Year in Review

  

Welcome to that time of year when we take stock of our lives and what we want in the future. And I also think everyone thinks that whatever year is ending is good riddance and a horrible year, and come on New Year! Bring it on!! But this year had some doozies in it, which I'll talk about later.

For right now, I'm going to talk about me and my year. January brought about new changes, that I actually worked towards. At that time, I thought it was perfectly fine to just survive until the next concert. Take my medicine and survive. But this year, I changed my reality. Changing my sleeping around to actually being awake during the day to starting to swim when a YMCA opened in the county. Now I get up 3 days a week at 5:00 a.m. to be in the pool anytime between 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. - and I usually get out 2 1/2 - 3 hours later. I swim laps and attend a water exercise group. And I love it!!

For those of you who know me well, a year or two ago, 5:00 a.m. was when I would go to bed. I'd wake up a few hours later, stay awake for an hour, and then head off for a nap. I also would not leave the house if I could help it. Talking on the phone - calling businesses - was something else I refused.

I went so I would get out of the house and talk to other people. To drive there by myself, especially when I was so afraid. And I honestly thought that this would only act 2-3 days and I would quit. I have missed I have missed around seven days...swimmer's ear, tropical storms, and construction were the reasons. I have never stayed home simply because I didn't feel like going, and in fact, I have even gone when it was in the middle to high 30s out. The pool has a retractable roof but they are just only now close to finishing it. I really can't remember when I haven't blown something off, so this is a major change. Water also has a calming benefit, and indeed, it has become a bubble for me when I'm swimming laps before class begins. I shut out anything except the sound of the water moving around my body and moving. And I think exercising has definitely stabilized my moods more. 

It's fun testing how flexible I've become, and finally, the one benefit that I seriously never considered. Losing weight. One of the swim instructors said that I had lost weight. I denied it, but the next time I was at the doctor's I had lost a significant amount. As of this writing, it's close to 50 pounds since July of 2015. I have resisted the urge to buy a scale because I know that I would be checking every 5 minutes. Instead, I weigh in when I go to the doctors. Except for right now. I'm in a team for the YMCA Holiday Challenge...which is to not gain weight during the Holidays. So far, I've been losing weight, and I'm sure I will be lower next week when it ends.

Losing weight is fun. I did before I started losing and now pictures and there was a noticeable change. But there's a catch, though. My clothes. Some pairs of shorts or pants I feel like a teenager who lets his pants droop halfway down their ass.

Late Summer 2016

   

Late Winter 2015 - That's Chopstick, a
Chinese Alligator.

              

One thing I didn't anticipate was the expense. Two suits wore out so I bought from a more expensive chlorine-resistant swimwear company. Then there is ear plugs, nose plugs, goggles, swim caps, beach towels, and a snorkel and mask. And the other stuff I need: Chlorine Remover shampoo, conditioner, soap, special swimmer's body lotion, coconut oil to put in my hair to help repel chlorine and a leave-leave in conditioner. And also, DryEars ear canal dryer and a mix of 50% alcohol and 50% white vinegar for my ears. Another expense is going through the numerous water bottles that I have murdered because I'm a klutz and drop everything. 

 And here's a shock. I only went to TWO concerts this year, when there were oodles I could've gone too. The expense was a major factor and trying to readjust my schedule was another. I don't want to do anything that might jeopardize the schedule I have or the exercise...or the people. But fear not my faithful friends, I already have a ticket for one in 2017.

And now for the "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." portion, at least for me personally. Though this happened in 2015, I resigned my position of Secretary of the herpetological society I belong too. I had not been there for months and the club deserved a present Secretary. My absences continued for most of this year. Only lately have I tried to put an effort into going to the meetings.

On July 4th, I went to give my 12-year old ball python water and found he had passed away. I was devastated. Ralphie was my first snake and I've had him since he was 4-months old. I didn't notice anything wrong with him and he was young in ball python years...they can live for over 40 years. I really miss him. He was a very sweet snake. No matter what I did - helping his shed, sticking him in water, taking off retained eye caps, he put up with it and I never heard a hiss out of him. On cool nights I would take him out of his tank and wrap him around my neck. He felt good, and he would stay around my neck because it was warm. When he moved in his little accordion manner, he was also giving me a massage. He also taught me that yes, he did know who his Momma was. At a vet visit, he was probed for a fecal sample. He didn't like it and was very pissed. When he was placed in his container, I was thinking of "He is a pissed off snake and he may bite me." it was "OMIGOD, WHAT DID THEY DO TO MY BABY." I reached in and comforted him. He didn't do anything, but the second the doctor came back in to finish her exam, his mouth flew open again. That's the only time I saw him mad.

I'm positive he has been welcomed by all of my furry and human family that have passed on and he's giving out a lot of neck massages.

 Ralphie Gardner

November 5, 2003 -

July 4, 2016

In November, I FINALLY found a supplement for reptiles that could be syringe fed, which was perfect for my bearded dragon Stewie. He never would eat something that didn't move, no matter how hard I tried, and though I could keep him on superworms, he wouldn't eat them all the time. He loved the stuff right off. In fact, he was so enthusiastic, he bit the tip of the feeding syringe off and swallowed it. He had done that before, and he passed it just fine. So I did what I had done before - warm water baths and mineral oil down the hatch. A couple of weeks went by and I thought that it must have passed and I didn't notice it. He was eating - and pooping - just fine. That is, until Thanksgiving weekend. On Wednesday morning I cleaned up what I thought was diarrhea, but looking back, it could've been vomit. On Thanksgiving, I fed and gave him a bath. I saw him straining but nothing would come out. When we got home, he had vomited again. The next day I planned on calling the vet, but they were closed for Thanksgiving weekend and there are no other vets that see reptiles in the county. So I didn't feed him anything and gave him baths all day long. He seemed okay considering the circumstances but when I woke up Saturday, he was gone. I think the syringe tip either was moving around and lodged somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract and/or it caused peritonitis. He was only five and again, I was heartbroken. However, I'm glad that I didn't make it to the vet because if he had had surgery he would've been in a lot of pain. Beardies essentially walk with their bellies touching the ground and the incision would've been there. Stew was also the second dragon that I had bought as an adult who didn't like vegetables, and who had died early. It was very painful. I'm sure he and Ralphie are keeping each other company.

