Christmas Season

Back in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s one of my sisters was spending a year doing college studies in Spain. My parents decided to cross “the pond” and celebrate Christmas with her in Europe.  That left the rest of us to fend for ourselves on Christmas Day.  Although not really, since family friends had kindly invited us over to spend Christmas with them.  In a sense we had two Christmas', the one on Christmas Day and the whole family celebration (absent my sister studying abroad) on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany.  This was a true representation of the Christmas season, from its beginning to its end.  Receipt of gifts of the Epiphany makes some sense, as it is the day the three Magi arrived to see the Christ child.  

Shepherd Fields, near Bethlehem
Excavation roofs 

The twelve days of Christmas has been popularized by the Christmas carol, but unlike what many today seem to think, it is not twelve days before Christmas, but rather the time span between Christmas and January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. Currently, we are in the midst of the Christmas season and families who were unable to get together to celebrate on December 25 (or Christmas Eve), do so either before, or often after Christmas Day.  What is interesting about the English carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is that it was popularized in the mid-16th century and was a common occurrence until 1829 as a way for Roman Catholics to communicate certain key features of their Christian faith.  For centuries in English territories Roman Catholics often could not openly practice their faith, and they relied on certain methods to communicate and instruct.  The Irish dance, popularized by River Dance, was also used as a way of Catholics to communicate with one another by use of tapping feet over mouth and words.  When marginalized, as Roman Catholics were following the split with the divorce of Henry VIII, they developed unique methods of communication.  In the carol, the twelve drummers drumming represent the twelve points of the Apostles' Creed, and the partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus Christ, whose birth is commonly celebrated on December 25.  As some yard signs say, he is “The Reason for the Season." 

Church of the Nativity, location of the presumed birthplace of Christ

Overtime, Santa has taken on a larger dimension.  Are we losing sight of our reason for the season?  From a standpoint of religiosity, one could often count on a church to be full for Christmas and Easter services.  However, the United States is becoming more and more secularized.  You see it in Thanksgiving cards or New Year cards replacing Christmas cards (at least for the few that continue to be sent out), and it is in our language, holiday tree compared to a Christmas tree being one example. One could even argue that this trend can be good for Christianity as it can help refocus the community on the true meaning of the day.  As the number of persons who attend church continues to decline through both fewer persons practicing a particular Christian faith, and as the percent of US residents who are "nones" continues to increase, the Christmas season as a national celebration will be more and more in keeping with the consumer culture and the ever increasing secular herd, than a religious culture.  How will Christmas be viewed in 100 or 200 years?  Will it have any strong relevance to the birth of Jesus Christ, or will it have morphed to an even more complete consumer holiday?

Grotto location of the birthplace of Christ
within Church of the Nativity

There is nothing wrong with gift giving.  After all the birth of Christ was the penultimate gift of God--the birth of his son. Cultural changes, however, are taking away the purpose for which the day is named, and, I suspect, the true purpose of the day will gradually be replaced so that fewer persons will recognize the day's true original purpose.  Some cultural shifts gradually occur, and others occur much more quickly.  Regardless of how the shift does occur (if it continues to occur), there will always be some vestige, or small community of us who believe and continue to go to church; in a sense being counter-cultural.  The continued re-branding of all things Christmas to a more benign description does not, however, minimize or destroy what is one's heart.  Nor can it really compare to the difficulties of history, or present time in some regions.  History is replete with martyrs and saints who have kept their faith in difficult circumstances.  One only need to look at the coercion and murders that ISIS inflicts on Christians in the Middle East.  Perhaps Middle Eastern Christians have found methods to communicate with each other in ISIS held territory not unlike Roman Catholics did in 16^th century England.  But, the change in language does indicate a change in custom and culture.

Israeli Settlements in Palestine as seen from Shepherd Fields
With the recently adopted UN resolution, these settlements
have become a bigger source of controversy

The Christ child was born in a small town in an often rebellious and backwater province of the Roman Empire.  It is a region that today continues to be replete with strife, showing that in life some of the most precious occurrences come amidst dissonance.  My parents could have traveled to Europe to see my sister during almost any other season (but for tax season) when she was in Europe, but they chose to do so on Christmas.  They wished her to be with family on the day of Christ's birth.  For years Christmas has been associated with giving, and as I noted that is well and good, but we also need to recall the original purpose of the day and season, and give due recognition and thanks to the birth of Christ. May everyone have a blessed Christmas Season.  

Photos by Author, April 2013

Rule of Three

It has often been said that occurrences, particularly bad events, come in threes. I think I first heard this as a young man back in 1979 or 1980. What is left unsaid is the time frame in which the events occur. Depending upon time interval, you can probably conjure up many events that meet this "rule." Never having had the best of luck, one would think I would be used to this rule of three. This past Sunday while out in the early morning for a walk, I had time to ponder the rule of three that occurred on Saturday, December 17. The day began well enough, with clearing of three inches of snow from the snow storm the day before. A chore one gets used to in Wisconsin.

