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IMG_0410-1, originally uploaded by gina.banina.

So I evidently let Christmas and New Year’s Eve pass without a post for either. My muse has run away for warmer shores it seems.

I have spent the majority of my time obsessed with scrapbooking and cardmaking. Much has contributed to total exhaustion besides.

Patiently I await longer daylight hours, warmer temperatures, and energy & inspiration to dedicate to all of my creative ventures, equally.

IMG_1861-1, originally uploaded by gina.banina.

Christmas has increasingly been about consumerism and arguments of religion versus secularism. No more does Christmas seem to be about good will and gratitude. We spend more time shopping for the holidays than we do with our loved ones on the holidays. Obligations exhaust us, credit cards bankrupt us, and tension grows thick.

I enjoy this time of year, in spite of the greed and pressures that come with it. I am a definitely not anti-gift. I have a wish list overflowing with items I cannot afford but wish I could. I buy gifts for those I can afford to buy – books, collectibles, and small trinkets – to express my appreciation for the people in my life. I send out Christmas cards too. It is my hope that at this time of year (and throughout the year too) my loved ones know just what they mean to me.

I am simply standing at the outer edges of holiday madness and wishing that Christmas (or the holidays, if you prefer it stated) were a bit simpler and more inspiring than it is these days. I wish Christmas was not quite as lonely and awful for so many people too. No one should be alone or feel alone at this time of year, no one. (If anyone in the St. Louis area will be alone and do not wish to be, please do message me. I have an alternative for the “holiday orphans.”)

Bonus link:  My favorite holiday song, a Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds song.

One of my first ornaments, originally uploaded by gina.banina.

This ornament was one of two ornaments from my childhood that remains with me. I cannot remember a time when this ornament was not on the Christmas tree or at least a part of the Christmas decorations. It will be a part of my Christmases for years to come too.

I am one of THOSE cat people., originally uploaded by gina.banina.

• Anheuser-Busch and InBev. About 6% of the Anheuser-Busch U.S. workforce (1,400) is being cut by InBev, 75% of which (1,065 salaried workers) are located here in St. Louis. This is as of 12/8. InBev is cutting jobs at a time when our economy makes it unlikely that these workers will quickly find a new job. Merry Christmas from InBev.
• Holidaze. Cards have been mailed out. Apt is decorated. Gifts are bought – except that I have to return the gift for my grandma because evidently she does not own a DVD player and does not wish to own one in the future. Videotapes are cheaper anyway. Plans for a “Holiday Orphans” gathering have been made.
• Jasper. Puberty seems to be working  its way through his system. He bites but much less. He is now on a senior food diet and is showing some definition. I will weigh him soon to see if he is under 20 lbs. now. According to the vet if he does not lose the weight before 7 years old it will be much more difficult to lose and much more likely he will develop diabetes. He will be 7 in March. Full speed ahead!
• Reconnections. One thing the holiday season is good for is reconnecting. Gatherings fill the calendar during the month of December, allowing me to see and talk with friends I don’t always have opportunity to see much otherwise. This past weekend I had a chance to reconnect with friends who moved last July and who I had not seen since. I am grateful that we had this chance to get together.

Inspired by the Blogography Bullet Sundays, I have put together my own bullet post:

• Turkey-free! No turkeys were harmed in the occurrence of this year’s Thanksgiving festivities – in my little corner of the world anyway.  I was a part of a vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration.  I missed the turkey, but I am pretty sure the turkeys were thrilled that one of them got to live thanks to one veg gathering.
• Veterinarian found. I have found a fantastic veterinarian who comes to your home in St. Louis.  She really is great.  Jasper liked Dr. Lynch even after she prodded his abdomen and gave him a rabies shot – not so much during but he forgave her fast.  Dr. Lynch was full of suggestions pertaining to Jasper’s health.
• Poser.  I attended my first yoga class this past week!  It was hard work, but besides that the poses are much more complex than they appear.  Thank goodness for my new friend Sean who gave me some pointers on one pose to practice this week (the cat-cow pose).  I am a challenge to teach, ask Sean, but he is a trooper.  :)
• Melancholy.  While I now acknowledge that it is (holy cow) the holiday season (Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, whatever it is you choose to celebrate) and have sent out nearly all of my holiday cards, I am not sure that I am entirely into the season this time around.  It could be the Black Friday murder/miscarriage drama that unfolded at a Wal-Mart.  It could be that I may be spending Christmas alone this year.  It is weird, though.