I Understood

There is a lot of talk again about whether to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or whatever. Frankly I don't care. If you wish me your holiday blessing, I will gladly accept it.

Today we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch. We are still working on the kitchen and it was nice to take a break and go out. We are well known at this restaurant and Maria knows what we usually order and that's all we have to say in answer to her question: The usual. Yes.

I realized today would be the last time we would be there before Christmas and so as we leaving I said, "Maria, Feliz Navidad". She looked at me, smiled and said something back - in Spanish - which I did not understand at all. But all I didn't understand were the actual words. Her meaning and blessing I understood perfectly. They showed in the smile in her eyes and the smile on her face. I left feeling blessed. That's what the greetings we offer each other at this time of year are for: blessings for our lives whether or not we understand all the meanings behind the word. ~ blessings, my friends

Advent 4, 2016

Advent ~ a time of anticipation and waiting, a celebration of Joy. There are times, and this year is one of those, when I have to remind myself that Joy is not another word for happy. "Joy to the world, the Lord is come." I'm with the poet on this one. Nothing less than the coming of Light and Love, Hope and Peace into the world is worthy of the word and feeling of Joy. 

Whatever holiday we celebrate this time of year, the reason comes from a deep abiding sense of Joy. None of it comes from the gifts or the dinners or the parties. Remember the Grinch? Maybe, just maybe, it's a little bit more. And that more is Joy: the knowledge that we Love and are Loved; that the Light will overcome the darkness; that Hope abides in spite of the situation; that Peace has come even as people flee for their lives in war-torn parts of the world. 

Joy be yours this season, dear friends ~ blessings

Advent 3

Advent ~ a time of Hope, Peace and yes, Love. Love within our families. But also Love shared with the wider world. Love when you tell a Muslim mother how beautiful her children are and she sighs in relief. Love when you share a dressing recipe with the stranger and the daughter tells you that her mother felt you were safe to ask. (Two stories from friends.) Love when you stand up and say this is not the way it is supposed to be. Love when with every grocery purchase you also purchase a toothbrush and toothpaste and donate them to a women's shelter. (My daughter) Love is being still and quiet and holding. Love is also an active verb, doing and being the world in the way you know is right. ~ blessings, my friends. 

Naive Expectations

About 18 months ago when the kitchen counter tops were all done, Dean started working on a plan to redo the cabinets. He thought long and hard about how he wanted to do them: sand them in place, take them off and to the shop for sanding, how much, what finish. He also knew he/we needed younger help. Neither of us do floor easily any more. Knees are functioning reasonably well but down on them on the floor just does not work. 

Last month our wonderful Brook came back to clean for us again. She is also very good with painting and crafting and has even served at big dinner parties for me. Dean asked if she might help him with the cabinets. Of course. How does next week, say December 6th, work? Perfect. And my immediate response was, "Oh, wow!! I will come home from New England to a fresh new kitchen!" Brook even told me, she had thought she would have an opportunity to clean again even though her regular time isn't for another week. Ha!! 

Here is what I came to:

I admit, it is an organized mess. Every time I asked, "Where is the . . .?", Dean pointed to the correct box. He assures me that we will get the drawers back soon and that will clear the clutter from the middle of the living room floor. That's a good thing because in a week, we are hosting a small holiday business party and I would really like to use my Christmas china and have people enjoy the decorations ~ and yes, have a place to prepare the food! If they can move around without tripping over boxes, I guess it is ok if they can see into the cabinets. 

Having said all of that, I need to rise from my chair and go to work.

The Boston Pops

Before I get to the subject matter of this blog, let's get me to Boston first.

Here I am, right off the plane, just through security, and smiling from ear to ear. 

It is always so good to be with family!! It was just Meredith and me this time as David was in Tennessee fighting the fires there and then flying the Chinook to its home base in Billings, Montana. We missed you, David! And Meredith and I started talking as soon as this picture was taken and kept talking until I walked back through security on my way home. It was a great trip!

My last night was blessed with a visit to Symphony Hall and the Boston Pops Christmas concert. This event poster hung outside the Hall.

We had a little table in the house right corner. It was the almost perfect table. We missed seeing the theatrics during The Twelve Days of Christmas, but otherwise it was wonderful. Keith Lockhart, the conductor, was just "right there" and we could see his expressions and watch his style.

