Denouement

IMG_5845December 25th: Christmas Day
December 26th: First Day of Christmas
January 3rd: Ninth Day of Christmas
Time for “Nine Ladies Dancing”

Many speculate this refers to the Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit, as specified in Galatians 5:22.
Some believe it references the Nine Ranks of Angels, some of whom appear in TONY KUSHNER’s ANGELS IN AMERICA.
For my own self, I believe it references three Lesbian Couples and three Shamanic Woman who make the choice to remain Single.
Awesome Women, All!
And they DANCE in Jubilation!

The TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS are concluding their third Quarter.

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ReFresh

IMG_5746December 25th: Christmas Day
December 26th: First Day Of Christmas
December 31st : Sixth Day Of Christmas

“…On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me: Six Geese a Laying…”
— Traditional English Carol

The Six Geese a Laying is said by some to represent the Six Days of Creation.
They represent New Life!
The Eggs they are a-Laying are Rife with the Promise of Life to Come!
It is also New Year’s Eve.
We are on the Cusp of Something New.
A New Beginning
Another Chance
A Clean Slate
A Fresh Start
A New Day
A Gift: To Receive; To Give
Now…

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Three French Hens

IMG_5902December 25th: Christmas Day
December 26th: The First Day Of Christmas
December 27th: The Second Day Of Christmas
December 28th: The Third Day Of Christmas. Today. Now.

A quick bit of internet research reveals that the Three French Hens in the Carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” have several symbolisms:

Some say they symbolize Faith Hope and Love
Others say they signify the Holy Trinity
And still others believe they refer to a new breed of Chicken.

In some cultures, White Chickens are believed to bring Good Luck.
For many, the Hen is a sign of Motherly Devotion
For others, it symbolizes Divine Intervention.
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You’ve Got a Wire Showing

IMG_5829MAMA was a Fashion Designer.
She had quite an eye.
As CÉZANNE once said about MONET,
“MONET is nothing but an eye, but What an Eye!”
She was extraordinary — raising four kids, and all the relentless daily obligations and responsibilities that come with that, yet still making Christmas a Season of Beauty and Magic that is as indelibly etched in my memory
as HARRY POTTER’s time at Hogwarts
or those three children crawling through the back of their wardrobe…

When I decorate the Christmas Tree, I can still hear her voice in my head.
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Light ‘Em up

IMG_2120I like the Lights.
When I grew up, the Tree was put up on Christmas Eve.
Children awoke Christmas Morning and were told that Santa came and put up the Tree in the Night.
Parents are Amazing in their SuperPowers & what they can come up with…
The Lights and the Decorations were all a part of that one brief event: Christmas.

It has all grown very secular
And that’s fine if it makes it more accessible for more people.
Celebrating Kindness…
Celebrating Giving…
Celebrating Gratitude…
Celebrating God With Us…
All of these things are Christmas to me!
And all of them can be celebrated with a string of Lights, or a SnowFlake, or a Wreath or a Drum, as well as anything else.
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Less than Two Weeks

Advent CalendarLess than Two Weeks ‘til Christmas.
What a Beautiful Time of Year!

Oh, I realize it is quite Out-of-Fashion to say that!
What’s popular now is Ugly Sweater Parties
Disparaging Christmas, making a mockery of it.
Santa-con — Reducing Christmas to the most debauched aspect of St. Patrick’s Day!
That seems to me just too Easy!
It’s Easy to Stand on the Outside in Jeer and Derision.
I advocate: Show Up for Your Life!
It’s way more Rewarding to Actively and Joyfully participate IN it.
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A Small Thing

December 1, 2015

December 1, 2015

It’s a small thing.
But a Big Thing to some.

Yesterday was World AIDS Day.
The 28th One.

MAYOR DE BLASIO announced the expansion of HASA (HIV/AIDS SERVICES Administration) to include Both People with AIDS as well as those who are HIV Positive — HASA For All.

DE BLASIO announced an additional $23 Million per year for HIV Prevention and Health Care, while (more…)

Giving Thanks Day

IMG_5809One of the things of which I am Proudest
Is to live in a Nation in which we set aside a Holiday for the sole purpose of
Giving Thanks.

Some say I am naïve,
And the true purpose is FootBall,
the sale of Cranberries,
and the Inventory Clearance Shopping Day — now Week — known as “Black Friday.”
And perhaps those elements have protected and buoyed this Holiday Up
Into the Five Day Weekend that it is for So Many of us
With the Travel Home
And the Celebratory Feast.
Others voice Great Political Objection to an Occasion that marks the obliteration of an Indigenous Culture by White Europeans.

Well, all of these issues may be worthy of discussion.
but that is not the Holiday I choose to Celebrate.

And I do not expect for one minute that any of those things account
for this being the greatest Travel weekend of the year.
There is some Larger Spiritual Aspect at work.

Gratitude.
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Onions

IMG_4108Onions are SO FREAKIN’ DELICIOUS!
Cut ‘em up and fry ‘em in a pan with a little bit of oil.
That’s all you have to do.

Ever watch Onions Cook?
They start out So Big and Robust — Raw and Hardy Vegetable Chunks.
They’re Beautiful.
And they make you Cry.

Then, the Heat gets to them.
They separate into thin strips.
They start to sweat.
It looks like things are gonna’ be pretty bad for the Onion.

Sautee’ ‘em a Bit.
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40 Days

20151017_171456Forty Days until Christmas.
Close enough to talk about it.
The ads are annoying — No one wants to hear Christmas Music before GivingThanks Day!
Really! No One!
And the Holiday Window Displays amount to pandering
A way of coopting some symbol of Cheer and Good Spirits as a way to,
as my Father would say,
“get their hands in your pockets and take what you got!”
Their falseness is quite transparent.

But that doesn’t mean it’s too early to begin the True Work of Love and Kindness.
That’s Right for Any time of year!

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  • Life Adventure

  • Some Good Movies

    IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
    THE SIXTH SENSE
    SAINT RALPH
    I AM
    PRIDE
    THE GOOD LIE
    MAO'S LAST DANCER
    MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
    CALENDAR GIRLS
    WALK ON WATER
    CINEMA PARADISO
    SLIDING DOORS
    THE LIVES OF OTHERS
    LOCAL COLOR
    BREAKING THE WAVES
    EVERYBODY'S FINE
    READY? OK
    INKHEART
    THE LIVING END
    MARRIAGE, ITALIAN STYLE
    THE BUBBLE
    BIUTIFUL
    GYPSY w/ ROSALIND RUSSELL
    and Anything by PETER HEDGES

  • Arnold J. Mungioli