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“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love.”~Reinhold Niebuhr
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Enya's beautiful Christmas Secrets with lovely winter photos....
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Breathtaking Winter Photos to ooooh and ahhhhh over...and share.....
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Did you miss the Solstice Eclipse ? Here are the amazing photos that were posted in the Vancouver Sun which was forwarded on by Fran, and are absolutely Breathtaking.....
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I am trying hard to find my Christmas Spirit, but I am worried it might have gotten lost in my Move in September....I think if I keep looking hard enough it will turn up somehow. I did make a promise to myself to Give Something of Myself each day during this Holiday Season. It's been little things, like I give Change to the Salvation Army each time I go to the Market, even if it is a pitiful amount, I figure all those nickels and dimes do add up. And I have been sure to put extra soup in the Food Bank Box as well. It's again not much, but I am hoping in the end it adds up. And I gave my Extra Car Reader Glasses to the Checker at the Grocery store when I realized he lost his at the Market. I ran back in and gave him the extra pair and the glowing smile on his face was worth it......He laughed and said " You a little off -you know that ". I figured fine...I may indeed be "Off"...but I sure felt great driving home...( So I guess that also makes me a wee bit selfish).
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People around the Country have been holding FlashMOB Christmas events singing the Hallelujah Chorus ( if you are on Twitter you can learn where these events are, or email me ). This latest event was at the Orlando Airport on December 18th. I will also post the Mall one as well. ( Apparently Malls and Airports are the main muchly needed Targets...)
(1) As early as October People started these Messiah and Christmas Flashmobs, This one is from a Mall in Philly and is actually Professional Opera Singers...can you say amazing ?
(2) This Christmas Flashmob Event was really amazing and is about Miming and Dance...really touching to watch the faces....It's from a Connecticut mall.... This group works with "RedefineChristmas.org" which is dedicated to redefining Christmas and Giving in a creative way...
So if you have a chance to go to such an event and Sing or Dance....go !!! you are giving the Gift of Joy....
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(1) Christmas Cookies.....
Santa has had to tighten his budget this year, what with a Dead Battery and slim pickens Job Wise, so I am making Cookies for Christmas. The First Recipe I want to share is not my own, but it is actually a version of one my Grandmother used to make, Kitchen Sink Cookies. And this version is by Paula Deen it's Easy and Quick and FUN. And hell you can clean out the fridge when you make it.....and if you have kids its VERY messy in a Good way.
And the other simple lovely cookie recipe that I am trying this year is , is called Chocolate Glaciers...and they look Heavenly....
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(2) And Now for the Grinch Part of this Post....
So I sit down to my morning Tea and go to read the News (online) and and this story about the GOP being Sons-of-Bitches about the 911 Responders NEEDING Healthcare smacked me in the face like a wet towel. I am sorry but how the hell can these Sanctimonious Pious Pompous "I need to go home for Christmas because I am a GOOD Christian " Lawmakers Sleep at night or look at themselves in the Mirror ??? Of all the things ticking me off this Holiday THIS one issue has indeed raised my blood pressure to a very bad place. So In Honor of Scrooge or the Grinch please with my Blessings do go ahead and leave some phone messages on these Idiots Voicemail. ( and hey , it's not like I get tired of Calling Boehner and yelling WHERE are the Jobs ? I am fine with yelling about Something Else !!!) See here's the thing, I know President Obama is all for No Drama and being calm and reasonable and Compromising.
Me ? Not so much....I am a Mom and a Nurse, and there is a fine line for me about Anyone being Denied Healthcare. And there is Nothing Reasonable about these fine people being deprived of much NEEDED Healthcare,their courage and bravery does indeed need to be acknowledged in a meaningful way. And what has stunned me is that so few people are yelling about this, other than Anthony Weiner, when frankly they should all be yelling.......And I don't mind yelling for What Matters and WHO Matters.....Okay I am done. Someone else can now take the Blessed WellWorn Soap box.
10 comments:
these are all good xmas things enigma. cookies and spare change and eyeglasses are good for the soul.
spineless congress ... not so much ... and it's gonna get worse soon, so keep your yelling voice strong! you always speak from the heart, an organ sorely missing in congress. not that I'm not grateful for all that was accomplished by lame duckies, even if some of it was a little more lame than ducky.
on a brighter note, just remember winter solstice means every day from here on will be a little longer. it's a nice hump to be beyond, even if the worst of winter weather is still to come.
we are flooding here. earthen dams breaking. zion is closed. evacuations. this AM, raw sewage in the river. lovely! desert rain = flood.
oh Deb...
