Merry Christmas 2023

 In the middle of wrapping presents and listening to good music, I realized it was time to wish you all a deeply peaceful and joyful Christmas. So... welcome!

The big tree near our front door had to be taken out this year. It was sad to see it go, but a small one now stands in its place. Time will fill it in. Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages, and luckily the size of the package does not limit the amount of hope it carries. Hope soars. Hope radiates at Christmas.

And do you see the star in front of the bush?  That star used to top our big tree.  I decided it could shine its light where it is, hung on a small metal post. Our new tree isn't ready for it yet, but the star still glows. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."

We won't put up a tree this year, but I'm decorating the house with some of my favorite ornaments.  Love is at the heart of Christmas, tree or no tree. 

For the past several years, the telling of the 1914 truce titled All is Calm on PBS, sung by an extraordinary men's choir, has been one of my Christmas highlights.  Watch for it! I recommend it to you wholeheartedly.  

My wish for all of you is in the poem below, with my thanks to Linda Mitchell for creating the perfect star for the top of my poet-tree.  

This

time of year

presents a mystery

That out of darkness

comes a ray of light...A

time to dream, to gather family

To tell the holy tale of that first night

To hug a child and sing to heart's delight

To feast and laugh and bask in family lore

May all these yuletide blessings find your door.

@Karen Eastlund

2021

It is Poetry Friday, and you can find all the Poetry Friday gang at Jone's... click HERE.  

Thanks so much for hosting, Jone!  

Constructive comments welcome! 

Happy Valentine's Day

 Another February 14th rolls around, and I send you all my love and Valentine greetings.

This year finds me on a health kick: lots of walking and lots of vegetables.  And then, as if to encourage me, one day this happened:

Serendipity

All I did was trim the end of the root. The radish shared serendipitous love!  

This is as close to snow as we've had this winter, but no complaints. I like good walking weather.

This Valentine's Day I think I will finally succeed in memorizing a favorite love poem.  When was the last time you tried memorization?  Brains like a good challenge.

“The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle:—
Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:—
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?”

― Percy Bysshe Shelley

We recently sang an anthem that has such wonderful words, I want to share them here:

Beloved, God's chosen,

put on as a garment

compassion, forgiveness

and goodness of heart.

Above all, before all,

let love be your raiment

that binds into one

every dissonant part.

I love the image of binding into one all our dissonant parts. May it be so. 

Again, "Happy Valentine's Day!"  Be well, be happy, and shine your light!