Another Snow Day!

Yay Me!  Another Snow day!  Actually, I do really like the snow.  What I don’t care for is the fighting and arguing that go with it, when we are all stuck in the house together.  Oh Well, I suppose it could be worse.  I do have an out.  I can always fight my way through the snow and go next door and beg for coffee and a knitting lesson, if it gets really bad:)  

I have had a pretty busy morning already.  I submitted a proprosal for a freelance job that involves writing 150 articles, yesterday and this morning I had a response.  The employer asked if I had any samples of articles that were ‘religious’ in nature.  They don’t usually post exactly what you will be writing in the listings.  After I stopped laughing, I told him, that I was sure I could find a few to send him.  It did take me a while to find something that was relatively simple and not too involved.  I settled on one about the Etruscans, but that one is very long.  So, I just sent him about 2 pages worth and offered to send something else if he wanted.  I just think it is so funny, that he asked if I had anything on religion.  Someone must not have read my profile or even looked at my portfolio.  I think I would really enjoy this particular job if I get it.  I certainly did not have the lowest bid or the highest.  So, I guess it comes down to if he likes how I write or note.   Don’t worry, I don’t write articles the same way I blog.  I actually use things like grammar and spellcheck:)  Here I just type.

I did finish my finish the other contract.  It took about 25 minutes.  Which really works out will for me since I was billing her $20/hr.  There is a 2 hour minimum on the site, so that they can get their fee.  So, all total I ended up making $18.25 an hour for that, which I think was not to shabby:)  I didn’t have to pay a sitter or walk through the snow to get to work:)  I am liking this gig.  I am getting several ‘invitations’ to bid a day, which is good, because now I can pick and choose.  Having some recommendations on there helps too.  An Invitation to bid, is just were a company or person, sees your profile and contacts to see if you want to work for them.

Anyway, on to other news.

Wait, I don’t think I have any.  I guess that means I need to go back to work on the laundry:)  the dryer is fixed, sort of.  The timed dry works but the energy saving setting doesn’t seem to.  The dishwasher started smoking last night, but I am pretty sure I know the reason why.  Bill, was being nice and he loaded and started the dishwasher for me.  He changed the settings to normal wash and Hi-temp dry.  Drying was when it started smoking.  The dishwasher guy who came out after we first got it, told me that because our water is so hard, just to leave it on high-temp wash and not to use the hi-temp dry. Because the build-up that occurs can cause issues if the hi-temp dry is used.  I guess he was right.  The boys know not to change the settings, but I guess Bill forgot.  Like I said he doesn’t run the dishwasher very often.  I do have stuff to clean it with, so I don’t imagine much harm was done:)  and it was sweet that he thought to turn it on:)  After he spent the day fixing the dryer and mudding the laundry room/bathroom.

See ya.

Hope and Faith

Last week, I had a very interesting conversation with someone, that to be quite honest, really irritated me.  But, then I do get irritated very easily:)  So the conversation started out with Person A, telling me that Person B is getting married.  Great, happy to hear it.  However, Person A, had nothing but complaints about this.  Here is the list of complaints;

Person B, is marrying an Orthodox Jew.  (not sure how this is an issue since Person B, is Orthodox too and Person A is a Jew.) So, everyone involved is Jewish, the only differences being the degree to which they practice.

Person B, is having an Orthodox Jewish Wedding, (Also not really shocker here, what with being Orthodox and all), so the Wedding is in 3 months.  Person A, thinks the wedding should be several months away, so that more planning can be done, and Person A can have time to make arrangements to go, yada, yada.

Person A, is upset, because the wedding is in 3 months.  Person A, was asked not to wear a strap-less dress.  Person B, is following all the Orthodox Jewish customs.  Like being modest.  Person A, doesn’t feel she should have to conform to someone else’s rules, because Person A is “Not Religious”.  However, Person A is Jewish.  Not Orthodox, very, very, very reformed.  So reformed, in fact, that she is really only Jewish on Passover and Hanukkah.  That being said, Person A, doesn’t want anyone to ‘judge her’.

Big, Deep, cleansing Breath.

First off, I don’t really care all that much.  But, because of Person A’s significant role in my life, I am supposed to.  So, I listened and tried to be supportive, while explaining to Person A, why they should just suck it up and do what Person B wants or Person A can just not go to the wedding.

Person A, has a very large amount of tattoos and piercings and has made it a point to stand out, by getting above mentioned tattoos and piercings.  I don’t have an issue with them, have a good time, but not everyone feels this way.

I am going out on a limb here and guessing that Person A will really stand out at an Orthodox Jewish wedding.  Seeing as how a good portion of the older Jewish community, Do not approve of tattoos or piercings.  It has a lot to do with Jewish law and the fact that Jews were forced to be tattooed in Concentration Camps, makes it even a bit more tacky in the eyes of the more strict Jews.  Go figure.

So, after listening to these ‘issues’.  Person A, states that while they are not ‘religious’ they do believe in God, but don’t believe that God, should be labeled with a name or sex, yada, yada.

umm, that sounds like a religious belief to me.

According to Merriam-Webster, Religious is defined as;

1

: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person><religious attitudes>

2

: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances <joined a religious order>

3

a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful

Okay, so now I must be all critical and bitchy here.  If you say you believe in ‘God’, regardless of what you want to call ‘God’,  you are by default, religious.  You may not go to temple or church or do anything that would constitute practicing a religion, but you still have a Belief.  Therefore, you are religious. The primary responsiblity of religion is to provide Hope.  Or at least, it should be, in my opinion.   If you personally, do not wish to follow your cultural heritage, fine, don’t.  But, you should respect someone who does.  By not wanting to be judged by a group of people, whose beliefs are different from your own, you are pretty much judging them.   Which is a bit over the top hypocritical.  

If you only occasionally pray or meditate or whatever you want to call it, you are being religious.  Even if you aren’t someone who does it on a regular basis.  You have Faith,  that something else with provide you with Hope and comfort.  Alright, I am done with that 🙂