Creating your own traditions and holidays

Since Kyle and I will no longer be celebrating religious holidays, we will start creating our own traditions and holidays. Set days in which you spend time with your loved ones doing special things.

Many holiday traditions are centered around food. Decide to make special treats and food at different times of the year. Make things that you want to make instead of making a traditional ham or turkey dinner. My family has a tradition of making lefse, a Norwegian tortilla around the end of December or early January.

Plan your own holidays and traditions in which you do different activities. For example, Kyle and I have decided to go camping every year on our anniversary. I think it could be fun to dedicate one day a month in which we do something special. For example, for the month of January, we could decide to go cross country skiing. We could make that a tradition and go every year. Traditions can also be silly. For example, you could dedicate one day a year in which you watch movies all day and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Traditions are fun because you look forward to them.

Steps on how to make your own holiday:

1.       Make up a holiday that matches your interests and hobbies.

2.       Make up a creative name for your event.

3.       Choose a date for your event. You can make it any time you want.

4.       Celebrate your event with friends and family.

There are some unusual holidays that many people don’t know about. Maybe you will decide to celebrate these holidays and create traditions for them:

January

1: Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day

8: Bubble Bath Day

19: Popcorn Day

February

2: Crepe Day

21: International Pancake Day

March

2: Dr. Suess Day

7: Cereal Day

14: Pi day (as in the math pi, 3.14)

22: International Goof-off Day

April

2: Tater day

6: New Beer’s Eve: celebrating the end of prohibition

18: National Wear your Pajamas to Work Day

May

5: Cartoonists Day

11: Eat what you want day

12: National miniature golf day

June

4: National Barefoot Day

15: Nature Photography Day

20: Summer Solstice

July

7: Chocolate Day

27: Walk on Stilts Day

August

5: Sister’s Day

17: National Thrift Shop Day

September

10: Swap Ideas Day

19: Talk like a pirate day

22: Car free day

October

1: World Vegetarian Day

9: National Face your Fears Day

November

1: National Men Make Dinner Day

11: Origami Day

December

4: National Cookie Day

21: Winter Solstice

Why I don’t celebrate Christmas

I want to start by saying that I don’t want to offend people if they do celebrate Christmas.

●There is a short and simple explanation to why I do not celebrate Christmas. I am an atheist and a minimalist.

●I don’t need to celebrate Christmas to be normal and fit in.

●Kyle and I are going to start our own holidays and traditions.

Christmas is a very popular holiday. It is celebrated by 2 billion people worldwide. People in nations with little or no Christian history or tradition are celebrating it.

Here are reasons why I don’t celebrate Christmas:

1.       Christmas is driven by consumerism. The shopping season has become absolutely outrageous! People get trampled trying to get into stores to get good deals. We don’t need stuff in order to be happy in life. I can understand people wanting things that will improve their quality of life. But, spending has gotten to the point where it is over the top. Why buy a new laptop if you have one that works? In 2003, the average American spent an average of $835 on holiday gifts.

2.       Christmas is wasteful. Many people already have what they need to live. By buying things we don’t need, more stuff ends up in the landfill. Think about all of the wrapping paper that gets thrown out and all of the Christmas trees that end up in the dump. About 31 million trees are cut down each year for Christmas.

3.       Christmas causes a lot of stress.  You worry about what you are going to get people and if you have enough time to go shopping. You worry about the quality of the food you will make.

4.       I am an atheist. It wouldn’t make sense for me to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, son of God because I don’t believe in God. It is hard for me to believe in the bible since it was written a long time ago. Jesus may have lived or he may not have. I don’t believe the supernatural stories about him. Since I don’t feel Jesus has a part in my life, there is no reason to celebrate his birth. Even if I was a Christian, I would not celebrate it. Here’s why:

a.       There is no biblical evidence that December 25^th was Jesus’ birth date.

b.      The major symbols of Christmas (Santa Claus, reindeer, decorated trees, holly, mistletoe) came from ancient pagan festivals.

c.       Christmas is nowhere mentioned in the Bible.

d.      The Bible does not tell us to observe a holiday celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth.