I never ever think of Flooding in Utah-especially this time of year...how odd...and worrisome..be safe and be well...
yeah...sometimes one has to take out the George Baily Soapbox and rant a bit..it's good for the soul..and more....
and yeah..as it's already dark here...."longer days" will be my mantra from now on...lol
Christmas hugs to you and yours...
With all the tumult; I'm having a difficult time this year, however, these are nice and it reminds me that "many things are true at once" (Elizabeth Alexander) There are still awe inspiring sights and wonderful deeds to behold in the midst of such suffering and a doubtful future for many of us.
Carolyn::
I think I hear ya....I think many of us are in this big leaky boat...and yes, Christmas Cheer, oh hell , any cheer is on very thin ice this year...it is what it is..sadly....but if we just share little gifts with each other ...a smile here,.....a cookie there...I do believe that we can get through these times....I really do....Many hugs...take good care....and know if you were here you would be in my kitchen with a nice mug of tea and cookies right now.....namaste...
And I would so enjoy it...I'm sure!
Hug you back...:-)
I love the Mall Charity gift idea. At first it seemed schmaltzy, but the kids dancing & doing escalator ballet, and the crescendo of the gifts for charity.
Wow! That made it super cool.
But super uncool are the alleged christian congress members whining about the sacrilege of having to work on voting to help 9-11 first responders 9 YEARS after helping & having devastating & fatal diseases. First hailed as "Heroes", now that they are in need- insurance (if they still have it) companies, asking them to prove their cancer is a direct result of being a 9-11 responder. Or just losing health insurance at all, because they can no longer work. Many politicians would let them go from hero to zero, so they can pretend to be religious?
That IS Grinch, Scrooge, & Evil all combined.
Let's hope the 3 ghosts of past, present & future visit them!
Besides rank & file congresspeople make $177K a year. I am totally fine with them having to work. If that's what it takes to get anything done before the new wave of 2011 GOP takes over the house.... let them work right on through the holiday. The firefighters who save lives have to work holidays.... and get paid a lot less for doing so.
So glad you can muster up some holiday cheer.
This has been such a rough year, I think part of my happiness is knowing it will soon come to an end. As one friend put it-- You NEED a new year!
Ha! Don't we all!
Fran...
I too love the idea of redefining Christmas...and all that it entails...and how they gave people a gift certificate so the giving cycle continues...really wonderful....
about the repugs..lordy...Coburn all of them...I don't understand ..
happy holidays dear friend..namaste
Allie, the redefining moments in the malls brought me to tears - because in the middle of all the tough things going on in this old world - people are basically so good, capable of such beauty, right? It's what keeps us all trying to be the best we can be. I live on the same edge of the financial cliff that you do, teetering, breath-holding - but life is good and full of those rich, small but meaningful moments.
I keep wondering how your Iraqi family is doing and hope they are well.
Sherry Blue Sky...
oh dear friend..yes we all are on the fine edge.....but I think because of that edge we see the beauty more...appreciate it more...the funny thing is that that video was filmed Black Friday-the BIG shopping day-right? NOT....look closely at that video...There are alot of Edge people in that video-there were hardly any shopping bags-people were sipping coffee and tea at a food court...These are Hurtin'Times...and yet it was nice to see their eyes and their faces light up...also amazing was how quiet they all got when the music started...the wonder seized them....we on THE Edge appreciate all that is around us...we understand gratitude...deeply...
We teeter.... we breath...we hope...we pray....we take care of each other..that is the way of it....
( if you email me I can explain more about the Family...I can no longer discuss here on the blog...)
many hugs....and thank you for being here...
namaste....
As a native New Yorker, (expat living in exile in Seattle) I will never forget the scenes of devastation that day, and the first responders and the civillians and construction workers (Union guys and gals) who walked into the fire to help, and the New Yorkers lining the streets Cheering their Fighterfighters as they rushed to the scene, so HURRAH for the folks who risked ALL for their fellow citizens and Bob Corker and the rest of the NO crowd (except when it benefits the rich) can go f themselves
Tom
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