Taking the last day of 2025 off.

 

Opening this morning's paper was enough to just admit I can't do positive today.  Not giving in to despair, just taking a day to step back, make a cup of tea and sit down with a favorite children's book for the day.  Might do two children's books today.  One before I shovel out for the umpteenth time this month and one after I shovel.  

Will regroup for 2026 tomorrow.

December 30 - National Falling Needles Family Fest Day

There is a day for just about everything.  Happy National Falling Needles Family Fest Day!  A public service reminder to take down your tree, unless you are like me and wait until January 1.  So, if not taking down your tree, maybe you are working on your resolutions for the new year.  Last year Good Housekeeping thought readers might find some good ones in their list of  65 resolutions which they claim are "achievable." However, picking 1-3 resolutions seems to be the recommendation on other web pages.  Or, you can just plan to not have any resolutions and be content just as you are.  That's resolution #16 in the Good Housekeeping list, "Be Kinder to Yourself."  That seems like a good one to keep for 2026.

Hunkering Down - Preparing for 2026 with Book Recommendations

This is today's morning scene.  The dry powdery snow was much easier to snowblow today compared to yesterday.  Yesterday, after walking Ella and then shoveling the first round of wet, messy snow, I sat down to read as is my habit on Sunday afternoons.  And then I started to think about what I could possibly write about for today's post.  Although I briefly toyed with the idea of writing about the social media phenomena this weekend of people posting photos of themselves with the statement, proud member of Radical Left Scum, it just didn't seem to be the right tone for ending 2025 and I don't think anyone should be "proud" to be called "scum."  So with three days left before the New Year begins, I thought about all the books I have read in the past year. I started to peruse my book journal, where I keep a list of books that I have finished.  In looking at the books I read, I realized I have a very eclectic reading pattern as I read self-help books,  romance novels,  mystery fiction,  and frivolous books I don't even remember reading (which is why I keep a book journal.)  I also  participated in two book groups plus there were a few recommended readings for other book discussions.  I have a friend who also provides book recommendations and almost always her recommendations provide valuable insights.  I also thought about the books I have given as gifts this year.  One of my favorite books to give as a gift was a recommendation that came during one of the lunches I hosted this past year for a group of women warriors who came together to share lunch, stories, and laughter.  Laughter is the best medicine for helping us get through this year.  But at one of the lunches, a participant recommended, The Serviceberry; Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This gem of a book is worth picking up and reading as one of the messages is a reflection on living not in a world of scarcity, but abundance.  The book is also about community and how to practice gratitude.  It is a short read, but it is one that stays with you.

Another book that I read as a result of a book group recommendation was Active Hope; How to Face the Mess We're in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone.  Since hope is something we are all clinging to right now, the authors provide guidance on how to develop an active practice to build a coping mechanism.  This was one of my book discussion groups and the group still meets regularly once a month to discuss one topic to focus on and use the practices recommended by the authors to  work through that one particular issue.

Those were just two of the books this year,  I have a lot more I could share.  Right now I am reading Jane Goodall's book, Hope, but I'm not done with it, so too soon to comment.  However,  I decided this would be a good question to ask those of you who visit this blog and a way to prepare for January 2026 blog posts.  

What book did you read in 2025 that you would recommend for others?  

Either because it inspired you, or entertained you or provided hope or somehow made an impact on your life.  Even if it was just a good escape read, let me know.  I have created a form and if you want to submit a title and a few words about why you are recommending it, I promise to share in future posts in January, but I won't share any individual names.  So please give it some thought.  I haven't limited the form to just one response, so you can enter as many times as you like.  Starting in January, I'll share responses and I am fairly certain that you will not disappoint me!  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Walking on Ice - Facing our Fears

