A little greeting from Willy and Tabitha

Make sure to come see Rainbow Annie LIVE January 4, 5 & 6 at The Warehouse Theatre!

Wow!  Can you believe that 2007 is already almost over, kids?  I can’t!  Now we have to get ready for writing a new number when we put dates on our homework.  And we have to get ready for a special year called a Leap Year.  That means February has an extra day in it!  Willy Nilly told me that you have to jump up and down all day on February 29th - that’s why it’s called "Leap Year."  I’m not sure if I believe him… but you tell me what you think about that, kids!  And we have to get ready for even more concentrated and shameless campaigning from presidential candidates as they try to establish their Credibili-Tea.  Oh boy.  It’s gonna be a big year. 

Are you all ready for New Year’s Eve?  Do you stay up with your moms and dads to watch the ball drop in Times Square?  Do you go to bed early?  Do you eat collards, black-eyed peas and rice on New Year’s Day?  Do you stand outside at midnight and chant to the goddess, asking for a prosperous year?  There are so many ways to ring in the new year.  And you know, there’s a special old song that a lot of people like to sing when it turns into the new year… but most people don’t really know what it means.  Auld Lang Syne is a special old song that the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote down after he heard an old man singing it.  It means "old times" or "in the old days."  Basically… it just means a long time ago.  It’s a song about not forgetting what happened in the past so that you can take all the special lessons you learned from the past and apply them to the future.  Maybe we should tell all the presidential candidates to remember Auld Lang Syne when they’re making decisions and saying all the same old things that we’ve heard over and over and over again.  They could learn old lessons, and still, maybe, try to show some Hones-Tea, Originali-Tea and Integri-Tea!

Happy New Year, Kids!  From Annie and Willy! 

Well, boys and girls, it sounds like something very sad happened today.  Some bad people decided they wanted to hurt someone, and so they snuck into a rally in Pakistan and hurt a lot of people.  CNN is talking about it right now.  (Annie is sitting on the floor of an airport waiting to catch a flight home after her flight was cancelled last night and she had to spend the night in a yucky hotel… and now her new flight is delayed too.  It’s worth noting that S is for Service too.)  They’re even saying that a very important person in that country was killed.  But… they’re also saying that they are "still working to independently confirm" the information that they are already reporting.  This happens a lot with the news.  You’re probably too young to remember when the news people broke all of our hearts in 2000… we went to sleep with one president and woke up with another one completely.  All because they would rather be the first to report anything, rather than waiting to make sure that what they are reporting is true.  Does that seem like a good idea, boys and girls?  It’s always important to think hard about what you say before you say it.  And if you’re someone who people believe is a reliable source of information - like the news - you should be even more careful to be sure that what you’re saying is right.  You know what that is?  It’s Responsibili-Tea!

And - on a different note - send good thoughts Annie’s way.  She’s really hoping to get back to Tea-Town soon. 

You know, Annie is always amazed by how ridiculous people can be around this time of year.  This time of year that’s supposed to be all about love and joy and all that silly stuff, but instead, people tell Australian Santas that they can’t say Ho Ho Ho… or they quibble over the acceptable ways to express holiday wishes.  Don’t you think that Happy Solstice is just as nice a sentiment as Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Rockin’ Chanukkah?  Whatever!  But still, everyone runs around thinking they’re the only ones who really know how to celebrate.

Does that seem right, boys and girls?  No it doesn’t.

But you know, a lot of the celebrations for big holidays like Christmas came from traditions that had nothing to do with The Bible or anyway.  And instead of seeing it as a beautiful confluence (can you say "confluence?"… that’s right!… a confluence is when lots of different things come together to make something bigger), people either ignore it, or are afraid of it.  Like look at this question that someone left online.  Does Christmas have pagan roots?  Of course it does!  Did you think Jesus was decorating trees or kissing people under a plant that doesn’t even grow in the Middle East?  And… lest we forget… Jesus was JEWISH… remember?

It’s important to remember, boys and girls, that there are lots of special things about Christmas… and about Chanukkah… and about Solstice… about all the holidays.  And it’s even more special that pieces of them all come together in a way that lets even more people feel like they can participate.  All of our traditions are important.  So let’s include people in all of our celebrations.  We shouldn’t let people who don’t want to hear about Diversi-Tea try to make Christmas about Exclusivi-Tea! 