Stewart Gardner

October 28, 2011 -

November 26, 2016

  

Later on that day, I managed to rally enough energy to go to the reptile group's meeting. The talk was going to be on sea turtles and I had a child to pick up. At the end of October, I decided that I was ready to get another ball python. I figured that I would just go to a store, even though I hated the idea of it. My friend John offered to look at the Repticon show in Tampa to see if he could find one. I wanted a baby, that was a boy (I'm always worried that if I had a female, she would get egg-bound. They produce eggs even if they haven't mated and they get stuck.) John found me the perfect little boy for me. He said that he had a kink in his tail and was a couple of months old. We planned to get together at the meeting (why I had to go, though I was pretty depressed.) John breeds reptiles, so he had room to house him for the two weeks. And during that time he ate, shed, and pooped. 

The minute I saw him I was in love. That little kink in his tail turns out to be a cute little cinnamon roll (I call it a cinnabon) at the end of his tail. It's adorable! The only thing about it that I worry about is getting all of the shed skin off when he sheds. So his cinnabon bum requires a little more scrutiny. Not the slightest problem.

Ralphie had been named for the Earnhardt men. Dale Sr.'s father was Ralph, and actually, both Dales' first names are Ralph. I wanted to continue to use the Earnhardt name, so his name is Earnhardt. And I call him Earnie. The streak of NASCAR names for my reptiles carries on.

While I fell instantly in love with him, I can't say that he feels the same for me. At the meeting, the first time I held him, I thought he was a stinky snake. Actually, he decided to musk me. In defense, snakes can eject a vile white substance that stinks to high heaven. So I scrubbed my shirt and sprayed it with perfume so no one would faint when I was near. When I got him home, I weighed and measured him. The weighing was easy because he was in a little ball (the reason why they are called ball pythons.) The measuring was a little more difficult, as I had to stretch out that little ball. So he musked me again, but he also ate, which is unusual for ball pythons. They are timid and easily stressed enough to not eat. But not my boy. Now hopefully soon he will learn the docility that his species is known for.

It is generally believed that a kinked tail with snakes is genetic, and therefore people won't breed them. This seems to happen (along with other defects) with "designer" snakes. There are over 5,000 color and pattern morphs with just ball pythons alone. Each color or pattern change has occurred as a genetic mutation, and breeders will mate "morphs" in order to get a strong lineage with that gene in it. And they also inbreed. Earnie might be the product of a genetic mutation gone awry. And this will probably make no sense to you, but here goes. Earnie's mom was a normal, wild-type color. His father was a whole other ball game. He was what is called a "Calico Dragonfly." He is a combination of the following morphs: pastel, calico, fire, and pinstripe. I don't know much about morphs and genetics (except some are absolute stunners.) But I believe that if he had not been born with a kink in his tail he would've either have been over $100.00 or held back as a breeder. But as long as they kept him with that kink they were losing money for caring for him, therefore, the breeders either give them away or sell them extremely cheap. And he is beautiful. From what I can tell, his colors are more calico. Not that I care.

                          

 You can see his cinnabon bum more clearly down below on the far right side.

Not that I don't like morphs, like I said, most are real stunners, and if I had the money, I would be in trouble. And I also have a morph. My 12-year old Kenyan sand boa is anerythristic, meaning he can't produce the colors red or orange. It just so happens that normal colors for a Kenyan are black and orange.

Having decided that I just have rotten luck with bearded dragons, I decided to buy a lizard I have always wanted, a blue tongue skink. There was a guy that was a part of our reptile group that bred him but I didn't remember his name. I did some major researching on the computer and could only find wholesale reptile facilities that sold them, and did not treat the animals well. So I called up my friend Vicki and we went to the Orlando Repticon show, which is MUCH smaller than Tampa Repticon. In the whole building, there was one. A wild-caught male of unknown age. And that was the only blue tongue there. However, another member of our reptile group, Bill, had a table there and he gave me the name of the guy who bred them, and who usually has a table at the show but didn't this time. His name was Ray. I thought he was a small-time breeder, but actually, he has a huge breeding population. Blue-tongue skinks give live birth and "only" to 5-18 babies (average) a year. Whereas egg-laying lizards can lay a huge clutch, sometimes two or more times a season.

Anyway, I messaged Ray on Facebook, emailed him, called him, called him again and finally got a hold of him. I try not to be a pest, but Bill had told me that he would be at the Christmas party our club holds in conjunction with the Florida Turtle and Tortoise Club (Ray sells turtles and tortoises too!) and I was going to be there. So neither of us would be inconvenienced if he brought the skink to the party. 

He had one Northern Blue-Tongue skink baby. And she had my name on her. I say "she" but really her sex is unknown. Ray thinks it's a she. However, blue tongue skinks are hard to sex, even as adults and sometimes requires an x-ray. I don't need to know the sex of an animal I'm not going to breed that badly.