When the temps are above freezing, I take Ella over to Lake Como so we can walk the entire loop, a 1.6 mile walk.  With Ella, that means closer to an hour of outdoor time because she has to do a forensic inspection every two feet.  But it gets her outdoors, I get in a good long walk so it is mutually beneficial, and most importantly, the restrooms are open and available for outdoor walkers.  During our walk on Friday, I noticed four people on the frozen lake.  Since there are multiple signs posted around the lake warning "thin ice" all I could think of was Harry in "It's a Wonderful Life" falling through the ice.  When I arrived the four individuals were on the farthest side of the lake, but as I continued our walk, they crossed the entire lake coming toward my direction and I could see and hear, they were children.  They weren't ice skating, but they were pulling a sled.  Ice fishing perhaps?  What I do know is that they were fearless in terms of walking across the lake.  In my advanced years walking on any kind of ice is a challenge, but watching them enjoying their outdoor adventure, I started to consider when exactly do we start to develop fears related to things children do naturally and as adults we become hesitant and fearful?  In my case, it has more to do with falling and once we start the ice/thaw/ice pattern we are in, I strap on my ice cleats when walking Ella.  I didn't need them to walk about Lake Como because the path was clear.  But walking in my neighborhood, especially in the morning when it is still dark,  I don't leave home without my ice cleats.  Since the children continued walking after they left the lake on into the neighborhood, I have to assume they lived close by, but I wondered do their parents ever caution them?  Children don't weigh as much as an adult, but still the ice was showing evidence of thawing in spots.  Bottom line is that despite my concerns for their safety, they were all completely safe.  It made me wish that they could remain fearless regarding many of the perceived fears too many young adults now experience. I know anxiety is a real issue among younger people as well as adults.  In this year where we have observed so many unsettling events,   I will hope you are able to find ways to embrace a fearlessness in the new year that many children have naturally.  And I will close with a quote from one of my favorite books:

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
— A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)

 

December is a time to take in the beauty of winter

A few days ago, I took Ella for a walk at Minnehaha Park.  I love to see the Minnehaha Falls in their winter glory.  What you can't see in this photo is that in the very center above the frozen falls the creek is still gurgling and not yet frozen in mid air.

I have a long term interest in the freezing of Minnehaha Falls because of my first job in Minnesota. When I came to Minneapolis in the fall of 1976, I secured a student employment position in the Municipal Information Library located in the bell tower of City Hall.  One of my jobs was to help organize the boxes of archives from the city that were being sorted by the two amazing librarians I had the privilege of working with as I started my first year of library school.  I remember very well during my first fall that I was working with a box of photos and there were some fantastic images of Minnehaha Falls in black and white taken in winter and they were just beautiful.  Ansel Adams quality of photography.  If I had had a cell phone in those days, I would have taken a photo.  Being new to Minnesota, I had yet to experience the freezing of the Mississippi River, but my first winter was definitely one of the coldest on record and the images were just a preparation for what I was to eventually experience.  The MIL closed in 2003, but the materials were preserved by the Minneapolis Public Library, now part of Hennepin Country Library.  As many photographic materials have been digitized, I did a search in the Minnesota Digital Library, and while I can't verify this photo is from the collection I was working with, it is ironic that the photographer's last name is also Adams.  The photo that I remember was a closeup photo of the falls and it just captured perfectly the beauty of the frozen falls.  

During this winter, may you be able to slow down, take time to notice the small things around you, and maybe just find that special feeling of wonder in the winter landscape. 

 

December is a time for Gratitude

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has stopped by to read my words.  I know my musings have been viewed over 1,000 times, at least if the stats are accurate. I know in the social media world, that's not very many, but I don't need a large audience.   And it is most likely the same readers coming back so that is a good sign.  If I have made a difference for just one reader, that makes it worthwhile to me.   I have heard back from a few folks sending words of encouragement, and I thank them very much.  This has been an interesting experiment because unlike Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or BlueSky, there have been very few comments and the comments I get are anonymous.  So unless someone lets me know who they are when they submit a comment, I don't know who the author of the comment is.  Thus, writing such as this, in a vacuum without a significant amount of  feedback, is somewhat different for me because I don't really know what resonates and what does not.   For example, I know on Facebook if I post something not political, I get more views than if I post something that is political.  However, the fact that there have been over 1,000 views for this blog is somewhat encouraging, I guess, because it has to be the same people coming back.  So I must be doing something right!  (I hope.) I regret that I have to keep a bit of control over the comments because there are too many folks in the world who seem to get pleasure from posting messages that aren't particularly kind. So I restrict commentary to those comments I can approve.   And so far, all the comments have been approved.  I also know I am using "old" technology, but I don't need to post on SubStack. This is the same technology I used back in the days when I was working and posting work-related notes and it still seems to be working. So far at least.  And it doesn't use AI.  And that to me, is a good thing.  Some day, in a future post, we can explore the world of AI, or not.

