I love this week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day! After the busy time of shopping and gifting and cooking and hosting, it’s wonderful to sink back into the chair of “it’s all over!” These days do have their hazards, though. This little breakup note to the Christmas leftovers is a poem I wrote… Continue reading Dear After-Christmas Leftovers
Last November I wrote a children’s Christmas poem just for fun. It was a countdown poem, starting with ten multitudes of angels, dwindling down to the one baby in the manger. I shared it with my writing friend Laurel, who liked it. Fast forward to this fall, when Laurel took a job at our church… Continue reading An early Christmas present (Hurry to Bethlehem!)
Though I haven’t joined in on Poetry Friday for a couple of weeks, I’ve enjoyed reading the #haikuforhealing (Mary Lee Hahn’s idea) that keep popping up in my Twitter feed and various blogs this December. Today I’m bringing my little haiku side-dish to the potluck. Christmas Snapshots #haikuforhealing Road choked with cars. She signals merge—let… Continue reading Christmas Snapshots #haikuforhealing
The climax of the Christmas season will soon be here. This year a book that has directed my Advent focus is Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany (compiled by Sarah Arthur). One of the readings for the first week of Advent (“Incarnation” by Amit Majmudar) especially captured my… Continue reading Incarnation
Thank you to Irene Latham for rallying us to revive our Spiritual Journey Thursday meme, at least this once. We’re invited to reflect on our One Little Word choices for 2017. My 2017 word was / is MINDFULNESS. I am aware that there are psychological and, in some faiths, religious overlays to the word which… Continue reading Mindfulness at Christmas
Today I’m recommending my friend Laurel’s blog for your Advent reading. When her two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder could no longer tolerate the upheaval of Christmas, she knew she would have to find a different way than with decorations, visiting, lavish gifts and meals to celebrate. She tells her story on this video. https://vimeo.com/147060464… Continue reading Journey through Advent
Though we’re just starting December the First Sunday of Advent is already past and Christmas is in the air. Sarah Arthur’s Light upon Light (a book of readings for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany) recalled the beautiful song “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” I first heard “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” sung by the Amadeus Children's… Continue reading “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
Pivot Night Under ancient curse Ushered through canal of pain Tiny, pink, squalling History pivots, the night Yahweh incarnates the Star © 2015 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved) *************** The daughter of my friend is in labor right now. And so my mind keeps drifting, this Christmas Eve day, to the ignominy of… Continue reading Pivot night
I love old Christmas songs. I love new ones too, especially ones that are written by poet / musicians like Carolyn Arends. A year ago Arends brought out a new Christmas album, Christmas: The Story of Stories. I enjoyed it then and continue to give it lots of play time this year. On it Arends… Continue reading “Hush, now listen…”
Christmas Cake November or early December is the time to start on this year’s Christmas cake Pour several cups of sweet anticipation into a large bowl - the first snowfall when we hauled out the Christmas records - all the dolls in the Sear's catalogue - paint smells from the basement cut in a pound… Continue reading Christmas Cake