And of course, I fell in love with her right away. She was 6-months old when I got her and was all hiss and vinegar. She even bit me that night...it didn't hurt, but still...it's the thought that counts.

I needed a NASCAR name. I wanted Burton, after Jeff and Ward Burton, but I was referring to her as a female. So, like I always am doing (researching that is,) I looked it up. Females are 1,240 times to be named Burton than males. I also wanted Burton for another reason. When John told me about Earnie, my friend mentioned that I should get another snake and name him "Burt" so I could have "Burt and Earnie." So now I really do have Burt and Earnie.

She is a character, this one. She is getting used to her home but hisses if I come too near it. Once she is out of her tank she is fine. She loves exploring. She has already shed...and it didn't look like she was until she started pushing her shed off. I was wondering why she was pushing, nudging, and rubbing so bad when I had her out and low and behold! I made sure her little feet and leg shed came off. Her legs are much smaller than her body and you have to be careful. 

She's easy to feed. Ray gave me a promo container of this stuff called Repashy Bluey Buffet. You mix a powder with boiling water to form a gel. It is specifically made for blue tongue skinks, and that was what she was raised on. However, I want her to get a variety of food. She is omnivorous and can eat practically anything...including canned dog food. I have a baby food processor to cut or puree fresh vegetables and fruit. And she has become used to me. When I come into the room, she sticks her head out of her hide to look at me. When she's on me, she loves to have her chin scratched and the area right behind her ears. I had someone watching over me in regards to her (blue tongue breeding season is just beginning) and Earnie, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

And, like Earnie, I feel guilty about her as well. I couldn't stand to look at Stewie's empty tank, so I got her within two weeks. So I feel that I didn't love him enough to honor him before "replacing" him.

Burt. Yes, she does actually have a blue tongue and stunning orange eyes.

And just so he doesn't feel left out of the reptiles, Here is Elliott, my 12-year old Kenyan sand boa. He isn't that big, only 17 inches...but he's a sweetie and very passive when I hold him. A very pretty limp noodle.

Elliott. He is an anerythristic, meaning he can't produce the colors red or orange. 

I am so very honored to have my reptiles and to get the opportunity to see Burt and Earnie grow up. I'm keeping detailed notes on them, recording weight, length, what they had to eat, if they pooped, observations on their behavior. It will turn into baby books of a sort. And it's a smart thing to do so you can figure out any problems down the road. I never had one before on either Ralphie, Stewie, and Elliott. I knew when they ate if they pooped, and what they needed. Now Elliott has a book as well, for the middle-aged snake. I found out that he had grown 4 inches since the last time I measured him 10 years ago!! I am absolutely fascinated by them...recording silly things like seeing Earnie drink from his water bowl (I'd only seen Ralph do that a handful of times) or a particular time that Burt showed curiosity for and I just found adorable.

Our cats are fine - and healthy. I heard that the scientific community is trying to come up with a latin binomial name for Phinney that roughly translates into "beached whale" or (cannot see feet) or (I can't reach that itch.) The boy needs to be put on a diet but with three other cats, I'm not sure how it would work out. Ideally, just feed them canned food would be good, but Teige and Olivia will be ten next month, and Phinney and Simon nine the month after. They probably wouldn't go for it. So they're big, incredibly cuddly and soft spoiled brats. And they too, I look at with fascination. When they are sleeping together and are in the same position, or they stretch their front leg and it curls around their head. There isn't much that I can't find absolutely adorable.

The most annoying thing about 2016? The mystery of the missing iPod. I had it driving home from the Y, but beyond that it remains a mystery. We've searched in weird places, and will be searching them again. It made it home, that much I know. I'm ready to hire a hypnotist to help me find it. It's been MIA since June when I first started going to the YMCA and was coming home tired from exercising.

Now, let's get more generalized. The Election, and the shock, and the blaming...I have written about this before. Yes, Trump is everything people say about him and I'm not thrilled to have him in the White House, but that's what's going to happen and we have to accept that - unless, of course, he threatens the Constitution, overturns laws that have to do with discrimination and race, starts a war, etc. Then we protest and do whatever we can to stop him. 

Democrats really need to stop blaming everyone else for the loss of the election and start to look at themselves - and own up to it. I'm a Democrat and I can clearly see what happened. If you are a Democrat and are in denial about any responsibility the Democratic Party - or Hillary Clinton's campaign might have to the massive ass-kicking we got this year, then you are acting very Trumpian. And I bet you have complained about that same character flaw in him. You know, how he's never wrong, never admits to a mistake and always finds someone else to blame for those mistakes? One word: hypocrite.

Yes, I look towards his presidency with trepidation. But I also have to have hope. I don't think people can live without that. And you know, I want him to succeed, as long as he isn't succeeding at the expense of this country and our freedoms. If he succeeds, it means our country is succeeding.

Before anyone is a political party member, they are an American. We need to stop acting like bickering children and unite under that fact.

This year was AWFUL for celebrity deaths, and quite a few affected me deeply. January and December seem to be the worse. In the first eight days of 2016, we lost David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Glen Frey. David Bowie (69) and Glen Frey (67) are music icons. Not were, ARE. They both blazed a path in the industry that will forever affect music today. I first saw Alan Rickman in "Prince of Thieves" and adored him as Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. 

Antonin Scalia's death showed just how low Republicans would go to not allow President Obama a Supreme Court pick. Something I found unconscionable. Harper Lee wrote my favorite book, "To Kill a Mockingbird." A book that no child should go without reading. Nancy Reagan - I was happy that she moved from this world to one where she was reunited with the love of her life, President Ronald Reagan.

