MINDFUL MOMENTS

                                      Midnight ends the year of 2020.  Although I worked all day, I was able to finish my day with a walk in the darkness to a candlelit church where I prayed for family, friends, and strangers. Walking home in the bitter cold I rejoiced at the warmth of my humble studio condo and took a midnight cake out of the oven to enjoy with a pot of tea.  How did you spend your New Years Eve 2020? A healthy, happy, and prosperous new year of 2021 to everyone. May you be blessed by the LORD and feel the presence of angels protecting you through your life journey. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A CHRISMTAS CAROL (God Bless Us Everyone) ENGLAND has many exceptional writers; one being Charles Dickens who wrote the Christmas classic, "A Christmas Carol." First published in England on December 19, 1843, (177 years ago) "A Christmas Carol" remains the most popular of Christmas stories. Every decade a new film version of "A Christmas Carol" is released and each year there are hundreds upon hundreds of stage performances of "A Christmas Carol" presented in various countries around the world.  There's so much to learn when reading or watching "A Christmas Carol," One can observe how much brighter life is when a person offers kindness towards others and helps those in need. Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserable rich man who has no respect for Christmas and its meaning but the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future teach Mr. Scrooge some valuable lessons. The ending of course is wonderful because Ebenezer Scroog...

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas, even in a global pandemic, that's why it's important to just be still and cherish the simple things in life.  Today on Christmas Day, I'm grateful that I was able to walk to a nearby church and attend a short service, I'm grateful that I could afford food so that I could make homemade dishes to share with those dear to me, I'm grateful that I spent time in my humble dwelling place staying warm near the fireplace while the weather outdoors was frigid. I'm grateful that I was able to visit my Mother who has advanced Alzheimers, and communicate with her in a heartwarming manner. Today, the 25th of December we honor the birth of Jesus who was born long ago in Bethlehem The angel who appeared to the shepherd the night of Jesus birth around c. 5 BC, said "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messi...

Every year in December, a church in my community called "New Hope" puts on an outdoor play, "Christmas Journey."Hundreds of people attend the weekend performances where actors are dressed in period costumes and live animals like camel, donkeys, goats, and sheep appear in the scenes. Although the coronovirus has kept me social distanced from activities I did feel led to appear in at least one performance of the CHRISTMAS JOURNEY this year. I arrived at the church at 4:30 pm to get my costume and meet some of the cast members. The pastor prayed with us and we all headed outdoors to our sets. My scene took place in  Bethlehem and I portrayed one of the peasants.         For two and a half hours I acted out my part next to the darling goats, observing the visitors on the trail who were touched by the meaning of Christmas experienced through this journey. In between scenes trail angels came with hot cocoa, sandwiches, bottled water, and cookies to keep us energetic. ...

THANKSGIVING, NOVEMBER 26, 2020 THANKSGIVING was over two weeks ago. Preparing for it and celebrating with my loved ones kept me so busy that I never got to my blog, BUT it's never too late. In fact, reflecting on that day is as vivid as  just made stuffing. I was so happy to have Wednesday off so that I could cook some dishes ahead like butternut squash soup, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes, and pecan pie. My poor Mother who has Alzheimer's can no longer cook which is sad because she was once one of the best cooks on the planet. My mother's caregiver Cecelia invited me to spend the night, so together we cooked up a few others dishes to serve for our festive meal. On Thanksgiving Day, I spent the day at my mother's condo with Cecelia, my brother, and our pets Mila, the dog, and Sari the cat. It was all so simple and sweet. The greatest gift of course was having my Mother to share the holiday with. All of us enjoyed the bountiful delicious meal. My brother contributed...