December 1, 2012

  • She Lives.............


     In response to Donkey_Guy

    I am a simplified complication

    No more than this,no less than that,

    I have ironed out frustration

    I no longer sit where I once sat.

     

    I am the me in meditation

    A little here,a little there,

    I have erased all punctuation

    I say when I say where.

     

    I live the truth of revelation

    quite a bit and a hell of a lot,

    I have tempted away temptation

    I now see what I could not.

     

    I am the real in realization

    I know the you inside the me,

    I am the magic in imagination

    And that is all I have to be.

     

    But I am not a ghost!!!

     


     

November 12, 2012

  • remembrance and recollection

     


    We are ever seeking that which is inside us and yet unseen,

    Always whispering to us, I am here! I am here!
    Find me in your heart, for thus I have always been.
    I am the essence of you, betwixt the objects
    Between the eye and that beheld in the distance
    There is only you, multifaceted and many
    Yet Only One, everywhere and nowhere
    The illusion of self is a preponderant consciousness
    There is no eye, nor distance, only mind, All within You
    The many is One and the one is Many...
    You are never alone... I am here...

     

    It has been said we grow and become a new self
    I say it is better to grow and become the self of our beginning

     

    As a newly born child we are so very innocent. The only conditioning we had in the womb was from our Creator. The only "will" we had was in that of our Creator's. We had no desire for material possessions. We had no negative thoughts of ourselves, or expectations. We knew we were loved, if by no one else at least by our Creator. Our family, friends, educators, bosses, etc have not yet begun to form our self-image. All our lives we are programed by our environment and the people around us. So to change us we must change the way we think. Negative thoughts conjure up negative imaginations, and negative imagination causes negative feelings.

     

    Emily Coue, a great French metaphysician wrote, “Our actions spring not from our will, but from our imagination.”

     


     

    I believe that the way to begin this journey, to travel back to the beginning, is to start by pay attention. To pay attention you need to learn to relate to the world using your conscious brain and unconscious mind, your heart, keeping them both in balance.Paying attention will guide you into "remembrance and recollection," which will bring you back to not only who you truly are, but also back into a relationship and back into a union with your main source of nourishment, your, Creator...God, Goddess, Allah, Jesus, Yahweh, Elohim, or whatever name you choose to worship.  To me it is perhaps the All or simply our Creator.  All is one word to refer to, and honor All of his/her names.

     

    Paying attention doesn't involve analysis or comparison. You have to release all prior prejudices, abstain from subjectively incorporating your pass experiences into what you perceive through your senses. You must remain objective. You must open your heart and mind to the object of your attention and become receptive to it, rather than imposing your will on the object. You need to put your will back into the service of your Creator, then you can begin to see things as they really are: not as you would like them to be.

     

    We cannot remember the pureness of the womb, or what the child like conditions were like. So to regain our true selves we need see the world as it is, and in the process we will remember who we are. We need to stop trying to alter things and become receptive instead.


     

    Bring us back to our center and we will return there with gladness. Renew us now as you have in days gone by.”

     

    These are just my thoughts, now what are yours?

    Be Blessed,

    Lady of Avalon

     

     


     

November 8, 2012

  • What are you Grateful for......


     

    Happy November to all of you! This is the month we celebrate thankfulness. November is a time to count our many blessings, name them one by one.

     

    I realize for many after the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, this may be very difficult for you to do. Life storms batter us, ripping apart our plans and flooding us with a multitude of problems. Please remember that Grace is God's promise that we will not be destroyed, just as a rainbow was His promise that He would never again send a flood to devastate the earth completely.

     

    My heart and prayers go out to all of you. I know that many of you perhaps are no longer feeling the magic of our Creator, and perhaps some of you are feeling Him even more than before. I truly hope that you are.

     

    I hope that starting today we all remember and use one word over and over again. A simple word, not a mystery, but a word that is recognized and understood by all religions. That word is “Gratitude.”

     

     

    “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

     

    Now put in the word gratitude....

     

    “Whoever has gratitude will be given more, and he or she will have an abundance. Whoever dose not have gratitude even what he or she has will be taken from him or her.

     

    We have all endure hard times, heart crushing moments in our lives, times that are engrained in our minds forever, and it is in these points in time that we must delve deep within our souls to remember all the things that make us truly grateful. We are grateful for our families, health, faith, or even something simple as a conversation with a friend.