April brought a kick in the gut. Prince. PRINCE! I wrote a blog on his death and how it affected me (go check it out.) He was a major part of my childhood and so incredibly talented. 

In May was Alan Young. He played Wilbur Post in "Mr. Ed." Having found the show on a channel the last couple of months, I have enjoyed a truly funny show that was just slapstick comedy with none of the technologies available today.

Muhammed Ali - I don't watch boxing, so I'll take it on faith that he was a great boxer. He stood by his convictions, to the detriment of his career. He stood by his religion. To this day I wonder how many Americans with Islamophobic leanings are his fans. Here is an article on him, because yes, his advocacy is that important to this country. 

Fly Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

June 28th marked Buddy Ryan's death. He was the Defensive Coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 1985 when they won the Super Bowl. That time is very clear in my childhood. It's my Grandpa teaching me about the game because it would be the "only time in your lifetime" that the Bears would go to the Super Bowl. My Aunt sitting at her kitchen table wearing a headband and sunglasses like Jim McMahon, the businesses that just shut down for that Sunday. My Step-Grandma talking about what a cute butt Walter Payton had, and Grandpa meandering to the kitchen where the women sat to watch the game because the men were boring.

November brought Leonard Cohen, Janet Reno, Florence Henderson, and Fidel Castro. Another musical icon, the first woman to serve as the U.S. Attorney General, the all-American Mom of the all-American family, and one revolutionary dictator who defied America and brutalized and murdered his people who outlasted ten American presidents.

Finally December. First was John Glenn, who was in the U.S. Navy and also a Marine who served in WWII and Korea, an aviator, engineer, astronaut who was with the Mercury Seven program and became one of the first to orbit the Earth three times and went up again in 1998 in Space Shuttle Discovery. After he retired from NASA and the military he also went on to serve as a Senator from Ohio.

Now the three doozies. On Christmas, George Michael was found in his bed, having apparently passed away from heart failure. Again, another major player in my childhood. He was genuinely humble and generous. Right now, charities and people he has helped are coming forward. While we were judging him for his sexual preferences, he was making a real difference in their lives. He didn't want credit, insisting on remaining anonymous. The music industry and the media can really be shitty. But he took the hits and shared the bounty.

Carrie Fisher passed away on the 27th. This one devastated me most of all, I think. And yes, I wrote a blog on it the day after. From what I've read, she was on life support from the time she was taken off the plane and the family made the decision to turn it off. I hope she didn't feel pain. In one of her books she said she wasn't afraid of death, but of dying. My thoughts went to Debbie Reynolds, her mother. I knew they were close and no one should lose their child. It broke my heart to hear that she suffered a stroke at her son's the day after Carrie passed away. I can't imagine what their family is going through, and they have my heart and prayers with them. I guess Debbie Reynolds couldn't face a life without her daughter and is with her now. There is going to be a joint funeral.

Continuing on, have you ever noticed that the news rarely reports positive stories? In fact, it's so bad that studies have shown that people actually believe things are worse than they really are. I commonly hear people say things are more violent than ever. No, actually, I don't think so. I think that we are exactly as violent as we were from the dawn of time. No more, no less. It's just now we have instantaneous news, that is often reported before confirmed, 24-hour news cycles, and perhaps the worst, social media. The big news is "fake news." Well, hasn't there always been fake news? It was called "propaganda." And yes, people have always fallen for it. 

Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Is the Internet and social media causing people to become more violent or unduly influence them? No, I don't think so. There has to be something inside a person that predisposes that person to be violent. And there is often a lot of signs shown in childhood. I don't get off on watching violence and I don't look up websites that explain how to make a bomb. However, I'm always reading my email or checking Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Internet may help a person to see or get what they need to commit violence faster, but it won't stop them from committing a violent act. John Wilkes Booth made a very detailed plan to assassinate President Lincoln. It took awhile to get the plan together, his partners in crime and the perfect timing, but he did it. If his associates were more reliable, then Secretary of State William Seward and Vice-President Andrew Johnson would also have been killed. Adolph Hitler did not need Facebook to commit the Holocaust. And neither did the Allies need it to really know what was going on. We knew about the Holocaust almost from the time Hitler started killing innocent people.

SO, I specifically looked up things that were accomplished in 2016, because not everything was bad. We were just fooled to believe that.

2016 - Random Good Things - 2016

♥ CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES, BREAKING THEIR CURSE!! ♥

♥World Health Organization announced the eradication of the Measles in North, Central, and South America.

♥ Harriet Tubman will be on the $20.00 bill.

♥ Scientists announce that the hole in the ozone layer is beginning to heal. 

♥ Slightly fewer deaths due to armed conflict. (Slightly is better than none or an increase.)

♥ Death due to the Boko Haram in Nigeria is 95% down due to the Nigerian forces retook territories.

♥ Emissions from carbon and other Greenhouse Gases has stalled for the third year in a row despite the quickening increase of economic growth. 

♥ Connectivity in poor countries has increased, especially with smartphones.

♥ Population growth is slowing. The UN reported more women have access to contraceptives in undeveloped countries.

♥ Though it is too early to tell is homicide rates are down in the U.S., it can be said about El Salvador, which is the most murderous country in the world, is down 50%.

♥ Sri Lanka is now malaria-free.

♥ Death rates fell in developed countries from cancer.

♥ The giant panda has been taken off the Endangered Species List.

♥ The manatee has been taken off the Endangered Species List.

♥ For the first time in one hundred years, tiger populations are on the rise.

♥ An international agreement ended the legal trade of the pangolin.

♥ Experimental Ebola vaccine has been developed and testing shows 100% efficacy.

