Does Santa Claus Exist? If so, what does he/she look like?

Welcome to December. Spirit? No? I'm iffy until just before Christmas Eve, not that I'm a scrooge, I'm just accustomed to living alone. Also, I've been over the commercialism for many years and try now to dwell on the deeper meanings of the season. I offer you several options to consider when thinking of the story of Santa Claus, whether "he" exists, and how he gets around.

Let's start here with the traditional approach.

So what's your version of the Santa Claus story? Not the religious thing, just the fat man in the suit thing, the guy down the chimney, what you think the red suit stands for and who you think is in it....I'm just wondering....

Here's a famous one: Yes, Virginia, there is.....well, you know how that goes. Here is the brief letter written in 1897 by 8 year old Virginia O'Hanlon to the editor of New York's Sun newspaper and selected text from the unsigned editorial response, later attributed to Francis Pharcellus Church....the editorial in its entirety can be located here:

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"VIRGINIA O'HANLON."115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge................There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? ....................Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

And then there's another theory, No Virginia, there is no.... a different and more scientific response the the child's question (one I have humorously enjoyed reading), written by English writer Peter Thorne, the ending of which follows and the complete text found here:

.............."Finally, my angel. 353,000 tons travelling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance - this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer will absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short they will burst into flame almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and create deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporised within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250-pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of his sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force."
My sweetest treasure looked at me with a glisten in her eye. "Oh Daddy, you mean.....?" "Yes, my darling", I replied grimly "If Santa ever did exist he must certainly be dead now!"
Well, I won't pretend that Christmas Day went well. Virginia did not seem her usual joyful self and I did not relish the sight of next door's cat eating my Christmas dinner. The throbbing from the swelling on my head where my wife broke the bottle of vintage claret subsided somewhat with the alternate distraction of seeing my favourite pipe being chewed by the dog. Nevertheless, I feel the clarity of science will serve my daughter well in her future years - although I may need to obtain a court order to enable me to see it. However, one thing I can say for certain, I will not forget the Christmas Eve when I said "No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus".

Well then....

I have to say, I like both Church's editorial and Thorne's version of what the editorial could have been. So this brings me to my own version of Santa Claus. IF there is a Santa Claus, I think we have all accepted without much question that it is a man wearing the suit. Fine with me. I wouldn't want all that red and white on. I'd sweat. And no self-respecting female would want that "hat hair" problem at then end of the day. Then there's all that running around and being behind reindeer, well, you know how they can be on a long flight.....so I've decided that if anyone is coming down my chimney, if there is a shot in the dark that there is a man with pets who wants to visit me at Christmas, it should be one of the three below, and they may arrive empty handed for all I care. I have just about everything I need. The rest, I think, ....oh, wait, I should order hats. Every Santa needs a red hat.......it's not so far fetched you know. I live a stone's throw from Hollywood, land of the Hype, and isn't this the season for hopes and dreams, for believing in the impossible and achieving all things beyond our own expectations for ourselves and others? Isn't this the season for giving?

.....need I say who this is....

"L" must be for luscious

ah....

Send me a photo of your favorite Santa and I'll be happy to post them for this month. Male, female, pet....dream.....send me the photo. Let's celebrate our Santa's and our miracles no matter what our belief systems are. This month is about fun, silliness, and holiday "things".....

Namaste'

Thanksgiving

You probably received this already. It was, however, sent by the cat, prematurely, and we both apologize. Now, hopefully, the intended adjustments have been made.....

Here we are again in that place where the holidays have begun. Wow. Time passes so quickly. I always think I have so much of it then boom, some deadline has arrived. But that's me. Maybe you're prepared, have shopped, planned, organized. My mother was that way. Apparently, I didn't inherit that gene. And my mother would not have liked my blog. She would have wanted me to be polite at all costs.

Just about everyone I know has been impacted by the economy this year. Jobs, health, crossroads. Seems to be a theme for a number of people. In thinking about this week's blog I did some soul searching. What can I say that doesn't push my politics or belief system, since I've had much of that from others lately? What type of art can I pass along? What discovery? What's in my heart this week? Or, as Pink Floyd would say "Is there anybody in there?" It is, after all, my blog and what I say needs to be honest and unhidden since I've learned not to live with secrets.

