A very special Christmas story

A story about fifty pesos, a Christmas past and an act of kindness that changed a holiday memory forever.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday this year.

I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year

Charles Dickens

Christmas memories

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I had quite the Christmas haul this year. A Lady Vols sweatshirt, hot cocoa, a new pillow for my bed and candy.

Not just any candy but ribbon candy. If you've never seen it, it's hard candy made into thin strips and wrapped back onto itself like a ribbon. It comes in a box with different flavors

As a child I used to go to my grandmother's bedroom every Christmas morning to share her box of ribbon candy. Because it's so thin the candy breaks during shipping so there were always loose pieces on the box which I'd eat first no matter what flavor they were. Irresistible!

This year was no different. We opened the box. "Some of it's broken," my sister said. I offered my nephew some. He tried some of the broken off pieces before checking out the different flavors.

Some things never change.

Merry Christmas

I wish a Merry Christmas to all my friends too.

Here are the lyrics to the song.

It's the herring

Every New Year's eve when I was growing up, the family elders, particularly my grandmother, who we called Big Nana (and yes, there was a Little Nana too) insisted that we eat some creamed herring on New Year's eve so we'd have good luck in the upcoming year. I still remember the scrunched up faces some of the kids made as they squeezed down just one piece of herring. Herring is the kind of food which, if you don't like it, has a challenging texture and those were the days before sushi was popular.

I grew to like herring so this year I voluntarily ate a small bowl of creamed herring with onions on New Year's eve. It brought on nostalgic memories of what's happened over the last decade- and dreams about the future.

The last decade was good to me. I'm relying on God, hard work, and a bit of faith for the future. And the herring.

Praying isn't like a Christmas list

As we grow in our faith, we learn that praying isn't like a Christmas list where we tell God what we want or demand a certain result by a certain deadline. But when times are tough, as it's been for some of the folks who read this blog, it's pretty difficult not to have solutions in mind when you pray or to remember that it's about God's will and not our own.

Yet the truth is, if you prayed and suddenly an angel appeared out of nowhere offering to solve all your problems, you'd find that pretty unsettling.



This has been a tough year for some folks. Some face health issues or financial problems. Others may feel as if their faith is being tested. It's important to remember that the swelling music that heralds the arrival of instant help is just a Hollywood trick and that if you don't hear it, it doesn't mean you're not a "good man" (or woman). It doesn't mean that all is lost or that your prayer hasn't been heard. It also doesn't mean that you "prayed the wrong way" or you don't have enough faith.

Christmas is a time when we are reminded how much God loves us, yet we forget that and often place expectations upon ourselves and others that are impossible to meet. Those lists we make of things to do, things to buy, people to write cards to or call or visit can and do distract us from the real meaning of Christmas. Celebrating Christmas can and does include being in prayer with God as we mark this holiest of times. No matter what your circumstances, you can celebrate Christmas, knowing that its most precious gift is the gift of love, freely given to all of us equally.

"Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas."
-- Henry Van Dyke

I wish everyone a happy and holy Christmas.

Memorial Day 2009: Children of Fallen Patriots

As the war continues, more children are being left behind with parents who died in military service. On this Memorial Day we can honor those who lost their lives by helping their children.

In this video David Kim tells the story behind starting the organization Children of Fallen Patriots, which helps take care of college expenses for children of those who die in the armed forces. He explains where the funding goes and how people can become involved.

If you'd like to help, please go here.

On Mother's Day

Let us pray.

For the mothers of those with special needs.
For the mothers of those in our military .
For the mothers in our military and their children.
For mothers who learn from their kids.
For families without moms.
For mothers of a bride.
For the mothers of prisoners.
For mothers of twins and multiples.
For single mothers.
For those finding Mother's Day sad.
For our beloved nuns who serve mothers and their children every day.
For our lay female members who minister to our churches.
For mothers whose kids make them laugh.
For mothers who grieve the loss of a child.
For mothers of freshmen.
For mothers who are homeless and for those living in poverty.
For mothers in third world countries, dealing with malaria and other life threatening conditions.
For empty nest mothers.
For mothers of kids who make them proud.
For mothers of addicts and mothers who are addicts.
For all of us who celebrate Mother's Day in our own way.

