Monday Musings

  Attention gardeners and farmers: this post is for you. It’s time to return to work after the Twelve Days of Christmas holiday festivities at the beginning of the new agricultural year. Today is Plough Monday, a United Kingdom holiday, celebrated on the first Monday following Epiphany (January 6). This tradition honors farmers’ hard work, the importance of rural life, and community spirit. Teams of men clean, decorate, and take ploughs through their village to church to receive blessings for farm tools, human labor, and the land on Plough Sunday. The following day, Plough Monday, costumed participants solicit donations. Traditionally, the funds were used to provide a loaner plow to poor farmers. Non-contributors are jokingly threatened that a Plough Boy will plough up their garden or front yard. There are parades, lively performances, and dancing. The occasion began in the late 15th Century but declined due to mechanization in the 19th Century. There was a folk revival of the cust...

Tomorrow, January 6th, we celebrate Epiphany, a Christian feast day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to Jesus. Our church, Rumple Presbyterian, celebrated the event yesterday. We dressed as wise men (Magi) for a live nativity in December. We were asked to reprise the characters. The pastor read the biblical account in Matthew 2:1–12, then related a fictional tale,  The Other Wise Man  by Henry Van Dyke.  ( Summary : “The Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke narrates the story of Artaban, a wise man from Persia. Instead of joining the three wise men going to pay homage to baby Jesus, he uses his wealth to help the needy, healing the sick, and saving a young woman from slavery. Dying without physically finding Jesus, he learns that his acts of kindness were in service to the King he sought.)  It was a touching tale. Our place of worship also follows another tradition on Epiphany: the gift of “star words.” Offering plates are passed, but instead of placing a contrib...

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  The weekend began with our participation in a live nativity. Church members portrayed the cast of characters. The Innkeeper delegated Mary and Joseph to the stable, represented by hay bales and a rough wooden manger, where a baby doll Jesus lay swaddled. We dressed as two of the wise “men”, heavily bundled against the cold night beneath our regal costumes. A  local farm  provided live animals: a curious llama, an unhappy sheep, … …And a very pregnant miniature donkey (we thought there might be another baby born in the stables). Family members joined their church celebration at an indoor nativity as shepherds. Yesterday we enjoyed a secular tradition: photos with Santa at the local PetSmart store. Our Shih Tzu behaved appropriately. However, our Aussie Shepherd/Heeler was not impressed with the Jolly Red-Suited man, even when plied with treats. The neighbor’s doodles posed nicely. Have you done any pre-Christmas activities? My writer’s group holiday party was cancelled d...

It began to snow this morning and has continued throughout the day, ushering in the holiday spirit. Cookie baking is underway. The first type, four dozen ruby and emerald sparklers. This batch serves as a representative offering, readied for a cookie tasting after Sunday’s holiday music. The recipe is easy: make buttery cookie dough, shape it into teaspoon balls, tuck three chocolate chips in the center, and roll in colored sugar. Voilà! A tasty, pretty treat. Inside, the dining room table is laden with gift wrapping and wrapped gifts. Outdoor lights brighten the home exterior, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The greenhouse is freshly festooned with green lights, a four-foot fir, and other festive trimmings. Our widespread travels are reflected in the holiday decor. A Christmas Matryoshka Doll reminds us of our visit to Russia, where we journeyed the breadth of the nation via the Trans-Siberian Railway. On the other end of the TV credenza sits a handmade Haitian creche, a reminder of ...

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for e-commerce transactions made on the Monday following Thanksgiving in the United States. Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation debuted the concept twenty years ago, on November 28, 2005. Today is the online equivalent of Black Friday, the big in-store shopping day, the day after Thanksgiving. The cyber event provides an opportunity for smaller retailers to compete with larger companies. The strategy has been increasingly successful. When I opened my Email this AM, it virtually exploded with Cyber Monday sales and deals. Among my three emails: personal, Author, and miscellaneous, I received almost one hundred “special” offers. Did the advertisements influence my buying activity? Yes and No. I did make some purchases, which included sales. But, since I do a lot of my shopping online, I gamed the system. I researched sites for items of interest ahead of time, bookmarked the links, and returned to the websites today in search of bargains. BINGO, ...