Today I received a Christmas letter from my cousins in Iowa. I thought this forum would appreciate the first paragraph: “We hope for, we long for, peace and understanding among all people. We hope and pray for a time when truth, compassion, honesty and character are the benchmarks by which we measure worth. We look to a time when the least among us, the marginalized, the powerless, the “other” are treated with respect and compassion. With that thought, may our hearts open to the spirit of the season.” I share this with the acknowledgment that adoption of this perspective requires acceptance of the understanding that IT STARTS WITH ME.
What a TERRIFIC, well worded, thoughtful prose. SO pertinent to today's WORLD! Thank-you, Thank-you for posting for ALL of us to absorb, contemplate, and rejoice!
Thank you so much for sharing this post from your family. Heart-centered and compassionate people in the true spirit of the season! Wishing you all the best in the New Year! Hugs from Canada, the Laurentian Mountains.
And I will start by seeing everyone, especially those most marginalized. If we do not "see" them, they become invisible. I will do better. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful paragraph. It made my day.
In a Facebook entry addressed to Nancy Pelosi, Joan Baez addresses the need for action re: the 126 Republicans who joined the Texas AG’s lawsuit, a topic that has come up on this site. Baez asks about establishing “something like a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where these Representatives, in order to be seated, would have to testify publicly to what they were doing and why. . .” She also proposes, “Another interesting approach would be to not allow these Representatives to be seated until they attend a class on Constitutional Law (yes, like driving school), taught by an independent and respected professor who would explain to them the meaning of what they did in detail, and make sure they were able to retake their oath of office with full understanding.” I would add to that a class in historical context, taught by Heather Cox Richardson! Here’s a link to the complete FB entry, reprinted by RSN: https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/66840-joan-baez-to-nancy-pelosi
I think it would be a great idea to have all members of congress take both courses with the 126 testifying as to why they chose to act as they did before they retake the oath.
I would add that it should be filmed, edited and shown to the public who have a right to know who these men and women are and what they have done to the country while they "served"!
This is excellent!! SOMETHING must be done about the representatives treasonous behavior, but that something shouldn't disrupt the legislative process we must have in gear January 20th to advance President Biden"s critical plans for us. Thank you. May I share your comments?
Heather, thanks for all you do. You've educated us tremendously and saved most of us from mental distress, and Buddy's gorgeous photos, along with those of others that you share, always bring a smile and peace. You're both gifts, and we're thankful.
Here are tips on how to see it. Though the planets can be seen even through light pollution, they will be rather close to the horizon, so buildings and trees may block your view unless you can get up high enough to see over them.
I SAW IT! Though tree branches waving in a gentle breeze. I got a ridiculously horrible photo of it. I should be embarrassed to share such a terrible shot, but I'm just thrilled to have seen it and gotten a record show of it.
Thanks for sharing! I like it. And the last time the Saturn Jupiter Conjunction was in Aquarius was in the 1400’s around the time of the Renaissance. What great Renaissance are we in for this go-round?
It is not too late! If you have clear skies, tonight is the Solstice AND the planet conjunction. Most auspicious. Couldn't our little planet and its' inhabitants use an auspicious moment? Click the link Lynell posted above.
The rising sun fulfills its promise of renewal after the darkness. With the winter solstice come longer days and more light. Buddy’s lovely photo epitomizes that rebirth. Thanks for sharing it, Heather.
A photo of a sunrise as maybe a metaphor for us being at the dawn of a new day? We can only hope and pray it can be so. "Slaap lekker" as the Dutch say..."sleep well"...
Yep, "sleep healthily"..."gezunt" is like "gezond" in Dutch ("gesund" in German). Being fluent in Dutch and German, plus a smattering of other languages, means I can usually get the gist of Yiddish. "Lekker" in Dutch (also "lecker" in German) is also used to mean "good" as in "delicious", but "sleep deliciously" is a little awkward. They also use "welterusten", which means "rest well". Whatever you choose, I hope it is true for you!
I love “sleep deliciously”! I have not been sleeping well for about the past year, for the first time in my life. It would, indeed, be delicious to have an uninterrupted night of sleep!
I sadly know just a smattering of Yiddish because my parents spoke it between themselves when they didn't want us to know what they were saying. Except for that terrible oversight, they were wonderful and loving parents.