*If people celebrated their own holidays, airports wouldn’t be packed at certain times. Places wouldn’t be closed on certain holidays.

*Don’t assume that all people celebrate Christmas. Instead of saying Merry Christmas, say Happy Holidays.

Are ghosts real?

I have been on a ghost "kick" lately. This started because I heard that Emily’s Bridge, a covered bridge in Stowe, Vermont is haunted. The locals say that Emily committed suicide on this bridge. The story of Emily starts in the 19^th century where she was living in Stowe with her parents. Her parents were overprotective and would not allow Emily to court any of the young men in town. However, one day a young man entered her life and captured her heart. Her parents did not allow her to see him. They decided to elope. They planned to meet at the bridge at midnight. Emily got to the bridge and waited but her lover never showed. She was very upset. Emily untied the rope that she used to bundle her belongings and hung herself.

Many people have experienced disturbing things. These include scratch marks on their car, scratch marks on their back as they walk through the bridge, their cars being shaken as they drive through the bridge, a white apparition near the bridge, hearing sounds of Emily sobbing, screaming, and malfunction of cameras.


Gravestone in Stowe cemetary; Thought to have been Emily's gravestone

Kyle and I have visited the bridge during the day and at night. When we went at night there were people sitting in their cars. We did not want to walk through the bridge while people were there so we just drove through. Nothing happened. We are planning to go again. We want to take pictures and do an audio recording.

After hearing about Emily’s Bridge, I started watching the shows, “Paranormal Witness” and “My Ghost Story.” When I was growing up I had heard ghost stories and I had seen pictures of ghosts. However, I never believed in ghosts because I thought that the stories were made up and I thought the pictures could be explained logically. After watching some episodes of these shows, I really began to wonder if ghosts were real. These shows follow people’s accounts of their ghost stories. There are pictures, audio recordings and even video recordings. I believe that something must be happening if all of these people are experiencing something. Why would all of these people make up stories? The possibility of ghosts existing scares me because it would change my view on religion and the afterlife. I currently believe that when we die, we just die. We don’t go to heaven or hell. There is no afterlife.

I am open to the possibility of ghosts existing. However, I don’t know if I could definitely believe in ghosts until I have an experience myself.

popular picture of a ghost

Ghosts are real:

1.      There are many eyewitness accounts of people seeing ghosts, hearing ghosts, etc.

2.      Photos and video recordings that can’t be debunked.

3.      Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  

 
Ghosts are not real:

1.      Photos can be manipulated.

2.      Kyle and I both think that the audio recordings that are taken on paranormal shows do not sound like anything. Try closing your eyes and figure out what they are saying. They call these EVP’s or electronic voice phenomenon. Most of the EVP’s are probably static or natural disturbances of the electromagnetic field in the area. The static may sound like words because the brain tries to make sense of the chaos

3.      I don’t believe that feelings and goosebumps count as evidence.

4.      Many things can create orbs such as dust, insects, and flash reflections.

5.      Many paranormal investigators use unscientific equipment such as dowsing rods. There are no scientific or logical reasons for using certain equipment to detect ghosts. EMF detectors measure electromagnetic fields, not ghosts. Infrared cameras reveal the infrared spectrum, not ghosts. There is no evidence that ghosts have anything to do with electromagnetic fields, infrared images, ions, temperature drops, etc.

6.      If ghosts are real why weren’t there reported sightings at the sight of the World Trade Centers after 9/11?

7.      Shouldn’t there be ghosts everywhere given the amount of people that have died throughout history on this planet?

8.   The closing of doors can be caused by swelling with the changing seasons.

Have you experienced the paranormal? Tell me your stories.

Have you found your “one true calling”? I haven’t!

