Winter Solstice!

Happy Solstice Everyone!! Why do we care if it's the Solstice? Archeologists have found an assembly of 127 granite blocks in Brazil arranged equidistant from each other. That site, Stonehenge and even the Great Pyramid in Egypt apparently formed ancient astronomical observatories. At the site in Brazil one of the stones clearly marked the position of the sun at the time of the winter solstice. WHY? Holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen trees, magical reindeer and the very idea of Christmas (as a Saint who provides for the needy, or worthy) are all pagan rituals associated with the Solstice. For Druids and Celtic Shamans: three days before Yule is a magical time. This is the time of the Serpent Days or transformation...The Elder and Birch stand at the entrance to Annwn or Celtic underworld where all life was formed. Like several other myths they guard the entrance to the underworld. This is the time the Sun God journey's thru the underworld to learn the secrets of death and life.

Incas, Hopis and Mayans all celebrate the Solstice, along with many other Shamanic and native peoples. Even Vampyres celebrate "the Long Night," a festival at the Winter Solstice. But WHY? Equinoxes and Solstices mark changes in cycles, tangible events that could be witnessed in the sky and on the ground. And, how about this: "In several languages, not just in English, people have traditionally compared the rebirth of the sun with the birth of the son of God." (that's from the Nat Geo link used in the title of this entry.) I've always thought Sun/Son were one in the same. That's pretty controversial, but something I'll delve into more in my forthcoming novel: A Kindred Spirit. For now, it's less than an hour until Solstice, so CELEBRATE!!!

A Lovely, Critical Holiday

A few years ago I included what I called the Peace Page in with my holiday cards, rather than a rundown of my own year in review. I’ll link to it at the end of this rant. Yes, sadly I'm still ranting -- this time over some "famous critic" David Edlestein. Critic = world's lowest life form, IMHO. I’ll blow off a bit, but then find my Center and wrap all this up in a goofy holiday package.
I got angry this morning listening to a critical review of Peter Jackson’s movie version of the Lovely Bones. The Critic called it “icky new age sentimentality” aka sappy. This got me thinking. I’ve seen my share of “important art films,” but you know I’m hard pressed to rattle off a list of them. What I can easily list are the “sappy” holiday movies that have impacted me: It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, the Bishop’s Wife, the screwball Christmas in Connecticut or even better Scrooged, White Christmas, and for me the ultimate A Christmas Carol in all ten (or more) variations, from cartoon to Alastair Sim, that I watch every year. Of course, Scrooge Edlestein would find all of those overly sentimental with simplistic plot lines, I’m sure.

I was going to write a nasty-gram to CBS encouraging them to drop this cynical, jaded reviewer. I would include the same thoughts as above, but also ask what if we didn’t have the Wizard of Oz or Peter Pan movies because of some self-important blow-hard like Edlestein who has never created a thing (Yes, Virginia, I did verify that.) All he has ever done, since graduating from Harvard, is rant about other people’s poor movie-making skills and art. And, while I do see the irony of ranting about him, at least I have written my own sappy novel which I’ll be releasing next year.

Critics, bah humbug! With their pen strokes (or big mouths) they have the power to influence millions of minds. Perhaps we don’t need another important art film right now, or another critically acclaimed “powerful” novel. Perhaps what we need is to get rid of the gratuitous sex and violence from the tube and movies, and bring back a little more sap. The world was safer and far more sane when we had more Magoo and Jimmy Stewart and less “killer films.”

If you want to know more about Peter Jackson and/or ‘the bones’ then click on this MTV review. I certainly won't link to anything from Edlestein, nor threaten his job. I'll just calm down and read my own Peace Page advice, and enjoy these final Twelve Days of Christmas leading up to that annual sappy, sentimental holiday!

(Sorry! I know that Muppet/Denver video is old and scratchy. Here's a good digital audio version of the song. Or just go with Magoo ;) Very sappy, and fun! More Magoo, please!

Bodhi Day

You can't really call yourself ZenWoman and not blog on Bodhi Day ;) Even tho I have long celebrated May 8 and/or Wesak (Full Moon in May) as the Day of Enlightenment, many traditions claim it was December 8. Whenever, the Infinity symbol is probably the most significant part of that! And, all traditions agree that as the Morning Star rose in the sky (whatever day it was) Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought, became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. Having done so, Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautauma, now became a Buddha an “Awakened One”. … So, click on the Wiki link in the title or here for a longer Dharma Talk. Namaste!