♥ Child mortality is down.

♥ Most species of humpback whales have substantially increased and are off the Endangered Species list.

And here's the link for a lot of these. I'm tired of typing!!

99 Years Why 2016 Was a Great Year for Humanity.

And finally, as the clock moves closer to the end of another new year, and I realize I better get this published before midnight, I want to wish each and every person reading this a blessed New Year, filled with hope, love, laughter, faith, beauty, and bliss. 

When I Wanted to be a Princess.

The in Cinnamon Bun do!

To look back on my childhood, I can honestly say that I'm proud to be part of the generation that grew up with Star Wars. My crush started with Luke Skywalker, but I switched to Han Solo. Something in my little girl brain must have recognized that Luke was a bit wishy-washy, and the Force was not going to help him overcome that. Oh, but there was another Force...Princess Leia. She was large, okay, not large, tiny, but her personality was large and in charge. In a recent Stephen Colbert appearance, they were joking that Princess Leia saw her home planet destroyed, and yet she comforted Luke when Obi-Wan Kenobi died (see...wishy-washy.) I wanted to be her. And I wanted to hug Chewey. I was delighted when they re-released the Trilogy when it was digitally remastered and edited. I loved the Pre-Quels. And I couldn't get to the theater soon enough to see Star Wars VI: The Force Awakens. It was as good as it was hyped. Princess Leia was now GENERAL Leia Organa. And still as tough as ever.

What a scruffy nerf herder!!

Of course, as a child, I never stopped to realize how unusual it was for a woman to have such a strong character in a movie. It was revolutionary. Especially in the 1970s. I mean, look at us now. It's 2016 and we still haven't elected a woman president and though women are making strides, we're not near the number of men that serve in Congress. But Carrie Fisher made a blazing path.

That would be General Leia Organa to you.

Yesterday, on December 27, 2016, Carrie Fisher passed away four days after having a major heart attack on a plane 15 minutes out from arriving at LAX. I hope she died in peace.

But let's make no mistake here. Carrie Fisher was not Princess Leia. Her legacy will not be a character in a movie because her force was so much stronger than the one wielded in the movies.

Does Gary know what his mother's doing with that stormtrooper?
Is the stormtrooper trying to get help from Gary?

She got pigeon-holed in the Princess Leia character. And that's really too bad. To think that at the very beginning of her acting career she nailed such an iconic role that it defined her whole life is a little sad. Can you imagine going into an audition and not getting it because the person you're auditioning for can think of nothing but "Princess Leia?" That is not to say that she didn't have a successful career as an actress. She did. She also had a successful writing career, not only writing seven books but working on screenplays too.

It is a shame that she was typecast that way. And I wonder if that's because she hit a roadblock with feminism in Hollywood. After all, Harrison Ford didn't have any problem shedding the Han Solo character. In fact, he's starred in more than one film series. When I think of him, I think "Harrison Ford," not "Han Solo."

Beautiful

Carrie was the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher and grew up in the spotlight. She was in the newspapers before she was even born! And she became an adult in the 70s. Drugs and booze were mainstays at that time, and she did them. Even with her father.

She struggled with those addictions, and she struggled with bipolar. Really, nothing new there, right? Even if she overcame it, it wasn't like it would make the news. But she decided to share her story. She came out and she owned that she was an addict and had a mental illness, and she was one of the first celebrities to do so. 

Momma Fisher and Gary

Like Princess Leia's character so many years ago, she was a trailblazer once again as an advocate for both addictions and mental illness. She fought against the stigma and she stood up for everyone who was also affected. And she did it in a way that was hysterically funny, sarcastic, and self-deprecating while at the same time showing just how strong she really was. She was a genious.

Couch talk must be boring

I have always dealt with things with a sense of humor. And it was refreshing to hear her. And it has lead me to live my life the same way. Guess what folks, my brain is ill, deal with it. Thank you, Carrie, for that. Thank you for telling it like it is, for standing up to people and for people, for taking on Hollywood as an actress and author. She was brash, harsh, brutally honest, hysterically funny, kind, compassionate and so very intelliegent. She is someone I would've loved to have known.

So who was Carrie Fisher? She was a woman with humility, and with a mental illness. She was a daughter who despite their problems, adored her mother. She was a mother of her own, to a beautiful daughter. She was Todd's big sister. And she was an animal lover, always having her French bulldog, Gary, with her. Even on red carpets, he escorted her. And she was an actress who played a character named Princess Leia. But in real life, she wasn't a princess, she was a badass warrior queen who loved life despite the pain she endured. Her fight is now over and it's now time for her to go to a galaxy far, far away called Heaven. She may be gone from us, but her legacy will live on.

Carrie Fisher 

October 21, 1956 - December 27, 2016

 As I was writing this blog, news came out that Carrie's mother, Debbie Reynolds, was rushed to the hospital while she was at her son's house planning Carrie's funeral. Apparently, she suffered a stroke and later on passed away. So she is among the angels now, walking hand in hand with her daughter. The pain that she has been through the last five days is over. I hope their family and friends can take comfort in that. My heart, prayers, and love go out to them as they deal with this awful blow.

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, January 25, 2015, at the SAG Awards
Carrie presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to her mother.

  

The So Called "War on Christmas." Behind The Traditions of Christmas and Winter Solstice

A month or so ago, I found this post (one of those copy and paste things,) on one of my friend's pages:

"WHAT A CROCK OF S**T..... We can't say Merry Christmas now we have to say Happy Holidays. We can't call it a Christmas tree, it's now called a Holiday tree? Because it might offend someone. If you don't like our "Customs" and it offends you so much then LEAVE I will help you pack. They are called customs and we have our traditions. If you agree with this please post this as your status!! I AM A PROUD AMERICAN CITIZEN... MERRY CHRISTMAS! Do you have what it takes to repost this?"  

