{"id":276,"date":"2018-01-01T21:02:25","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T02:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=276"},"modified":"2018-01-01T21:09:44","modified_gmt":"2018-01-02T02:09:44","slug":"the-fourth-day-of-christmas-four-calling-birds-colly-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=276","title":{"rendered":"The Fourth Day of Christmas: Four Calling Birds\/Colly birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Depending on where you are from, you know the fourth gift is either four calling birds or four colly birds. \u2018Colly\u2019 is British for \u2018coal dark\u2019 (or grimy, but let\u2019s stick with the coal dark) and would have meant black birds.<\/p>\n

Black birds have been revered in many cultures as a symbol of the divine link. I have a friend who always takes it as an omen when he sees them. I am far more skeptical, but I still think that a link with whatever you consider divine is helpful and can be productive.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons we like celebrating all the twelve days is because our farming ancestors used this time to relax and reassess and visit during the time when there was no work to do outside (indoor work was never finished). Work no longer stops for the winter, but the snow and the early dark still beckon for us to slow down and enjoy life differently.<\/p>\n

We are in Buffalo, and it\u2019s currently -17 degrees Fahrenheit (-8 C) and we have about 8 inches if snow. It\u2019s been flurrying off and on all day. It\u2019s the type of day where soft clothes and warm drinks are exactly what you want and need. And for me, that\u2019s a chance to slow down and reconnect with myself and my family. And, by extension, the divine within.<\/p>\n

I know I should be looking outward and recognizing the divine in you, and that\u2019s wrong. That negativity, that deflection, that pushing away from self comfort into self criticism is harmful. Many of us do that, though. We put ourselves down and only focus on what needs to be done, not on what we\u2019ve accomplished. In truth, it is often those of us who get the most done who only look at what we still need to do. I will slow down, I will look at what has been accomplished today, this week, this year that\u2019s nearly over, and I will not beat myself up over what hasn\u2019t been done yet.<\/p>\n

So when I remember the Calling Birds, I will remember to be gentle with myself and recognize the divine link within.<\/p>\n

Back<\/a> to Beginning.
\nForward<\/a> to Five.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Depending on where you are from, you know the fourth gift is either four calling birds or four colly birds. \u2018Colly\u2019 is British for \u2018coal dark\u2019 (or grimy, but let\u2019s stick with the coal dark) and would have meant black birds. Black birds have been revered in many cultures as a symbol of the … Continue reading The Fourth Day of Christmas: Four Calling Birds\/Colly birds<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"1","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"2","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[45,44],"tags":[52,49,51,50],"class_list":["post-276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-meditation","tag-12-days-of-christmas","tag-calling-birds","tag-christmas-meditation","tag-divine-link"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5HEA6-4s","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":247,"url":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=247","url_meta":{"origin":276,"position":0},"title":"Meditations on the 12 days of Christmas","author":"Gina Kleinmartin","date":"December 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For most people who celebrate any part of the Christmas season, it\u2019s a mad rush of house cleaning, cookie baking, present purchasing and wrapping, decorating and being around family. By the end of the day on the 25th, people are worn out, tired and ready to forget the holidays. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "health"","block_context":{"text":"health","link":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?cat=45"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":280,"url":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=280","url_meta":{"origin":276,"position":1},"title":"The Fifth Day of Christmas: Five Golden Rings","author":"Gina Kleinmartin","date":"January 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Eddie Izzard jokes that at any Christmas party, when people hear this part of this carol, they run into the room to sing it. An additional funny thing is that it\u2019s so out of place. The first few days are gifts of birds, here\u2019s a sensible if overkill gift of\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":284,"url":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=284","url_meta":{"origin":276,"position":2},"title":"The Sixth Day of Christmas: Six Geese a-Laying","author":"Gina Kleinmartin","date":"January 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 My mother would tell me a story of how the Romans used geese instead of dogs to guard their cities and soldiers. I am not sure how widespread through out Rome this actually was, but there is historical evidence that the Romans and many many others have relied on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "health"","block_context":{"text":"health","link":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?cat=45"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/geese-163x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":297,"url":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=297","url_meta":{"origin":276,"position":3},"title":"The Ninth Day of Christmas: Nine Ladies Dancing","author":"Gina Kleinmartin","date":"January 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 When I was little, my mind always pictured the last four gifts being more of a party than individual gifts. The maids-a-milking were the only humans who weren\u2019t acceptable at a ball. I did, however, always wonder why there were more musicians than there were dancers. Anyway, it\u2019s not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "health"","block_context":{"text":"health","link":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?cat=45"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ladies-dance-233x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":303,"url":"https:\/\/homesteadinginthecity.kleinmartin.com\/?p=303","url_meta":{"origin":276,"position":4},"title":"The Tenth Day of Christmas: Ten Lords a-Leaping","author":"Gina Kleinmartin","date":"January 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I could talk again about the wonderful party I imagined as a child the lords and ladies, pipers and drummers were having over the last few days of Christmas. But there is no need to talk about healthy movement just a day later. 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