Ornament on  2016 Chistmas Tree

My wife and I, after clearing our driveway, and warm up with some tea, headed to Sun Prairie so she could finish getting the house in which I grew up ready for Christmas, and I could plow the large driveway. With another 4 to 7 inches expected, I decided it may be wise to plow twice, than one big event. It is a big drive that is cleared by use of a heavy plow on the front of a 27 hp garden tractor. Nearing the end of the plow operation, I noticed the blade was not turning correctly to one side. I stopped and discovered the problem was one I had experienced less than two years ago. Metal fatigue had occurred, again, and opened the area in which a bolt holds the plow blade to the assembly. This allowed that side of the blade to move free of the assembly. After some work, I was able to wire the blade, albeit not too successfully, to the assembly to avoid it coming off and being totally useless. I finished plowing. My disappointment is that the metal failed so soon again, and the effort and time to replace the part is not insignificant. Worse so in cold weather. Not the thing one wants to see a week before Christmas when 26 persons are expected to gather and celebrate the Christian feast day, and Santa too. As I completed plowing light snow once again started to fall, the entry of the next wave of snow. Snow would continue throughout the day and late in the day on Saturday.

Ornament on 2016 Christmas Tree

Many people can experience firsthand the conditions of the slippery roads caused by snow. About four in the afternoon, my wife said the mailman was in the drive, thinking we were getting a package I went to meet him at the door when I noticed him setting part of the mail box and part of its wood support in the snow bank next to the remainder of the support. He apologized and said he had slipped into the mailbox with the delivery truck. Better than hitting a car or person. Hey, I thought, I don't have to go get teh mail. It of course occurred to me that with sub-zero temperatures for Sunday, I best repair the mailbox at that time. Getting on my boots, coat, hat and gloves for my person after having cut to width two pieces of old plywood, left from a past project, grabbing eight deck screws, my drill and extension cord, and headed out to place “sister” supports on the post. My wife assisted by holding the broken off section in place while I screwed the plywood to the side and front. The way the post broke made it difficult to find sufficient width to hold the screws, but hopefully the mail box will survive to spring.

Outdoor Decoration on Sunday Morning, Dec. 18.

Winter has formally starts Wednesday, so spring is a long way off. Instead of spring, however, most of our thoughts are to advent and Christmas. Our house has a Christmas tree that we put up a couple weeks back. It is duly lighted with a good number of light strands, and has a good count of ornaments. Upon arriving home from church that Saturday night, the tree lights were turned on, and we noticed several strands no longer working. Trying to find the proper light male plug end, among many light plugs was not easy. It took some time to diagnose the problems, the main culprit being that one light strand, into which a couple others were plugged had a burned out fuse. I left the fuse replacement to my wife with her nimble hands while I started the process of re-plugging lights. Our third occurrence came to a successful conclusion.

Our 2016 Christmas Tree,
(With the lights working)

As I was walking early Sunday morning, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, I could see the half-moon set in the west sky, and the sun, with its golden rays glistening off the snow and ice Mud Lake, come up in the east. A temperature of six below can easily distract, but I thought of those three occurrences as first-world problems. In the big picture perhaps only the inability to plow snow would be a health and safety issue. Some days are meant for a walk, and that cold Sunday morning, with the strong northwest wind was one of them. After getting home, and warming myself with tea the Sunday paper finally arrived. After reading the paper, and looking at ads, my wife asked if I had ever heard of a Dyson Supersonic selling for $399.99 in an ad, which we figured to be a hair dryer, and a check of the internet proved our suspicions correct. A $400 hair dryer! This takes first-world issues to a whole other level. The person who receives that gift well better enjoy it. The problems, events, and purchases in our lives tell us a great deal of how we live, and of our priorities. A $400 hair dryer certainly says a great deal. This Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of one part of the Trinity, t is wise for us to keep things in perspective, and think of our priorities in life. That early morning walk on a frigid day had benefit for the mind and soul.

Form, Function and Fashion

Form, or the shape of an object is best thought to follow function. If you deal with or are an architect you will often hear the phrase “form follows function.” This is a twist on remarks by the famous architect Louis Sullivan, the inventor of the skyscraper, who noted that “form ever follows function.” To Sullivan, this was part of a natural law. If Sullivan is correct, as part of the natural law, it means that it can be applied to a variety of objects of design. It takes objects to their basic purpose. However, going well back in time humans have had their own ideas, and often attempt to set themselves different from others—tatoos, jewelry, are just two areas of human interaction with ideas that promote fashion over form. For example fashion can dictate many items of clothing. It was a fashion statement with her top that drew the attention of the crowd at Super Bowl XXXVIII when perhaps the most famous of wardrobe malfunctions occurred. Plumbers often see malfunctions of their wardrobe (pants) daily, the ubiquitous plumber crack, but that is more a design problem. Perhaps they need to wear overalls. In some cases fashion overtakes function, and that is the story of this post.

