Christmas Week 2017

When does Christmas begin?

The day after Thanksgiving?

 

The buying & selling world would have us 

believe it begins on "Black Friday."

But when stores have closed

their doors on December 24th

and all is calm, we know it is 

          The Holy Night. 

              Christmas has arrived;
             Christ the Savior is born.

    

    May the spirit of this beautiful season

     of Love remain with us, as we now 

             celebrate with great joy.

    The gift of Christmas goes far beyond

             what the world has to offer.

        Let the real celebration begin!

Miraculous Proof

Today is the feast day of Our Lady Of Guadalupe.

Holy Family Cathedral, Orange, CA

Juan Diego's tilma (a cloak from 1531) hangs in Mexico City
with a miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on it.
A beautiful proof bestowed by The Virgin Mary
as a sign of her mother's love for all of us. 

                                                         




Don't we need something beautiful
to celebrate today? . . .

First World Day Of The Poor

       Did you know?

                   (I didn't.)

https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/papa-francesco_20170613_messaggio-i-giornatamondiale-poveri-2017.html

If you follow the above link, you will find words of wisdom, compassion

and love for the poor from Pope Francis.

Sample  # 8

8. "At the heart of all the many concrete initiatives carried out on this day should always be prayer.  Let us not forget that the Our Father is the prayer of the poor.  Our asking for bread expresses our entrustment to God for our basic needs in life.  Everything that Jesus taught us in this prayer expresses and brings together the cry of all who suffer from life’s uncertainties and the lack of what they need.  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he answered in the words with which the poor speak to our one Father, in whom all acknowledge themselves as brothers and sisters.  The Our Father is a prayer said in the plural: the bread for which we ask is “ours”, and that entails sharing, participation and joint responsibility.  In this prayer, all of us recognize our need to overcome every form of selfishness, in order to enter into the joy of mutual acceptance."

                                     

                                           AMEN

THE LIGHT AND PUBLISHING

This evening along the creek bed
the lingering autumn light shed gold
on nameless trees and shrubs. 

And sometimes that unexpected light shines
on a writer and it's a beautiful experience.

First Things 

Here Is What I’d Like to Say to You | Kathleen Gunton


Caveat Lector

http://www.caveat-lector.org/2801/website/poetry/gunton.html

                       

      Gratitude is the word for the day.

Walker Evans

This photographer documented people

who lived during the Great Depression.

Born on this day in 1903. He died in 1975.

Walker Evans captured life in black & white.

Today (for many reasons) we have a choice: 

color or black & white.

                    You choose.

Enjoy your world and capture whatever moves you.

Variations for a Celebration

My good writer friend from Laurel, MD

has advised me to add something to this blog.

"It's been awhile and your fans will think the

site has gone dark or that you've died."

                         He is right.

This is the month (and we all have one), where
we look at our life through the lens of one more
                          Birthday.

And so to all the loving, caring and generous

friends and family who remembered

my day with cards and texts and emails and flowers

and gifts of every sort, allow me to thank you here.

      Fall-fill of color

      One butterfly perched

      See the curly willow branch

               

        

         In a white bouquet

         Rose and Lily link

         Such purity of purpose             

                                  

                         

   
     Peach-pink cheeks nestle
     Above Baby's Breath
     Only Love can love this way

   Sunflowers gather

   Mums in this autumn

   Poetic conversation

Love and thank you hugs especially to: 

Kathy L, Sandee & Fred, Teresa & Joel, Joe & Rosa

Rob & Brooke & Brandi, Gloria & Bob, Mo- & Gary, 

Bob & Carey, Anita & Steve, Phil & Judy & Ashley, 

Orman & Laurel, Dave F, Maurice O, Amanda & Abraham,

Nick, Alberta, Lynne & Eric, Jeanne & Don, 

and Mother Judith--who shares my birth day.

           You are each a blessing in my life!

September 11th

There is grief enough today to fill the pages
              of every September 11th!

             (May our generosity help the victims of recent
               natural disasters . . . and, please God, we will
                 all contribute in whatever way we are able.)

 

                        September 11th 2001

George Eastman

Many photographers fell in love with
the camera and all its magic thanks to
a Kodak camera. Today we honor the
man who gave us spools of film to feed
our imagination.

           

    And though we are now in a digital age

where creativity in photography is boundless . . . 

                   

      We thank you George Eastman!

