Ramblings of a Technology Addict

Friday, December 20, 2002

On Christmas, Far From Home.

I find myself increasingly unable to get into the holidays this year. They just haven't held as much joy and hope and preparation and waiting as much as they used to. Advent in the Bridge household was a truly special time of year. My mother created these wonderful guides to Advent. One for each week. Dinner was held as a family, together, and involved singing and a little praying, and usually guests, but most of all, I remember sitting around the dining room table, together. Dad reading from the Bible, Meg and Erik and I doing at we grew older.
December 21st we would put up the Christmas Tree and have Chili and Mashed Potatoes and watch The Grinch. I am steeped in memories of a 20 foot pine tree, and Dad on the ladder stringing lights, all of us with our own boxes of ornaments out and the dog and cats wandering through the house. The smell of coffee around 9pm, the wonderful ambience, the pine, and look of the tall tree, thousands of points of colored light in the darkness.
The cold wind on the back porch and the winter sky, Orion, and Sirius dominating the field of view.
On the 13th of December and Santa Lucia day, there would be warm cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. The smell would roust us out of bed to enjoy their stickiness.
But I think the tradition I just could never get enough of was the getting of the Christmas tree on the first Saturday of December, or the last saturday of November. We'd drive up to the Sierras and go to Little Bear or another of the various Christmas Tree farms. I remember the year we strapped that big tree to the top of Pat and drove on down the mountain, with a tree bigger than the Explorer lashed to the top. That was a fun year. That feeling of family and togetherness is deeply missed 3000 miles from my home. I know that I'm not alone in missing California, my brother Erik is up in Connecticut, but he's coming down the weekend after Christmas.
A frosty Christmas Eve when the stars were shining
Fared I forth alone where westward falls the hill,
And from many a village in the water'd valley
Distant music reach'd me peals of bells aringing:
The constellated sounds ran sprinkling on earth's floor
As the dark vault above with stars was spangled o'er.
Then sped my thoughts to keep that first Christmas of all
When the shepherds watching by their folds ere the dawn
Heard music in the fields and marvelling could not tell
Whether it were angels or the bright stars singing.
Now blessed be the towers that crown England so fair
That stand up strong in prayer unto God for our souls
Blessed be their founders (said I) an' our country folk
Who are ringing for Christ in the belfries tonight
With arms lifted to clutch the rattling ropes that race
Into the dark above and the mad romping din.
But to me heard afar it was starry music
Angels' song, comforting as the comfort of Christ
When he spake tenderley to his sorrowful flock:
The old words came to me by the riches of time
Mellow'd and transfigured as I stood on the hill
Heark'ning in the aspect of th' eternal silence.
Robert Bridges, 1844-1930
5:25:21 PM  comment []

Mac-mas cartoon

Entertaining stuff...A MacMas cartoon worth reading. Enjoy.
2:05:03 PM  comment []

Friday Musings.

Friday ramblings brought to you by a dying Sony TiVo, NetNewsWire Lite, and a lack of caffeine.
...Wired News is reporting that Digital Cable and HDTV people have agreed to push HD signal over Digital Cable without a tuner box which is key for those of us who don't want to pay an extra $400 for the damn tuner box.
...Apparently, the High Powered Radar at AFB Fylingdale in England is triggering car theft deterrent systems which immobilize their vehicles. There's a great device that oughtta be put on cop cruisers. Link via[MeFi]
...Plastic opens up the Holy War on the Two Towers with its discussion today. I had a rant, but it was eaten by the closing of a browser window earlier. The gist: I liked the movie, and I realize it differed, bite me.
...Ben Hammersley provide us all with Net New Year's Resolutions which is really a cool thing to do. I may warchalk my wireless network. Here's how...WarChalking guide. Here's the FAQ.
...Bronwen has a nice entry on why the Golden Globes Suck.
...Last but not least, C|NET interviews Sklyarov. Just off an acquittal for an alleged DMCA violation, he talks candidly about getting fscked by the US government over a law that really shouldn't be on the books.
10:25:19 AM  comment []