Last week Friday my spouse and I enjoyed a dinner out, and during that cold evening, my wife had worn a scarf. Nothing out of the ordinary in the winter, but the current fashion trend is for women to wear a scarf even when the weather is not cold. I see women wearing scarves in various kinds of weather. In cold weather the scarf has a function, wearing in non-cold weather is purely, in my mind, for fashion. The herd mentality is well at work in fashion, which speaks volumes when one thinks how humans have tried to set themselves apart and use a measure of individuality—think the earlier comment on tattoos and jewelry. What most struck me was not the fact that she had a scarf, heck I wear one in cold weather, but how it was tied or knotted. It was a complicated knot that required varied levels of weaving. I was amazed at her dexterity at moving this part through, in and around another part, and not just once.   One would have thought she was tying a necktie. Scarves, for some, are now more fashion than function—why else wear them during non-cold weather? I had to inquire how she had learned such a complicated maneuver, and she told me “ Emily taught me.” A friend of hers from work in showing her how to tie or knot the scarf was undertaking an aspect of cultural assimilation. Fine fabulous female fashion of wearing a scarf—who would have thought it would be so complicated?  Not only is the scarf itself a statement, but so apparently are they should be tied in a certain way. I asked why she does not just put the scarf on like I do, and cross one side over the other. I don’t recall her words, but I do recall the look. I need not explain the “look.”  Millennial and/or metrasexual males like to wear scarves in the winter, and have the scarf sufficiently long to tie in a big knot.

First Skyscraper

Having known me for over a quarter of a century, my wife well knows I am one of the last people that looks to fashion. When told how outdated my clothes, glasses, or socks are, I prefer to look at it as I am not behind the times, but ahead of the times.  I view fashion as circular and fashion styles will nvariably catch up to me. One might say, in regard to fashion, I am so behind the times, I am ahead of the times.  One example, when I was a teenager I wore then out-of-style black horn rim glasses, those glasses are now in style. I view myself as a trend leader well before the trend. Trendy and Tom, my wife and children would say, are mutually exclusive. But alas, Form over function. Why put on something that takes longer to take off? I guess you could say the same thing about neckties—that de rigueur of male formal fashion.

There are various ideas on the origin of the necktie. One is that it was originally worn to keep the detritus of the everyday life and working off of a shirt. Others, that it was meant to work against a draft on the neck. Today the tie is more to have a closed collar, and hide buttons, and some would say looks better on a closed button shirt than a closed collar alone. Not too long ago, a shirt buttoned to the neck without a tie was considered a fashion not unlike pants pulled high—that is nerdy. Ties are quite expensive, and if you have ever taken a tie apart, you see how much material actually goes into its creation. It certainly is not representative of form over function. A former co-worker often commented that men like ties because they like where it points. That could make for anthropological study. Wearing of a tie, I guess is a lot like a women wearing a scarf, it is an ornamentation and decoration. It is fashion, and while they both may be related to a herd mentality, the style or type can be individualized. It is an accessory item.

Sarcasm?

In the end, form does not always follow function. This inversion of the Louis Sullivan principle can be seen in various areas. It is visible in fashion, and it is visible in what is known as Starchitecture. The wings of the Milwaukee Art Museum have little effect on sun or shadow, and the little effect it does have could have occurred by use of less expensive sun screen. But, the wings make a statement. It is a statement that people like to make with not just tattoos, and jewelry, but also clothing, and clothing accessories like scarves (and ties)—whether in winter, spring, fall, or even summer.

 Images from Google

Let it Snow

This past Sunday, December 4, the Dane County area received its first snowfall of the 2016-2017 winter season. It was a significant accumulation of about 6 inches.  I know that winter, by the calendar does not start until 17 days after Dec 4, but from a meteorological standpoint winter constitutes the months of December, January and February.    A much nicer break than having a season begin on a solstice or equinox.  Regardless of what the calendar or a meteorologist may say, we all know winter when we see it. Certainly the weather on Dec 4 felt more like winter than it did fall.  Snow brings about a number of challenges, particularly the first snow fall.  It seems that drivers often forget what snow does to roadways.  Patience and ingenuity are often required.   This post will touch on but a few of those challenges.

