Welcome to February 2023!
Strange thoughts run through my bunny brain on cold and rainy afternoons. While the northern parts of our state wre promised “up to ten inches of snow” recently, my neck of the woods down south had only more of a nearly freezing drizzle. I’ve thrown another quilt on the bed and I’ve been sipping hot green tea all day long. Even my heaviest sweatpants aren’t enough to warm my bunny buns. I’m glad the heating system is still working.
I must be getting old, for I’ve already had an early Ground Hog Day. It doesn’t come until February 2, but I spent a recent Wednesday thinking it was Thursday, so when Thursday actually arrived, it was as if I’d traveled in time. Thoughts don’t get any stranger than that.
What are those strange thoughts, you ask? When I was very young, our parents called severe weather “acts of God.” Today, events, such as floods, earthquakes, or natural catastrophes, trigger these acts of God. Because these events are considered uncontrollable by human intervention, if contracts have force majeure clauses—meaning “superior force”—parties may not be liable if the terms of the contract cannot be carried out. Flood insurance, for instance, is a separate coverage for most homeowner’s policies, as well as earthquake insurance, but many people don’t know this and end up with uncovered losses. Before computers, radar, and other modern tools of weather forecasting, we had no way to predict storm paths or the sudden development of tornados. Now we can tell people the streets and intersections, as well as the path of destruction these storms will take.
Somehow, our ability to predict the chaos in advance doesn’t seem to prepare people for the chaos that follows the storm path. Just because we can give a warning things will go wrong beforehand, we can’t tell people how long it will take to repair the damage on the backside. I’ve always wondered why this is.
Some thoughts I have on the subject: folks have no idea how long it took to put the infrastructure in place to begin with. Take the electric lines. The old rabbits remember when electricity first came to their rural regions, whereas we younger ones have always had the benefit all our lives. Therefore, we think flipping a switch will make the electricity come back, just like we can snap our fingers. The minutes will seem like days for those who don’t have a generator to provide emergency power.
I was on the Blevins Charge when I first came to Arkansas to serve as a pastor. I was rudely awakened by the sound of a freight train going over the parsonage roof. Half awake, I thought, “That’s odd,” since the parsonage was at least two blocks from the railroad tracks and trains don’t fly. Then I went back to sleep, since it wasn’t my time to get up. When I woke up, I couldn’t make coffee because the electricity was out. I got dressed in the daylight, since the overhead lights weren’t coming on. I went to the corner gas station, but the gas pumps didn’t work. Neither did their coffee maker.
“What’s wrong? No coffee, no gas? No electricity at my house either.”
The clerk answered for the umpteenth time that morning, “We had a tornado this morning. Came right through the heart of town, didn’t you hear it?”
“Was it the freight train sound this morning?”
“That was it alright.”
“I’ve always heard the tornado sounds like a freight train. I guess it’s true.”
She just shook her head. This will go down in her book of Dumb Preacher Tricks everyone seems to write.
I had enough gas in my old Ford to go into the nearby big town to see if they had coffee. Not even a tornado would keep this rabbit from her morning coffee. I was sure someone somewhere would have a cup for me to drink.
How long does it take to rebuild what is destroyed? We can restore electrical lines quicker than we can rebuild roads. We can rebuild roads quicker than we can rebuild whole neighborhoods. We can rebuild neighborhoods faster than we can rebuild communities. Our first project in rebuilding communities is to rebuild hope and trust. Without these, we might not even get started on the physical projects.
We rabbits like to share food and drink with each other as a means of sharing trust and community. Those who eat together “commune” together, for they not only share the meal, but communicate their thoughts and feelings with one another. Perhaps the joy of the meal relaxes us, or the endorphins of the carbohydrates ease our tensions, but we find we can find more common ground when we break bread with one another. At least we’re stabbing the baked carrots instead of each other. Perhaps this is why we rabbits in seminary were taught to “follow the food.”