The Mother of God

Today we celebrate Mary's
Assumption--body and soul into Heaven.
In the Orthodox Church it is called
the Dormition of The Theotokos--
the "falling asleep" of the Mother of God.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee. . .

Pray for us now and

at the hour of our death.

AMEN

Sharing

Nature shows us

There is enough for all--

If we just share . . . 

           

ABIDE

For May Sarton (1912-1995)

Do you recall the day someone dear to you died?

Many of us honor that special day as a birth into heaven . . .

ABIDE           -for May Sarton

Bone white
Stalks of the day
Lily gone dead,
Yellow fennel flower
Dried to mustard seed size.
These riches from
Native plants abide
Like a beautiful life
That does not die,
But passes on
For the passersby.

                       -Kathleen Gunton
                       orig pub in The Aurorean

Frederick Buechner

Do you know the name?

I invite you to look up the work of this

writer, theologian, and Presbyterian minister.

His thoughts on how to live life are beautiful--

and perhaps more importantly, true. 

 Happy Birthday! Frederick Buechner

                      Thank you

AMERICA (another verse)

On this special day of celebration  we might want to sing out the fourth verse to Samuel Smith's beautiful song.

May we sing it as loud as the fireworks

that light the sky this night into the early

morning hours.

May God protect each person who longs for

the freedom & liberty we enjoy.

 

July 1st

Days move into summer . . .

Humid in the East and hot in the West. 

                                        

                 

Someone should be celebrating
              and you know who you are.
                            With Love & Hugs
     

Purple Heaven

One Photographer To Another

For today, a brief quote from
the photographer whose name &
work is well known -- even to those
who are not into photography.

     A picture from Southern California
                  as it really appears
                for much of the year.

      A little bit of heaven 
              for the painter or the photographer.
                                 

     
                       

Mother's Day 2017

Blessings on all mothers today (and everyday)!

If you are a "mom" you know 
how easily life can pull you in
too many directions at one time.
Choices can become a heavy burden.





Today you are being honored for your
courage, your sacrifice, but mostly
your unfailing, your unconditional . . .

           Love

  You are never alone--there is an ocean of other mothers
                          out there who understand.

     Honoring some mothers who come to mind today . . .

Gloria, Carey, Judy, June, Anita, Annie, Sandee, Jeanne,
Lynne, Flora, Christina, Brandi, Bonnie, Nancy, Leslie,
Dianne, Sharon, Jennifer, Peggy, Kathy, Monique, Rosalind
& Mother Judith along with all the Servants of the 11th Hour
(many of whom are mothers to their own children as well
as to God's forgotten children.)

    (And let us also remember the women who do not have
the title of mother, but who care for and love many children.)

                   God Bless Each Of You 


                               

Teacher Appreciation Day/Week

What day should we honor teachers
for what they do?

Correct answer: every day

That being said . . .

Our Nation and individual states have choosen

special days and months, so whether you are

a student or a parent or a friend, pick a special

day and let a teacher know that he/she is much

appreciated.

A few words from the presidential proclamation 2016 :

Our future is written in schools across our country. It is likely that the first person who will go to Mars is in a classroom today. Our students are our future teachers, scientists, politicians, public servants, and parents -- a generation that will steer the course we will take as a people and make possible things we have not even imagined yet. We look to the women and men standing in front of classrooms in all corners of our country -- from cities to reservations to rural towns -- to vest America's daughters and sons with the hard skills they will need to put their dreams within reach and to inspire them to dream even bigger. On National Teacher Appreciation Day and during National Teacher Appreciation Week, let us ensure our educators know how much we value their service in the classroom, how much we appreciate all they do for our students and families, and how thankful we are for their contributions to our national progress. 

                                                                                        -Barack Obama

                                                          President of the United States of America

Found on Twitter May 2, 2017     @JennHobby

"The best teachers tell you where to look, but don't tell you what to see." 

(I send special thoughts out to my daughter, Teresa Griffin--a generous & devoted teacher.)

Easter Season & Earth Day 2017

             Rejoice!

papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.pdf

"the seamless garment of God's creation"

                                       -Pope Francis

A Beautiful Day

Don't you agree
        it is an especially
              beautiful day  
                  when someone sends

             flowers . . .

  















         
      God does it every day.