I've heard that before from a lot of colleagues and friends over the years who grew up with bi-lingual parents. Yiddish is this wonderful mish-mash of several languages, and each region that spoke it had its own variants. A good friend of mine grew up with a Sicilian mother, and she and her sisters, all immigrants (his maternal grandmother could barely speak English), would babble away in Sicilian when they got together. He could understand a bit of it and knew they were often being pretty bawdy as one would say something and then they'd all laugh their heads off. As he said, in Sicily, each village or region of the island had its own variant of Sicilian so that someone from one village might go to another village not so far away and not really understand the local dialect. They all learned proper Italian, of course, and could speak it, but preferred to stay in their local brogues. (As you can tell, I'm a bit of a polyglot, and I am really fascinated with languages and words...sorry for the diversion!)
You are so right! My mom and her 2 sisters also conversed in Sicilian so we (the kids) couldn't understand, but to this day I still have a favorite few curse sentences in my repertoire. After my mom died I kicked myself for not having her teach me the language, so I learned Italian years later. Got pretty good at it for a time, but after I while "ho dimeticato tutto". (I forgot everything...almost). Thanks for bringing back some memories!
Thanks, Bruce, for sharing the anecdote about the different variants of Sicilian in different regions.
Though I don't understand the language, I treasure its legacy and support the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (which offered a lovely Chanukah celebration, in English, on December 8th). It is the longest running Yiddish theatre company in the world, now in its 105th season.
I envy you and other polyglots. Despite three years of Latin, two of Spanish and one of Russian, I speak only English. I've always wondered if that lack of proficiency traces back to those early days when a non-English language might have signified something forbidden. But enough self-examination for this morning.
I have SO longed to see the recent Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (it uses subtitles). Since the story is based on those of Aleichem (printed originally in Yiddish), having the show sung in that language works beautifully. Another singer colleague even sang in a Yiddish production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance in NYC, which she said was absolutely hysterical--the humour coming from the total incongruity of English pirates off the coast of Cornwall singing and speaking Yiddish. That kind of thing really makes me giggle...
Yeah...we've taken things far enough from the topic, I guess...I do think that, sadly, a lot of immigrants to this country were somehow brought up to almost be ashamed of their native tongues, and I find that a HUGE shame. I used to talk about this very thing with some of my Latinx/Hispanic students, and I would ALWAYS tell them to be proud of their language and to never lose touch with that culture. It is full of riches! Yes, there IS a distinct advantage to being skilled in another language in that it gives you added insight into other cultures, and that is something sorely needed in the world right now, IMO. Okay...basta così!
HCR, this exquisite photograph reminds me of an unbelievably beautiful quote from Arundhati Roy:" Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
I am so grateful for the work you do. I truly enjoy reading the posts. You are a phenomenal writer, and a true voice for clarity in these very worrying times.
And Buddy! You are quite a couple with your intellectual and visual gifts to us. I have never been on a site that can touch my heart (and tear ducts) so beautifully.
We are so lucky and grateful to both of you for your steadfastness and willingness to share so abundantly with us.
Thanks to Buddy. He sees the beauty of the world as he heads off to work - or heads home after.... then he captures it for you and you share it with us. That’s a really good thing.
Today I received a Christmas letter from my cousins in Iowa. I thought this forum would appreciate the first paragraph: “We hope for, we long for, peace and understanding among all people. We hope and pray for a time when truth, compassion, honesty and character are the benchmarks by which we measure worth. We look to a time when the least among us, the marginalized, the powerless, the “other” are treated with respect and compassion. With that thought, may our hearts open to the spirit of the season.” I share this with the acknowledgment that adoption of this perspective requires acceptance of the understanding that IT STARTS WITH ME.
That is fabulous! You’ve got great cousins.
What a TERRIFIC, well worded, thoughtful prose. SO pertinent to today's WORLD! Thank-you, Thank-you for posting for ALL of us to absorb, contemplate, and rejoice!
Thank your cousins, Ron, for these thoughtful words.
Thank you for sharing these inspiring words. May I share with family and friends?
Yes. Please do.
Thank you, Ron. And thank you to your cousins.
Awesome...I will remember that change starts with me! Peace
WITH COMPASSION! "WE SHALL OVERCOME". !
Ron, thank you for sharing this beautiful sentiment.