I had the privilege of participating in a Chinese Tea Ceremony recently. It is a ritual of simplicity, order, balance, and hospitality. Tea culture is an old ritual of hospitality, balance, sharing, and appreciation of the beauty of simple moments in one’s day. The Classic of Tea, the first known monograph on tea in the world, was written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Chinese Tang dynasty. It described the 28 utensils used to brew and drink tea, including teapots and bowls.
Today, the practice of tea culture helps us harried and frenetic bunnies find islands of peace and quiet in the midst of the world’s pandemonium, just as others in ancient days sought balance and harmony in their lives. We don’t need many tools to create calm, for simplicity creates its own serenity. The tea cups are chosen for the season or for the occasion. I understand this practice, for my coffee habit includes drinking from special mugs, depending on the day of the week, the weather outside, or the holiday being celebrated. As the author of The Book of Tea says, “Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.”
I attended a tea ceremony at Emergent Arts, where I learned the utensils need to be prepared, the tea needs to be awakened with the first pour, and then the second heated pouring brings out the fullness of the flavor. In our friendships, we first make an acquaintance, then we awaken to our possibilities, and later we come to know one another more fully. If we just make our friendships in the drive through windows of the fast food shops, we never get the opportunity to have the small rituals or sharing of ourselves or our experiences.
The tea pet is a fired clay figurine, and is the decoration for the tea ceremony. It’s placed on the tea tray edge, often used to pour on the tea before it goes into the cups. Over time, the pet will get smoother and more delicate. As time goes by in a friendship, we forgive the small differences and those once irritating details smooth over and we ignore them. We focus instead on their better qualities.
This bunny thinks our recent past years of isolation have destroyed our social relationships, for we’ve decided we don’t want to interact with people who might have different experiences or opinions. We no longer have energy for this. Unfortunately, we also lose our ability to see another’s point of view or have empathy for others. At worst, we can begin to see those who don’t agree with us as less than human, or unworthy of God’s love and care. Having a variety of friends and relationships keeps us on our toes, or as my daddy rabbit would say, “Keep you hopping!”
The Chinese New Year comes to a close on February 5, with the great Lantern Festival. The lanterns symbolize letting go of the old year and welcoming the new year.we rabbits often need an extended period of time to let go of yesterday’s mindsets. How often have we kept an item of too large clothing after losing weight, since we “might need it one day?” That’s a yesterday mindset, or “stinking thinking.” We need to adopt a positive attitude instead.
People in Asian countries enjoy the beautiful lights against the night sky, eat sweet treats, watch the lion and dragon dances in the streets, and try to guess the riddles written on the lanterns. In Texas, everything is bigger, of course. I saw these same photographs with sites in Arabic nations, so this may be a traveling exhibition.
Those born in the year of the Rabbit are believed to be clever, compassionate and generous. Their negative traits include being over-cautious and vain. You’re a Rabbit if your birth year falls on: 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035, and so on. As the famous rabbit Carl Jung once said, “We each have our own darkness, which we only recognize in other people.”
Super Bowl Sunday is February 12. It qualifies as a holiday because it’s the second highest caloric food consumption day on the calendar. Only Thanksgiving exceeds it. The Monday after the big game the phones ring off the hook at the diet companies with men wanting to lose the weight they packed on snacking during football season. One in four NFL fans pack on an average of 10 pounds during football season, so the diet company says at the official end of the season, men typically are ready to get rid of the excess.
Other notable February holidays we celebrate are Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month. This year on February 14, I suggest we focus more on the love of God for God’s creation and God’s creatures, than on whether someone loves you or me. After all, God Is Love, as 1 John 4:7-8 reminds us:
“Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
for God is love.”
Presidents’ Day is February 20, a Monday holiday. We can remember Lincoln and Washington for their great accomplishments. Washington helped to birth our nation and Lincoln helped to keep it from splitting into two nations. Lincoln also kept the USA from being half slave and half free, but Jim Crowe laws in the nation continued to oppress persons of color. This search for justice in Black History Month is still a work in progress, but one day perhaps we all will see one another with the eyes of God.