     

     

    Both ancient teachings and modern medical research agree that to restore balance in our heart, minds and lives is to dwell in gratitude and gratefulness. The moment we shift our consciousness from one of negativity and despair, to one of gratefulness and gratitude we experience direct effects at many levels of your being.

     

    Your brain function improves, you transform and become more balanced. Your heart pumps with a simpatico rhythm, and your whole body becomes more harmonized. Filling your heart and mind with gratitude and prayers generates a natural reaction. Gratitude operates through a Universal Law that governs our lives, our world. It is the law of attraction. It is a principle of the Universe that Sir Isaac Newton discovered. His scientific discoveries included the fundamental laws of motion in the Universe. Every action always has an opposite and equal reaction.

     

    So every action of giving thanks, will always cause the reaction of receiving. The more you give thanks, the more you will receive.

     

     

    When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies within yourself.

    Tecumseh (1768 – 1813)

    Shawnee Native American Leader

     

    So for the month of November, I challenge you...arise in the morning and write down 5 things that you are truly grateful for each day. Learn the value of this magic word! I promise you will feel happier, healthier, and more and more grateful.  Keep a Gratitude Journal, and let me know what you are grateful for in your life.

     

    When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

    Willie Nelson

    Singer – Song Writer

     


    If you want to give the the Hurricane Sandy relief fund, please click on this link!!


     

October 30, 2012

  • History of Halloween.........

     


    Where did Halloween come from?

     

    halloween18 

    On October 31st, you will likely see witches, ghosts, goblins, skeletons, demons, and other evil characters knocking at your door and hollering "trick or treat", and they will expect a treat or you will be tricked. There will be parties where kids (and even adults) bob for apples, tell fortunes, or go through haunted houses. There will be decorations of jack-o-lanterns, witches on brooms, and black cats. It is the only day of the year when we give free food to strangers and display carved vegetables on our front porches.  . . .when you really think about it, October 31st is a very strange day . . .Where did we get this celebration called Halloween?

     

    Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, in what is now Ireland, Great Britain and Northern France. The Celts were pagan nature worshippers who had many gods, including the sun, which they believed commanded their work and rest times. They believed the sun maintained the earth and kept it beautiful, and caused their crops to grow.

    The Celts observed their new year on November 1, which marked the end of the harvest and summer (“the season of the sun”), as well as the beginning of the cold, dark winter ahead (“the season of darkness and cold”). 

    From October 31 to November 2, the Celts celebrated a 48-hour festival, the Vigil of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”).  Though if you were in the Scottish Highlands, the name would be ‘sav-en’, or in Wales, ‘sow-een’. 

    bonfire

    Celtic legends tell us that on this night, all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished, and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara.  (The Druids were the learned class among the Celts. They were religious priests who also acted as judges, lawmakers, poets, scholars, and scientists.) Upon this sacred bonfire the Druids burned animals and crops.  The extinguishing of the hearth fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year. The re-kindling from the Druidic fire was symbolic of the returning life that was hoped for in the spring.

     

    In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such as the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, or the turning of one year into the next were seen as magical times. The turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest, and the dead could communicate with the living.

    The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not have the concept of heaven and hell that the Christian church later brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds or sidhe (pron. "shee") that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside.

     

    halloween

     

    The Celts did not actually have demons and devils in their belief system. Some Christians describe Halloween as a festival in which the Celts sacrificed human beings to the devil or some evil demonic god of death. This is not accurate. The Celts did believe in gods, giants, monsters, witches, spirits, and elves, but these were not considered evil, so much as dangerous. The fairies, for example, were often considered hostile and menacing to humans because they were seen as being resentful of men taking over their lands. On this night of Samhain, the fairies would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the fairy mounds, where they would be trapped forever.

     

    Folk tradition tells us of some divination practices associated with Samhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with marriage, weather, and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed via such methods as ducking for apples and apple peeling. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year -- like the modern toss of the wedding bouquet. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be. In Scotland, people would place stones or nuts in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year.

     

    By A.D 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory.  In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic land, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

     

    The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.  The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees.  The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that in practiced today on Halloween.

     

    Jack-o-LanternShining

     

    By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

     

    America did not celebrate Halloween until 1910, more on this at a later date………….

     

    TrickorTreat-DR


     

     

October 26, 2012

  • The scent of memories.....