Merry Everything!!!!  From Rainbow Annie and Willy Nilly. 

You know, boys and girls, we got a special comment yesterday from a very special guest.

SANTA CLAUS wants to know about tickets to The Rainbow Annie Show!  YAY!!!!!!

Well, Mr. Claus, if you can take time out of your work-one-day-a-year-and-call-yourself-a-saint (with a peculiarly convenient anagram name) schedule to come see the LIVE Rainbow Annie show… it’s playing January 4 & 5 @ 8:00 and January 6 @ 3:00… and tickets are only $10!!!!

And, we had another special visitor to the Rainbow Annie blog the other day too… Sister Luna!  Annie’s old friend from the commune!  Isn’t it amazing how the world wide interweb can connect people you thought you had lost years ago!?!?  Well… in honor of sister Luna, and all the other beautiful souls back on the commune, Annie would like to wish you all a VERY happy Solstice!  And the great thing about Solstice - we don’t ask whether you’ve been "naughty or nice" based on some arbitrary, patriarchal, Judeo-Christian ethic in order to determine whether you’re worthy of celebration.  We just celebrate.

So tonight, Par-Tea with the Goddess… however you like!

Well boys and girls, Annie took a fun little quiz today… and you’re not going to believe the outcome!

28

Wow! But don’t worry, boys and girls. Annie would never really try to “take” any of you! NO! You’re Annie’s boys and girls… just think about that 28 when you’re 18 and choosing which box to check on your very first ballot… and know that Annie will always be watching.

Always.

Boys and girls… I love this time of year.  When the air gets colder and people get snugglier.  When we can almost ignore the rampant consumerism (ask your mommy and daddy what that means while they’re putting the 13 D batteries in your new toys on Christmas morning) because we’re so happy to be with our families and friends.

But you know, it’s important to remember that there are lots of other holidays other than Christmas that are happening all around us!

For our Muslim friends, the month of Ramadan actually fell in September and October this year.  The Hindu festival of Prathamastami  was on November 30th, so that’s already done.  Chanukkah was early too - at the beginning of December - so all of our Jewish friends have already celebrated their festival of lights!  And the Chinese New Year doesn’t come around until February.  But Solstice (my personal favorite) is coming up this Friday, the 21st.  There are many ways to celebrate the Solstice… many ways to show that you appreciate nature and other people and love and the universe around us.  I remember my second year on the commune in Santa Fe, half of the group disappeared into the woods for over a week with nothing but their rucksacks, canteens, and the commune’s milk cow - Isla.  The rest of us stayed behind and burned the Yule Log and sang and told stories and cried and danced!  When the forest group came back, they were dirty and happy and one with nature!  And it wasn’t long after that (about 9 months, in fact) that the newest commune member - little sister sweetbread - was born!

But I digress.  Do you know what digress means?  It means to get a little off track.  And nothing gets Annie to digress quite like Solstice!

Anyway, December 23rd is the holiday of Festivus (for the rest of us).  December 26th begins the seven day celebration of Kwanzaa for our African-American friends.  

Wow!  There sure are an awful lot of exciting holidays and wonderful celebrations and rich cultures surrounding us everyday… but it seems especially true near the end of the year, doesn’t it?  Don’t get Annie wrong.  Annie loves Christmas.  But doesn’t it seem fair that if Christians get to celebrate their holiday… that maybe the other holidays should be important too?  So maybe, while all of the presidential candidates are spending all of their time telling us how good they are at Christmas and how well they represent America… maybe they should remember that America was created to be a land of Diversi-Tea… and they should look into all the beautiful cultures that don’t fit into the capitalist exclusionary uber-Christian ethic… and maybe check out that pesky separation of church and state while they’re at it.

Happy Solstice, boys and girls! 

Family is very special, isn’t it boys and girls?  Moms and Dads and Brothers and Sisters and Grandparents and Cousins… there are so many types of families!

And, there are so many types of people.  Some are funny and some are serious.  Some are happy and some are sad.  Some are grouchy and some are cheerful.  Some love hugging and some are pretty strict about maintaining their personal bubbles.

I say all of this to begin answering Tabitha’s latest question:

"Dear Annie-
My stupid older brother has been sanitizing his hands with peanut butter. Every morning when my mom sends me to wake him up for school, there’s a jar of peanut butter on the floor by his bed and his hands and sheets are all sticky with peanut butter. He’s silly, isn’t he?"

