Time For Christmas Spirit.

I liked this song sent to me by a dear friend.

We seem to be sending our kids the wrong idea about Christmas.

Like we do with many things, we side tracked away from the the Birthday of Jesus
to St Nick so stores could profit.

And why did St Nick give presents to the poor?

He was touched by God to do good deeds for the less fortunate. He was touched by the idea of the three wise men who searched far and wide till they found the new born babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger surrounded by animals and hay, bringing gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.
They saw something special in a child from a poor family. They saw spiritual greatness, love and hope for the future of mankind. Their gifts were nothing compared to the glory of God in the highest, this child represented to them.

St Nick believed in the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit and because of this, he was deemed a Saint. People might not have known who he was but they knew of his goodness and the charity he showed to those less fortunate.
St Nick was a man of mystery.
His existence was based on faith as our belief in God is based on faith.

We, from our generation, remember lots of cookies, to give as gifts this time of year.
Pop corn strewn on a string to hang on the tree.
Home made candies and chocolates also hung on the tree.
Candles are now replaced by lights but they must have emitted an extraordinary halo around the tree at night adding to the splendor and magic of this holiday.
Outside the snow would glisten like diamonds under a starry sky
Many people dressed up a tree in their back yard for the animals to nibble on.
Further south where it was warm the tradition continued and people designed their own ways to celebrate and kids would be introduced to joy and God through gifts of kindness .

Lots of families made personal gifts in preparation for this big event of birth.
This was a time of year to give something personal to a loved one, to show how much their birth meant to them. The three wise men began a tradition of gift giving which was followed up by St Nick and thus the birth of Christmas, as we know it, was initiated, to brighten and enlighten the eyes of children all around the world.

Every year we'd make something special with the year written on it. A painted bulb , an egg or some gold and silver paper design for the tree. An angel would sit on top of the tree or a star.
Underneath we'd have the nativity scene we so gently pack to keep for the following years.
We'd go to church and bring presents to place under the tree for the needy.

Great memories.

So the above song rings in bells of hope that we can bring back the true meaning of Christmas
into perspective, the way it was meant to be and if you are looking for gifts to buy, support your community. Buy a person a gift card for a hair cut or an oil change or a good restaurant, support your cobbler, dry cleaner, local wine maker, butcher, knitting/quilting shop, dressmaker, etc...
Once they close down or move, they will be missed.

Have a good one.

And Then there were 4

The baskets keep coming since I have left over thread and this one was made last night.
lol

One Two Three baskets

Now I have three baskets to put things in.

I think that's enough baskets lol
http://www.designsponge.com/2009/07/mini-crochet-baskets.html

The weather is very chilly today and wet. I think there is snow up hill although by my house we do not have anything.

I don't know how my son will play soccer today.

What do you call a bunch of crocheters working by the side of the road?

Answer: A chain gang!

2. What did the little crocheter dress up as for Halloween?

Answer: Captain Hook, of course!

3. What happened to the cat who ate a ball of yarn?

Answer: She had mittens!

4. Why do spiders spin webs?

Answer: No one's ever taught them to crochet!

5. What do you call the steps it takes to learn to crochet?
Answer: A chain of events!

Have a great day!

It's So Nice.

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition ?


As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Canadians with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of Canadian labor. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe this year Canadians will give the gift of genuine concern for other Canadians. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Canadians hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local Canadian hair salon or barber? Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, Canadian owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the dollars on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Canadian with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the Canadian working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day. My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running. OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theater. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining Canadian pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about us, encouraging Canadian small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Canadians, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine. THIS is the new Canadian Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Have a great day!

Kung Si Fai Chai! Happy Chinese New Year!

This is such a fun holiday and do the Chinese know how to celebrate.
Every year I look forward to the Chinese New Year and I am not even Chinese.
I love the decorations and remember when my own tree was full of them.
Red Packets were given out to children and over dinners they would give out door prizes
for fun. It's always nice to get a little souvenir of a night out celebrating a new year with
new eyes.

This year is the year of the Rabbit and hopefully it will be a good year and people will
have a chance to nibble on goodness and stay out of trouble.

This is the time also to tell people all over the world to celebrate life as life is the best present
anyone can get, be it from the soil, or birth or a sprout from the ground.

Man was created to live in God's garden in peace and to share in its' bounty.

So A Lady's Life wishes All My Chinese Friends a Very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
May they have life joy and prosperity and above all else PEACE.

:)

Morning Glory

 

The Glory



The glory of the beauty of the morning, -
The cuckoo crying over the untouched dew;
The blackbird that has found it, and the dove
That tempts me on to something sweeter than love;
White clouds ranged even and fair as new-mown hay;
The heat, the stir, the sublime vacancy
Of sky and meadow and forest and my own heart: -
The glory invites me, yet it leaves me scorning
All I can ever do, all I can be,
Beside the lovely of motion, shape, and hue,
The happiness I fancy fit to dwell
In beauty's presence. Shall I now this day
Begin to seek as far as heaven, as hell,
Wisdom or strength to match this beauty, start
And tread the pale dust pitted with small dark drops,
In hope to find whatever it is I seek,
Hearkening to short-lived happy-seeming things
That we know naught of, in the hazel copse?
Or must I be content with discontent
As larks and swallows are perhaps with wings?
And shall I ask at the day's end once more
What beauty is, and what I can have meant
By happiness? And shall I let all go,
Glad, weary, or both? Or shall I perhaps know
That I was happy oft and oft before,
Awhile forgetting how I am fast pent,
How dreary-swift, with naught to travel to,
Is Time? I cannot bite the day to the core.