Several tables over from us a family had brought their three-year-old daughter. Age is a guess but she looked a lot like our Lettie who is three so I think it is a good guess. We were impressed that they had brought her to a concert and not a children's concert. And then the cellists entered and it became obvious why. Right in their line of sight was grandpa. And he had to be because the man of the couple in the audience looked so much like him. They pointed him out to the little girl, she waved at him, and when the orchestra stood for a bow, he smiled at her the smile that only a grandfather gives a beloved granddaughter. 

A large screen over the stage gave us a variety of Pops' information including when this year's Christmas concert would be broadcast. PBS airs a lot of WGBH shows so expect to enjoy the concert yourself at some point. 

Our table allowed us to order goodies. We had a fruit and cheese plate. Meredith had egg nog and I had hot apple cider. When Hansom first arrived though, I asked it was possible to have a glass of iced water. We had taken a cab from the hotel and the driver was a smoker. I needed water. Hansom understood and we quickly had iced water and then we took our time filling out our menu for the evening. Dinner is available and we had eaten before hand so we just needed a little something to fulfill the ambience. 

We were this close! This is a cellist's score. I love it that you can see the crease where she turns the pages night after night. 

It was a wonderful evening. I would love to go formal to opening night some time. This evening was a mid-week more casual time, and I was glad because of packing clothes and comfort of travel.

Santa came and helped lead us in the traditional sing-a-long at the end of the concert. The 3-year-old granddaughter waved at him too! 

As always, photos are not allowed during the performance and so these are what I have - plus a CD of Boston Pops Christmas music which Meredith bought for me. One special musical time: they segued from Bach's "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light" right into Peter Yarrow's "Light One Candle". It was so smoothly done that you hardly realized you had been taken from the 1730s to the 1970s in three musical measures.

The next morning, I made my own segue from EST to PST, from Boston to Dallas to Reno to Tahoe City. The first part was as smooth as the musical segue. From Reno to Tahoe was driven in the snow. Dean made that time as easy as possible too. It was a wonderful Christmas interlude and I am also glad to be home! 

Advent 2

Advent ~ the Hope for Peace. Peace in time of war. Peace in time of turmoil.

Peace in a time when the streets are not safe for some people. 

Peace in time when some people are being shunned. 

Peace when bullies are rampant.

Light the candle of Peace, claiming the promise of Peace and

living in the Light of Love. ~ blessings

Words of Wisdom

My friend Sue Ellen Hall posted these words from Howard Thurman which are so appropriate for our lives today:

“Life Goes On”

During these turbulent times we must remind ourselves repeatedly that life goes on.

This we are apt to forget.

The wisdom of life transcends our wisdoms;

the purpose of life outlasts our purposes;

the process of life cushions our processes.

The mass attack of disillusion and despair,

distilled out of the collapse of hope,

has so invaded our thoughts that what we know to be true and valid seems unreal and ephemeral.

There seems to be little energy left for aught but futility.

This is the great deception.

By it whole peoples have gone down to oblivion

without the will to affirm the great and permanent strength of the clean and the commonplace.

Let us not be deceived.

It is just as important as ever to attend to the little graces

by which the dignity of our lives is maintained and sustained.

Birds still sing;

the stars continue to cast their gentle gleam over the desolation of the battlefields,

and the heart is still inspired by the kind word and the gracious deed.

There is no need to fear evil.

There is every need to understand what it does,

how it operates in the world,

what it draws upon to sustain itself.

We must not shrink from the knowledge of the evilness of evil.

Over and over we must know that the real target of evil is not destruction of the body,

the reduction to rubble of cities;

the real target of evil

is to corrupt the spirit of man and to give his soul the contagion of inner disintegration.

When this happens,

there is nothing left,

the very citadel of man is captured and laid waste.

Therefore the evil in the world around us must not be allowed to move from without to within.

This would be to be overcome by evil.

To drink in the beauty that is within reach,

to clothe one’s life with simple deeds of kindness,

to keep alive a sensitiveness to the movement of the spirit of God

in the quietness of the human heart and in the workings of the human mind—

this is as always the ultimate answer to the great deception.