Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Thursday, November 30, 2017

TBT - Traditions New and Old

Throwback Thursday this week is all about family Christmas traditions, new and old.

This time of year for us signals calm, peaceful gatherings of food, family and friends. It's no longer about gift giving. (I don't shop Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any of that nonsense). There's nothing we need or want that can be purchased at a store. It's more about being "present" with each other.

When the kids were small, it was a different story. It was about presents under the tree, anticipation of Santa coming while they were fast asleep. Rightly so. I loved seeing the looks on their faces on Christmas morning. Especially the year they each got a new bike. So much fun!

With my parents being gone and the kids grown, my perspective of the holidays has changed; evolved over time. My Mom loved Christmas. It was definitely her favorite holiday. I always got a thrill out of helping her decorate, baking with her, and reminiscing about Christmases with my grandparents.

We would laugh. We sometimes cried, missing those times of absolute joy. We would turn up the music loud and dance around the kitchen together when Jingle Bell Rock played.

One year I accidentally dropped a whole pan of cookies on the floor. Both of us looked at each other and laughed hysterically. No stress; just fun.

Now I'm the matriarch of our motley crew (makes me feel old ... ha)!

The first picture consists of things that we either made for someone we loved or something passed down to us by a family member.

The wreath above the fireplace is one that my Mom had for years and the last one she hung when she had to move to assisted living.

The brass candlesticks were made by my uncle, who honed them from mortar shells found during the war. He managed to get them home from Germany. They're very heavy!

Mr. and Mrs. Claus shelf sitters were given to me by my daughter several years ago. I just love them!

The velvet Christmas stockings were purchased at a craft fair when we lived in California. I stuffed good memories in them.

And last, but by no means least, the Merry Christmas hearth rug was made by yours truly for my grandmother the year she had to be in a nursing home during the holidays. I wanted her to have something that would cheer her up. It did. Mission accomplished.


The next image is a tree made completely from jewelry items that belonged to my grandmother, mother, myself and my daughter. Many pieces are antique, like the cameo toward the top that my grandfather gave my grandmother when she was 16, the year they met.

This was quite a project for me. Selecting the pieces and placing them strategically to form a tree took a while, I must admit. But once that was done, then gluing them on was pretty easy. I used a special glue and once completed, put this into a glass shadow box. There are still a few holes to fill in with some pearl head pins.

It now hangs on the wall in the family room and each time I see it, I feel all the memories attached to each piece. My daughter suggested that I list each piece on the back and its history. I think I'll do that. When I'm gone, this will be passed down to her. She wants it now. Ha!

Not yet, dear daughter 💓


Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'






Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Michael Buble and a Fireplace

For those of you who don't have a warm fireplace to cozy up to, here's one for you, along with some Christmas music, compliments of Michael Buble and YouTube. Who could ask for more? As I get older, I'm finding it's simple things like this that make the season merry and bright. Enjoy!


Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Christmas Night

I hope it's clear enough in your part of the world, wherever you are, to see this on Christmas Night. Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'



Thursday, December 15, 2011

Up, Up and Away

I won't be posting anymore until later next week.  I'm heading off in the big silver bird to CA to spend my daughter's 40th birthday with her and an early Christmas with the grandkids.  Looking forward to better holidays this year. Lots of fun and love. Color me happy!



Until then . . . have a wonderful weekend and namaste!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Finding Peace on Earth

Christmas Message from the Masters of Light (re-blogged from a post on Steve Beckow's blog) ...

In Christian Countries of the world, the focus of world peace has always been strongest during the month celebrating the birth of Jesus. Peace and love among all peoples were His most important messages. Today, that focus is constant as wars between races, religions and countries scar the earth and bodies of millions of people almost daily. Where is the Peace that the Angels promised? It is with you now & it always has been.

It was not peace between people and nations the message relayed; the Angels told of the Inner Peace that connects to the Mind of God, which automatically generates Good Will to Men! Consider that and see how very right it feels. The message was, and always has been, that humanity has that divine connection and it is only a matter of understanding and accepting the reality in order to be able to reach down deep within to access the Perfect Peace of God.

The message was not just for the followers-to-be of Jesus, but for the entire world. The words of the Angels were carefully preserved so that their meaning would eventually be understood by all humankind.

The word Peace as it is commonly used now, denotes the state of a lack of hostilities, in any form. When the world can live in such a state, able to raise children in a safe environment, grow food without unfair restrictions or mandated procedures, travel to any destination without hindrance, live and work with each other cheerfully, giving and sharing in joy, the world will experience the existence of real peace.

