And so this is Christmas...

...I hope you have fun... The near and the dear ones... The old and the young!

 What a busy season, despite my attempts to avoid commercialism. I've still needed to do my regular grocery shopping and of course I waited until the last minute to purchase the few gifts my family is giving this year. The upside to that is I was able to take advantage of some wicked sales, the downside was the near panic attacks I had while trying to park my car in mall lots and trying to navigate around other shoppers in the stores.

But I am done with everything related to shopping, except for a quick visit to the local produce stand located 4 blocks from my house. I have enough butter and sugar and flour and eggs to drown us in cookies. My presents are all wrapped and under the tree. I am not making a holiday dinner this year, so I will only need to travel to my father's tomorrow evening and then to my mother's the following evening. I will spend the next few days as a glutton, drinking Irish cream and wine, eating mandarin oranges and chocolate and cookies and pie and tarts and turkey.

But I will be thinking about that song I quoted in the title, I will be thinking that "war is over... if [we] want it." I will be thinking about our industrial, capitalist, commercial system, how it has affected every area of our lives for generations, and how we can subvert that system a little, just to give ourselves some room... but we will have to subvert it a lot to make room for everyone on this planet.

However, I will also be thinking about "tidings of comfort and joy."

God bless you and your families :)