     


     

    Memories, imagination, old sentiments, and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

     

    Smells awakened my memories today. I can smell the wood smoke lingering outside somewhere, reminding me of my childhood, a fireplace warming my family home, as the smoke rose from the chimney on a chilly late-autumn afternoon. Then my mind swirls and it brings to mind campfires, happy times, kids gathering, laughing, flash lights in hand, telling ghost stories. Once again, I sniff the haunting odor of the fiery flora and my mind shifts to beyond this season, I can sense the season to come. The smell of damp wool, wet mittens with icy cuffs, snowballs, hot chocolate and marshmallows. Memories of my son apple-cheeked, smiling, excited for the coming holiday season, he and his friends coming in and out of the sub-zero cold in our home in Wisconsin.

     

     

     

    Ours noses can teach us as much about life as any book. Be alert to the smells in the air that can trigger your memories, and make you feel a live and blessed.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Autumn light brightly shines,

     

    The harvest moon upon the rise.

     

    Twilight lingers in the trees.

     

    Memories of moonlight echo through thee.

     

    Fallen leaves clothe the earth.

     

    Small protection from winter’s coming birth.

     

    The air smells crisply of nature’s breath.

     

    Consuming all life in icy death.

     

    The time of magick life appears

     

    As the witching hour slowly nears

     

     

     

     

     Blessings, Lady of Avalon


     

October 23, 2012

  • Tree of Life and Love

     


     

     

    Atop the highest mountaintop,
    above the timberline,
    there exists an ancient weathered tree
    that lives in eternal time.

    With boughs that brush the heavens,
    and roots in solid stone,
    it casts a healing shadow
    that makes a heart atone.

    It's a tree of eternal magick
    that was made by Heaven's design
    it provides both shade and shelter
    to those weary from their climb.

    To touch it is life changing,
    for it's the Tree Of Life and Love!
    It heals a heart forever
    with power from above.

    To find it is worth the labor,
    and worth the ardent climb,
    for it grants true love that never
    forsakes one throughout all Life times.


     

    My first post back in a very long time.  I dedicate it to my Tree of Life, my Love...something I have dedicated part of my life to...

    The Living Tree Company

    We now have t-shirts.  If you register as a customer, I will give you a discounted price.

    Until Friday......Blessings to all from the Lady of Avalon

     


     

December 4, 2011

  • History of The Christmas Tree...........

     

     


    tree1

    There are numerous quaint and charming tales regarding the origin of the Christmas tree tradition but in actuality, this custom has nothing at all to do with the birth or life of Jesus Christ. Since ancient times, evergreen trees have been revered as a representation of fertility, sexual potency and reproduction. For centuries, evergreens have played an important role in Winter celebrations. Carried into homes and adorned with apples and other fruits, they were set up as symbolic idols. Such decorations were intended as food offerings to the tree and may be where the modern custom of placing gifts beneath the Christmas tree originated. According to some sources, the Christmas tree is actually a throwback to "Yggdrasil," the Great Tree of Life mentioned in Norse mythology.

    yule

    Many pagan festivals used trees to honor their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen as symbol and a reminder that the darkness and cold of Winter would end and the green of Spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles in honor of their gods at harvest time. For the Saturnalia ceremonies, Romans would decorate their trees with trinkets, candles and small pieces of metal.

    The modern custom of an indoor Christmas tree is thought to have originated in Germany. German Christians would bring trees into their homes to decorate. In some areas where evergreen trees were scarce, the families would build a Christmas pyramid...a simple wooden structure which would then be adorned with branches and candles.

    tree2

    It is difficult to pinpoint the date that Christmas trees were first decorated in America. Some believe the tradition may have begun with the Moravians of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who decorated trees in the very early 1800s. Another theory is that the first American Christmas tree was set up by Hessian soldiers at Trenton, New Jersey, in 1776. Certainly by the early 1800s, there were many decorated trees to be found throughout the United States but the term "Christmas tree" did come into common use until 1830.