Before any of this can happen, however, before the world can come into the promised new age of peace, every living being must come to accept the Inner Peace & the inner connection with All That Is. How can a person who seethes with resentments live in peace with his/her brothers and sisters, giving and taking fairly and honestly? How can a person who lives with fear every day of his/her life, expecting a tragedy around every corner, relax and enjoy what life can really be? How can a person who must fill his/her ego with thoughts of supremacy work and live with those who are considered of no consequence because they look, think, and worship differently than they do? Inner Peace erases all such discrepancies.

How does one access this Inner Peace? The heavy clouds of daily cares, appointments, schedules, car repairs, computer breakdowns, keeping the kids in line, problems in relationships, etc., etc., keep the mind in many different focuses at once, all trying to command the primary attention. Emotions that spring from the daily round of thoughts engulf the nervous system, the heart, muscles, and the digestive system. Constant television commercials publicize certain diseases or common ailments, blowing them up to encourage the mind to accept the premise that the listener must certainly need their high-priced drugs to ease their suffering. Millions of dollars are spent each day for drugs that are not needed and do tremendous damage to the bodies they are supposed to be helping. Listen to the very quiet and rapid recitation of side effects that go with the ads for drugs. One even admits that the drug might bring on the flu as a side effect! Listen carefully!

All of these things keep the mind and body in a state of tension that forbids the conscious mind to relax and set aside a few minutes every so often to tap into the Inner Peace. Indeed, how often do most people even think about communication with their Creator through a few moments of prayer during their day? Would you believe that even a short “Hello!” to the spiritual sources of all things is welcomed as the acknowledgment of the reality? A few “Thank You’s” to your Angels for making things easier is very welcomed, too. If you cannot do this, accessing Inner Peace is impossible. You must know that it IS there! You must know that it takes the determination on your part to put your mind into a state of stillness in order to find that Peace. One does not have to sit in meditation for an hour to find it, although many people find this is the only way to train their minds to be still.

Inner Peace is not just a state of mind, but the very profound connection with universal energy and Creative Power. When that connection is made, even if only for a few minutes, it suddenly becomes apparent that all of the spiteful thoughts, all of the anger, all of the tangled webs of humankind, are simply of no real importance. The answers to problems become simplified, the blocks of memory or thought suddenly become clear again. You can see and understand the confusion behind all of the rhetoric of fear and annihilation that is produced by minds denied the clarity of Inner Peace.

European and Eastern nations who have been killing each other over the acquisition of ancestral lands, trying to erase those who think, speak and worship differently than they, continue their thoughts of hate and retaliation. Revenge for the terrible wrongs that have been committed is creating more terrible wrongs. This part of the world will not see a peaceful world for themselves and their descendants for a long, long time. The enlightened few are struggling bravely to turn this kind of thinking around, but it will not be easy. Where and when will it end? Worse yet is the infection of bias and bigotry that has been part of the human race for centuries.

When Inner Peace has been accessed, the realization of absolute unity with all humanity comes into view. One understands that the outer appearance is only a façade that spiritual beings use to experience a lifetime in matter. Yes, there are differences between spiritual beings, too, for the Creator saw to it that each created being is an individual, with its own thoughts and goals. That is why personalities differ so drastically. All of the experiences each being undergoes through the eternal stages of their lives, both in spirit and in matter, molds the spiritual personality just as much as the human personality, affecting the thoughts and goals of the incarnated soul. It is the Inner Peace, that connection with the Mind of God, that directs the beings towards wisdom and knowledge of the highest order. It is the Inner Peace that fuels the recognition of each person you meet as a part of yourself in some way. All of the qualities and characteristics of humanity are mirrored in the people you associate with every day. This realization is a beautiful relief from all of the little petty attitudes and resentments that are carried in the heart and mind & they hold you down and keep you from the joy you really desire! You realize you are no different from those you thought were either not as good as you, or so much better than you! All expressions of life are different as each individual reacts to them in different ways, echoing many eons of experiences. Inner Peace brings all of the Creator’s children together in simple, perfect Love.



Peace on Earth can be accomplished in your own home when both parents recognize the harmony and clarity that comes when peace is part of the thinking process, a part that remains close to the surface of the conscious mind, regardless of the many problems that surface each day. Disagreements can be quickly solved because of the clarity of mind that sees both sides of a question without the ego interfering. Negative outside influences can be explained to children from a universal, spiritual point of view instead of letting emotions run wild. This clarity of mind helps to avoid dangerous situations and/or to react without the mind turning to mush. The inner connection, when used constantly, eventually brings one to a point where the lies or misconceptions of others are seen without effort. Commercials or other methods of mind control are no longer of any effect. Inner Peace is a clarifier of thought and a kind, loving touch to the heart and the emotions. If humanity had never discovered this, your world would not have lasted this long!