Thank you and thank your cousins.
And ME 💕💕💕💕
Thank you so much for sharing this post from your family. Heart-centered and compassionate people in the true spirit of the season! Wishing you all the best in the New Year! Hugs from Canada, the Laurentian Mountains.
And I will start by seeing everyone, especially those most marginalized. If we do not "see" them, they become invisible. I will do better. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful paragraph. It made my day.
In a Facebook entry addressed to Nancy Pelosi, Joan Baez addresses the need for action re: the 126 Republicans who joined the Texas AG’s lawsuit, a topic that has come up on this site. Baez asks about establishing “something like a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where these Representatives, in order to be seated, would have to testify publicly to what they were doing and why. . .” She also proposes, “Another interesting approach would be to not allow these Representatives to be seated until they attend a class on Constitutional Law (yes, like driving school), taught by an independent and respected professor who would explain to them the meaning of what they did in detail, and make sure they were able to retake their oath of office with full understanding.” I would add to that a class in historical context, taught by Heather Cox Richardson! Here’s a link to the complete FB entry, reprinted by RSN: https://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/66840-joan-baez-to-nancy-pelosi
I think it would be a great idea to have all members of congress take both courses with the 126 testifying as to why they chose to act as they did before they retake the oath.
I would add that it should be filmed, edited and shown to the public who have a right to know who these men and women are and what they have done to the country while they "served"!
Yes!👏🏼
This is excellent!! SOMETHING must be done about the representatives treasonous behavior, but that something shouldn't disrupt the legislative process we must have in gear January 20th to advance President Biden"s critical plans for us. Thank you. May I share your comments?
Yes. I think we should all write to Pelosi in support of action to holdthe 126 accountable
Heather, thanks for all you do. You've educated us tremendously and saved most of us from mental distress, and Buddy's gorgeous photos, along with those of others that you share, always bring a smile and peace. You're both gifts, and we're thankful.
Beautiful. Now get outside To see the ‘great conjunction’ of Saturnian Jupiter after 800+ years!! Check the weather. Cl
Yes.. this is a Big new cycle. Get ready for the new energy.
Oh, many of us are really ready for new energy!!!
Positive energy!
Yes!!
I saw the great conjunction alone in the silence on Friday after sunset. What an awe-inspiring privilege to see something so rare and beautiful.
Here are tips on how to see it. Though the planets can be seen even through light pollution, they will be rather close to the horizon, so buildings and trees may block your view unless you can get up high enough to see over them.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn
I SAW IT! Though tree branches waving in a gentle breeze. I got a ridiculously horrible photo of it. I should be embarrassed to share such a terrible shot, but I'm just thrilled to have seen it and gotten a record show of it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/50745506821/
Thanks for sharing! I like it. And the last time the Saturn Jupiter Conjunction was in Aquarius was in the 1400’s around the time of the Renaissance. What great Renaissance are we in for this go-round?
We’ll see starting January 20th.
thank you for this.
You're welcome, Pamsy.
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/planets/great-conjunction
My husband plans to set up his telescope for this event tonight.
Terrific, Marcy!
Thank you! I didn't know.
I didn’t, either. Wish I had seen it.
It is not too late! If you have clear skies, tonight is the Solstice AND the planet conjunction. Most auspicious. Couldn't our little planet and its' inhabitants use an auspicious moment? Click the link Lynell posted above.
Unfortunately it's to be cloudy here in New England. I've had this on my calendar for weeks. Hope some of you get to see it.
It's supposed to be cloudy here in Northern Virginia, too. Dang!
Became a member today. What a refreshing intelligent look at the world we live in good or bad. Thank You
Welcome indeed.
Welcome!
The rising sun fulfills its promise of renewal after the darkness. With the winter solstice come longer days and more light. Buddy’s lovely photo epitomizes that rebirth. Thanks for sharing it, Heather.
A photo of a sunrise as maybe a metaphor for us being at the dawn of a new day? We can only hope and pray it can be so. "Slaap lekker" as the Dutch say..."sleep well"...
In Yiddish it is “schluf gezunt.”
Yep, "sleep healthily"..."gezunt" is like "gezond" in Dutch ("gesund" in German). Being fluent in Dutch and German, plus a smattering of other languages, means I can usually get the gist of Yiddish. "Lekker" in Dutch (also "lecker" in German) is also used to mean "good" as in "delicious", but "sleep deliciously" is a little awkward. They also use "welterusten", which means "rest well". Whatever you choose, I hope it is true for you!
