Thursday, December 25, 2014
ANGEL FROM HEAVEN - MENNYBOL AZ ANGYAL : ERIKA MIKLOSA
Hungarian opera singer Erika Miklósa sings.
Mennyből az angyal (Angel from heaven)
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
THAT SPECIAL TIME OF YEAR and SEASONAL DEPRESSION
I live in Southern California which is considered to be Endless Summer by much of the world. Recently we had a couple bouts of much needed rain, though the drought experts say it will have little impact. Now that we have just passed the Winter Solstice, the days will lengthen gradually, but it has been several weeks of very early darkness. As the rain pitter-pattered on our roof, even my dog was happy to stay under the covers and sleep. I bathed her, blow dried her, wrapped her in her warm nightgown and put her under there. She didn't even want to get up to go do her business.
My dog seems to frequently surprise me with her empathy and understanding of situations and makes me laugh at times. Recently we were shopping in a store that allows dogs and she got up on her hind legs when she smelled those giant bones they sell for much bigger dogs. In her dreams!
I'm also lucky because I don't suffer from depression or seasonal depression, though I sometimes wonder if I would if I lived in a less sunny place. Sunlight is the remedy for the seasonal depression and these days you can even buy machines that will expose you to the right light rays to lift your spirits.
Of course, chasing the dark and gloom away is one of the reasons we "light up" with holiday lights.
I find that if a negative mood comes upon me that the best thing to do is get busy. Talk a walk or exercise in some way. At this time of the year there are always casual opportunities for volunteer work such as serving meals to the homeless. Getting outside yourself and your own problems is often about giving to others in some way. A few years ago I joined a pop up caroling group. We didn't practice and we probably didn't know all the words to all the songs but our efforts at an assisted living building not far away were much appreciated.
Whatever your spiritual tradition or beliefs, this special time of year calls upon you to be generous in your thoughts of others, and to feel your empathy to the fullest.
I wish you the best!
My dog seems to frequently surprise me with her empathy and understanding of situations and makes me laugh at times. Recently we were shopping in a store that allows dogs and she got up on her hind legs when she smelled those giant bones they sell for much bigger dogs. In her dreams!
I'm also lucky because I don't suffer from depression or seasonal depression, though I sometimes wonder if I would if I lived in a less sunny place. Sunlight is the remedy for the seasonal depression and these days you can even buy machines that will expose you to the right light rays to lift your spirits.
Of course, chasing the dark and gloom away is one of the reasons we "light up" with holiday lights.
I find that if a negative mood comes upon me that the best thing to do is get busy. Talk a walk or exercise in some way. At this time of the year there are always casual opportunities for volunteer work such as serving meals to the homeless. Getting outside yourself and your own problems is often about giving to others in some way. A few years ago I joined a pop up caroling group. We didn't practice and we probably didn't know all the words to all the songs but our efforts at an assisted living building not far away were much appreciated.
Whatever your spiritual tradition or beliefs, this special time of year calls upon you to be generous in your thoughts of others, and to feel your empathy to the fullest.
I wish you the best!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
SISTER MIRIAM TERESA DEMJANOVICH NOW "BLESSED"
NEW JERSEY - SISTER MIRIAM TERESA DEMJANOVICH - SISTER OF CHARITY - BEATIFIED
EXCERPT "On Saturday, as thousands filled the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark to capacity in celebration of Demjanovich’s beatification—the first step toward sainthood—Susan DeVoe knelt in a pew beside her children to pray for a second one.
DeVoe’s youngest son suffers from Choroideremia, a rare and currently incurable degenerative retinal disease that she says is slowly causing 9-year-old Mark to go blind. In the three years since her son was diagnosed, DeVoe says he’s lost 50 percent of his peripheral vision. The disease has also left him night-blind, she added.
“We pray for the help of Sister Demjanovich all the time,” DeVoe said, waiting in a pew with her son and daughter prior to the ceremony. “Through her, one man was cured of his blindness. We hope that she will intercede on our behalf to do it again, but we’re also here to celebrate the joy of this day.”
She was not alone. At Saturday’s beatification Mass, thousands of nuns, clergy and other Catholic faithful gathered to honor Demjanovich, as church leaders officially declared her a “blessed” person.
