The Week in Song Lyrics, 12/18/11

Caramel fudge

My research proposal is wrapped and drops Wednesday, and all my students are safely on winter break on all 3 campuses, so today I found myself with some free time - true, unplanned free time for the first time in MONTHS.  I used this free time to 1)ride 40 miles with a group of guys that, from time to time, whips my ass and 2)make pounds and pounds of Christmas candy to share.

As I toiled over stove and freezer, I had a couple observations brought to me only by the labor and goodness of pecan divinity, buckeyes, dark chocolate caramel nut fudge, and rumballs (well, Crown Royal whiskey balls - I had no rum). 

THING the FIRST

Divinity

The first realization: I'm a huge fan of tradition.

How this realization occurred: the B requested the buckeyes.  Well, we don't make those in my family during Christmas.   We make fudge and rumballs and divinity (a very Southern confection made of egg whites, Karo brand corn syrup (two syllables, KAY-Row) and pecans (two syllables, PEE-cans - not to be confused with pe-CAHNS)). 

We don't make buckeyes.

Buckeyes

He requested them, so I obliged - but grudgingly.  Because, as I already mentioned, we don't make those in my family.  It isn't our tradition.

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by the richness and mystery of traditions.  Raised Protestant, I was intrigued by Catholicism and its lovely, enigmatic rituals.  As a young adult, I would ask my mom to make the same favorites, or ask for the same Christmas eve routine, or even suggest we start new traditions, to carry on year after year.

Rum (whiskey)balls

Well starting this week, I'm going to have a new bloggie tradition.  Since some kind of song is constantly playing in my head, I'm going to recap weeks or months with song lyrics that outlined the overall theme.  I used to do this from time to time because, during really long runs, I often get a song stuck in my head.

THING the SECOND
"Relaxing" and resting mean something different to everyone.  To me, a relaxing day could be filled with running errands, folding laundry, or reading research or a magazine I hadn't had the chance to read.  It doesn't have to, and honestly could never be, just sitting around doing nothing or reading all day.  To me, "relaxing" is any free time spent doing whatever I want to do without having to be on anyone else's schedule (or even my own).  Sometimes, to me, relaxing is putting all my laundry away. Nothing is more peaceful and tranquil to me than an organized house.

My buddy Nate often tells me that I'm not relaxing if I'm still doing something.  To me relaxing doesn't mean the absence of activity; rather, it is the presence of activity I enjoy for that activity's sake - not for a paycheck, or a deadline, or a task, or a chore.

So, considering I will have a stable schedule and relaxing fortnight ahead, I give you the lyrics that convey the ambiance of the week ending 12/18/11:

Relax, don't do it
When you wanna go to it
-Frankie Goes to Hollywod, Relax

Laid back . . .
With my mind on my money and my money on my mind
Snoop Doggy Dogg, Gin and Juice