So much for Santa...

First off...Woah. I am happily overwhelmed by the many comments and emails I have gotten from you, my out-of-the-closet readers! I hope that we have started a trend and that you now feel comfortable commenting when the mood strikes. I'm thrilled to learn some of your stories. Thank you all for kind words that have encouraged me to continue being honest (even on the days when things suck) and for crying and laughing along side of me. I'm glad to have heard from each of you, learn your stories, and I hope to someday personally be in touch.

The Coming of the Magi

Unknown Ethiopian Artist

Welp, today is Christmas in Ethiopia--January 7th. It is widely understood that one of the magi who visited Jesus in Bethlehem, Balthasar, was Ethiopian. Bathalsar was thought to have presented Jesus with frankincence. In celebration of Ganna, we kept the 3 magi, along with the star from atop our Christmas tree, on our mantel. All of the other Christmas decorations were taken down last week but we decided it would be a nice tradition to keep the wise men up for Ganna. Well--that's not exactly what happened...I'm lying a little bit....

Actually, my beloved nativity took a mysterious plunge off of the mantle a few days after Christmas, beheading the holy trio--baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Ouch. I'm not sentimental about too many things, but Donovan got me this nativity the first year we were married and it has been the one thing I have gotten out for Christmas all of the years that we didn't decorate. Remember this post from last year when I thought Santa's beard would cushion a fall? Thanks to you, lazy Santa, Jesus shattered on the tile. I had a moment--ahem-- then decided we could turn the remaining pieces of this nativity, the three magi and two cows, into our Ganna trimmings. So there you go--a new tradition has been born in our house.

Melikam Ganna to all!