Jingle Jingle Jingle!

The annual Glöcklerlauf ("Bell Run") takes place in Stainach, Austria on January 5.  It is a romantic, age-old tradition, meant to scare off the spirits of winter.  Dozens dressed in white wearing oversized jingle bells on their belts and festive candle-lit luminarias on their heads participate.  They run through the town square *jingle* *jingle* *jingle* while the audience drinks mulled wine and "oohs" and "ahhs" over the stunning beauty of the luminarias.  The performance is enhanced by a brass band, whip crackers, Christmas carolers and this year, a poem by local author Paula Grogger.  I've gone every year for the past four years (and tell the astonished natives that I travel to from the U.S. to Austria especially for this event!)

Footprints in the snow

Three King's Day

Epiphany (aka Three King's Day) is the official end of the Christmas season.  In Austria, people take down their Christmas trees on January 6.  Children dressed as the three wise men sing the last Christmas carols (these are known as Sternsänger, "star singers") and mark houses with the blessing C+M+B and the year.  There is some argument over what CMB means:  either Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar or "Christus mansionem benedicat" (May Christ bless this house).

Some Americans may be uncomfortable by the representation of Balthasar in black-face.  This is done not to mock African people as it was in minstrel shows in the U.S., but to recreate as faithfully as possible the different ethnicities of the wise men who came from all corners of the earth.

Many thanks to the mother who gave her permission to post this video!

These are a few of my favorite things!

The Baton Rouge Arts Market
Printmaker Layla Messkoub
Strands Cafe on Laurel
Meeting with former students for coffee

This scene from Twin Peaks:


And what's REALLY great is when all these things come together! For the first Saturday since September, I was able to go to the Baton Rouge Arts Market, where I bought myself the above print by Layla Messkoub for inspiration in my new pseudo-journalism career, after which I met a former student for coffee at Strands.  Life is good!

To do list, 12/4

Not too shabby! Posted 14:18, 12/7

Posted at 8:07 am, 12/04.  

Let's see how much I can cross off this weekend!

Fine print:  Tasks are listed in no particular order. Does not include giving or grading exams or final projects.  Offer good through December 10th, 2010.  No deposit, no return.  Void where prohibited.

An Advent gift for you!

Click on the image above and download it full size to your computer.  Enjoy!

and there was much rejoicing... yay!

Last night I took my H&R Block Income Tax Course final exam and passed!  I've had two interviews with H&R Block and have been offered a position.  Life doesn't look nearly as bleak as it did two months ago.  At least I will continue to be a productive member of society (until April 15 at any rate!)

In other news, an abstract I submitted for the XIIth International Colloquium on Roman Provincial Art was accepted.  I'm heading to Pula, Croatia in May!