This made me irate and a little amused at the same time. The ignorance of this statement is just screaming out in its stupidity. First off, I see "Merry Christmas" everywhere I turn. And if someone wishes me "Happy Holidays?" I don't go nuclear on them. I wish them the same. Someone was kind enough to wish me a good holiday out of the kindness of their hearts. Who cares if it's referred to as "Happy Holidays?" Is it really worth the anger and indignation? And to act that way, doesn't that go against basic Christian beliefs? And really? Is this how you really want to celebrate the birth of your Savior?

Christians will be the minority sometime in the 2030s. The reasons for the decline is the major loss of the mainline Liberal compensated by the rise in the Conservative. Contributing are the influx of immigrants who are Buddhist, Hindu, and Islam. Finally, there has been a rise of Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism, Freethinking, Secularism,  and an increase in new religions such as New Age or Wicca. Finally, Native Americans are turning back to their ancestral and traditional religions. On top of all that is the over-commercialization of Christmas that focuses more on the material instead of the reason why we observe December 25th.


Modern Christmas in the western hemisphere, unless it is directly related to the celebration of Jesus' birth, is based on Pagan customs and traditions. Even down to the decorations in the church, minus the Nativity, was adopted by the Church from the religions of lands they conquered.

In a history, far, far away and mostly forgotten, our Church became the official religion of the Roman Empire and became powerful enough to defeat weaker countries and, for their own immortal souls, the Church forced conversion on anyone not Christian. However, not everyone wanted their souls saved. But we were a wiley people, we were. At first it didn't work out like we thought. Those heathens still celebrated their unholy practices. And then we had an idea. Early Christians, in their zeal to convert anyone who wasn't Christian, as stated, created Christian holidays around important Pagan celebrations and adopted those traditions, obscuring the truth of where those customs originated from. In other words, most of our customs around holidays like Christmas or Easter have their origins in Pagan beliefs and rituals. Finding a place to stick Christmas in was easy. Since they gained power in the Roman Empire, they chose a time when there were three celebrations: Saturnalia, Solstice, and celebration of the sun god Sol Invictus.  

Saturnalia, a festival that lasted for seven days, included human sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, public banquets, private gift-giving, and a carnival atmosphere. It lasted from December 17th-23rd. Winter Solstice, a holy day for many religions, is also the shortest day of the year. After that, light increases. It is believed that the reason for the increasing light is that Jesus was born.

What pretty much every historical and religious scholar can agree on is that December 25 is not when Jesus was born. The Bible never mentions a date. It doesn't take away the meaning of Christmas or any Christian beliefs. It just didn't happen in December. 

Under traditions started by the Church many centuries ago, a great deal of our Christmas traditions are actually Pagan traditions. In fact Christian Christmas traditions lean heavily toward the Pagan traditions so much so that agnostics, atheists, pagans, wiccans, and more practice those traditions right along with us.  

The commercialization of Christmas has gotten out of hand! Pretty soon, stores will be offering Christmas deals 365 days a year. Christmas has become about giving - and keeping. "Donate to this charity and get a free t-shirt." People should be donating money because it is  something meaningful, not because of free merchandise (that free swag having been paid for by someone else's donation.) Businesses are offering a gift card for you when you purchase a certain amount in gift cards. There are people camping outside of stores for days for Black Friday deals. To get the perfect gift, people crowd outside malls and all run in at once where many are trampled. Fights break out, some are killed, and some are fighting over certain items - where one person grasps the item right out another's hand. This is not Christmas, it's greed. But there are other traditions that we celebrate, and their roots go back to Pagan times and beliefs. Here are a few. 

1. Gift giving: This is thought to have come from the Three Wise Men who bestowed valuable gifts on the Baby Jesus. Actually, the origins are found in Saturnalia (among others.) Private gift giving was a Roman custom, and the gifts were usually wax dolls, to represent the humans sacrificed for Saturn as payment for a good harvest.

2. Hanging Christmas stockings: There are actually two reasons for this custom. One is from the 4th Century when Bishop Nicholas (later to be St. Nicholas,) in Lycia, collected donations for impoverished children. He thought that children should be enjoyed and treasured, despite the fact that many of them at that time, even those under the age of ten, had to work to help support the family. Gifts of food, furniture, and other things were collected. St. Nicholas himself added oranges too...a very rare treat. But where to put those gifts? Having observed girl's stockings hanging in front of the fire to dry, he came up with stuffing stockings and hanging them in front of the fire.

The second is Pagan. Scandinavian children would leave shoes out full of carrots and straw for Odin's horse, Sleipnir. The mythical horse ate the food, and the grateful Odin would leave candy and treats behind.

4. Wreaths: A symbol of power since ancient Rome and Greek, they often wore them in the style of laurels as crowns. A practice they stole from the Etruscans. They connected the laurel wreaths to the sun god Apollo and considered it an embodiment of him. Christmas wreaths' predecessor, the Harvest Wreath, which has been used before written history, played a part in rituals for good harvests. They were usually made out of evergreen, which would survive the harshest winters and as such, symbolized strength and endurance. Current Christian beliefs hold that it means everlasting life and resoluteness, and are often used at important times, most notably funerals and memorials.