Mardi Gras is February 21, with great parades and a final day of feasting on pancakes, sausage and bacon in preparation for the beginning of Lent. Thinking about pancakes on this cold winter day reminds me Ash Wednesday begins on the 22 of February. For Christians, this begins a period of spiritual fasting before Easter.
However, many of us rabbits have been on a fast for weight loss since the first of January. While some of the rabbit clans have adopted various and sundry programs to achieve five and ten pound weekly loses, these have usually come at the cost of elimination of whole food groups, particularly vegetables. While very high protein diets will cause the pounds to drop quickly, it’s mostly water weight. Once the goal weight is achieved, eating veggies and other normal foods will bring back the weight with water gain. A sustainable, long term lifestyle change, even with slower weight loss, will be better in the long run, since it avoids the problem of yo-yo dieting and the metabolic health risks associated with it.
Most Americans get enough protein in their diets, but eat too much fat, and over all eat too many calories and expend too few calories. Aiming for 25% of your calorie intake as protein (low fat animal or plant-based protein) should help curb your desire to snack in between meals. Some folks will cut out every food that has “sugar” in it or every food that is “white.” Unfortunately, this eliminates both the nutritious and unhealthy foods: fruit, Greek yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese, dried fruits, juices, honey, many processed foods (fructose), and even snack foods such as hot cocoa made with milk. Once a rabbit starts an elimination or restrictive diet, such as the Whole 30 plan, they don’t get to eat out with friends anymore, unless they too are on the same restrictions.
Most of us rabbits have misconceptions about our foods. We give our potatoes wide berths because we’ve always cooked them with half a stick of butter and a cup of whole milk, plus at least a cup of shredded cheese. We’ve never trained our taste buds to appreciate the potato itself with herbs and olive oil, plus some salt and pepper. Three ounces of potatoes with the skins on have only 80 calories, 2 grams of protein and 18 grams of carbs. The daily totals in this serving: 14% Vitamin C, 13% Vitamin B6, 13% Potassium, 10% Manganese, 6% Magnesium, 6% Phosphorus, 6% Niacin and 6% Folate.
Mr. Microwave and Mr. Oven are great helpers when I cook my dinner. Some folks swear by their air fryer, but I never got into that method. My kitchen is quite cozy, and Mr. Microwave is fussy about sharing the kitchen (territorial issues…). I’m surprised when they let Mr. Crockpot have a turn as guest cook.
February is Low Vision Awareness Month, so this bunny will celebrate by having cataract surgery. I feel like a pirate now, since I can hardly see anything out of my right eye. This may affect my future painting and blogging activities, but I hope to be in better shape soon afterwards.
I hope the month of February, although short, gives each of you an opportunity to practice love, simplicity, plus
Joy and peace,
Cornelia
Enjoy this sweet children’s song: Year of the Rabbit
https://music.apple.com/us/album/chinese-new-year-year-of-the-rabbit/1660547136?i=1660547386
Reasons to Eat More Protein
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
Significance of Japanese Tea Ceremony Values with Ceramic Art Interpretation – ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813048969
Tea Ceremony—scroll down to mid page for video
https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/tea-treasures-rare-vintage-and-premium-puerh-the-inaugural-tea-sale?locale=en
Amazon.com: The Book of Tea(classics illustrated) eBook : Kakuzo Okakura: Kindle Store (Also available in Ibook store)
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Tea-classics-illustrated-ebook/dp/B08RDTKGWT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2O5H7Y8NRI03D&keywords=the+book+of+tea+okakura+kakuzo&qid=1675102341&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+book+of+tea+okakura+kakuzo%2Cdigital-text%2C646&sr=1-1
Diet Companies See an Uptick With Men After Super Bowl | Fox Business
https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/diet-companies-see-an-uptick-with-men-after-super-bowl
Cornie's Kitchen 