Christmas Time Is Here

We have a shelf full of "must see" Christmas movies and A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of them. So when I saw this tree on sale at our local hardware store, I had to get it for one of our daughters. I pasted some of the movie script about this poor little tree below.

What is your favourite Christmas movie? I don't think I could pick just one.

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Lucy Van Pelt: Get the biggest aluminum tree you can find, Charlie Brown, maybe painted pink. 

Linus Van Pelt: [after Linus and Charlie Brown discover the little tree] Gee, do they still make wooden Christmas trees?
Charlie Brown: This little green one here seems to need a home.
Linus Van Pelt: I don't know, Charlie Brown. Remember what Lucy said? This doesn't seem to fit the modern spirit.
Charlie Brown: I don't care. We'll decorate it and it'll be just right for our play. Besides, I think it needs me.
[picks up tree; a lot of needles fall off] 

[Charlie Brown and Linus return with the puny little tree]
Violet: Boy, are you stupid, Charlie Brown.
Patty: What kind of a tree is that?
Lucy Van Pelt: You were supposed to get a *good* tree. Can't you even tell a good tree from a poor tree?
Violet: I told you he'd goof it up. He isn't the kind you can depend on to do anything right.
Patty: You're hopeless, Charlie Brown.
Frieda: Completely hopeless
Charlie Brown: [upset] Rats!
Lucy Van Pelt: You've been dumb before, Charlie Brown, but this time, you really did it.
[pause; then everyone bursts out laughing]
Lucy Van Pelt: [laughing] What a tree!

---

Linus Van Pelt: I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

[Charlie Brown hangs an ornament on the tree; it bends over]
Charlie Brown: I've killed it. Oh! Everything I touch gets ruined.

Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don't know what Christmas is all about.
[shouting in desperation]
Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.
[moves toward the center of the stage]
Linus Van Pelt: Lights, please.
[a spotlight shines on Linus]

Linus Van Pelt: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

[Linus picks up his blanket and walks back towards Charlie Brown]
Linus Van Pelt: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Hush, not Rush

The Becka surprised me with this Advent wreath last week and we lit the first candle as we ate a simple soup supper together. Yesterday was the first year anniversary of the death of our good friend Jim and the grey, rainy day matched the sorrowful memory of his untimely passing. The Advent reading included the passage from Revelation 21 which says,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

I have happy, much anticipated events planned for the next month yet I want to feel the hush, not the rush of the season. I want to recognize God as he dwells among mankind knowing that I may find him in the least expected places.

Advent One

My favourite seasonal card

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and the Christmas season is already in full swing. The wait for Christmas Day is endless for a child but for adults it sometimes means an over-full calendar, last minute rushing around and resentful obligation. I keep this old Christmas card with its peaceful winter scene and retreat there in my mind when I feel overwhelmed by the excesses of the season.

I enjoy the cultural aspects of the winter holiday season, the legends, decorations, feasting, and entertainment. I don’t care if people say Happy Holidays, Yule, Season’s Greetings, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa. But as a Christian who celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, I also look for ways to make the season more meaningful spiritually.

As I get older I appreciate the extremes of emotion brought on by our society’s high expectations at this time of year.

Joy and sorrow
Companionship and loneliness
Abundance and poverty
Hope and despair
Health and illness
Good memories and regrets
Contentment and depression
Peace and disharmony
Blessing and obligation
Faith and cynicism

Christmas 2011 will be different for our family this year as people move about and family dynamics change. Change can be good. I plan to post often this season;- a picture, a story, a thought, as I look for something special to celebrate each and every day.

When (Jesus) came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home,
he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.
The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,

 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down.
All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.  Then he began to speak to them.

“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Luke 4:16-21 (NLT)

11/11/11

I woke up this morning to see the first light dusting of snow this season. It is time to put away the gardening tools, do a final clean up of the yard and put up the bird feeders.

Five months of winter weather starting...

My old Christmas Cactus plant is bursting with blooms, cheering the room when the sun sets by 5 PM.

The days continue to shorten...

Our elderly war veterans who are in hospital will do their best to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in their wheelchairs, rising from their beds to honour those who fought for our freedom. I am honoured to help them.

I will remember and give thanks for their sacrifice...

We Are What We Eat

I see the health effects of poor lifestyles every day at work. Excessive smoking, abuse of alcohol, street and prescription drugs all cause predictable problems. But our biggest health threat is undoubtedly food. I was taught that smoking and drinking were sinful habits, but somehow gluttony never made the list. We receive daily messages in the media about the dangers of too much fat, salt, sugar, processed food and too few vegetables, fruits, whole grains which contain essential nutrients. But for many people, the advice falls on deaf ears even when they suffer from diabetes, arteriosclerosis, fatty liver disease and a host of other food related ailments.