Today's post is the last card for the season, but there is still a partial week of December.  Today is also the start of Kwanza.  You can find family friendly celebrations in the Twin Cities here and the list of seven principles for Kwanza.  And the last holiday of December will be New Year's Eve.

As we close out the year, in the week we have left, I hope you have something to be grateful for in your life right now.  I especially hope the holidays in December provided some much needed joy.  As we leave December and look ahead to January and resolutions for the new year, I'll have to spend a bit of time pondering how best to continue this experiment.  As always, if you have comments or suggestions, I would welcome any and all!  In the meantime, may you continue to enjoy all that December has to offer us and may you find yourself surrounded by the beauty of winter.  And if you are looking for ways to practice gratitude, check out Grateful Living.

"By practicing gratitude, we can actually wire our brains

 to help us build resilience." 

Christina Costa

December is a time for wonder

May you find wonder today in the beauty of winter around you.  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 

Rice Park, Saint Paul, MN

image source 

Sending warm wishes to everyone on Christmas Eve

Christmas is a time for granting wishes.  Sharing a post from faith leaders in Minnesota. "Across religions, races, cultures and creeds, these Minnesota faith leaders are uniting to share a vital message this holiday season. " My wish is that we can all work for the common good to make Minnesota a better place for everyone who lives here.

"We believe that Minnesota can be a place where we all see our different faiths and backgrounds as our strengths. But this holiday season, a lot of Minnesotans are hurting."

“We believe in Minnesota. We believe in us. We resolve to work for a common good—for our neighbor, for a future without fear."

"It will take every single one of us to create the kind of Minnesota we can all celebrate. We resolve to start again—in our relationships with each other, in our commitment to the common good, in mustering the courage to rise united against fear and for freedom.”

 

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A post shared by McKnight Foundation (@mcknightfdn)

December is a time for Togetherness

Before I sat down to compose the message for today, I was reading the paper.  In today's Strib there is a commentary by the mother of one of the children killed at Annunciation.  I'm including a gift link for anyone who wants to read the entire commentary.  Her words spoke to me this morning when she wrote:

"Every choice matters. How we speak. How we listen. What we normalize. Who we protect.

What kind of world we are building, and who we are becoming in the process.

We can do better.

We must do better.

And we can only do it together." 

[emphasis mine.]

She continues with: "This season, may we remember what winter has always known. We survive by gathering close. By holding each other."

We live in a very challenging world right now, yet the words of a mother who has lost her child and can write a message of hope, were very moving for me.  Everyone is dealing with loss in their lives of one kind or another, but for this mother to sit down and encourage others when she is facing her first Christmas without her child, for me, showed a strength of character that is a beacon of light.  She demonstrates that even in the darkest times, there can be hope.  May those of you reading this post take the time to appreciate the togetherness of those who surround you in love and remember her words: "We survive by gathering close."

 

Traditions in December

Had to spend a bit of time pondering this one for today.  Whenever I see or hear "tradition," I hear the music from "Fiddler on the Roof."  The story focuses on the changes impacting the patriarchal traditions embraced by Tevye and the struggles amidst the tensions that occur because of those changes.  So there is the one aspect of traditions that are undergoing change which may or may not be embraced.  Then there are the memories of possibly happy traditions related to December holidays.   But even then, as families grow and expand and include new family members, family traditions often evolve and change to include new traditions.  Again, tensions may occur as new traditions are born and older traditions cease to be followed.  