Edward Thomas


I thought this was a very nice poem and I would say to the poet relax and enjoy the moment.
Why spoil a good thing? Sometimes it doesn’t pay to examine everything to the core and just go with the flow.

When glory presents itself to you, you must be grateful for it doesn’t present itself to every one.
I believe man cannot handle the truest of truths neither can he handle matters at their core because of their explosive nature.

Man must accept the gifts he is given, in the short intervals they are given to him.
He must accept the pain and suffering in the same context, that is, in the same short intervals, they are being presented to him
For we do not live in a perfect balanced world.

We walk through life as babes learning to walk Sometimes we manage and some times we need a helping hand to keep balance and
sometimes we fall on our bums just to get up again
But we always find a reason to try again until we succeed.
The day we do, is a glorious day.

Have a good one

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

When I was a little girl, around two years old, I still remember the quality time I spent with my grandfather.He would always be at work but when he was home, he would sit at the kitchen table, with a pencil and paper figuring some math thingy.

He had the nicest hand writing and I would love to watch him scroll.

I would sit at the other end of the table in my high chair.

My Grand dad never got angry. In all the years I have known him, he never so much as raised his voice.

I still picture him sitting at the end of the table smoking his cigarette and looking at me with a twinkle in his eye.

Then he’d say KOONYA ( I still don’t know what that means) to draw my attention. Then he’d take his fore finger and point it first to his head and then to the table to show me I was as empty headed as a piece of wood. Then he would stick out his tongue and bite it and I'd giggle away and he would watch me with great satisfaction.

I was empty headed because I thought he was cool and looked forward to him sitting down at the table every day, just to beat him to the punch and call him, Deda,…..then I would do the same, point to my head and then almost break my little finger poking the table and stick my tongue out at him.

He would sit and laugh with this twinkling that I loved so much and I would too.

My Grand mother and Mother would be upset with me but they blamed him for teaching me to be rude, saying, she only does this to you.lol

But he and I had a relationship and I knew I was very special to him.

When I got older, around five or six, I went to my grand mother and I asked her if my granddad was a Saint.

She raised her eye brows and began to laugh . A Saint??? Oh no my dearest. He is not a Saint .

She walked away laughing and made sure to tell the whole family what I thought of her husband.

But my Grand dad was a Saint.
Who but a Saint would walk on the streets when bombs fell like hail while every one hid in bunkers? They thought he was crazy but he knew he was safe.

He had a Saints twinkle in his eye. He would always take me to the corner store to buy cigarettes for him and a bag of 5 cent candy for me. He always worked, never yelled, never took part in arguments. Didn't like to be a part of social spectacles. People would party and he would sit and nap.
He never boasted or drank.
He was always working or tinkering with some tool or machine always thinking about how he could invent something or make something work better.

He was a simple man putting on no airs and he loved me.
We did not need to talk to understand each other and I'd love sitting beside him.

He was my Saint and now that I think about it, maybe I was his Angel.
I was the one he liked to look at to inspire him.
At least I'd like to think so but I am sure he loved all his grand children.

A few days before my 13th birthday, he died.
That night, he visited every home to say good bye.

I woke up at night (it seemed around 11:30) and looked up, to find his kind face looking down at me with the same twinkle and smile

I said good night Grand Dad feeling safe and warm knowing he was watching over me, turned on my side and went back to sleep

The next morning my Mom said she was washing dishes and when she turned around he was sitting at the table like he usually did and asked her for a cup of coffee. She said sure Dad and then it dawned on her that he died. She turned around but he was gone.

It is funny we both had a story to tell the next morning.

We both saw him clear as day.

Christmas is a day of miracles . It is a day of birth and celebration. It is a day of Angels and Saints.

The true gifts lie in the simple, innocent and true relationships we have with our family and friends .My grandfather gave me many gifts without giving me anything.
He was my Saint.

The token gifts are for appreciating having this time to be born to celebrate the true nature of the holiday, a new born babe in swaddling clothes,
who looks into your soul with twinkling eyes, innocence, love, and pure joy.

There is nothing like it in the whole world.

My Grand father had a twinkle in his eye.
The Wise men saw the eye of God twinkle that night of nights, showing them the way to the child who would shepherd us and show us all the way.

Some of us still lose the way but all we have to do is look up into the sky and he will still be there, filling our lungs with the essence of nothing short of splendor.

Lungs full of air ,swell up the heart and feed us with energy, hope, the will to succeed . This in turn, helps us seek and find the path to follow to reach our goals
All from a twinkling twinkling little star.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star