The forecasters got it right – it was a dreary, cold, wet day. It hovered right above freezing, so no ice, sleet, or snow, but plenty of dripping, chilly rain. A nigh-perfect day to stay inside a snug house and do some holiday decking and trimming!
It started with adding tomato soup to the Reverse Advent Calendar box. (Yes, I didn’t make soup today, but it still featured prominently!)
For today’s Diva drill, I urge you to contemplate one of my favorite quotes – “The greatest expression of rebellion is joy.” Writer-director Joss Whedon said that and I like pondering it. (Whedon’s reputation, by the way, has gotten tarnished this year. I’m not quite ready to give up on him, but he’s definitely a “feet of clay” sort of guy these days.) I see a lot of truth in the quotation – if there’s one thing the status quo often distrusts to the point of hatred, it’s joy. I think of how much time I’ve spent arguing with people I don’t even know on social media (and occasionally, people I DO know!) – it’s a foolish use of my time and it distracts me from bigger, far more important issues. The Dark Side hates humor – it can handle being fought against, but it despises being made to look ridiculous, which makes that approach so very effective. Joy. It’s believing that the morning will come and it will be better. Singing in the car. Wearing rhinestone tiaras to grocery shop. Dancing with your love in the park. Drawing chalk butterflies on the sidewalk. Blowing soap bubbles at a wedding reception. Never ignore the power of joy. Strive to find a little piece of your joy every day.
From the bookshelf today, I picked an old book that I only first read last year – Carolyn Keene’s The Secret of the Old Clock. Believe it or not, Nancy Drew turned 90 this year. As a girl, I never read the books (which were written by a number of people under the same pseudonym) and – while I worry about Carson Drew’s parenting skills and Nancy’s proclivity for getting knocked unconscious – I’ve found the books to be utterly charming, if a little backwards in a few social areas. There is an undeniable charm here, though. Long distance calls, evening newspapers, “self-service” elevators, roadside tearooms . . . and a spunky girl detective working independently to solve baffling mysteries with the help of her teen friends. Plus, the first book (that’s Old Clock) is all about finding a will, which gives it a definite legal flair I quite enjoyed. I’ve worked my way through most of the original series now and, while some may say that they’re childish and that it’s a waste of my time, I would refer these folks to the previous paragraph. Joy.
In holiday prep news, hurray! the tree is trimmed with a lovely excess of ornaments from my childhood (seriously, there’s one on there that I made when I was about five), through my “solo days,” through my “courting days,” and all throughout my life with my Beloved. I also used this rainy, dreary day to bake three different kinds of treats, with more coming tomorrow!
Joy.
See you tomorrow!
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