United States Salt Use per Lane Mile (Google)

The snow that fell this past Sunday was wet, which being laden with water made it heavy.  Having fallen on non-frozen pavement the snow would slightly melt and become saturated with water, rather than simply being nice light puffy snowflakes.  While the warm temperatures made the  snow heavy, it also promoted quicker melting. The snow on our deck was much deeper than that which resulted on the ground.  The snow was so water laden that when it was driven or walked on it became an ice pack.  Ice is not easy to drive on.  For one of the few times that I can recall after getting home from shopping, my car did not make it up our steep driveway into the garage.  Hence, before hauling groceries into the house, my wife and I shoveled the heavy wet snow from the driveway.  As the snow tapered off for the day, we again shoveled in the early evening.  Of course, as bad as the snow is on the drive, it is the huge windrow deposited by the snow plow at the end of the drive that is most heavy and difficult to remove.  With some snowfalls it takes me as long, or longer,  to clean out the end of the drive as it does to shovel the rest of the drive.

Education piece on how to limit salt use (Wisconsin Salt Wise web site)

Storms, such as we had this past Sunday, required both plowing and salting.  There is the old rule that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.  In this case the reaction may not be equal, but there is a reaction. The reaction is more than salt promoting a lower melting point. (Check out the Wisconsin Salt Wise web site here.) Salt use has increased on roadways to the point that wells are becoming polluted, Madison has one such well.  Point source providers see more and more restrictive limits coming about to decrease chlorides (and other loading levels) in waste water, which is often realtes to reducing pollutant loading in water bodies.  It is easier to regulate point source polluters over non-point source polluters.  The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is one such point source agency feeling the pinch of increased chloride use.  They even co-sponsor workshops to educate public works staff about best methods of salt spreading, and options to than the sole use of salt.  Years ago cars had chains on their tires for winter use, later studded snow tires became popular, and now there is the use of salt, or some communities will use a salt-sand mixture.  Madison blames the contamination of its well on use of salt in winter weather.  Yet, it is not only salt on the roads, but use on private walks, drives and parking lots.  In other words, all have a part to do.  Education is needed, but no one wants to face a slip and fall lawsuit, so they, as a former Parks Director where I work would say, “burn it off.”  Not the most environmentally friendly alternative.  Water softeners also contribute chlorides to the waste stream.

A common snow figure depiction

Beyond regulations and driving, the first snow fall brings fun to children, and even some adults.  Of course, by the time February rolls around, many are wishing for spring.  I think of the winter about nine or ten years ago when the Madison area received over 100’ of snow, by late January we were well tired of the white stuff.  Even the most hardy snow enthusiasts were looking forward to spring.  But, Mother Nature’s plans seldom fit our plans.  That is why our camping trips often bring rain.   For some it could snow December 23, and melt on December 26, and see no snow for the remainder of the season.  The wet snow, and depth we had was great for both snowball fights, and making snow figures, more commonly referred to as snowmen (not knowing if snowman is an appropriate term in today’s overly sensitive politically correct society I used snow figure), are great to make with the wet snow. 

Eyes made out of coal (Google images)

Snow figure or snowman, what I do see is that arms still tend to be made out of sticks and the nose uses a carrot.  The use of these items is a long-time tradition in the snow figure building scene going back in time even before Frosty.  What Frosty also had, but today’s children have difficulty doing is building eyes out of coal.  Heck, even when I was a child, charcoal was used, and not coal, but close enough.  Coal has seen a great decline in home heating, with most homes now heated by natural gas, and a smaller number by fuel oil or propane.  The coal furnace has gone the way of the dinosaur, so perhaps too are charcoal grills going that way, hence a reduced supply of charcoal.  There are some households which do not have a grill, although statistics found on-line show that 72% of US households have a grill.   In 2015, 40% of grill sales in the United States were for charcoal grills.  Most grills sold are gas grills.  With fewer charcoal grills now available children will not be able to find a lump of charcoal for the eyes of their snow figure, much less a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking.  How distant in time is it when a child will wonder what is a piece of charcoal?  It may be only a few generations away when great grandparents will need to do the explaining. 

Chldren need no help being creative (Google images)

Today children will have to more ingenious in what they use for the eyes  than what us earlier generations had to be since our mind is ingrained with the Frosty song, which pretty much tells us how to build a snow figure.  With charcoal use in decline they need to find other items for the eyes.   Ingenuity is good, although it is sometimes sad to see tradition fade away.  The Frosty song may be replaced by eyes made out of CD’s (bug eye like), but then again we are only a generation away from someone wondering what a CD is, CD's are going the way of coal, corncob pipes and top hats.   Traditions change over time due to a variety of factors, and new items take their place.  What we do know is that the Frosty song and its television special still are based on long-held traditions of making a snowman.  How long that will remain, is any one’s guess.  Just as children need be more ingenious in finding eyes for a snow figure, adults need to be more judicious in use of salt, and scientists finding other cost effective, but more sustainable, items to use on our roadways and parking lots.  Beet juice anyone?