Merry Christmas!

Why do we love the Grumpy Cat?

There are times when we, as humans, just want to be grumpy.  But social protocol requires us to smile, be agreeable, be kind, stay quiet, and hide our cantankerous  feelings.  Grumpy Cat says the things we humans, would love to say aloud.  If you search online you can find numerous "Grumpy Cat" sayings.  I have posted my favorites.  There are occasions you have to tell others, "No!"  Making too many commitments keeps you away from the people you really want to say, "Yes" to.  And the making lemonade when you are handed lemons thinking; you better be sure that life gave you the sugar and water to make it a really delicous life.

And finally, the "It's not me.  It's you."

All Praise Be Yours, My Lord

For the month of October I wanted to make an entry even though I've been busy.

October has been a beautiful month. The season is really changing. The leaves on the trees are turning many colors. And those trees make the mountains beautiful.  The air is invirgorating. The sky is really blue when the sun is out. And even on the rainy and foggy days, there is a loveliness. 

October reminds me of St. Francis. His feast day is October 4th.

What great things God did with St. Francis.

"He who works with his hands is a laborer.  He who works with his hands and head is a craftsman.  He who works with his hands and head and his heart is an artist."

This is a St. Francis of Assisi quote.

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon in my neighborhood.
Gravity pulls it a lot closer tonight.

Always

Peanuts @ the Gallery

Happy Birthday to Me! I've Come Into this World.

When I Am Among the Trees
Written by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

Rain

Rain coming down hard on Capitol Street.

 



A New Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.

And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.

Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you.

Amen

Prayer written by James Martin, SJ

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
--St. Francis of Assisi

A Popular Pope

My "Pope Francis Effect"

Today is the anniversary of Pope Francis' election.  How I have appreciated the breath of fresh air that Francis has brought to the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis appears to be a very popular pope.  He has been down-to-earth and lives what he preaches.  He smiles a lot, is affectionate and kind.  He genuinely loves others.  He is prayerful and pragmatic.  I truly believe he is going to straighten out the financial woes of the Vatican.

He is the first pope from the new world, from Latin America, from the “end of the world”, as he has said.  He welcomes a battlefield hospital church.  He touches people who you would not touch.  He is especially caring about the poor.   He gives hope and a needed burst of energy to a church that has been trying to find itself since the 1960’s.

Pope Francis wants his priests and Bishops to "smell like sheep" and be among the people.  With his commitment to social and economic fairness in mind, I’ve found new ways to honor that commitment.  I have been an advocate for the poor and lonely.  I have also become an activist for peace and justice issues close to my heart.

Pope Francis has inspired me for the last year and I cannot wait to see what the rest of his pontificate has in store.  In the meantime, I believe there is a miracle every week in the Eucharist, which transforms bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

 

Daylight Savings Time

Friends

Thinking Cat?







The Lovely Snow!



Street on the way to work.



It snowed harder and wetter today.  The snow was non-stop.  It was rather hard walking to work.  There were no sidewalks, just a lot of snow.  None of the streets were clear either.  The city usually takes care of the hills when it snows; but has always forgotten to do the flat streets in the city.  If the street happens to be on a county route the state's snow plows take care of it.  But it is usually the vehicles that are left beating down the snow.  When I arrived at work, the bottom of my slacks were soaked from the wet snow.  Half of the personnel in my office did not bother to show up.  They were probably smart not taking a chance considering the amount of snow on the roads.  The snow was supposed to move easterly and into the Atlantic, but it decided to come west.  The Appalachian Mountains did not manage to block the snow flurries this time.  The snow is about six to eight inches in the city and 12 and up in the mountains.  But how I love the trees.  No matter what the weather or season, trees are very beautiful bare, budding, full bloom, with fall leaves, and yes, with the lovely snow!



On the way home, a snowman with a mustache.



Evergreen almost white.

Everygreen tree with heavy snow.

On the way to work

On the way to work in the snow.

Beautiful Winter?

Oh yea.  Winter is fine if you don’t have to walk on sidewalks of ice.  I love the cold weather, but not when it gets into single digits and negative temperatures.  The Polar Vortex from Canada came and pierced us this January.  Anyhow, I am dealing with the sidewalks and cold with my real-world Clarks Derby Boots, my balaclava over my head and face, my orange jacket and orange gloves.  Even with all the cold, I still have fun enjoying nature.  Where do all the birds go to keep warm?  In an urban area where I live there are many nooks and crannies they use to hang out.  And of course, even though many birds weigh mere ounces, they are insulated by dry feathers.  How about the stray cats in the neighborhood?  Are they really strays?  How about the squirrels?  I guess they hang out in their nests which are made up of leaves, twigs, and lined with feathers, fur, and other tender material to create comfort. 

Life goes on even in the coldest days.