I like the good night blessing in Spanish: "Sueña con los angeles"
I love “sleep deliciously”! I have not been sleeping well for about the past year, for the first time in my life. It would, indeed, be delicious to have an uninterrupted night of sleep!
I sadly know just a smattering of Yiddish because my parents spoke it between themselves when they didn't want us to know what they were saying. Except for that terrible oversight, they were wonderful and loving parents.
I've heard that before from a lot of colleagues and friends over the years who grew up with bi-lingual parents. Yiddish is this wonderful mish-mash of several languages, and each region that spoke it had its own variants. A good friend of mine grew up with a Sicilian mother, and she and her sisters, all immigrants (his maternal grandmother could barely speak English), would babble away in Sicilian when they got together. He could understand a bit of it and knew they were often being pretty bawdy as one would say something and then they'd all laugh their heads off. As he said, in Sicily, each village or region of the island had its own variant of Sicilian so that someone from one village might go to another village not so far away and not really understand the local dialect. They all learned proper Italian, of course, and could speak it, but preferred to stay in their local brogues. (As you can tell, I'm a bit of a polyglot, and I am really fascinated with languages and words...sorry for the diversion!)
You are so right! My mom and her 2 sisters also conversed in Sicilian so we (the kids) couldn't understand, but to this day I still have a favorite few curse sentences in my repertoire. After my mom died I kicked myself for not having her teach me the language, so I learned Italian years later. Got pretty good at it for a time, but after I while "ho dimeticato tutto". (I forgot everything...almost). Thanks for bringing back some memories!
Thanks, Bruce, for sharing the anecdote about the different variants of Sicilian in different regions.
Though I don't understand the language, I treasure its legacy and support the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (which offered a lovely Chanukah celebration, in English, on December 8th). It is the longest running Yiddish theatre company in the world, now in its 105th season.
I envy you and other polyglots. Despite three years of Latin, two of Spanish and one of Russian, I speak only English. I've always wondered if that lack of proficiency traces back to those early days when a non-English language might have signified something forbidden. But enough self-examination for this morning.
I have SO longed to see the recent Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish (it uses subtitles). Since the story is based on those of Aleichem (printed originally in Yiddish), having the show sung in that language works beautifully. Another singer colleague even sang in a Yiddish production of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance in NYC, which she said was absolutely hysterical--the humour coming from the total incongruity of English pirates off the coast of Cornwall singing and speaking Yiddish. That kind of thing really makes me giggle...
Yeah...we've taken things far enough from the topic, I guess...I do think that, sadly, a lot of immigrants to this country were somehow brought up to almost be ashamed of their native tongues, and I find that a HUGE shame. I used to talk about this very thing with some of my Latinx/Hispanic students, and I would ALWAYS tell them to be proud of their language and to never lose touch with that culture. It is full of riches! Yes, there IS a distinct advantage to being skilled in another language in that it gives you added insight into other cultures, and that is something sorely needed in the world right now, IMO. Okay...basta così!
HCR, this exquisite photograph reminds me of an unbelievably beautiful quote from Arundhati Roy:" Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
Love that.
Rest easy dear friend. Thank you for the stunningly beautiful photo and your steadfast guide through these times. Peace 💖
I am so grateful for the work you do. I truly enjoy reading the posts. You are a phenomenal writer, and a true voice for clarity in these very worrying times.
It's the light, Heather, the beautiful Maine light. As Peter Ralston says, "It's always about the light."
As well it might...tomorrow's Solstice represents a very big shift...even though it may take time to manifest.
Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas...we have much to hope for in 2021. ✨
It looks like hope 🕊
Happy Solstice, Heather.
And Buddy! You are quite a couple with your intellectual and visual gifts to us. I have never been on a site that can touch my heart (and tear ducts) so beautifully.
We are so lucky and grateful to both of you for your steadfastness and willingness to share so abundantly with us.
Thanks to Buddy. He sees the beauty of the world as he heads off to work - or heads home after.... then he captures it for you and you share it with us. That’s a really good thing.
Man, Buddy hit that one out of the park!!!! SUNsational photo!