And here's a video made for a special needs mom.






and a soldier surprises his mom with a homecoming



Happy Mother's Day!

All about St Patrick's Day

Did you know the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held back in 1737 in Boston? And blue, not green, was the color of the day.

For more fun facts, go here.

If you want to celebrate with music with the Pogues or Dropkick Murphys, go here. Or try this St Patrick's Day music playlist. Or have some corned beef and cabbage pizza. Find some ways to celebrate at home. And I love this post about how to celebrate the holiday with kids, including making infamous leprechaun traps.

And don't forget the Irish dancers!



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Where are the magi?

I was reading a story about how the faint light of an mp3 player led rescuers to a skier and snowboarder lost in the Swiss mountains over the weekend, when I noticed that the magi over at Meredith's blog are still wandering around.

They encountered giant stuffed sea creatures days ago, a scene that made me think of Homer's Odyssey as the three small ceramic figures found themselves surrounded by stuffed, glow colored amphibians.

Fortunately, they wended their way through and continued on their journey (which was stalled for weeks when they became transfixed on velcro rollers. A reader remarked that perhaps they thought the rollers were a giant Advent wreath.)

Who could blame them? Like all pilgrims, led by a desire and intention to experience a source of awe, the magi pace their journey accordingly. It isn't always easy. Some feel world weary at times.

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For the journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.  [T.S. Eliot The Journey of
the Magi]

Folly? I don't know. A pilgrim's spiritual path  leads him or her
away from the mundane to a greater understanding and deeper
appreciation of what lies ahead. Seeing the world through
the eyes of the magi reminds me of the
importance of my spiritual bearings as I listen to story after
story from 2008, lists of "the best of 2008" and commentaries on
what happened last year and what will happen next year.

It isn't always clear what I'm seeing when I first happen upon
it, but I know that if I journey with a sense of hope and certainty,
my pilgrimage will lead me in the right direction.

I wish everyone a happy new year.

Merry Christmas !

[visual description} A photo of Buddy, my long hair tuxedo cat (mixed Persian/Angora), with a red Christmas mitten propped up against him. (Not looking real interested in 'wearing' any Christmas outfit, so I didn't even try. )

As for me, I got my dream of a "macadam Christmas" = snow and ice melted!

O Holy Night

Merry Christmas everyone.

Lighthouse choral group piece

Congratulations to my friend Louise and other members of the choral group at the Lighthouse in New York who were recently featured in a NY Post video.

That's no reindeer - it's a donkey!

BBC reports that kids in a Gloucestershire village will be receiving holiday gifts from Teddy the donkey, shown in the photo at left, with two side bags filled with presents and a garland around his face, as he's petted by Anna Usborne, seated on the ground.

Anna and her donkey committee purchased Teddy to reach homes on a steep hill that no vehicle can climb. She says the donkey also delivers local produce and newspapers on Saturdays.

She said: "It's something extra special at Christmas, beyond just eating and buying presents. It brings the community together.

"The donkey is very much part of the Christmas story with Mary being taken to the inn, and I don't think too many children will be complaining it's not a reindeer."

Teddy has proved so useful in the village that now an "apprentice" donkey called Chester has been taken on.

Create your own emoticaroler

A sneak peek at the Macy's balloons 2008

Want a sneak peek at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade floats ?

And here's a look at the inflation of last year's balloons, including surprise visits by all kinds of cartoon characters for the kids. You can see how large the balloons are when they're on the ground being worked on....

Why I used duct tape on the Easter Bunny

There was a rumor that NORAD was going to put up an Easter Bunny tracker, like the one it has for Santa Clause. 

I can say emphatically that I have a cheaper solution. The dangling carrot to the left works great. In fact, this morning, I met the Easter Bunny.

I heard him chewing on the carrot on my porch and spied on him. Of course, he knew that since he's had years of experience with chocolate-obsessed people doing that.

"Hi, Wheelie Catholic," he said.

Now I was surprised he knew my bloggin' name.  Hesitantly, I replied "Hello, Easter Bunny." Then I added "My real name is Ruth."

He said "And you're complaining? My real name is Edgar. Think about how I feel with Easter bunny cards, Easter bunny baskets, Easter bunny coloring books- do you ever see my name?"