It is the first time such a ceremony has been held on U.S. soil, said Jim Goodness, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark. “This is a special day for New Jersey, “ he said. “What we have here is a moment is the church recognizing a woman of heroic virtue. And when we have an event where a person from our community has been recognized, that’s a powerful message for the rest of us.”
EXCERPT "On Saturday, as thousands filled the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark to capacity in celebration of Demjanovich’s beatification—the first step toward sainthood—Susan DeVoe knelt in a pew beside her children to pray for a second one.
DeVoe’s youngest son suffers from Choroideremia, a rare and currently incurable degenerative retinal disease that she says is slowly causing 9-year-old Mark to go blind. In the three years since her son was diagnosed, DeVoe says he’s lost 50 percent of his peripheral vision. The disease has also left him night-blind, she added.
“We pray for the help of Sister Demjanovich all the time,” DeVoe said, waiting in a pew with her son and daughter prior to the ceremony. “Through her, one man was cured of his blindness. We hope that she will intercede on our behalf to do it again, but we’re also here to celebrate the joy of this day.”
She was not alone. At Saturday’s beatification Mass, thousands of nuns, clergy and other Catholic faithful gathered to honor Demjanovich, as church leaders officially declared her a “blessed” person.
It is the first time such a ceremony has been held on U.S. soil, said Jim Goodness, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Newark. “This is a special day for New Jersey, “ he said. “What we have here is a moment is the church recognizing a woman of heroic virtue. And when we have an event where a person from our community has been recognized, that’s a powerful message for the rest of us.”
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
SLIP-SLIDING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH MY DOG
Luckily I don't live in a snow zone, but it has finally started to rain, which may ease the drought of California somewhat. Because it has not rained in so long, the roads are slippery with oil and auto exhaust, and the sidewalk underfoot requires some tread to walk safely on it.
The leaves have turned color and fallen too, which doesn't happen every fall or winter here. It makes you think of the eastern United States.
My dog stops and smells and I wonder if she enjoys the sensation of actually walking on the leaves instead of the cement sidewalk. She knows to avoid big puddles and jumps over obviously wet patches.
Lately we've been burrowing in, as I crochet while watching films and try in my off time to get organized for the New Year. An old sofa is on its last days but I want to wait until the weather clears to put it out on the curb for pickup. An old TV set is no longer fashionable - it's not a thin screen - but still running fine. It's the DVD/VHS player that needs to be replaced and with a replacement I will most likely donate the VHS tapes to a library, senior housing or community center. So I want to watch some of these films just one more time.
I stayed home for Black Friday and I'm not buying electronics today, though I may be missing some deals. My quiet and private time is too precious to me and I don't want to be out among the crowds, compete for products, or stand in lines. I love staying under the blanket and I notice my dog has been staying under blankets too.
After so much heat in the summer, many of us here look forward to the opportunity to wear a sweater and hat, and to pull out that umbrella. We're just glad that shoveling snow and truly freezing weather is not part of our lifestyle.
The leaves have turned color and fallen too, which doesn't happen every fall or winter here. It makes you think of the eastern United States.
My dog stops and smells and I wonder if she enjoys the sensation of actually walking on the leaves instead of the cement sidewalk. She knows to avoid big puddles and jumps over obviously wet patches.
Lately we've been burrowing in, as I crochet while watching films and try in my off time to get organized for the New Year. An old sofa is on its last days but I want to wait until the weather clears to put it out on the curb for pickup. An old TV set is no longer fashionable - it's not a thin screen - but still running fine. It's the DVD/VHS player that needs to be replaced and with a replacement I will most likely donate the VHS tapes to a library, senior housing or community center. So I want to watch some of these films just one more time.
I stayed home for Black Friday and I'm not buying electronics today, though I may be missing some deals. My quiet and private time is too precious to me and I don't want to be out among the crowds, compete for products, or stand in lines. I love staying under the blanket and I notice my dog has been staying under blankets too.
After so much heat in the summer, many of us here look forward to the opportunity to wear a sweater and hat, and to pull out that umbrella. We're just glad that shoveling snow and truly freezing weather is not part of our lifestyle.