Now, becuase there are so many different kids of people - with so much Diversi-Tea and Individuali-Tea - sometimes it’s not easy to understand things that other people do.  And that’s okay!!!  We don’t have to understand people to be friends with them or to play with them or to work with them or to love them.  We just have to show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-Tea! 

Of course, Tabitha, in your case, you may want to tip your mommy off to lock up the peanut butter and check under your brother’s mattress to see if he happens to have any special magazines hidden there.  Because it sounds like your brother is displaying a touch of Perversi-Tea!

And I’m sorry it took Annie a while to answer your question, Tabitha.  It gets awfully busy in Tea Town around this time of year! 

You know, boys and girls, Rainbow Annie has noticed that grown ups on the news are using a lot of silly sounding words.  Have you noticed that?  "Slam Dunk."  "Flip Flop."  "No Brainer."  "Henny Penny."  It’s starting to make the news sound even sillier than Willy Nilly Postman!

You see, boys and girls, sometimes grown-ups… especially politicians… like to make up words so that they don’t have to explain why they’re doing.  They pretend that those words mean something, and that if you don’t understand them, then you’re stupid.  So people stop asking what they mean, because they don’t want to be treated like they’re stupid.  So the maker-uppers get to say and do whatever they want!

Does that sound fair?

That’s what Curiosi-Tea is such important tea, boys and girls.  You should always ask questions.  Especially when grown ups stop making sense and start making really important decisions without any Accountabili-Tea!

Well, we got another question from Annie’s new friend Tabitha:

"Dear Annie-
Why can’t kids vote? I’m six and I would like to vote for president Bartlet from the West Wing or for Joe from Blues Clues. I’d like to vote for you but my stupid older brother says you can’t be president because you have boobs. I’m confused.
Love,
Tabitha"

First, Tabitha, Annie has to thank you for such a thoughtful question!  You’re a very smart and inquisitive young lady!

Now, your first question: "Why can’t kids vote?"  There are lots of reasons.  But the biggest one is that the government thinks that you have to live for a certain number of years before you can make decisions without your mommy and daddy helping you.  Now, I know that doesn’t seem fair.  There are lots of boys and girls I meet every day who are super duper way smarter than half the grown-ups running around the white house.  And they probably have better grammar too.  And anyway, there are some grown-ups who still need their mommy and daddy to tell them what to do!  But still, the people who decide about voting say that kids can’t be called grown-ups until they’re 18 years old.  Maybe they’re afraid because kids are so honest!  And politics doesn’t like Hones-Tea!

There are lots of people we would like to vote for, and we’re allowed to write them in… but it’s hard to get those little votes to count.  Why?  I know that every single vote is supposed to count, but sometimes it doesn’t.  You see, we have a group of people called "The Electoral College."  It’s not a college like the big school you go to when you’re older.  No one really knows who is in the "Electoral College."  They’re kind of a secret group who gets together, counts up all the little votes in each state, and makes one big vote for that state.  So, even if you voted for Halbert IV, if more people in the same state voted for Mayor Shrub, then your Electoral College would vote for Mayor Shrub even though you didn’t want to.  Does that seem fair?

And, as for your brother, you can tell him a few things.  1) Tell him that it’s not nice to talk about Annie’s body, or any other girl’s body.  Her body belongs to her, and he doesn’t get to talk about it!  Maybe he needs to enjoy a cup of Sensitivi-Tea!  2) Voting for someone is like choosing a friend.  If someone is smart or fun or brave or honest, you want to be friends with them.  And if someone is mean or makes bad decisions or lies a lot, you don’t want to be friends with them.  But what doesn’t matter when you choose a friend?  "We’re the best the best of friends, anyone can see!  We’re boys and girls from all over the world who love Diversi-Tea!!!"  3) Just because I’m a girl and you’re a girl, doesn’t mean that we can’t do everything a boy can do!  I always beat Willy Nilly when we play baseball!  And he’s much better at decorating than I am!  Girls and boys are both good at lots of different and lots of the same things.  Remember when we sang that song a couple of weeks ago when we shared a cup of Opportuni-Tea?

"When I grow up I could be, any- any- anything that I can see!"   

And that goes for boys and for girls!  So you tell your brother to see Annie to get some Tea… and she’ll tell him where to put it!