National Catholic Sisters Week

March 8th-14th

During National Women's History Month in 2014

a group of working women were finally recognized

for the good they do. Sisters/Nuns--however we 

refer to these women, they taught us, and cared for us in

hospitals--and some even went to foreign lands to

feed the hungry and imprisoned.

http://www.nationalcatholicsistersweek.org/index.php

This is the week to recognize these selfless women 

who did not work to become rich. 

Their loyalty to the God who called them will bring 

riches the world can't even imagine.

Rosella Poulin was one such "Bride of Christ."

On January 16th 2017 Our Lord welcomed her home.

 

Rosella grew up in Nelson, BC -- one of nine children. 

In 1947 she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Bellingham, WA.

During her life she taught high school, cared for

the infirmed and homeless and also did missionary

work in Haiti. 

She filled the world and my life with goodness and 

joy. 

      "May a choir of angels come to greet you, 

               and speed you to Paradise,"

                        Aunt Rosella

Abraham Lincoln & Friendship

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln !

We thank you for many of your ways
and many of your words -- which we
understand today.

"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships."                          -Abraham Lincoln

With the words of Lincoln I am pleased to

wish a good friend and fellow writer a 

      very Happy Birthday today . . .

Orman, when your ship comes in
know that it will sail with a full crew
of those you have helped along the
way. Your wisdom and laughter
are gentle winds that have brought
many writers to the shores of
publication.

                  Onward

February: The Passion of Our Lord

Though Lent does not begin this year
until March 1st our world is being asked
by Pope Francis to consider how we might
serve . . .

Our current Pope is fearless, often
finding the right words, inspired words, for
a particular moment in time. May God
continue to care and watch over this
"man of peace." (Amazing how many
non-Catholics love Pope Francis. He
warms the Chair of St. Peter with Love.)

You can find the Pope daily at:

http://www.news.va/en/news/popes-february-prayer-intention-welcome-the-needy 

 Peace.

The Holy Spirit At Work

Sometimes in today's world it's difficult
to believe that the Holy Spirit is still at work--
that He has not abandoned us.
Pope Francis recently added a few
updates to the Beatitudes which should
give us pause and confirm that indeed
the Spirit of God is guiding the world.
We only need to listen. . .

"Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils

     inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart.”

"Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned

       and marginalized and show them their closeness.”

"Blessed are those who see God in every person

       and strive to make others also discover him.”

"Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.”

“Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.”

"Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians."

  

Honoring Dignity & Uplifting Eloquence

Today we said goodbye.

(And thanks to live coverage)

we saw once again two 

people who brought honor

to the White House.

 

                     

                    

                     Thank You

Words from today give us pause as we ask once again:  

               God bless America
                      Give us wisdom
                            Mend our flaws
                                     Heal our wounds

                                                                    AMEN

After The Rain

At twilight last night
the sky was happy with the rain
that fell over Southern California.

"Here the rain, like everything else,
suggests permanence and eternity."
-Elie Wiesel from Dawn 

Epiphany

On this day Christians

recall the story of the three

Kings and the gifts they

brought to honor the Christ Child.

Seems like an appropriate time for

this writer/photographer to honor

some of the literary publications &

editors I've worked with this past

year. Thank you! Through your efforts

and devotion you keep the literary

world alive.

 Christopher Bernard   Caveat-Lector

 Heather Cuthbertson  Gold Man Review

 Danny Judge  The Indianola Review

 Amy Sage Webb  Flint Hills Review

 Virginia Howard   Thema

 Patricia Caspers   West Trestle Review

 W. B. Gerard  That Literary Review

 Megan Jones   Perceptions

 Valerie Wallace  Rhino

 Valerie Lawson & Michael Brown  Off The Coast

 David at The Last Line

 Editors Studio One

 Editors  The Healing Muse

 Editors  GNU Journal

 In addition:          

 Sarah Jane Sanders & Jessica Durham

 at the Eat Exhibit Norton Center for the Arts

Some links you may want to check out:

http://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/studio_one/

http://www.caveat-lector.org/2701/website/poetry/gunton.html

http://themaliterarysociety.com/issues/ZOO.htm

http://theindianolareview.com/

http://www.off-the-coast.com/OTC_summer2016_images.html#biking

http://www.off-the-coast.com/OTC_spring2016_images.html#bee

http://www.westtrestlereview.com/archive.html

                          Happy New Year

             Blessings to all in 2017!