5. Christmas Tree:: Like wreaths, Christmas trees began with Pagans, and represented everlasting life and mettle. The worship of trees was very common with Druids (the priests of Celts) and Pagans. They were known as "Yule Trees" and symbolized an everlasting life, especially at the time of the Winter Solstice. These were live trees that they worshiped, not cut down, and they would be decorated with trinkets. It also held the same values for several in many cultures, including Chinese, Hebrew, and Egyptians.  Most Christian denominations looked down on Christmas Trees, and indeed, it wasn't until 1840, when Queen Victoria brought one into her house, that they were even considered the norm. Today many Pagans decorate their Yule Tree outside using food for animals to eat.

6. Mistletoe and Holly: Like everything to do with plants during the Christmas season, mistletoe and holly came from Pagan traditions. As plants that grow in the winter, they were often brought into the home to decorate during a holiday. Mistletoe  especially has a long history. To ancient Celts, it represented sexuality, fertility, and bounty. But the tradition to kiss under mistletoe actually began with Scandinavian Pagan beliefs. The gods Odin and Frigg had a son that they loved very deeply named Baldur. In fact, he was so loved, that Frigg sought out promises from everything, including trees, stones, sickness, and the elements that they would never harm him. The fire god Loki, however, noticed that Frigg never sought a promise from the mistletoe. Baldur became the victim of a dart poisoned by mistletoe. After his tragic death, Frigg was determined to not allow mistletoe to be associated with death, and she started kissing everyone who passed under it.

For Pagans, holly represented color and hope during winter when all the deciduous trees had lost their leaves and adorned their houses during Winter Solstice. Holly showed that even though the days are dark, and the world colorless, spring was just around the corner and the color will be back. Druids even believed that brewing its leaves to treat a wide range of illnesses, including arthritis, bronchitis, and kidney stones. After the Winter Solstice, when Druids went out to get mistletoe, their people would follow them with holly in their hair. The red of the berries was seen as the menstruation of their goddess. And finally, they placed mistletoe around their doors during the winter to keep evil spirits out and to provide shelter from the cold for the tiny woodland fairies.

Christian belief about holly is that the plant reminds them of the Crucifixion. The plant was the crown of thorns and the berries, which were once white, are red with the blood of Christ, and even that holly was the Crucifixion tree. And finally, one that has to do more with Christmas, that holly grew all around Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in order to hide them from Herod's soldiers. In gratitude, holly has remained evergreen ever since.

7. Santa: Obviously, the origins of the Christian version, holds that it was St. Nick, the very same that gave presents to poor children. But there are many others that contributed to what is Santa today. There is the Dutch Sinterklaas. He knew if you were naughty or nice, and had little elf helpers called Zwarte Piet. He even wore red and white. And if the child was bad? Zwarte Piet's duties included punishing such children with willow canes and jute bags. He doesn't travel in a sleigh with eight reindeer but arrives on a steamboat from Spain wearing a Bishop's hat. Another influence from 17th century was the British Father Christmas. He represented Christmas joy and rejoicing. Odin even comes up as an influence. He and his eight-legged horse Sleipnir left candy in boots after Sleipnir had his snack. (Leaving Christmas cookies for Santa?) Each country has their own "Santa" traditions so the Santa we believe in is uniquely American.

We can't talk about any holiday around this time without discussing the Winter Solstice, as a lot of current and former religions still observe it. For us, it is the first day of winter, and the shortest day of the year. After it has passed, the days start to get longer. It represents Jesus' birth, as each day after increases in light. To Pagans, the world is still in darkness, but the passing of the Solstice marks the turning of the sun, and celebrations from every period of time and most cultures are held for the coming light and the cyclical nature of seasons. 

In pre-Christian times, there was the Feast of Juul (Yule,) from Scandinavian times at the Winter Solstice. Celebrations included pyromania...just kidding. It involved bonfires, to symbolize heat, light, and the properties of life that occur with the returning sun. A log (the Juul/Yule log) was brought in and put on the hearth to honor the Scandinavian god Thor. They kept a piece of the log throughout the year for luck and to use as the kindling for the next year's Juul log. In Germany, England, France and other European countries, they burned their Yule log until nothing but ash remained. They would collect the ashes and either keep it for medicinal purposes, or kept in a charm or strewn into fields for fertilizer for the Twelfth Night. French peasants placed the ashes under their beds to protect the houses against thunder and lightning.

Saturnalia, briefly mentioned above, is another holiday that was held during the Winter Solstice. It began on December 17th and lasted for seven days. The festival reversed characterizations - masters served their slaves, courts, schools and businesses were closed, Quarrels were forgotten, and wars were even halted during this time and masquerades were often held. It was common to give presents of imitation fruit that represented fertility, dolls that represented the human sacrifices made to the god Saturn, and candles reminiscent to the huge bonfires held at Winter Solstice. A mock king would be appointed by slaves and criminals, and though he could do what he wanted for seven days, he was usually killed at the end. Eventually, all forms of civility disappeared, and it was nothing but a week-long crime spree where anything went.

On December 21st, many Christians celebrate St. Thomas' Day, in honor of Doubting Thomas of the Disciples. In Guatemala, Mayan Indians worshiped their sun god long before on that date. They celebrated in a ritual called the Polo Valdore. Three men would climb 50-foot poles, and while one played the drums and flute, the other two wrapped a rope attached to the pole around their ankles and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed the sun god would be pleased and the days will get longer.

Winter Solstice is still observed to this day. In Poland, ancient Winter Solstice is observed by sharing food and forgiveness. It continues to this day, but now it is called Gody. In Northwest Pakistan, the Kalasha or Kalash Kir celebrate Chaomos, a week-long celebration, during the week of Winter Solstice, where they take ritual baths for purification, banquets, dancing, singing, chanting, a torchlight procession, and bonfires.