There are, of course, a multitude of traditions around meals during the holidays.  For a period of time, when I was young, we often ordered Chinese food for Christmas Eve so that my Mom didn't have to cook as we had a tradition of having a very large family meal with cousins and grandparents on Christmas Day and that involved a lot of cooking.  My Mom and Aunt traded off on who cooked Thanksgiving and who cooked Christmas dinner, but we always shared those two holidays with my cousins who lived in the same town along with my Mom's parents.  So if it was my Mom's turn to cook Christmas dinner, we had Chinese food on Christmas Eve.  That tradition only existed for a short period of time when we shared holiday meals with an extended family, but ended as children grew up and lived elsewhere, we no longer had our grandparents with us, and our parents moved.  But, it is still a fond memory.  And once I moved to Minnesota, different traditions around holiday meals evolved and changed the longer I was here.  Eventually, I was included in Christmas Eve dinner at the home of good friends, and that has become an almost annual tradition.  And I look forward to sharing my Christmas Eve dinner with them again this year.  At the same time, I have another good friend who for the first time ever, is NOT hosting a family holiday meal in December.  Her children are older with their own families and she and her husband will now be guests instead of hosts.  I'm looking forward to hearing how she does in this newfound "freedom" and the possible birth of a new family tradition.

So, just the word "tradition" can stir up happy or not so happy memories and that is why I had to ponder a bit more in preparing something to write.  For those of us getting into more advanced ages, our lives experience all kinds of changes that affect what traditions we carry on during the holidays.  From the loss of people no longer with us, to new family members and new friends, we make adjustments.   I will hope this December if you are undergoing adjustments, that you are enjoying those traditions that make you happy, but also not being subjected to traditions, old or new,  that create stress.   And if your traditions are undergoing change, I hope you embrace the changes and are able to accept them as a positive force in your life.  With the remaining days of December, may you be feeling more joy and engaging in activities that make you happy and finding pleasure in the company of others to share your happiness.

 

Splendor in December

Yesterday I shared a post about sparkle and the outside light displays.  Splendor includes decorations and lights inside.  Tonight is the last night of Hanukkah and the last night for lighting the menorah.  There have been public displays of menorahs this year, including the Sydney Opera House, and several public events in the Twin Cities, all add to the splendor around us. 

This is also the last Sunday of Advent, when we focus on love.  And the indoor splendor of the church after it has been decorated with the greens and the lighting of the last candle is always uplifting and brings joy.

But today is also Winter Solstice.  It is the turning point when the days start to get longer again.  And that is really something to celebrate today!  It starts slowly, but by the end of January, we will have gained almost an hour of daylight.  Celebrate the small wins.

May you find some splendor in your surroundings as well as love and joy during this last day of Hanukkah and the last week of Advent, and the beginning of days when we start to break out of the darkest day.  

December is a time to sparkle

One of the pleasures of the season are the light displays one can find throughout the Twin Cities.  With our winters these lights really do sparkle and provide some much needed cheer.  One of my favorite streets for displays is along Summit Avenue.  And this year, if you want to catch the displays we are supposed to be experiencing a major thaw on Christmas Day. There are also displays in downtown areas, such as the one in Rice Park in Saint Paul that has quite a bit of sparkle.   If you live in the Twin Cities you can find more information about

light displays here.  May you enjoy the season of lights that really do sparkle for us now!

 

December - a time to savor tastes and smells

My fully decorated balsam fir still provides an occasional unexpected whiff of freshness when I sit in the chair located closest to the tree.  I don't have a lot of time to just sit and be still, but my cat will only sit in my lap for an extended period of time when I sit in the one chair that the dog cannot also be on at the same time.  I know the cat needs the comfort of my lap as much as the dog needs the daily walks and play time.  So I savor the time I can sit next to the tree and give her some lap time.  It is also a time to be able to read and so we both benefit from the quiet time.  As we get deeper into winter and with less holiday events, she'll get more lap time and I will get more reading done.

