I love the Holiday Season from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day--the sights, sounds, smells, and traditions of all cultures, the general feeling of goodwill toward men. There is something about the feelings of warmth and comfort inside while the weather rages outside, bidding you to stay in.
There is one thing that fills me with rage, however.
That thing (and I say this every year) is the retail push for rampant commericalism and consumerism. How am I supposed to cherish this "time of year" when it's shoved down my throat year-round? Hobby Lobby begins selling Christmas trees in August. The garden center in Wal-Mart is transmogrified into a Santaland freakshow of Toy-Department Spillover in early November. Stores begin playing traditional Christmas Carols in October as if they should actually mean something to you. To me, this last transgression is by far the sacrilege of the whole issue. I can understand playing Santa songs and winter songs to promote gift-buying feelings, but leave my Jesus songs out of it. It is an insult to my religious sensibilities to have the Prince of Peace advertising for Guitar Hero 3.
...So I've been baking. Specifically, chocolate cranberry oat bars and marbled chocolate treats I found in my Kraft magazine. Baking has revealed itself to me as a way to focus and relax and gain about 25 pounds.
...So I've also been dieting. And exercising. Hopefully, being in better shape will help me to combat the Evil Forces of GimmeGimme during this 4-month-long Holiday Season.
There is one thing that fills me with rage, however.
That thing (and I say this every year) is the retail push for rampant commericalism and consumerism. How am I supposed to cherish this "time of year" when it's shoved down my throat year-round? Hobby Lobby begins selling Christmas trees in August. The garden center in Wal-Mart is transmogrified into a Santaland freakshow of Toy-Department Spillover in early November. Stores begin playing traditional Christmas Carols in October as if they should actually mean something to you. To me, this last transgression is by far the sacrilege of the whole issue. I can understand playing Santa songs and winter songs to promote gift-buying feelings, but leave my Jesus songs out of it. It is an insult to my religious sensibilities to have the Prince of Peace advertising for Guitar Hero 3.
...So I've been baking. Specifically, chocolate cranberry oat bars and marbled chocolate treats I found in my Kraft magazine. Baking has revealed itself to me as a way to focus and relax and gain about 25 pounds.
...So I've also been dieting. And exercising. Hopefully, being in better shape will help me to combat the Evil Forces of GimmeGimme during this 4-month-long Holiday Season.