    The tradition of a Christmas tree spread across America during the 1800s with the arrival of German immigrants. One of the first public displays of a Christmas tree was set up by German settlers in Pennsylvania at a time when many people still considered the tree to be a symbol of pagans. The Germans would bake fancy ornaments for their trees and then consume the decorations when the trees were taken down. After Christmas, these frugal people wouls strip the needles and then wrap the branches in cotton to extend the life of the tree for several Christmases to come. Fruits, nuts, flowers and lighted candles also adorned the first American Christmas trees, but only the strongest could support such a weight without drooping. Thus, German glassblowers began producing lightweight glass balls to replace heavier, natural decorations. These lights and decorations were representations of the joy and light of Christmas, with the star atop the tree symbolic of the "Star in the East."

    tree3

    In England, royalty helped to popularize the notion of a Christmas tree by decorating the first at Windsor Castle in 1841. Prince Albert, husband and Consort of Queen Victoria, adorned this first English Christmas tree with candles, candies, fruits and gingerbread. Already a popular tradition in Germany...the country of Albert's birth...the Prince Consort suggested the idea as a reminder of his homeland. Ever ready to comply with her beloved husband's desires, Queen Victoria readily agreed. Although generally adverse to anything German in origin, the public held their Queen in such high regard that they had soon adopted the custom for themselves.

    The first written record of a Christmas tree is that of an anonymous Frenchman who was a visitor to Strasbourg, Germany, in 1601. He describes a Fir tree he had seen in a home upon which had been hung: "wafers and golden sugar-twists (Barley sugar), roses cut out of many-colored paper, apples, gold foil and sweets."

     

    Saint Boniface - web

    In 722 A.D., Saint Boniface, an English missionary and Benedictine monk who was known
    as the "Apostle of Germany," came upon some men about to cut down a huge oak tree to be
    used as a stake for a human sacrifice to Thor, one of the Norse Gods. With a mighty
    blow from an axe, Saint Boniface felled the massive oak and, as the tree split apart,
    a beautiful young fir tree sprang from its center. Saint Boniface informed the people
    that this beautiful evergreen, whose branches pointed toward heaven, was a
    holy tree...the tree of the Christ Child, symbolizing the purty of the New Faith and
    the promise of eternal life. Saint Boniface then instructed them to henceforth carry
    the evergreen from the wilderness, place it into their homes and surround it with
    gifts symbolic of love and kindess.

    Saint Boniface, whose feast day is celebrated on June 5th, received the name Winfrid
    at his baptism but adopted Boniface before he was ordained to the priesthood.
    He was martyred in Holland at the age of 75, along with 52 members of his flock,
    when they were set upon by a troop of pagans. Saint Boniface is the Patron Saint of
    Germany, as well as being the Patron Saint of Tailors and Brewers.

    firtree2

    A very old and delightful European custom centers around decorating a Fir tree with
    apples and small white wafers which represents the Holy Eucharist.
    These wafers were later replaced by small pieces of pastry cut into the shapes
    of stars, angels, hearts, flowers and bells. Eventually, additional pastries were
    introduced bearing the shapes of men, birds, roosters and other animals.

    treeoflife2

    During the Middle Ages, around the Eleventh Century, religious theater was born.
    One of the most popular plays...the German mystery play...concerned Adam and Eve and
    their fall and expulsion from the Garden of Eden, represented by a Fir tree hung with
    apples. This tree was symbolic of both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Discernment of
    Good and Evil, which stood in the center of Paradise. The play ended with the prophecy
    of a coming Savior. For this reason, it was often enacted during Advent.

    xmas_tree1

    The one piece of scenery...the "Paradeisbaum" or "Paradise Tree"...became a popular
    object and was often set up in churches. Eventually, it also found its way into private
    homes and became a symbol of the Savior. Since the tree was representative not only of
    Paradise and the fall of man, but also the promise of salvation, it was hung not merely
    with apples, but with bread or wafers (Holy Eucharist) and often sweets to represent
    the sweetness of redemption. In some areas of Bavaria, fir branches and little trees
    decorated with lights, apples and tinsel are still called "Paradeis."

    treeoflife

    In Christian legend, it was a Fir tree that grew as the Tree of Life in the Garden of
    Eden. When Eve plucked its fruit, the foliage and flowers shrank to nothing but
    needles. Only on the night of the Nativity would the Fir tree bloom again...a moment
    mirrored perhaps by the Christmas tree of the Christians.

    treeangel

    On the night of the Christ Child's birth, all living creatures, both flora and fauna,
    traveled to Bethlehem bearing gifts. The Olive tree, for example, brought its fruit
    and the Palm tree its dates. But the little Fir tree had no gift and was so tired that
    it was unable to resist when the larger trees pushed it into the background and hid it
    from view. But then, a nearby Angel took pity and commanded a cluster of stars to
    descend and rest upon its delicate boughs. When the Baby Jesus beheld this lovely
    lighted tree, he smiled and blessed it, declaring henceforth that Fir trees should
    always be filled with lights at Christmastime to please little children.

    tree6

    When Christianity first came to Northern Europe, three personages representing virtues
    were dispatched from Heaven to place lights on the original Christmas tree. These
    personages were Faith, Hope and Charity. Their search was long, since they were
    required to find a tree as high as hope, as great as love and as sweet as charity.
    In addition, the tree had to bear the sign of the cross on every bough. Their search
    finally ended in the forests of the North where they found the Fir. Lit by the
    radiance of the stars, it became the first Christmas tree.