I also savor the foods that appear only at this time of year, such as the latkes I'll be enjoying tomorrow evening at the celebration of Hanukkah with close friends.  I used to make a traditional Buche de Noel years ago when Christmas celebrations involved larger groups of people, but I haven't made one for probably at least two decades.  Probably just as well as I remember the amount of time it took and the occasional cooking failure getting the cake for the log to roll without breaking.  I only made it when Christmas was spent in California because it was one of my Mother's favorites.  I still associate Buche de Noel with memories of her.  This year, I just haven't done a lot of baking.  Primarily because of lack of time, but also due to cancellation of events where I would have shared my cookies.  Alas,  due to the weather an event that would have included pizzelles, another favorite Christmas taste,  was cancelled.  That is one of the challenges of living in Minnesota.  Some years the weather just doesn't cooperate and this December has been one of those years.  Yesterday's slight dusting on top of icy road conditions made it a good day to just stay home.  The good news is that looking ahead to next week, it appears like calm weather for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

As we have plunged back into another cold spell after a few days of thawing, I will hope you have a chance to sit and savor some of the holiday treats that only appear at this time of the year.  There are probably smells and tastes that evoke pleasant memories.  I will hope your festivities allow you to indulge in all those seasonal pleasures that you can savor and enjoy and provide new happy memories.

 

Miracles in December

 

Is there anyone who has NOT seen the 1947 version of the Miracle on 34th Street?  There are many movies about Christmas and everyone has their favorite.  That is one of my all time favorites.  I still draw the line at Die Hard being a Christmas movie, but my lineup usually includes The Bishop's Wife (original version with Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young), It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, recent entries - The Christmas Chronicles 1 and 2, and of course, White Christmas with Rosemary Clooney.  Anyway, lots of different miracles in those movies.  But today's card spurred me to buy a Powerball ticket and who knows, maybe it will result in my own miracle!  May you find a favorite movie streaming for free with no ads to enjoy during the remaining two weeks of December.  And may you have all your errands run before the temps plummet today.  We don't need any miracles on the ice today.

Making Merry in December

 

To "make merry" involves enjoying oneself with others.  This is the time of year of festive parties, gatherings with friends as well as family.  If you are employed, it may involve holiday parties with co-workers.  It also probably means avoiding the scale during an intense period of festive treats and beverages.  Then the question becomes do these festive gatherings make you happy?  Everyone has a different comfort level when it comes to holiday gatherings, but I will hope you get to choose which festivities you participate in and that you only choose to participate in those that truly do provide you with an atmosphere of joy and allows you to make merry with others.  If you receive invitations that instead bring feelings of dread, don't go!  It is much easier to decline invitations with a simple statement that you regret that you have a "previous commitment."  You don't have to share that the commitment is to keeping yourself happy.  During this season it is very easy to get stressed over too many invitations, too much food, and just too many people.  On the other hand, for extroverts, this is the season to embrace and gather with as many others as time allows.  Just recognize when you are doing something because you feel you must versus doing something because it will truly make you happy and your presence with make others happy as a result.  To decline an invitation does not make you a Grinch.  It is a recognition that if you aren't going to be happy, your presence will not increase the happiness of others.  You will find your own happiness in making decisions that make you comfortable.  So, please make merry when you truly want to and rest when you don't. 

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."  Mahatma Gandhi 

Finding Peace in December

After the cacophony of yesterday, reflecting on finding peace amongst all the discordant noise means stepping back and sitting in quiet.  Again, this is part of being kind to yourself during times when so much noise is coming from so many directions and it is doing nothing to add to your holiday spirit.  And if we are not feeling the holiday spirit, how can we be presenting our best selves to others?  So for those friends in Minnesota, today is a day to embrace the release from the below zero numbness and step outside and enjoy all that nature has to offer when we have these brief periods of weather rebounds.  I admit, pulling snow off of my roof was not exactly embracing all that nature has to offer, but at the same time it was a lot easier chore to do in above 30 than below zero! (I'll take the small wins anytime I can.) I will hope that anyone reading this post today may be able to carve out a brief period to sit in quiet and reflect on all that is good in your life right now.  And afterwards, may you be able to present your best possible holiday spirit to others.