Many people just know what they want to do the rest of their lives. They know that they want to be a doctor or a teacher or a lawyer. By 18 years old we are supposed to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives. The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” implies that you have to be one thing. Some people can choose a career and commit to one path. They are happy with this and that’s fine.

But many of us are not wired this way. People that have multiple interests and cannot commit to one career path are known as having multipotentiality. I have many interests and have not been able to stick to one interest. It’s okay to have multiple callings. Blending interests and working in different fields doesn’t make you indecisive or non-committal. It makes you original and innovative. Follow your heart and do what you love.

How having many interests can be difficult:

Having many interests and not being able to commit to one path can be difficult. I have never worked at a job very long. I find out that supervisors and coworkers have had the same job for many years. I can’t imagine myself working at the same job for many years. For example, I was a hiking guide in Alaska. I have an interest in hiking and nature. I had a great time learning about the plants and animals of that area. I found out as much as I could. By the end of the season, I felt like I had learned what I needed to learn and experienced what I needed to experience. I was ready to move on and try something else. I do get frustrated when I cannot commit to one thing. It’s just hard for me to be interested in one thing whole heartedly and if I am committed to only one thing I get bored and want to move on.

What to do in life?

When you have multipotentiality it is hard to decide on career choices because there are many options. This can be frustrating and stressful. I find myself drifting from one job to the next; unable to settle in a job long enough to know if it would be a fulfilling job in the long run.

In order to solve this problem…

1.       Find a career that is meaningful, fulfilling and has a purpose. There is more to choosing a career than being interested in it or being able to do it.

2.       Figure out what your current interests and skills are.

3.       Find jobs that combine your interests.

4.       Become your own boss.

5.       Set long-term goals.

6.       Make career decisions based on interests, needs, and values.

7.       Find a paying job that provides you with the time to pursue your interests.

Puttylike.com: This is a great blog for people who have multiple interests and do not want to commit to one career path.

14 Frugal Gift Ideas!

‘tis the season for busyness and stress. Many people are buying gifts for Christmas, Hanukah, etc. They are stressing out about what to give their loved ones and people they care about and appreciate.

I have written a blog about my thoughts on gift giving: http://ericawollman.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-thoughts-on-gift-giving.html.

This is my first year not celebrating Christmas and that means I don’t have to stress over giving gifts. I am not celebrating because I am an atheist and do not believe in consumerism. However, if I were giving gifts I would give meaningful frugal gifts. We do not need to buy new material gifts because that will just add to the landfill. Stuff doesn’t make people happy; it’s the time shared with people.

There are many gifts you can give people to show that you appreciate them. During these hard economic times, many people are on a budget and can’t spend a lot of money on gifts. This is a list of affordable gifts.

Frugal Gift Ideas:

1.       Frame a picture of you with them. (Look for a picture frame at a thrift store.)

2.       Homemade cookies, breads, jam, etc.

3.       Gift certificate

4.       Create a scrapbook or photo album.

5.       A burned CD with all the person’s favorite songs.

6.       IOU booklets with services you are willing to perform.

7.       Knit or crochet something for someone.

8.       Create your own art. (sketch, painting, poem, short story, photography)

9.       If you have a garden, pot a plant.

10.   Used books that look brand-new.

11.   Give a re-gifted item.

12.   Make a handmade necklace or bracelet.

13.   Plan a day full of inexpensive but meaningful time together.

14.   A home-cooked meal

Living the life you want

I always wanted something more. I still want something more. In college, many of my friends would go back home during summer vacation and work. But, I wanted to go on an adventure. For two summers during college I went to work at summer camps in Arizona and Washington. I loved my experiences and I am so happy that I decided to do this. I graduated from the University of Wyoming with my Elementary Education degree. I looked around. Many of my peers were trying to find teaching jobs in their hometown or near their hometown. Was this going to be my life? Was I supposed to do this too? During school, you tend to follow what your peers do. We do this because we don’t want to seem weird. I knew in my heart that this wasn’t supposed to be my path. I felt like I needed to learn more and to explore new places. I didn’t want to settle down and be a teacher for the rest of my life. I know that this is definitely suitable for some people and the life that some people want but it was not for me.