    GC590

    The triangular design of the Fir has also been usedto describe the Holy Trinity of God
    the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Eventually, converts began to revere the Fir as God's
    Tree...as they had once revered the Oak. By the Twelfth Century it was being hung,
    upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a
    symbol of Christianity.

    tree8

    When the Holy family was pursued by Herod's soldiers, many plants offered to provide
    them with shelter. One such plant was the Pine tree. With Mary too weary to travel
    any longer, the family stopped at the edge of a forest to rest. A gnarled old Pine
    which had grown hollow with the years invited them to rest within its trunk.
    Then, it closed its branches down upon them, keeping the family safe until the soldiers
    had passed. Upon leaving, the Christ Child blessed the Pine and the imprint of his tiny
    hand was left forever in the tree's fruit...the Pine cone.
    If a cone is cut lengthwise, the hand may still be seen.

    christmastree

    Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant religion, was taking a stroll through the
    woods late one night. The sky was clear and many stars were shining through the
    branches of the trees, giving the impression of twinkling lights. Luther was so
    captivated and inspired by the beautiful brilliance of the sight that he cut down a
    small evergreen and brought it home. He recreated the stars by placing candles upon the
    tree's branches to imitate their radiance and presented it to his children.

    edsion

    Thomas Edison's assistant, Edward Johnson, put forward the theory of
    electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.

    Christmas tree lights were first mass produced in 1890.

    christmaslights

    In 1900, department stores began to erect large illuminated Christmas trees.

    Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway, have given a Christmas
    tree to the city of Westminster in England. The gift is an expression
    of good will and gratitude for Great Britain's help to
    Norway during World War II.

    In 1963, the National Christmas Tree in America was not lit until
    December 22nd due to a 30-day period of mourning which
    followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

    02

    Since 1966, the United States National Christmas Tree Association has
    given the gift of a tree to the President and First Family.

    In 1979, with the exception of the topmost ornament, the American National
    Christmas Tree remained unlit.This was done in remembrance
    of the American hostages being held in Iran.

    The State of Oregon produces the most real Christmas trees.

    It takes a Christmas tree from seven to ten years to reach maturity.

    Christmas trees remove dust and pollen from the air.

    Christmas trees are grown in all American states (including Hawaii and Alaska).

    tree7

    100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry.

    On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are planted per acre.

    Real Christmas trees are involved in less than one-tenth of one percent of
    residential fires...and then only when set ablaze
    by some external source of ignition.

    2943621150042644830zcXCEn_fs 

    Approximately three seedlings are planted for every Christmas tree which is harvested.

    One acre of Christmas trees provides for the daily oxygen
    requirements of eighteen people.

    231710151gRhGwv_ph


     

November 23, 2011

  • Always give thanks for what you have.............


     

     

    At the Estate of the Ellison’s the maid does the last minute touches to the Autumnal centerpiece.....Crystal stemware gleams within prism chandelier glow...Starched white linens are smoothed and napkins, as creased swans, stand guard over a legion of silverware…Fine, gold-rimmed china takes center stage...Tapers flicker and dance from loud voices as guests and hosts exchange pleasantries....An invited priest brings the table to Grace, champagne pours freely, and laughter trickles through the red velvet drapes....The creative feast boasts full compotes and gravy boats, as servers scamper with the next course.....Promises of a good Cuban cigar in the study, entice the men......

     

    At the edge of the Suburbs, a table is set with handmade place-mats....On each, a pine cone turkey, constructed by grade school hands, decorated with crayons......Napkins are tied with orange and brown ribbons, as children place silverware in the right slot next to pottery plates.....A Mother brings her trophy of golden brown turkey to be judged by a caring Mother in law......Smiles beam, as the Father once again attempts the most perfect carving.....Mashed potatoes plop, gravy pours, and jello slides....Grandfather brings the prayer for the Thanksgiving blessings of the year....Glasses of milk raised in toast to having a full table.....Pumpkin pie waits for a dollop of whipped cream....