And should the spirit move you, use the comments feature to share how you are doing now amidst this holiday season with all the contradictions we have in our current lives and the lives of others around us. 

 

For every season, there is a time...

 "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes, or the Byrds "Turn, Turn, Turn" depending on where you want to look.)

This post is late today primarily because I was traveling.  Just a short overnight, but I didn't take my laptop.  Then when I woke to the news for today, I had to really wrap my mind around how I could possibly manage something joyful today.  I know folks are reading these posts, so I know others are looking for places to find joy, but I have to acknowledge the news from Australia on what should have been a happy day of celebration for the 1st day of Hanukkah.  And of course, more shootings on a college campus.  But the main gut punch today for me was Rob Reiner.  So today's post is a tribute to someone who brought so much joy and is gone to more violence, most likely at the hands of someone who knew him.  

Even this photo excudes an image of someone who found joy in life.  

And just two weeks ago I watched (again for the umpteenth time) When Harry Met Sally, but with someone who had never seen it before.  I don't know any woman of any age who doesn't just roll on the floor when Sally does her fake orgasm followed by Rob Reiner's mother's quip, "I'll have what's she's having." 

And of course who hasn't watched multiple times, The Princess Bride.  So many wonderful scenes, so many great actors, and the message about "true love."  And it would be "Inconceivable!" if you haven't used  "have fun storming the castle!" or "as you wish."

And there are more films such as Spinal Tap and films that Rob Reiner was in plus appearances in television shows. 

May he and his wife, Michele, rest in peace and as per The Princess Bride, experience the realty that "death doesn't stop true love."  Thank you Rob Reiner for your legacy that will live on and provide more much needed joy to many future generations.

December is a time for love

I think the sentiments expressed on the card speak for themselves.  Enjoy your day today 

and may you experience love all around you.

 

Practicing Kindness in December, even if for yourself

 

In the world we are in right now, everyone needs more kindness especially with "care and understanding."  And yesterday, I felt no-one needed more kindness than I did when I woke up to a cooler than normal house and it was a repeat of last Friday.  No heat coming from the furnace.  The furnace was running, but no heat was coming through the vents, so the house was a lovely, brisk 55 degrees.  Attie, the cat, was not happy.  I think Ella thought I was doing it on purpose.  And I had a lab test scheduled for 7:30 a.m. and I knew I couldn't place a call until after 7:30 a.m.  So I did my morning walk with Ella, came back, closed off all the rooms, and started the gas fireplace to get a little heat in the living room and den.  To add insult to injury, yesterday the featured word was "joy" and I was definitely NOT feeling joyful.  I think I expressed a few things with a lot of expletives deleted.  I'm pretty sure Ella heard words she had never heard before.  Then I had the drive to the lab test.  First getting stuck behind a school bus (multiple stops on the main street I needed to take) and then the fine mist started and despite my best efforts I could not keep the windshield clear enough for really good visibility in the dark morning.  It was one of those "white knuckle" drives and let's just say I was not feeling in my best holiday spirit.  However, I knew I needed to be nice to the lovely people who start work at 7 so I can get a lab test (fasting blood test) at 7:30.  So, I held it together for check in, but then when the lab technician asked me how my morning was going, I had to laugh.  Laugh at myself and at the circumstances and I shared that it had not been a stellar start to the day.  So blood drawn and home I headed to call in for a repair person and I talked to a very nice young woman who was very sympathetic and kept apologizing since this was a repeat call.  And we laughed together because we both knew it wasn't her fault, but I appreciated her sympathy.  Anyway, despite my difficult morning, I felt it was important to not take it out on others and that by demonstrating kindness toward them, was also a kindness toward myself.  Being kind to myself also  meant that I did not do my usual stop after a fasting blood test for a breakfast loaded with calories that while short term might be a reward of sorts, would just add unnecessary calories that I wouldn't be able to work off with exercise later since I was to spend the day at home waiting for a repair person.   So, I figure I was kind to myself by sticking to my calorie count for the day. (That meant oatmeal, not eggs benedict.)  And I decided that was good enough.  Sometimes we need to be kind to ourselves in order to be kind to others.  As this is the season of generosity and random acts of kindness, I will hope that you are on the receiving end of some act of kindness by someone this month, but most importantly are being especially kind to yourself.

