― Henry David Thoreau
On Christmas Eve, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82cydCLPgKI&feature=related
So exactly what is Christmas? A Hallmark bastardized evangelical holiday of retail explosion? An opportunity for our society to assign one little day out of 352 to actually come together as a family “unit” for a good dose of guilt & affection, an annual trip down memory lane, a persuasive invitation to partake in a thoughtful-n-thoughtless gift exchange? The majority of us hardly cling to religious indoctrinated mandates. Kids are more likely to be drawn towards candy & x-box than a cross & prayer; good ole’ Santa Claus and his slavedeers kickin-it with the Cantebury egg bearing Easter Bunny as our savior Jesus Christ fixes them another round of Mango Mojitos. I myself, have long since abandoned the ideals of a monolithic church (although God & I do chat occasionally . . or more like, a veteran wedding couple cursing at each other) and in the light of Buddhism … my beliefs are that is your one and only life, the gifts are to found in everyday occurrences and it’s exactly your choice whether or not to take notice, whether or not to give freely or expect reciprocation. Happiness the goal of attainment.
Eight foot tall Blue Spruces sawed off at the expense of a century old Tatenbaum tradition, slurps of viscous eggnog, slices of commercialized pumpkin pie, Nat King Cole melodies, stockings hanging from a fireplace-less, eggshell-white painted drywall . . . the attributes are within the intent & more practically exposed by the benefit of a lasting custom that will undoubtedly never fade – too much money to be had . . . you can take the God out of the Gift, but you can’t take the Gift out of God (Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, Yahweh, Jah, Holy Spirit, Mother Nature, Almighty or whatever you believe it to be).
I’m not trying to paint a negative connotation around this Holly holiday – it does a damn good enough job without my cynical input. I think whence you unwrap all of that shiny, glitterized & bowtied shit, you’ll find that most materialistic expressions lack any real shelf-life and the true inspiration of gratitude & instantaneous infatuation fades as fast as an American Idol contestant. I’m gonna throw it out there that maybe ten thousand people out of the 6,840,507,000 billion actually took the time and effort to whittle an artisan quality, burlwood maple salad bowl or stitched and bitched together a hand-crafted quilt for a loved. No, not likely . . . I’d be a hypocrite to say that I did much else other than refrain from participating in this obligatory exchange all together with the exception being gifts for my nieces & nephew . . . and I’d be remise to withhold from you that I assembled quite the heartfelt, romantic package for my Aussie lover . . . it never made it to the post office (intuitive hesitation you could say) but I’ll share with you the contents for the purpose of redeeming myself in the act of creating your gifts:
1.)One hand-made card with words of the heart – a symbol via a poem I wrote eleven years ago that pretty much spot on describes him and how we’d feel together if we ever met
2.)One eighteen year old, stuffed animal platypus from my childhood (named Charlie) – a symbol of my playful childhood demeanor & the seemingly known fate to be found in Australia
3.)One rare succulent that would grow with time, threw drought or famine – a symbol of that which could endure any hardship and prosper with a pair of nurturing attentive hands
4.)One pair of really too cool leather sneakers – a symbol of the separation yet possibilities, each of us having to two feet to carry us in any direction we choose, our footprints easy to follow or walk hand in hand along any journey.
5.)One bottle of Conundrum Sauvignon Blanc Wine – a symbol of our first dinner (day two) and the spontaneous nature of our meeting, the living in the moment lifestyle, the laughter, easy flowing conversation & pleasured smiles to be shared over many more dinners.
6.)Wisconsin hometown nibbles – including some Chocolate Caper artisan chocolates (there’s a story there) cashew brittle, and of course, cheeses of all sorts -symbols of the those little favorite things we’d yet to learn about each other
7.)Last but not least, a dream journal – you see, he has vivid dreams and so, I took my own journal from 1999-2000 and cut out all of my rough drafts (from which I had painted canvas in oil & acrylic), sketches, poems & a few excerpts, pasting them throughout and scribbling a few thoughts here or there. It was/is titled “an imaginary, wonderful world by LR” Yesterday’s blog sums it up as I was putting the final touches to my piece de resistance (seven days ago) – my intuitive dumb-ass sensed this gift wouldn’t be making the trip to Melbourne.
The final present, one of those little mobile cameras that I attached to my labtop for the purpose of updating my technological capabilities and more importantly; Skype allowing us the ability to see each other as we conversed. . . a symbol of no matter the distance, no matter the challenge – we’d find a way. Whence the communication channels were opened up (lol – Diamonds & Pearls just came on), I confronted my premonitions with him and certified his need for space, a break, a timeout, things were moving too fast (yes, that’s right LOL – we’re separated by a big ass body of water called the Pacific Ocean but apparently that’s too close LOL, oh boy – LOL)! Now, you might think – “that’s way over the top, Scotty’s pathetically in love, excessive too excessive, you’re gonna freak him out (if so: mission accomplished) or how absolutely romantic, I wish someone would do that for me?”
The truth be told, I don’t need anyone else’s approval or jaded doubts of what is or isn’t right when comes to my emotions– that package, my words, my thoughts are of pure, good intention and like our time spent together . . . I enjoyed every minute of assembling it, conceiving each element in honoring my desires to make him happy, to put a smile on his face, to touch his heart like nobody else has ever done. In so doing – it was just as much a gift to myself!
Giving & Receiving: an equal exchange is not likely to transpire so one must hold tight to the principal of “it was the thought that counts” But even that very thought fails to truly inspire the true meaning of giving . . . I mean that involves some “intuitive” thought that you’re going to get something in return! How about just giving for the sake of giving with no expectation of receiving?
Another Citibank MasterCard already maxed to the hilt, the presents stashed in tow below the Mary Kay camouflaged Christmas tree, this year chalked up to yet another status-quo Holiday at the Wagners . . . perhaps this coming year of 2012 you’ll make an effort to embrace a refreshed perspective on the gift of giving? Maybe you could celebrate this philosophical tradition daily . . . all 352 days of the year, the gift of yourself . . . present enough?
Happy Holidays to All,
Chef Scotty
The FORTUNE found WITHIN: Recipe for Almond Fortune Cookies
This make for a great homemade gift for a party, an unexpected "thanks for being in my life" a wedding rehearsal dinner at "Wok with Me" You'll burn the shit out of your fingertips but gain so much pleasure & acknowledgement for your sweetness. Note: you can also dip these in dark chocolate for a touch more class & decadence but make sure you keep this tightly wrapped up - moisture will make em' soft!
Ingredients:
fortunes printed on 3 x 3/4" thin papers (I write these by hand, mix'em up with humor, memories, inspired quotes, ridiculous prophecies, etc.)
3/4 cup unbeaten egg whites
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
3/4 cup finely chopped blanced almonds
1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla & almond extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine and mix egg whites, sugar and salt until sugar is dissolved. Stir in separately and beat until well blended the butter, flour, almonds and flavoring. Drop the dough in tablespoons, well apart, onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Mold cookie (curl) over a wooden spoon handle. Insert fortune paper in each cookie letting part of the paper project. Pinch the ends of the roll closed while the cookie is still warm.
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