. I waited until the very last minute to tell you about last week’s theme. I have no excuses this time, or even any good reasons. It just happened this way. And to be honest, I’m a bit surprised by my absence. I was very excited for last week’s theme. It was one that has come up in the votes multiple times. And many people have actually voted for it, it was just never enough to beat out other choices. Last week, though, the timing worked out and our theme won the vote. Last week’s theme was lips. It was a great deal of fun to find pictures because there are so many ways to take it. You can do plain lips, things shaped like lips, decorated lips, lip art, and more. I found more pictures than I needed so I ended up using the app on my phone to make collages. And oddly enough, I made them by theme. I found lips with fruit, candy cane lips, lips decorated like animals, candy lips, and more. I will show you some of the pictures that I found below. Now, this theme was one that was fun for no reason. With things like seasons and holidays and such, there are always personal reasons behind the enjoyment. This was a theme that was different, potentially colorful, subjective as to enjoyment, and just all around fun to do. There is nothing spectacular about lips really. They are attached to the mouth, and aren’t used for much. Yet women focus on them, men are attracted to them, and they are used every day. People are always licking their lips, biting their lips, putting on chapstick, rubbing their lips, and so on. Lips are responsible for the sounds we make. You cannot whistle without lips. Lips are also crucial for one of my favorite activities: kissing. I love kissing! Anyway, lips are also used in pop culture. A mouth with red lips and a long tongue is the logo for The Rolling Stones, and a mouth biting its lips is the main image on the cover/posters for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Much like the past themes of doors and stairs, lips may not always be noticed even though they are everywhere. So here are some of my better lip pictures from last week. Enjoy and stay tuned for the secondary theme.

   

A Rambling Love of December

        Well loyal readers, I hope I haven’t lost too many of you. I have neglected you guys yet again. I really don’t do it on purpose, I swear. And this time I am not here to tell you about themes, though those posts are coming soon. I am here to write a post similar to a previous one. I am here to tell you how excited I am about the new month. While October is my favorite month, and autumn is my favorite holiday, I still have a great love for December. Yes, it is for the glaringly obvious reasons. I am a fan of Halloween, but I love Christmas. And yes, I absolutely love autumn but I am also a fan of winter. I can honestly say that it drove me nuts to see Christmas stuff being displayed as early as November 1^st. I am a big lover of all things Christmas but it has become a joke. No, I am not going to sit here and spout things like Jesus is the reason for the season. I am aware of the nativity story, and like every good Protestant I do know the Christmas story. However, I am also one who loves Christmas for the commercial reasons. I love the presents, Santa, the decorations, the music, and so on. But even I think that things have gotten a little ridiculous. In an attempt to make more money, Christmas began being advertised for at the beginning of November. Black Friday sales began at 9 pm on the night of Thanksgiving. In case you didn’t know, when Black Friday started, stores opened at 6 am with deals for early morning shoppers. It has been continually pushed back every year until it finally hit midnight, and this year, 9 pm. Then, there is cyber Monday. One shopping day is not enough, but we now need a second special day that emphasizes the importance of gifts at Christmas. When I was a kid, trees and decorations were not put up until at least the second week of December. Older generations put the tree up on Christmas Eve. Now, people had their trees up before Thanksgiving. I cannot say much because I do officially have a tree up. However, I at least waited until December 1^st to do it. There were people on street corners in NYC selling trees on the day after Thanksgiving. It is nuts! But this post is not meant to be a rant. Instead, since it is finally December, I am here to talk about how excited I am about the month. Yes, it mostly because of Christmas. I do have a real tree that is decorated. My apartment now smells like Christmas, and it is awesome. I must explain that I have a real tree for a couple reasons. While it is a tad expensive to have a real tree in the city, it was the only way for us to get one. We do not have the storage space for a fake tree. I, however, am in no way upset by this fact because I actually hate fake trees. I can concede their efficiency and merit, but there is nothing like a real Christmas tree. I must also explain that I am extremely excited about having a tree because I haven’t had one in about five years. And I have never had one of my very own. We always had one as a kid, but I have been on my own for a few years now and it is the first time I have had the space and the money to get a tree. So this tree is special for a few reasons. This year will also be my first Christmas ever away from my family. I have always gone back to my home town for Christmas, but this year that just isn’t possible. While my boyfriend and I will visit with our families around the holidays, we will actually be in our apartment for the days themselves. I am rather excited for this as well. Christmas is not only a tree though. There is Santa Claus, Christmas movies, Christmas music, and cookies. It has always been a tradition in my family to make cookies every year. Although this is a practice that has somewhat lapsed, I thoroughly enjoy baking and intend to start it up again. I made some last year that went over so well, and I can’t wait to do it again. There are so many kinds of cookies in the world, and I generally make way too many. But it is always so much fun, and there are always people that will eat them, so it can’t be a bad thing. Another part of Christmas that will be relatively new for me this year is presents. Don’t misunderstand me; I am no stranger to presents at Christmas. But this year is the first in many that I can remotely afford to give them. They won’t be much, but I love giving people gifts. In an attempt to step away from the commercialism of Christmas, I must point out that I love how the holiday brings people together. It is often difficult to see everybody in the family, but around Christmas time people make the effort to come together. Now I am getting a bit ahead of myself. While Christmas is awesome, December is about more than just Christmas. First of all, there are more holidays. There is Kwanzaa, Chanukah, and the Winter solstice (and I’m sure there are more I am forgetting or don’t even know about). Many cultures have a celebration of some kind this month/time of the year. I am not one that cares about being politically correct, and I think it’s stupid that we have to say Happy Holidays. If I celebrate Christmas, I am going to say Merry Christmas. I will not be offended if somebody wishes me a Happy Chanukah because perhaps that is the holiday they celebrate. I think people are just too sensitive about differences between cultures. Everybody should accept the differences and just be happy at this time of year. December also marks the beginning of winter. The Winter Solstice is a pagan celebration that honors the change in seasons. I personally am merely excited for snow. People are always complaining about snow because it impedes daily activities and is really cold. But have you ever just stopped to watch the snow fall, or gone out to play in the snow as it is still falling? I mean since you were a kid of course. Children have an entirely different view of the world, but sometimes I think they have the best view there is. Snow is beautiful. For children it means no school, snow ball fights, snow men, and more. Next time it snows, I dare you to look at it from a child’s perspective. Don’t think about the morning commute. Don’t think about having to shovel the next day. Just look at how beautiful it is, and enjoy the magic of the weather. Make yourself a nice mug of hot chocolate, turn off all the lights, and just look out the window and watch the flakes fall. There is something about winter and Christmas that, if you stop to actually enjoy it, makes you believe in magic. Maybe only for a second, but that one moment in time is something everybody should treasure. So this December, look past the commercialism of the holidays, stop hating the differences in cultures, and stop stressing over any snow. Take the time to enjoy the magic of the holiday, the season, and the month. I think that is a great way to end the year. Remembering there really is magic in the world.