• Made S’Mores for dessert. Yumm. #
• The dogs let me sleep in, not counting their 4am desire to go out. Strange, this only happens when they are in the country. #
• 1 1/2 hours through the Holland Tunnel. #

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• Slept in after walking the dogs at 4 am and 7am. #
• @jowyang The tiger was shot afterward. Sad, since indications appear it was provoked. Sad for the families as well. #
• @gapingvoid Classical music, a nice fire, and red wine. Can"t forget the drink of the gods! #
• Went to a cloistered monastery and bought a statue. #

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• @betsyweber I swear by that mattress. Worth the extra cost. Just get a waterproof pad on top of it! #
• @betsyweber Outside the city now. Always healthy to get some perspective, even of the Center of Civilization As We Know It. #
• Reading by the fire. Finished a book on Druidry and now on to Baudrillard’s work on Foucault. #
• Reading by the fire. Finished a book on Druidry and now on to Baudrillard’s work on Foucault. #
• Considering if I should wash and wax the car today. #
• @gapingvoid What types of changes? #
• Getting the Jeep washed and waxed. Want to care for it before the winter salt really increases. #
• Reading Made to Stick while waiting. Will recommend it to my MBA students in January. #
• Is Twitter slow / down again? Either that or my TwitterBerry is not working suddenly. #

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• Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. Not good for Pakistan nor anybody else. May she RIP and may their nation stabilize in the New Year. #
• "Presentation Zen" is still delayed on Amazon. I pre-ordered it three months ago. I wonder what is causing the delay? #
• Went to the mountains for a few days of R&R. Making chicken soup and lit a fire. Snowing outside. Very pretty. #
• @macboyx Had tea at The Pierre. The best for Christmas. Sorry missed your reply; getting used to Twitterberry. No computer for a few days. #
• @duncanriley 7 episodes are better than none I suppose. Sorry missed your reply; getting used to Twitterberry. No computer for a few days. #
• @betsyweber Come on over; will fix you up with chicken soup! #
• @betsyweber If you have gotten over the sticker shock, then you are ready for a Tempurpedic. You will swear by it! #

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• Went to a monastery this morning on top of a mountain in the middle of a forest. Very peaceful. #
• Making mulled wine for some friends. #
• Made hot mulled wine; among the better recipes I developed over the years. #
• To compensate for an early winter, I made stew. It cooked all afternoon. #

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• Going for expected wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Hope all my colleagues and friends have the same fortune to be with friends and good … #
• Had wonderful Christmas dinner with friends last night. Felt like the spirit of the season. #
• Christmas pudding with brandy butter for Christmas breakfast. Yumm. #
• Amazing how beautiful it is outside. At least 50 and sunny in Manhattan. A bit windy, but still . . . #
• I passed one closed and two open Starbucks. At least some of them were off for the holiday. #

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Merry Christmas.

There, I said it. Enough of the Happy Holidays (code words for Merry Christmas).

Whatever and however and if you celebrate during the holidays around this time of the year, may you have peace.

Tags: Christmas, holidays

• Ate Christmas Pudding with brandy butter for dessert. Mmmmmm. #
• @RobinYap Interesting picture. I commented on your Flickr photo. #
• Just watched disk 5 of Jericho, Season One. Amazing how I just can’t watch this stuff when it is freely on tv. #
• Think I will try to work out a little this morning; my attempt to start the holidays somewhat healthy! #
• Now is the time to work out at the gym; it was rather empty. #
• Switched to blackberry tea for the holiday. Coffee can take a holiday as well. #
• @RobinYap Another new laptop? Cool. #
• Went to the Central Park Zoo again while on the way to Christmas high tea. Love the sea lions! #

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Friday night I attended a Winter Solstice celebration at the yoga studio at East West Living. I have limited familiarity with the Winter Solstice, having attended a number of the celebrations that Paul Winter and the Winter Consort presented over the years. While the one on Friday was entitled the Winter Solstice Sacred Circle, I was somewhat surprised by how it was celebrated. I understand the evergreens and candles and sand and water, but the use of crystals and a repeated mantra were not quite what comes to mind with earth-based spiritual celebrations. I attached the description of the event below (I could not link to it directly here, as the scripting the site uses does not allow for this):

Winter Solstice Sacred Circle

When	Friday, December 21, 2007, 8 – 9pm
Where	Yoga Studio West
Presenter	Tom Capshew, Ph.D., Adrienne Gammal & Jan Mathews
About	Shamanic Winter Solstice CeremonyThe Winter Solstice – Turning Within This event will align you with the inward gaze of the season, connecting you to peace and inner wisdom even as you hustle and bustle through the holidays. Join a powerful meditation and shamanic/Reiki healing circle to join with the ancient energy of self-reflection and renewal. In a few short days, we will come upon the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere – the day when the sun stops its southern migration in our sky. From December 21 forward, night retreats from day. In this season, all of nature is beckoning us to turn within. You will do this too in a rare opportnity to join a community of Spirit and three powerful healers who will hold space and lead you through ritual, chanting and a crystal-healing meditation to assist you on your inner journey of strength and knowledge. Reiki Master and Shaman Tom Capshew will set a sacred altar and clear you energetically for the intention-setting process ahead. East West CEO and longtime meditator/meditation teacher Jan Matthews will take you into the highest consciousness sound vibrations of the Gyatri Mantra, and Crystal expert and healer Adrienne Gammal will give you the proper stones to aid with your ritual purifying and centering. Winter is the in breath. Breathing in brings us life sustaining oxygen – turning within brings us equally essential sustenance, reconnecting us to our spiritual core, thereby connecting us to that which is bigger than us With this quiet time of raising your vibrations, even as you deepen your roots into the earth, you will find yourself more able to relate to others during the holidays and beyond with more integrity, empowerment and compassion. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED–THIS EVENT WILL FILL!
Price	$25
Category	Special Event
Location	Yoga
Link	www.innerspark.org

Yes, I found it very relaxing and quite reflective, just not what was expected. I wonder how true that is of the holiday season for many people?

Tags: east west living, Paul Winter, reflect, relax, winter solstice, yoga