And regarding my furnace, a very nice and knowledgeable technician came and was able to assess the problem was the outside air intake and probably snow buildup on my roof.  Since there is no way I can get up there,  he showed me some quick fixes I can do if it happens again.   And since this was a repeat visit, no charge.  Now that was a real act of kindness!

December is a time for joy

Joy is having Christmas gifts wrapped and shipped.  That and getting together with friends for the annual holiday luncheon at Macalester.  It was good to visit with former colleagues, see familiar faces and meet new members of the library staff.   I will hope you have found some joy this month along with laughter with family and friends.  Wishing all of you more joy in the coming weeks and definitely more laughter which is the best medicine for everyone.

 

December is a time for inspiration

The definition, depending where you look for it, for inspiration is "a person or thing that motivates, uplifts, or gives one the confidence to do something."  (Just Google it and although it takes a bit of digging to find a definition that does not include "inspiring", one can find sources online that give a real definition.) Generally, inspiration involves stirring an emotion to be creative.  When it comes to December, we're often looking for "inspiration" for gifts that are meaningful to the recipient and we often are seeking inspiration. And as we are now two weeks away from Christmas and Hanukkah, I will hope you all have been inspired appropriately.  I took a pledge this year to avoid Amazon and focus on local, small businesses.   The intent is "reclaim this Advent season from consumption to community, hope, and renewal." And with just one person left to find a gift, I think I succeeded by focusing on a local bookstore and for one major gift, preparing a giftbook that is based on providing future experiences together. And, I completely avoided Amazon.

But what about inspiration not related to gifts?  When I worked, I had several places where I posted quotes for inspiration that I could turn to as needed depending on the "issue du jour."  I'm sure you've had times in you life where you looked for inspiration from others to solve a problem, address an issue, or have a creative solution that would make everyone happy.  (Okay, making "everyone happy" never happened, but it doesn't mean we don't try.) I had lots of post-it notes on my desk and I kept several printouts that I now have on my home desk.  So, I'll close with this one that I think ties in with the December holiday spirit:

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

--Harriet Tubman

May you be inspired today to reach for the stars and maybe change one person's life, even if it is your own,  for the better.

source:https://www.rawpixel.com/image/3388273/free-photo-image-galaxy-sky-stars-night-starry

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Hope - in the month of December

 The first week of Advent is focused on hope.  For faith traditions, Christmas signals the arrival of light to a world of darkness.  We're in the second week of Advent, and the focus is peace.  There is something peaceful when there is a snowfall overnight.  "A new day and a fresh start."  So reads the card.  Looking out after an evening of snowfall, after a week of daily snowfalls, one does not need to hope for a white Christmas as we have a very nice fresh coating of snow almost daily now.  "Every hour shimmers with promise and possibility."  If one lives in Saint Paul, the "possibility" of a snow plow coming to our neighborhood does sometimes seem more promise than possibility.  This week we have had daily 1 inch snowfalls, but the promise of a snow plow is based on a minimum of 3 inches of snowfall, not 3 days of 1 inch snowfalls.  However, hope springs eternal and we know that this too shall pass.  Now that we have had more than 3 inches in a single snowfall, we know our streets will get plowed eventually.  In the meantime, our overnight snow provides an excuse to either stay home and relax, or an opportunity to show your rugged Minnesotan can do attitude and embrace the winter in all its glory.  So whether you are seizing the day or retreating to a warm location in your abode to read or watch a movie, I will hope that you are able to enjoy everything that winter has to offer us today in a way that is most enjoyable for you.  Closing with a poem by Emily Dickinson.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

By Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.