enfinblue's Bluey (credit to Fifi for the nickname!) Diaryland Diary

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." -Vinc3nt V@n Gogh

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Merry Christmas

I just woke up!

How self-indulgent!!

I am now eating shortbread cookies for breakfast. My favourite!! Also self-indulgent! :)

Last evening was LOVELY. I made the cookie dough and rolled it up. I made a salad with a nice ginger-sesame-orange dressing. I took these things over to C's. C. had prepared turkey and wonderful vegetables. His mother had sent him a beautiful table cloth and candles from Germany, as well as the most DELICIOUS truffles.

So, as you can imagine, our dinner was wonderful. We alternated listening to interesting pieces on CBC radio and listening to some of C's latest music acquisitions. We ate dinner by Christmas candles, looking out the window at a world covered with snow.

It was terrific. There is a crazy guy on the CBC who is an improvisational pianist called Gregory Charl3s. He is actually Montreal-based and francophone, but he hosts shows on each of the English and French CBCs. (I'm lazy and always listen to the English CBC One (not even station two).) I have been watching French movies on tv quite a bit lately - that's my only excuse. :)

So this Gregory Charl3s guy was doing some wonderful stuff with a piano and a choir of 20 whom he said were in his apartment!?! They were singing carols in various languages as we approached midnight (not only English and French, although he did a rousing version of O Holy Night in the original French). It was resplendent, for lack of a better word.

And then when I got home I was still awake, possibly because C. and I had indulged in a taste of scotch at midnight, so I flicked on the tv and watched the papal mass in Rome.

I've never before watched the papal mass. I HAD wanted to go to midnight mass at the church around the corner last night, but unfortunately since C got the dinner ready late it was not possible. No matter. Next year I will go. I wonder if they will have a mass on the eve of Epiphany in Florence?? I could go to that. I love a good midnight mass with candles and lots of singing!

Anyhow. I got quite excited to see the creche in St. Peter's square. I'm assuming that it will still be there when I am in Rome. I think they keep everything up until Epiphany.

I'm one of those rationals who doesn't exactly believe in God, and who isn't exactly a regular church attendee, but who honestly WOULD LIKE to believe in God. I've always loved being in a church. I don't in general like church people, unfortunately, which is the problem. I don't like people who are false - who profess to be of a particular religion but who are harsh and judgmental and exclusive or phoney. Therein lies the problem. It's a question of trust and suspicion on my part. Oh and the believing in God part. But you know what I mean.

It's not the imposed theological opinions or the edges of dogma that are the problem or me. I'd be the perfect Italian - ready to take what I like of the church and ignore the rest. But still, I hold out. It doesn't make sense for a rational to be religious. :) I definitely have a hopeful kind of personality.

My favourite part of Italy is the churches.

So anyhow. I'm going to go to St. Peter's this time, I think. I also want to see Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Apparently there is a statue in there at the foot of which people leave thousands of wishes/prayers on paper and they get cleared out every day. Which reminds me...I should read Margar3t Visser's book about a smaller Roman church today. So much to do!

I've already kind of packed, if you can believe it. It was easy to do this time - a few sweaters and shirts to wear under them and a couple of pairs of jeans, one black skirt, undies, possibly a pink-ish dress for NYE. Fin.

OK. I'm going to continue eating shortbread and singing along to the Messiah.

The Hallelujah chorus is on now. Sing. Sing. Sing! Later it will be cook, cook, cook, as C. comes over for my version of Christmas dinner!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS to one and all. Lots of love to everyone!

11:16 a.m. - 2008-12-25

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