"No," I admitted. "But I didn't mean that-"

"I don't get any benefits either. No vet care for me. See this?" he held up his left paw. A small splinter was stuck in it. "I'm like Little Red Riding Hood trying to get through the Poconos this morning. Can you get a needle and help me get this out?"

"No," I said. "I'm a quadriplegic. But there might be another way. So do you like being the Easter Bunny?"

"Mostly,"  he said, sighing.  "Except the thing I hate is that people  complain if they don't get licorice jelly beans or milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate or the wrong color peeps. In fact there's that blogger online, Meredith Gould, who is riling people up even more this year with her bunnies versus peeps poll! Just what I need - not. But I have your order down right." He turned to his basket. "Let's see - a caramel filled milk  chocolate bunny and a tall mocha frappucino, right?"

I nodded eagerly as he hopped inside and put the bunny on my dresser. "Thanks, Easter Bunny. I mean, Edgar. Thanks for stopping at Starbucks for me."

"No biggie, Ruth. So what would you do if you had a splinter and no coverage for it?"

"I'd use duct tape."

"You got any  handy?"

So that's what we did before the Easter Bunny went merrily - or not so merrily- on his way to your house. And yours. And yours.

Happy Easter everyone. 

The Stone of Eloquence

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This year I've decided to put up a picture of the Stone of Eloquence, more commonly referred to as the Blarney Stone.

There are many legends about the stone, but it is believed that if you kiss the stone, you will receive the gift of eloquence. So over the years, people have taken great risks to kiss the stone, which is located at the top of the Blarney castle. Now there is a safer method, shown in the photo, where the person leans backward, held by a helper, to kiss the stone. 

I still remember my grandmother saying "Oh, he kissed the Blarney Stone, that one," after meeting someone who was glib of tongue. 

I've never had the chance to visit Ireland, but friends of mine who have tell me that seeing the castles alone is a huge thrill.  Of course, those who have kissed the stone tell the stories about their trips much much better.

{visual description: A visitor to the Blarney Stone leans back, held by a helper, to kiss the stone.}

Resolved: Have a good new year

Some of you know that my brother in law had a heart attack over the weekend and is in the hospital awaiting a second procedure. Thanks for your prayers and emails.

This time of year we take a look at our lives and, although some go to great lengths to avoid setting resolutions, many of us will find ourselves thinking about a list of things we resolve to do in the coming year. The word resolutions sounds so passive, much more passive than the verb 'resolve' or 'resolved'. I like that word much better.

Re-solve, which is a different way to look at the word, implies that we revisit an issue to solve it, or at least work toward a solution. I don't know about you, but some of the issues in my life need revisiting. They take more than a year to "resolve"! And some are an ongoing process. When I hear people sounding like they've somehow fallen short if they have something leftover from another year, I always think "Give yourself a break!" I mean, who doesn't?

Then, of course, saying "Resolved" out loud (with the capital "r") makes it all sound very official. Resolved: I will try to be more organized. Well, it's not as official as proclaiming a new piece of legislation, but it's a start.

I'm sure we all have different things on our lists, but I'd like to end this by sharing one item that we all have in common:

Resolved: Have a good new year.

Bringing Christmas joy

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this year finds you full of the joy, peace and wonder of the season. 

Celebrating Christmas in ways that help us realize these gifts enhances our spiritual life. One woman celebrates by bringing gifts to those who are forgotten, taking time to get to know each person and shopping for a meaningful gift.  Having worked in a nurse home before retiring, she says  "A lot of people become upset at such situations and they try to stay away from it. Act like it doesn't happen. If you ignore it, it will go away. But it's real. It's real, real, real."

Addressing the very real needs of those we meet is part of acknowledging that each person is equal in God's eyes, worthy and deserving of His care and ours.  When we do that, we're keeping it real.

Speaking of joy, let me introduce you to joyful noise, a chorus of adults with disabilities with 30 members, ages 20 to 65. 

This chorus has given more than fifty performances in NJ and the Philadelphia area. They are on a Mission to Inspire to bring their joy of singing to conductors, music therapists, and educators from the Mid-Atlantic to New England region. 

[visual description: A photo of joyful noise is shown. Approximately a dozen members wearing turquoise T shirts are singing, along with their composer, conductor and song leader Alice Parker, who stands to the left.]