...whatever you celebrate (or don't!), i.e.:

merry xmas/happy solstice/happy hanukkah/kool kwanza/festivus, etc.

:)

thank you for being such awesome people.

may you have a wonderful, fruitful, blessed new year.

celebrate with vigor and vim, eat lots of yummy food, kiss, hug and appreciate your family members (near and far), and enjoy your gifts (giving them, and receiving them).

love,
tricia

reading this made me cry...

***

On Children by Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

it's on google video:

http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=45525

enjoy!

pete and i took the day off today, rented a car, and drove up to fairfield, california, home of jelly belly. and went on the super special factory tour where you can taste jelly belly's at all stages of their growth. i ate so many jelly beans today i think i could live without seeing jelly beans for a few days, if not weeks. and that's saying a lot, because i f'in LOVE jelly belly's.

my favorite flavor? juicy pear. cinnamon comes a close second.

apparently, very cherry is the most popular flavor, followed by licorice, and then buttered popcorn. i find the last flavor on that short list hideous, personally. buttered popcorn?? gak.

tried toothpaste, that was actually not too bad!

vomit flavored jelly belly's began with pepperoni pizza (a failed flavor that never really made it because it was pretty disgusting, apparently) and they added some parmesan cheese flavor to make it a little chunky and then some citric acid, b/c when you puke, it's acidic. fun facts, people!

also, concentrated parmesan cheese flavor in liquid form is about the rankest smell ever, EVER created. a worker there was having fun with us and opened up the bucket and let us sniff, and holy cow, people...it was foul.

anyway, it was really fun. i recommend, if you like getting behind the scenes tours and seeing how things are made.

peter and i went to the screening of the business of being born this evening here in san francisco.

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

regardless of whatever birth someone has had, i feel like everyone needs to see this documentary.

case in point: the fact that 1/3 (33%) of births in this country are cesareans, for starters. it's sickening, and the status quo needs to be questioned.

i'm seriously considering a homebirth, if i am blessed enough to have a healthy term pregnancy.