     

    At the Apartment Complex, the couple giggles as they cover the coffee table with a new, store-bought tea towel....A toffee-scented candle is lit in celebration...From the kitchen they dish from the stove, their slices of turkey roast, some boiled potatoes, dressing from a box, gravy from a can, and cranberries from a jar...Paper towels pass for napkins…Pepsi is poured ceremoniously into Dollar Store glasses, as they settle upon the borrowed couch, to share their first Thanksgiving together...As a reminder, the TV screams the game of the day......A kiss seals the beginning......

     

    At the edge of the city, the Nursing Home dining room fills with chatter and banging plates and forks.......Trays are loaded with mounds of turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, yams and are set in front of wheel-chaired Seniors, aliened along a stark laminate table....Paper napkins are tucked as bibs on some, others drop to the floor, lost....Piped music blares, to cover conversation.....In a room at the end of the hallway, waits a patient for her tray.....She finds herself eating alone in a quiet room, as she blesses her food quietly, and ponders Christmas....

     

    At the center of the City, the shivering homeless watch as breaths steam into crisp Fall air.....The line that formed at dawn, now winding around the corner of the brick building....As the Shelter doors swing open, promise of turkey and the trimmings flow through the senses...White uniformed volunteers dip helpings onto a portioned tray, and direct the guests to the table for hot coffee...Pockets fill with rolls for later....Tables bright with red and white oil cloth, seat groups from the street, as music from a Salvation Army band rings in their ears....A minister leads a blessing as the hungry swallow.....

     

    At a three-story walk-up in the Village, a Veteran sits in the dark.....He pats the head of a gaunt German Shepherd and tells him that soon their Thanksgiving meal will be ready.....Walking with cane to the window, he peers through faded curtains to the street below.....Not many on the sidewalks, as he suspects they are mostly with family.....After navigating the stairwell, he and his sidekick saunter quietly to a corner cafe…A turkey sandwich and coffee to go.....Ascending three flights, they both anticipate their private holiday meal together....

     

    In a Humvee, sitting in drifting sands, a Soldier softly brushes away the dust from his lady's picture.......As he gazes at her, he wonders of her day and of their children...Will it be at home or at Grandma's house?....His buddies wish him Happy Thanksgiving, throw him a packet, and promise a relief shift soon.....And as he peels away the cover of his MRE, he remembers his wife's words as he left on that Sunday morning...."Stay safe, and come home by Thanksgiving."....he thought...if only.

     


     

    This year give thanks for what you have, say a prayer for those who don't have! If you know of someone who is alone,

    invite them to share.

    Remember what Thanksgiving is really suppose to be about.


     Happy Thanksgiving and Many Blessings from My House to Yours!

     


November 22, 2011

  • Precious Family


     

    To walk again the pathway
    where life has taken me
    rekindling loving moments
    still deep in memory

    Voices in the distance
    are still so real to me
    I`d walk the planets rim
    if loving faces I could see

    Hold your precious family
    on a pedestal of gold
    they`re the core of life and love
    a gift from God above

    Family is Forever!!!




November 4, 2011

  • Blessings to All......


     

    fall

     

    The beautiful time of year, is knocking upon our hearts once again, opening our minds and souls, to gently let her in. The auburns, gold, reds, and bronze, this season of the year, filled with beauty.  This is so my favorite one.

     

    The animals scurry about, to gather food for what lies ahead, running through the wild, making winter beds.

     

    fall3

     

    Halloween is behind us, costumes put away. The day of ghost and goblins is fading away.

     

    Cool winds come within the air, cooling the earth with such gentle care. Slowly the colors blend, placed before us by God's loving hands.

     

    fallcolors

     

    The scent of apple pies, like Grandma used to bake, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, filling the lands, the mouth watering scents sure to entice.  The thoughts of stuffing, potatoes and turkeys roasting, soon the holiday parties everyone is hosting.

      

    fallleaves

     

    Array of colors fall to the ground, bare limbs start to show nakedness, endless raking, children running all around. Singing and dancing as the colors cover the ground. Jumping into piles of leaves, hooded sweatshirts, hot apple cider and oh the joy and laughter in the sweet season we all know as fall.

     

    fallbird

     

    Birds still singing as the cool air brushes against their wings, it is in this season, I find the most beautiful of things. 

     

    biketrail

     

    As we begin this holiday season, let me be the first to wish you and your loved ones joy, happiness, love and peace. 

     

    fall2