I don't know if you're going to be eating turkey or tofurky, whether you'll be eating out, not observing, or yawning at the entire idea of celebrating Thanksgiving. Maybe you live in another country and the point is moot. Personally, I'm roasting a chicken with some veggies and later eating the low sugar equivalent of pumpkin pie, crustless , yet yummy (I have dark chocolate hidden in the cupboard). However, next year I think I'll visit a homeless shelter and do something useful. Perhaps. But for now, the title of the following familiar artwork by Norman Rockwell, this vision we all grew up with, is what I offer you this week and what I wish for everyone I know......Freedom From Want....I wish you all freedom from want, some happiness, a good day, a smile across the table such as the ones in the painting, and so on (welcome to the world for Issac and Allegra, the new babies in my circle).

Notice there is no excess in Rockwell's painting. There is also no texting, no computers lurking in the background (yes, I am computer dependent but not on a holiday, not even me), and no television - well, okay, so there are games but you get my point. It's not a perfect picture, but art should be of its time. Rockwell painted the America he knew.

And how we have changed. In Rockwell's painting everyone is Caucasian. No obvious piercings, tattoos, etc. The patriarch is wearing a suit and tie. (In my childhood, he wore a tee shirt and there were raviolis on the table but that's another blog) Now, perhaps, one of the guests would have a mohawk (ah, like the original Thanksgiving). Diversity was not in Rockwell's mind and it wasn't in the mind of the country when the painting was done. Well, it was but I think it was a secret. But the important message of the painting was unity. The people in the painting are communicating and sharing joy. They are together. One presumes no one was forgotten, that all invitations were sent and all were accepted, that the bird was large enough to share with neighbors less fortunate when the meal was done. There was the simple pride for being able to feed one's family, to celebrate with simple pleasures, and to look across the table at a smiling face. Maybe the bird wasn't so happy but that was who we were then. Now, hopefully, we've all grown, matured in our understanding of each other, our differences, our passions and talents, and have begun embracing them. I think its time, because as I age, I am more aware of deadlines.

With so much unleashed drama in the world, negative energy, naysayers and billboards (at least in Los Angeles) about 2012, doom and gloom (it's annoying, already) that my email inbox seems to receive despite my polite protests about political, religious, racist, anti-gay and.....oh, sorry, I digress.....:)

May we all have freedom from want. May we all trim the excess, be grateful to have faces smiling back at us from the other side of the table no matter what they look like, and may your bird, or tofurky, be big enough for leftovers. Let's get back to happiness, and maybe this time we can try it without judgment.......(my mother cringes in her heavenly home thinking "Oh, geez, be nice, fix your hair"...).

Happy Thanksgiving to all

Namaste'

Do you Doodle?

Do you Doodle?

I do. I think we all do, or did. I know we doodled on books in school, sometimes we do on napkins, but we don't always show them to people. Doodles are fun, magical, silly, enlightening. In my belief that everyone is an artist, I did some research and found Doodlage (Trashcan Art Salvage as their subtitle states) and in their own words:

"On a quest to elevate doodling to the status of an art form that it deserves!" This is certainly an understatement. If you doodle, if you want to doodle, if you don't understand how to doodle or what to doodle on, then take a look. And if you have nothing to do, then I suggest you plan to stay for awhile. You might even need milk and cookies, and if you're a link hopping art lover as I am, you might need more.

So here are some ideas from Doodlage...

Doodles from one post: The Iron Doodlers

And then there's food doodle...

Not only is this a fun and interesting resource for doodlers, but on their blog roll are numerous other doodle blogs, too numerous to mention here; these are amazing blogs so do browse. Now you'll understand why I suggested milk and cookies.

My biggest find on Doodlage was The Doodle Off V.3 , apparently the home of the successful and sizable Doodle Off. Take a look at this site because if you've ever thought your doodles were insignificant or uninteresting, you will see here that they can easily be true works of art. Picasso did doodle, after all.

I'll let you discover your favorite amongst the hundreds of incredible doodles on The Doodle Off V.3 but for now, here are a few amongst the hundreds.....

There is wood doodle....

There are lovely and serious doodles, although I would consider this full-fledged art, yes? That is, if you believe that art is always beautiful but that's another blog.

And a multi-doodle similar to the ones I used to throw away and now I'm thinking "Why?" because as a wall unit, I find these amazing....