Mid Nano Update

I'm moving my November NanoWrimo Update section here. No other blogging this month... just updates on novel writing. See Word Count Widget: (look right and down)

Week One goal 12K DONE
Week Two goal 25K (Sunday, Nov 15)DONE!
Week Three - 35K (Sunday, Nov 22) 35076 DONE!!!
Week Four - 48K (Sunday, Nov 29) barely at 44K (i'm melting...) Major 24 HR push!
Nano Final - 50K (Monday, Nov 30) I WON! 50,054

To Finish the novel, editing will continue into December! (and FOR SURE into 2010!)
The goal is a Spring 2010 release! Watch for A Kindred Spirit!

it begins...

The scariest time of the year is approaching -- the Midnight Hour of October 31. This year there's even a full moon. No, not Halloween. No, not All Saints Day. Where are the dang spooky sound effects when you need them? (Muahaha haha -- evil laughter) Silly rabbit, it's NaNoWriMo time! Why so scary, you ask. Cause we're committing to write 50,000 words in a month! Give that a whirl! (Word Count updates to the right, and below!)

There's a Midnight Kickoff party here in ABQ for National Novel Writing Month. But, for a couple of reasons, I'm not going. I'm there in Spirit, though and so apropos for this night ;) (waxing poetic, too!) Here's a silly NaNo Rebel forum post (can non-Nanos see that? If they can will they answer? ) Only one response to my last question, therefore you people are punished (or blessed) cause I'm not posting during Nano (nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo doo) I am totally wacked tonight -- must be the extra sugar high! Mo and me and the NaNos (tee hee!)

For the month of November, I will expend all my writing energy on my novel. It begins at the stroke of midnight! You can track me here: (look to your right at the Word Count Widget, which is working now. ) Yay!!

Update Info:
Edited nearly 12,000 words Sunday, Nov 8!! Current Goal - edit 100 pages by Nov 13!
(I know it's WriMo, not EdMo, but I'm a Cheetah and Rebel ;)

19K (Wednesday eve) That's 55 pages. I don't think I can double that by Friday. I will exceed the 25K goal, though. This is hard work!

35K (Sunday, Nov 22) Ok, that first estimate was too optimistic. I still have 1800 words to edit to complete the first 102 pages. Good Grief. There's another 228 pages of novel after that! Who thought of writing this frickin' thing anyway ;)

Why blog?

I'm pretty sure I asked this once before, but now I'm really going to delve into this. I hope some of you (who I know read ;) will take a moment to ponder and comment. For years we locked our diaries and never considered letting anyone peek at our private thoughts. Now, everyone is blogging and often extremely personal info. Why? As a friend of mine asked, "Why on earth would you post stuff for perfect strangers to read?" More to the point, exposing oneself (often literally, as teens do) or even like this blog for someone to delve into and "find me" if they really wanted to. Why??

Yeah, kids do it 1) cause they're naive 2) desperate for interaction. The exposed pics, well that's just ridiculous. But, adults. Thinking, sane folks like us -- why are we blogging? Some folks post their art, political commentaries, travel blogs are really helpful, community service or fund-raising, and some just "because." Initially my Zen Blog (the old one) was to promote Zen/Taoist philosophy but devolved into my rants. And posts of my Grand Canyon trip where I crunched a rock formation in my hand ;)

I know we try to stay anonymous, but that's a joke. I just tried searching myself on google and it's amazing (and scary) what all can be found. I remember Jeff, my "bro" refusing to use a credit card to avoid a paper trail. Now, we get online and basically "let it all hang out." Of course, I've lived online since the 1980's (the BBS days, various forums, web sites, blogs and now twitter.)

Another point is why waste time on this when I should put ALL my writing energy into the money-making book publication process. Does a book blog make sense? A place to promote and sell the book? I think so, but that also means really revealing your identity (unless you publish with a pseudonym.) Well, that will come soon enough. For now, I kind of view this as escape, but how dangerous is it? Come on out of your hidey holes now and COMMENT!!! It truly is a curious phenomenon.