I want people to know that it is okay to break tradition. If you don’t want to settle down and start a career, it’s okay. If you don’t want to get married and have kids, it’s okay. Think about what you want to accomplish in your life. You can make it happen!

I went to Alaska with Kyle (my now husbandJ) after my senior year of college. Many people told us, “I wish I could go there. Maybe someday I will.” Make someday, today! Making dreams come true is easier than you think.

1.       Don’t let fear hold you back. You miss out on a lot if you don’t do things because you are scared. I was scared to take a solo road trip to Washington, but I did it!

2.       Don’t let your busy life get in the way. You are probably busy with your job and life. But, take 10 minutes to reflect. Ask yourself if you are truly happy. No one is forcing you to stay at your job. I have quit two jobs in the past year because they haven’t worked for me.

3.       Write down your life goals/dreams. Once you have done this, figure out what you need to do in order to make your dreams come true! You can also set a time period for each of your goals. It is one thing to write them down, but now you need to take action.

Some dreams that I have made come true are: being a hiking guide in Alaska, working as a challenge course facilitator at a summer camp in Washington, becoming a ski instructor, and going to Hawaii.

My future goals:

1.       Teach English Abroad and travel

2.       Learn more about photography and get a new camera

3.       Learn more about holistic nutrition and eat more raw foods

4.       Learn more about simple and green living

The Life of Kyle and Erica

We moved to Stowe, Vermont in mid-October. We moved here without jobs. Many people would think this is risky. But, we love adventure. We loved not knowing where we were going to live or what we were going to do. The reason why we packed everything out of our Fort Collins apartment and drove across the country is because I wanted to be a ski instructor at the resort. I could have had a phone interview but I would have a better chance of getting a job if I went to the interview day. We both wanted to explore and live in the East Coast.

When we arrived in Stowe, Vermont it was down pouring. We had spent the last couple of nights in the car and we wanted to sleep in a tent. We are very frugal! We spent the night at a state park near the resort. It rained the entire night. I went to the interview day and got a job as a full time ski instructor! Luckily, we were able to find a furnished basement that we could rent right away. Kyle worked a couple of weeks clearing trails for the cross country ski center. He is now working as a pumps and compressors operator for the resort. He is able to run the snow machines by computer. I was also able to get a part-time job working in catering. We are both going to be volunteering as ushers at the Performing Arts Center so that we can see performances for free. They are hoping to get James Taylor for New Years!

Waterfalls, near where we live

I have not been working the past month. Training doesn’t start until November 28^th. I have enjoyed setting up 4 different blogs and blogging regularly. I have also started to get into running. I am ready to start working though. In our free time we have explored Stowe and the surrounding areas. We went to Montpelier. We explored the Capitol building and went to a maple syrup farm. We also went to Burlington. We explored Church Street, saw Lake Champlain, toured a winery and toured Magic Hat Brewery. We have also toured an apple cider mill and have seen glass blowers.

Church Street in Burlington

Stowe is a great town! There are no street lights or fast food restaurants! There are about 5,000 people living here. We live in Lower Village which is a mile from the historic district. We live on the other side of the river on a dirt road. The old Tubb’s mill is down the road. (Tubb’s is a popular type of snowshoe). The Trapp family, from Sound of Music settled in this area. There is a Trapp Family Lodge. There is a great library in town. An art gallery is right above the gallery. There is a great recreation path that is 5.5 miles long. People cross country ski on it in the winter. The resort is 7 miles from town but during the winter there is a free shuttle that goes to the resort. We have enjoyed looking at art galleries, listening to live music and hiking to waterfalls around Stowe.

Glen Moss Falls

This is our life. I am excited for the resort to open so that I can start skiing! I am also excited to teach kids how to ski. Soon enough, the winter season will be over and we will figure out what our new adventure will be!

Stowe Mountain Resort without snow...yet!