Thinking About My Label

I don't go to church. There I said it. It's out there. I'm not religious, I don't like the commitment involved with going to church, and frankly it's a waste of my time. However, I've been known to make exceptions for people who are important to me. Tonight was one of those evenings I guess, because Mer was singing Christmas music, including a song written by hers truly. It was a lot of fun to hear Mer sing and the sermon actually provoked some interesting thought.

What I appreciated most was that the pastors do not just read the bible and report what they read and what they think and therefore what everyone else should think. It's more like a literature class. They analyze it. They pick it apart and present what meaning they find. They also have a fantastic PR/Graphic design person. I would love to shake that man's hand (I'm almost certain it's a man).

The whole experience got me thinking about my own beliefs. This is not to say that I plan to have an epiphany or even a rush of religious fervor. It just allowed me to further think through, in my own quiet way, what I think about it all. Saying that I'm atheist or even agnostic is just a way of simplifying things. It makes answering questions quicker. The truth is I haven't found an appropriate label for my beliefs yet, but that is for another post.

The Great Baking Frenzie Begins

Fact: Christmas time means baking.

I made my first batch of Christmas cookies on Thursday. They were pretty simple; chocolate tree cookies, green royal icing, and a few sugar pearls for decoration. They are beautiful and quite delicious, and please excuse me while a brag. This being the first time I've ever used royal icing, I am really excited that it turned out so well.

This is just the beginning of a long string of baking projects, that if I'm honest with myself, starts in early November and goes through early January. For a few months my brain becomes over occupied by glittery  Martha Stewart-esque projects that can sometimes become embarrassingly elaborate. 

I plan to temporarily pause, so as not to fail all of my finals, but when those are finished I will be free to let the frivolity take over. This year is going to be all about ginger bread cookies. I can't wait to go home, play in the snow and get myself knee deep in gumdrop buttons.