Well dahlin's, Ah'm jest blushin'

Such profuse praise! I'm not ashamed to say I kinda need that feeling of being gratified and validated. I am very flattered especially that the youngin's "get" me too. I really don't relate well with most of my age group, it's true.
False modesty compels me to say, I've been collecting words all my life and now I'm just putting them all to use, if I remember them and how to spell and put them together. And, it keeps me off the street.
Better watch out or I will be printing old essays and very, very bad poetry.

Another blog perq: I'm getting to hear from you Californians, how I miss you, both clever, brilliant (in Italian: sfolgorante) women! We three are the only ones left who write actual letters. Your comments here bring you closer to me even tho we are a continent away. I actually heard from Tex in Fla, too. It seems he can put words together to make sentences! I think we are gonna go down there and kick his skinny,sorry,ancient ass; he's gonna be 60 in Feb!
Do you all know the singer-songwriter, Richard Thompson? The Razor dance? Vincent 52? A fave, he was on the radio, now it's Patti Smith doing "When doves cry". I'll stop now.

I'm presently waiting for Bro and SIL, Sarah, kid and Pete. They are probably trapped in that Bermuda Triangle of car traffic, Staten Island, a favorite pet peeve of mine. I'm anticipating many hugs, also, I will put it in writing here, I love Pete. SIL and I are both besotted.
We will lunch then they will do a Manhattan Xmas. I will rest so I have the energy to go out with friends tonight. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. I love that holidays, now matter whose, always bring people together.

It's interesting that all people need the structure of gatherings and celebrations.
I'm really beginning to appreciate the power and importance of ritual, symbols and objects, even tho I do not have a belief system, and do not believe in belief systems. I always joke that I would be an atheist but that would mean joining a group. So I borrow from other groups; the Jewish custom of lighting candles in one's home in memory of the dead is strangely comforting. I have made an altar for myself with the elements of earth, wind, water, plant and fire and I find that this too gives me strange comfort as do Xmas carols and gospel music. And I would be permanantely blue if I didn't have blues music as the soundtrack to my life. Singing in the shower, what!

Music and food are extremely ritualistic for me. Even tho I am anosmic, which means I have no sense of smell and no sense of taste beyond sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Nevertheles there are foods I crave from memory, like coffee.
All ice cream tastes pretty much the same to me, you can give me mint or pistachio and I won't know the difference,( I taste by color) but we make the annual pilgrimage to Coney Island for a pistachio/banana swirl cone cause it's part of the ritual.
But ritual is not just about comfort, goddess knows. I'm beginning to think of it as the lifeforce of culture; rituals inspire, or even cause, art.
Of course, not everyone has the wisdom or patience to understand art, nor is art readily available to all. In the 21st century! (When I was a teen, back in the day - Ooh, I hate that expression- museums were free and so we went to them often. Much of "legitimate" art is deliberately elitist if you ask me but of course you did not.)
Everyone uses and most people understand symbols, customs and rituals even if they make them up themselves.
Amazingly tailored to person or group, rituals can serve the creator, the maintainer, the parasite the extremist,the exorcisist,the destructor; the wicked and the just, the mediocre and the VIPs. I think that covers just about everybody. Oh, and sports fans too.

Steve just got home, nipping my tangent in the bud, so I've got to go plug in the tree, light the Hanukkah candles, plan New Year and eat Xmas candy.
Ritual in Italian is, ritualerituale. Molto diificile!!!