Okay, so if you're an art junkie as I am and truly curious about drawing, visual ideas, and how people process what they do, then you'll enjoy another link via Doodlage, The Underground Art School and I'll let you take it from there.

Pick up a pen, some markers, crayons.......get rid of your sense of boundaries and expectation and let your mind wander.....let your soul talk to your brain and just have a good old fashioned great time.

Namaste'

Outstanding In His Field

I've always believed that art and creativity were multifaceted, that no one is talented in only one area. Creativity is the way we approach our lives as opposed to how we use a particular medium. And then, of course, there needs to be a burning passion for what we do. Hence, perhaps I could entice you to look at the work of Jim Denevan.

Denevan is the founder of Outstanding In The Field

Most of what they do is give dinner parties. Not just ordinary dinner parties, but big, huge, long tabled, in the field - literally - dinner parties. The food is natural, local, and the parties are usually set in the fields where the food has been grown. The photo below is of the table at the dinner party in Sea Cove, California. Oh my, and I was concerned about doing last night's dishes from my two pan meal.

And then, of course, there is a cookbook, Outstanding In The Field: A Farm To Table Cookbook. I'm ordering mine soon so I can try the upside-down fig cake.

It is obvious when reading about Denevan and seeing all that he does, that this is a person who is passionate about the environment and about sharing his ideas with everyone. Denevan is also an artist who does freehand drawings in the sand. That's what it says on his website...."...freehand drawings in the sand". You read this and then you see the photos on the website and you realize that Denevan's idea of a sand drawing isn't exactly what we've seen before. They are more like crop circles. These are breathtakingly beautiful. And remember, these drawings wash away as they succumb to the force of the ocean. It is an incredible lesson in impermanence and detachment. Here are a few photos.

In this first one, you see a close up of Denevan drawing in the sand with a stick, and yes, its freehand.

Moving down, you see the results. Some sand drawing, I say, and it will eventually wash away.

If you look closely in the center of the amazing sand spiral below you will see Denevan again, like a tiny sand creature at the core of his creation; the enormity of the work next to the pulsating ocean is truly awe inspiring for me.

Suddenly, the few hours I spent yesterday fighting with a strand of beads that were being uncooperative, seems a bit silly. After looking at Denevan's work, I am going to put the beads back into their drawer, leave them where they are apparently happy for the time being, and work on something else until they are ready to come out and play. I am inspired to go out to the garden, build something from stray branches and twigs (no sand in sight), perhaps something for the birds to play on and embrace the idea of it blowing away as the night breeze creeps in.

What I find in Denevan's approach to life and art is the lesson of putting our attention on what brings happiness and beauty without concern about where it will lead us or how long it will last. Whether it is food we grow and eat, or art that was not intended to last forever, everything we do is in the current moment. Perhaps that's the only security there needs to be.

I hope you enjoy Jim Denevan's images enough to look at his artwork, his food blog (link is above) and appreciate what he does and, more importantly, the passion with which he does it. I'm a bit smitten, myself.....

Namaste'

Believing in Magic

As Alice said:

I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think.
Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think
I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not
the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?'
Ah, that's the great puzzle!

Alice In Wonderland


It seems that as we leave childhood behind, many of us leave with it the belief in magic. But isn't magic simply the way we view things? True magic is the ability to transform, to create one's own version of the dream, and to believe from the very first thought of a dream that the dream can come true. Perhaps we can all use an infusion of that magic, that belief that we count as individuals, and that while our journey is our own, the characters we meet along the way truly make the journey more exciting. Personally, while my journey has sometimes been a bit odd, I have been gifted and blessed with amazingly wonderful supporting characters in my life.

I believe that every single dream matters, that each of us can create what we want regardless of the state the world, and that every day is an opportunity to realize our true essence, to participate in the dreams of others, and to frolic a bit in the silly and absurd as much as we can.

Yesterday we, being a particular group of friends, participated in a birthday party of another. All of us over 50, celebrating our friend's love of Alice In Wonderland,the venue so wonderfully decorated by one (and the main foodie of the day), appetizers contributed by several, the cupcakes by me, and so on. It was a magical day. The hostess provided us with hats, Alice quotes randomly attached to the walls, games, etc. and for one very lovely day we were all able to share our magic, and forget the mundane issues of our lives. I must say, the blue drinks went down very easily...a few photos to share. As the holidays of our culture are just around the corner, I encourage you to engage in a bit of magic of you own.

Namaste