Here's for Hallmark Holidays!

I disapprove of Valentines' Day on general principle. It seems, on the surface, to be a harmless enough holiday. But my male friends all seem to hate it because it seems to be a sort of trap or test they will fail no matter what they do.

That and the inflated prices on seemingly mandatory roses and cards and chocolate that have all been out on display since the day after Christmas...the whole thing adds up to a big commercial scam.

The last thing I want is for anyone in my life to have to keep up with the Jones' with regard to expressions of "love". That is just weird. I mean, flowers and chocolate and sparkly jewels are all well and good, but some mandatory holiday expression is just funky. Being romantic should be an everyday thing, born out of genuine affection.

This isn't worth an actual rant, but I am glad we are not making a big deal out of it this year.

Year End Review-2008

In the spirit of year-end recaps that everyone else does this time of year, I figured I would recap the insights I had this year. 2008 generally kicked my ass, but it was also a year filled with blessings. I am looking forward to what 2009 brings.

Links are to what I think are my best posts for each month:

January: Our culture needs a god for transitions and big changes, as the Romans had Janus.

Feburary: Counting one's blessings may help redefine my definition of Success.

March: The world is a poorer place without Art.

April: Sometimes we need to make room in our lives for the Mystical.

May: I remind myself that I am trying ti be a better person and a good mother to Little A.

June: I am constantly in awe of the beauty of Nature.

July: Sometimes the exact words for how I am feeling have already been spoken.

August: Some things bear Repeating.

September: You cant get what you want unless you know what it is. Manifest it.

October: There is a lot to be learned from Animals.

November: Remember, but Absolve.

December: Whether the state recognizes it or not, I am a mom.

Poetry-Sol Invictus

Light returning, eternal, many-faced,
Many-named orb, turning and warming.
Chase chill from weary bones;
Rise up from virgin loins and rule.

Wise men come, and fools alike
Pay pilgrimage to your pauper's cradle
Embalm you, anoint you, enrich you,
Raise you up with Benedictions.

Praise you with no understanding of you
In hymns and fevered whispered prayers.
In you we invest Peace On Earth
And Goodwill Toward Men.

We are made from stardust, all.
Hydrogen lifts us to stardust again.
Souls scattered, we intermingle
Gods and men of common clay.

Violent in delicate equipoise
Exploding and collapsing, turning lead to gold,
And energy to matter, matter to energy.
Ensoul the quickening Holy Womb.

Inside the nucleus of resting ova
Supernova in potentialis
Each child a God in its own way
Down to mitochondrial DNA.

Sol Invictus, spiraling in
Find this spiritual Lazarus a home.
Resurrect in blastocyst form
Inspire Icarus in reckless flight.

(c) Stacie Ferrante
12-18-08

I Disapprove-Office Holiday Party Edition

Oh man! There isn't enough free Bordeaux in the world to make me happy about being at a party with card-trick magicians, clowns, stilt-walkers, and MIMES!!!!

Ok, so Tony's company holiday party wasn't that bad, even though it did in fact contain all of the above objectionable performers. As corporate parties go, it was pretty cool, in fact, even if I did go a bit overboard on the quiche. Tony works with some pretty nice people, and I had a highly entertaining conversation with Juan's feisty Dominican wife. She's from New York and is just abrasive enough to be totally adorable and interesting to me.

But I found myself actually changing course when walking across the room a few times so I wouldn't have a run-in with the mime and the stilt-walking guy. I actually almost broke into a horror movie "running in high heels" moment to avoid that stilt guy. He creeped me out for some reason, and after my third cocktail, usually I am pretty friendly with everyone.

I am not a big fan of card and rope trick magicians, and this party had a number of them roaming about to entertain us. I am in agreement with my friend Ted, who believes that magic tricks are just fancy lies with silk handkerchiefs up the sleeves. I am such an honest person that I don't appreciate lies of any kind, least of all for my amusement.

I know, I know. What is the harm in an innocent little card trick? No, man. Fuck that. You gotta draw the line somewhere. Otherwise, the terrorists win. And by terrorists, I mean mimes.