From Feeding Frenzy

Our dietary department is small and the dietitians are kept busy looking after people with exceptional needs such as tube feeds and special textured diets. There is little time for education and “food therapy”. One of my patients who had a severe stroke recently was enjoying a fast food hamburger and a large poutine for lunch this week. Her family brought it in as she didn’t like the hospital meals. Our daughter is a RN on a cardiac surgery unit in a large teaching hospital. Patients receive little or no teaching about heart healthy diets. Instead, medications are dispensed to patch up symptoms rather than dealing with root causes of problems. We expect that people will resist lifestyle changes.

The hospital provides staff treats for special occasions. This week our newsletter reminds us to buy cupcakes for a local charity. The cafeteria has a special Halloween menu of Bat Wings (chicken wings), Spider dogs (hotdogs), Witches Brew (chili), Ghostly Cupcake and Graveyard Pudding...definitely a graveyard menu for staff, visitors and patients!

From Family Fun

Our neighbour is a middle-aged man of German background. He was raised on sausage, schnitzel, the best cheeses and rich desserts. He had an inevitable heart attack a few years ago and had a stent inserted in a narrowed artery. He was on a load of medication and still experienced angina regularly as well as negative side effects from his drugs. He read The China Study as well as books by Dr Esselstyn and Dr. McDougall and decided to eliminate all meat, dairy, fat and processed food from his diet for 12 weeks. I could not imagine a more unlikely person to try a low fat vegan diet. He lost weight his excess weight quickly and with his doctor’s blessing, was able to come off ALL his medications. He feels energetic and healthy and plans to continue his eating plan forever as he really enjoys his new food choices. He is enthusiastic as he shares his journey when people ask why he looks ten years younger and is getting so trim.

His doctor told him to write a book but he stated, “The book has already been written. You just have to read it.”

People can change. They just need to know how to do it.

Some of our backyard vegetables this summer

I wish I could go back and feed our children differently. I would have more courage to eliminate the sweets, processed foods, hotdogs, much of the cheap meat, unhealthy fast food, and the holiday excesses. We always ate plenty of healthy foods, and plenty of unhealthy foods. There are many fun and delicious ways to reward youngsters and celebrate special days that will not set them up for chronic illness. Fortunately it is seldom too late to make changes that will benefit us for the rest of our lifetime.

Easy to make, fun to eat

Sunrise, Sunset

I took these pictures on the same day earlier this month, the first a little after 7 AM and the last a little before 7 PM. The days are shortening quickly as we head into winter and morning frosts beckon the snow that is sure to fall before long. The skies reminded me of the lyrics from the song Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised. 

Psalm 113:3

Elizabeth Rieke Hefley- Nature Artist

Chickadee by Elizabeth Rieke Hefley

A while ago I was contacted by Nebraska artist Elizabeth Rieke Hefley requesting permission to paint one of my photographs which was posted on Flickr. Today she sent me a print of the painting and I love the tones, the detail and the life in the picture. It looks much better than the photograph and I can hardly wait to frame it. Here is her own description of her work.

My work is a combination of my interests in biology and art as I have always enjoyed wildlife. My paintings highlight animal diversity, capturing their character and spirit. I particularly enjoy working on endangered and threatened wildlife. I work with oil paints from reference photos. Particular attention is giving to portraying the textures of the skin, fur and feathers of the animals. The paintings are not only art pieces but also a way to educate on the incredible beauty of animals. I am particularly fond of frogs and am currently working on a show that will be all frog oil paintings. I am primarily self taught after going to college for math and biology and entering graduate school in Entomology. I became very passionate about conservation and education. Painting animals was a way to combine all my passions.

Five Minutes from Home

We enjoyed summer-like weather over Thanksgiving weekend with clear skies and warm sunshine for several days in a row. Ontario is a great place to visit to view spectacular fall colours, from the Agawa Canyon in the north to the Niagara Peninsula in the south. Huntsville and Algonquin Park are favoured destinations in Central Ontario and anywhere along the 900 km of the Niagara Escarpment between Hamilton and Tobermory you are guaranteed to find superb of autumn vistas. I read the colour reports in the newspaper and planned several road trips in my head and then discarded them due to time constraints and the price of gasoline.

While driving to get groceries for Thanksgiving dinner, I took note of brilliant red and gold stands trees right in the city beside the shopping centre, the local library and the nearby Tim Hortons restaurant. I decided to drive around our end of town within five minutes from home and look for the fall beauty here.

The next morning before sunrise I took a thermos of tea to a nearby park and watched the golden light illuminate the trees along the river.

Why do we tend to think things will more 
beautiful...richer... inspiring... somewhere else?