Guilty Pleasures

Did you know that some of our "guilty pleasures" are actually good for our health and well-being!

I'll never forget the day I walked into a hospital a few years back and saw the poster, "Chocolate is Good for Your Heart," hanging right there on the wall.  The caveat was, of course, dark chocolate, at a minimum of 70% cocoa.  And in moderation.

Don't you love it when we have "professional permission" to indulge!

Most of you know that I moved myself, lock, stock and barrel, from America to the Netherlands in early December of 2009 to follow the love of my heart.  I had spent the entire year getting rid of everything I owned except the few treasures of my life that could be packed into 2 TruckPacks, 4'x4'x4'.  It was harrowing but invigorating.  I lost 10 pounds, reaching my 115 from high-school days.

It so happens that I had a "guilty pleasure" for many years of my adult life that stood me in good stead for my move.  I have no memory from whence it came but I got into collecting sheets of USA stamps.  By 2009, I had almost every sheet produced back to the 1930s, hundreds of them in myriad albums.  I would buy them off of eBay or at stamp auctions, one sheet at a time, usually between $3-10.  Like I said, it was a guilty pleasure. 

Little did I know I was collecting those sheets of stamps for my move to the Netherlands!  Religiously, relentlessly, I scanned every sheet, uploaded them to eBay, and sold every one, often at 10 times their face value.  They alone gave me enough money to buy our new car outright once I moved.  Someone asked me if I hated to see those stamps go.  Are you kidding me?!

Besides the stamps, I sold electronics and books and DVDs and anything I could get my hands on.  I LOVE eBay and Amazon.com.  They were my saviors, adding much-needed money for my move.  After the estate sale in November and then selling my car, it all was done.

Here I was, sitting on all that money earmarked for moving to Europe and buying the things we would need to set up a new home.  Astrid, too, was downsizing after her divorce.  We would need to consolidate what we salvaged from each of our past lives and build something new that represented us.

Now, if you're still following me, here's THE guilty pleasure I'm getting to.  Once I stopped all the packing and selling and was finally breathing again before the move, I mentioned to Astrid that I was toying around with the idea of buying a macro lens.  It had been on my "want list" for a long time.  But how could I reconcile doing that before the move, knowing every last penny would be important, especially considering the dollar-to-euro conversion.  I knew the lens would be cheaper in America, but ...still!

With adamant "professional permission" to indulge from Astrid, I just did it!  Blow all caution to the winds, right?  What she said made sense:  "Ginnie, call it your reward for what you've just been through the last 12 months!"

Funny thing is, I didn't start using the lens till this past month!  The above image is one of the first I took when I had no clue what I was doing.  It's been a steep learning curve but it sure has been fun, as any guilty pleasure should be!

So, you know I'm gonna ask you:  What is your guilty pleasure?  HA!

Lady Justice

First of all, aren't you glad she's a Lady!  Not to be stereotypical and all, but it somehow just feels…just.  

Don't you wonder who decided that?  And why?  [There's a Lord Justice, too, of course, but he's in England and/or Wales, an 'ordinary' Justice of Appeal.  We're not talking about him.] 

She actually has a name, Justitia, the Roman goddess of Justice:
  

Justitia is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from her left hand,upon which she measures the strengths of a case's support and opposition. 

She is also often seen carrying a double-edged sword in her right hand, symbolizing the power of Reason and Justice, which may be wielded either for or against any party.

She wears a blindfold in order to indicate that justice is (or should be) meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality.  (Wiki)

I've been thinking of Her a lot lately, since the horrific attacks in Norway and the alleged Dominique Strauss-Kahn assault.  Since all the civil-war atrocities coming out of the Middle East.  Since all the rapes, genocides, child abductions, suicide bombings and...political bickerings?!

Is there anywhere in the world these days where She is alive and well?  Has there ever been?  Do we still believe “what goes around comes around”…that people can get away with murder but only for so long?  That even our own sins will catch up with us?  

Don't get me wrong.  I believe in Mercy--not getting what we deserve.  Knowing that if we did, we'd probably all be dead by now.  I also believe in Grace--being given 'gifts' we don't derseve.  Two good words from my preacher-home days. 

I believe transformation, though rare, is possible.  I believe people can change from bad to good.  I believe even I can change and that I can forgive and be forgiven.  I believe anyone can see the Light and learn to understand and accept Truth.  I believe.

But this post isn't about Mercy or Grace.  It's about Justice.  It's about wanting that Lady, with Her set of scales, the double-edged sword and the blindfold, to become a bit more visible.  Wanting to believe she exists in our world today, draped in Her long, flowing robes, mature but not old or out of touch...symbolizing the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, avarice, prejudice, or favor.
 
Even if she is rarely seen or heard these days, I'm glad the thought of her exists...and continues to  instill awe and reverence, like here at the front of City Hall in Breda, Netherlands, seen a year ago.  I can't really explain it but I'm REALLY glad she's a woman.  If we had a bit more of HER, maybe we'd be living in a better world?