Winter Solstice is still celebrated by Pagans, Druids, and Wiccans. Yule is the time to spend with family, exchange gifts, and honor the sun. Houses are decorated in red, green, and white - colors sacred to Druidic beliefs. Yule is usually celebrated with light (it is one of eight solar holidays.) This includes meditating in a dark room with lit candles, singing Pagan carols, burning a Yule log, placing an evergreen wreath decorated with herbs on your door, and putting up a Yule Tree, with Pagan related ornaments. And don't forget the lights! Thousands of Druids gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise and cast a line to connect the altar stone, slaughter stone, and heel stone. Other gathering places are Newgrange in Ireland and the Cerro del Gentil pyramid in Peru.

Christmas and Winter Solstice aren't the only holidays observed. Because of the Solstice, it seems most religions celebrate something during this time. Here are some of the holidays celebrated between November 1st and January 31st: November: All Saint's Day (Catholic,) All Soul's Day (Catholic,) Dia de Los Muertos (Mexican,) Nativity Fast (Eastern Orthodox,) Thanksgiving (Secular.) In December: Bodhi Day (Buddhist.) Advent (Christian,) St. Nicholas' Day (Catholic,) Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic,) St. Lucia's Day (Catholic,) Longest Night (Solstice,) Christmas Eve/Day (Christian,) Anastasia of Sirmium Feast Day (Catholic,) Mawlid (Islam) Twelve Days of Christmas (Christian,) St. Stephen's Day (Christian,) Feast of the Holy Innocents (Catholic,) St. Sylvester's Day (Catholic.) Pancha Ganapati (Buddhist.) Malkh (historical,) Modraniht (Saxon Winter Solstice.) Hanukkah (Judaism,) Yule (Paganism,) Yaida (Secular.) Boxing Day (Christian,) Kwanzaa (African American,) New Year's Eve, Hogmanay (Scottish New Year's Eve Celebration,) Dongzi Festival (Chinese Winter Solstice,) Unitarian Universal - Chalica (Unitarian Church) And in January: New Year's Day. Orthodox Christian Christmas (Eastern Orthodox,) Orthodox Christian New Year (Eastern Orthodox,) Solemnity of Mary - Mother of God (Catholic), Twelfth Night (Catholic,) Epiphany (Christian,)  Tu Bishat (Judaism,) Lohri (Punjabi.) 

In the former colonies now known as the United States of America, the celebration of Christmas depended on the religion that people followed. People may have been moving to the colonies so they could practice their religion but also brought the same controversies with them. Puritans, Quakers, Anabaptists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Mennonites, Amish, and others rejected Christmas in their communities, fining five shillings to anyone that was caught. They took the Bible literally and the only observance mentioned there is the Sabbath. It was also considered an abomination for the same reasons I talked about above. It was smack dab in the middle of Pagan holidays and as far as they were concerned, Christmas itself was not created to celebrate Jesus' birthday but for feasting, drinking and other debauchery. But there were religions who did celebrate it. Anglicans (or Episcopalians,) Lutheran, Roman Catholicism, and the Dutch Reformed were some that did - by feasting, drinking, and other debauchery. It was not particularly a religious holiday. However, we can thank them for planting the seeds for Christmas in America. Score one for my family's Southern Comfort Punch!!   

Christmas wasn't declared a Federal Holiday until 1870, so before that time, government offices and schools were open and Congress was in session, even in 1789, the first Christmas under our newly Constituted country.  That is 118 years where Christmas was not an observed holiday in our country! 

Once viewed as a raucous carnival holiday, in the mid-1800s, it was Americanized into a peaceful, family oriented day. But before the Civil War, Christmas celebrations were divided between the North and South as well. The North looked down on celebrating it, thinking Thanksgiving to be more important. However, in the South, Christmas was a big part of their calendars. The first states to pass laws that made Christmas legal holidays were Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Plantations opened up their doors for balls, feasting, and debauchery and made gifts for poor children and for slaves, who were usually given some time off. By the end of the 19th Century, Christmas was widely celebrated throughout the country.

Our country is a melting pot of cultures from all across this world, and I'm sure that each religion that I talked about is represented here, in this country. THAT is our culture and traditions. The Church stole from many traditions in order to make sure that people who they forced into conversion celebrated it. Back then, the Church didn't try to bring people to the Lord through proselytizing, they brought people to the Lord at the tip of a sword. Then they took local holidays and turned them into major Christian holidays. That has always been a fact. What is also a fact that this country, from its very beginning had Christian denominations who would've gladly taken up the War on Christmas - and not on the side of Christmas, either. 

There is one thing I've noticed while writing and researching this. The thing that is in common with the ancient Pagans and our Christmas today...it's about light and hope. It is about renewal, whether that is the renewal of longer days bringing us closer to Spring, or if it's about the birth of a baby born to this world so that he may sacrifice himself to save all people. It is a time when people are more generous, more loving. It is a time for celebration. Take out all the commercialism and that is what you are left with. Whether Pagan, Wiccan, or Christian, we all act the same in our celebration, it's just on different days and for different beliefs. The magic of both our respective holidays is the same.

So there is no way that there can be a "War on Christmas." And instead of focusing on other people's beliefs, maybe we should look at our beliefs. Maybe then we will find out that it is the most ridiculous and petty thing to think there is a "War on Christmas" in a country that grants every person here the right to practice whatever religion they want. Christmas is a time of love, acceptance, and peace. Instead of focusing on what other people believe, focus on that and make someone's life better because of it.