The Inner Peace we are speaking of is NOT some namby, pamby, weak emotion that invites the scorn of others! It is an extremely powerful force, drawing upon the energy of the universe! As one dwells within the influence of this Inner Peace, it is like standing on a mountaintop, able to command all that you see, hear and feel in perfect harmony, a place where the personality has the feeling of supreme self-confidence.

Please help others to realize what a wondrous piece of creation they really are. They are partially a spiritual being that has all the knowledge of the universe at its fingertips, and partially a human being who is trying to understand life at a physical level, bringing a lifetime into real focus.

As this year comes to a close, it is apparent that the world is changing rapidly, bringing new experiences and challenges never even thought of in prior years. Finding your own Inner Peace will bring the realization that it is humanity itself that will bring world peace to perfection. You are the catalyst that will turn humankind’s concept of life and living completely around. As you live within the inner light and by the loving laws of the Creator, a new world is coming into play, just as planned. You are its Creators!

Peace on Earth WILL become a reality, for this is the Plan of God.


Monday, November 28, 2011

How to Keep Stress to a Minimum During the Holidays

The holiday season can be so joyous and yet extremely prone to creating real stress. Don't let your holidays be ruined by nerve-racking experiences. Here's some inspirational insights to help you keep your stress to a minimum this year.

Ask yourself if your expectations are realistic? Are you going to be getting together with family members that you normally prefer not to be around? Do you feel obligated to buy gifts for people who you aren't really close to? Do you get invited to events that just don't appeal to you but you feel obligated to go?  Believe it or not, these types of scenarios take place every year for millions of people. Why? Because we don't want to hurt someone's feelings so we sacrifice our own and then become resentful. If you want to stop that cycle, then just think carefully before you decide what to do. If it's a NO that you decide upon, say it as politely as possible but make it very clear that your answer is a firm NO. If it's a yes, then realize you committed yourself and see it through (hopefully in a very enjoyable way). I know people who purposely take the holidays to go away somewhere so that they're not caught up in the family frey. Las Vegas? Mexico? Hawaii, anyone?

Are you scheduling too much in too little amount of time? No one has more than 24 hours in a day. Try to remember that as you plan your pre-holiday events and accept invitations. Enlist the use of a calendar or day planner, either paper or electronic, so that you can feel some measure of control over your time. And don't feel bad if you've overlapped something by mistake. Just inform the parties involved and they will understand. We all make mistakes, especially at this hectic time of year.

Do you have a holiday budget or are you over-spending? Over-spending can be the biggest source of stress because we know what will happen ... we have to pay for those items sometime. If not now, then later. Just the dread of getting the credit card bills in the mail is enough to keep you from having a good time during the holidays. Stick to a budget. You'll be so glad you did come January when all the lustre and shine of the holidays has disappeared.

Sometimes our holiday stress comes from missing loved ones. If someone you love has passed on, change things up this year so that you can make it through this rough patch. There are lots of support groups with people going through the same kind of grief at the holidays. Tap into that for some healthy and supportive ways to cope. Last year at Christmas I just let myself "be" because my brother died in September. So I was pretty easy on myself and so were others around me. Of course I missed him, but attending a grief support group was such a lifeline for me.

The holidays can be the worst time of the year for us in terms of taking care of ourselves. My advice is to make sure you're eating healthy meals and drinking plenty of water. Dehydration (yes, even though it's not warm outside) can sneak up on you before you know it. Water supports every organ in your body, so if you plan on doing some holiday drinking, be sure to increase your water intake.

This may sound crazy because of all the running around we're doing at this time of year, but exercising is really important. Take a walk out in nature, ride a bike, do yoga, etc. Any form of exercise can be a phenomenal stress reducer. It's also good for lowering blood pressure, which could rise when crazy Aunt Mildred walks through your front door on Christmas Day.

One of the best things about the holidays is that more people open their hearts to acceptance and forgiveness. If there's someone in your life that you will be around this year that this applies to, give it a try. Even if it's a silent blessing from your heart to theirs. After all, the season really is about love.

The holidays are supposed to be a great time. Take good care of yourself and practice things that will eliminate some of the stress. I hope you find these tips helpful.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!