“Collaboration and research form the foundation for the 234,000-square-foot Engineering Research Building, the last of three College of Engineering expansion projects and the centerpiece of the Research Quadrangle” at UTA.
Watch at 1:40 for 3 seconds of Emma intensity
Alone is not alone if you are happy
By Tanya Davis and Andrea Dorfman
To me, Christmas doesn’t mean Christ. I am not religious nor do I pretend to be, but I do recognize the historical significance of the national holiday and its unfortunate marriage to commercialization and capitalism.
To me, Christmas doesn’t mean “mas” or more. I don’t need more things because I have all that I need (I try to remind myself of this often, although it’s difficult to practice minimalism in quotidian society). It’s nice to receive gifts. I can’t argue that. But I feel most joy from presents that are gestures of true thought and care: time spent with family, a heartfelt note or a shared meal and a bottle of wine.
To me, Christmas is a time to slow down. A time to share. A time to show appreciation to the influential and important people in my life. I wouldn’t say I have the authority to rename a holiday so familiar yet still unrecognizably meaningless (to some). But for myself and to clear any ambivalence in my message, I’ll name my brand of the most popular holiday season SlowShareShowmas or maybe just Simplemas.
Here’s Leo Babauta’s Case Against Buying Christmas Presents from zenhabits. He makes a much better argument than I do for the simple meaning of the season. To spend more time with family and slow things down for a change, ignore the last minute “buy buy BUY now and save!” alerts in your inbox and turn off the TV to never ending commercial jingles (these aren’t the bells that make a child giggle or the warm’n’cozy hot chocolatey feeling of the season).

A PS to friends and family: This doesn’t mean I won’t be giving gifts this year. I’ll give handmade treats, (re)gift recyclable goodies, and show you some good old fashioned ♥.
“Simplify your life and the laws of the universe will become simpler”
Photo taken on a stroll in the park with my family in observation of Buy Nothing Day/National Day of Listening (The day most familiarly and dreadfully known as… dun dun dun… Black Friday)