Pulling the Plug

Well, It is December 27 and I am pulling the plug damn it! We can't have to much celebration, we might just kick our depression this holiday season. With that note I pulled the plug tonight on all my christmas lights on my house. I don't know why but I am always in a hurry to get them put away after I put them up.

Actually this Christmas was rather low key, even when celebrated at my parents house. My brother and family flew in from California, post haste, when they learned our father had a small stroke the Sunday before Christmas. Even though it was kind of nice to have everyone around. However, after staying over for two nights I was ready to bug out of there.

Now what to do for New Years. I hate being single.

"Standing Bear is a Person"

Sometimes things just seem to go so nicely together for whatever reason. A new book was reviewed in the 12/19/2004 Sunday Omaha World Herald. I think this book is now on my must read list. The book is Standing Bear is a Person by Stephen Dando-Collins of Australia. The story of Standing bear was thrust into the local news this week by the revealing of the 4 United States Mint designs (show above), one of which will become the Nebraska quarter. Originally I was all behind the Sower gracing our state quarter. The Sower graces the very top of the of our Art Deco State Capital. However, life's events are now pushing me tword the Standing Bear quarter. Note the feature on the quarter that states "Equality before the Law".

As most of us do not know, due to our complete amnesia when it comes to history, Standing Bear of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska sued the US government forcing it to recognize American Indians as persons (with legal/Constitutional rights). That is event one. It happened right here in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

A second event is that a local preservation group, that I am a member of, is admiring an Art Deco federal office building in downtown Omaha. This building is just one of many significant Art Deco buildings not only in Omaha but in Nebraska. The site of this Federal Office building is also the site of the now gone Federal Court House in which Standing Bear plead his case before the Federal Courts.

Third event, is that a newly releasted poll by Cornell University that states that 44% of Americans favor restricting the civil liberties and rights of Muslim American citizens. Those who favored such restrictions were described as "Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious" by the Omaha World Herald in a December 18, 2004 article.

Now replace the words "Muslim American citizens" with American Indian. Is this history repeating itself? I would really like to have a quarter circulating around the country for years to come with the phrase "Equality Before the Law". It seems like a few of us need the reminder.

Closer: Real life meets the movies again, I loved it!

If you really want to know how messed up I am go see the movie Closer staring Jude Law & Julia Roberts. I thought it was brilliant. Of course my friends that went with me were totally depressed at the end (but they are a newly dating couple. They didn't need the rain on their parade.) Brilliant! Did I already say that? Talk about a messed up quartet. Another movie showing a more raw side of people and relationships. A real who is playing whom? Who is the liar? Who stopped lying? Why did each of these people need a relationship and what were they getting out of it? Much more cinematic than the movie Sideways by A. Pane and of course a more heightened climax for this movie (and a few of the cast hint, hint). No, it is probably not what you think. Lots of talk. That is what the movie is all about. People saying one thing and doing the other. Sorry if I spoiled the plot for you. Go see it.

It might as well be raining deer

Thanksgiving was lonely but no major drama for a change. I had a moment where I sat in my sister's glidder out in the yard by myself. I just didn't feel like I fit in and I was to tired to make the effort for a few minutes. Then the next day I white nuckled it all the way back to Omaha the following evening in a misty rain that made it hard to see the lines on the road. People were driving about 45. It might as well have been snow.

No holiday lights were out on my block so I decided to push the domino. I hunge the vogue sickle lights on the porch and also decked out the front portch windows for one night and the lighting season was well on its way on our corner. I also came across an impulse purchase while dragging my partents around the thrift stores in Columbus, NE. I now have a very nice vintage thrifted Christmas candelabra (silver, black wraught iron, white candles and orange lights in a pyramid type config) that might look quite nice on any window ledge. Simple but classy (and not plastic!) I bought it for $3 to give to a friend with a vintage Christmas Collection but in less than 24 hours it began to grow on me. My Midtown house is now decked out in Christmas lights that have not been out in a long time. 6 timers, yards of extention cords and packages of new bulbs have Omaha Public Power District jumping for joy. I will need one more timer if I put up my Christmas tree and I just might! I saw 2 really cool deco-ish raindeer candle sticks/aubras at Target on sale for $19.99/ea. They would go great in arts and crafts my house. I was thinking that if I have a Christmas dinner for friends I should have them on my dinning room table. That or wallow in depression induced by the season and family. Bah humbug.