Been there; done that; wish I hadn’t.
Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One Liner Wednesday.
One-Liner Wednesday – Been There
Christmas Is Coming
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “Christmas is coming”.
When I think of Christmas I think of decorated trees, presents, special food, family, quiet, cold wintry nights – and snow. Here are some photographs of snowy scenes from last year. Annette Rochelle Aben reminded me in one of her recent posts of this Christmas song that may fit these photos:
Christmas is the traditional time to celebrate the birth of Jesus although He was not likely born on this date. Joseph Lenard argued that Jesus was born on the Feast of Trumpets (specifically, September 11, 3 BC, at the beginning of the Jewish civil year, Tishri 1, or Rosh Hashanah). David Pawson argued that Jesus was born later in Tishri during the Feast of Tabernacles. Richard Lanser argued that Jesus was born on March 20, 6 BC, on Nisan 1. There may be arguments for other dates that I’m unaware of.
Pawson, however, pointed out something important in his argument. The supernatural event was not the birth, but the conception of Jesus nine months earlier recorded in Luke 1:26-38. He pointed out that a virgin could theoretically give birth to a baby girl through parthenogenesis, but not to a baby boy. This reaffirms the significance of conception in human life.
Regardless of when Jesus was actually born, winter is a good time for a celebration and Jesus is worth remembering at any time of the year.
I am also linking this to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. I began writing the post on Saturday, December 5th, which happened to be my own birthday. That thought led to a realization this past week that has given me many reasons to smile, with gratitude to all of our parents and to the grace of God, that we have all been assigned to this same time together.
And so, my fellow assignees, may all of you, friend and foe alike, have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas.
Crystal Grimes is hosting a Holiday Blogging Party. I am linking this post to that party.
Sunday Walk 18 – Advent
Apple Strudel – Carrot Ranch
I gave my brother peeled apple slices. He placed them one-by-one on the strudel dough that we older ones helped stretch across a cloth on our dinner table. He put some in his mouth. Then came the raisins to scatter on the dough. When it was finished I held him so he could watch our mother lift the cloth underneath the strudel, roll it into a long, thick pastry that fit on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven.
We made many strudels for Christmas and everyone helped.
I’ve never had a dessert that tasted so good.
Linked to Carrot Ranch where Charli Mills offers the theme of family traditions.
Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.
Firewood
Though night
conceals the day
our winter’s wood is dry.
Take me in I beg of you. Tell me what I need to do.
With joy and thankful cry
we walk the way
with Light.
Linked to Farrago Express where the prompt is to write a saturnica, a poem of 7 lines with rhyme pattern ABCDCBA with syllable counts 2/4/6/14/6/4/2 centered to look like the planet Saturn with its rings.
Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.
Dropped – Friday Fictioneers
Clara remembered how concerned she was when she lost her hair band. She asked her father to find it. He did.
That was Clara’s earliest memory of him, and a pleasant one, but others were painful. With a rebellious daughter of her own she traded positions with her father. Clara, too, would have searched the streets for any hair band her daughter dropped, but her daughter no longer accepted assistance from her.
That may be what a memorial service is good for. It gets regrets out in the open and breaks habits one wished had been broken long ago.
Linked to Friday Fictioneers where Rochelle Wisoff-Fields offers C. E. Ayer’s photo as a prompt for stories of 100 words or less.
Stable, Truthful Hope
Although what shines need not be wrong beware dark lies that shadow truth, distract the old, confuse the youth with specious lyrics from a song. I wonder. Must I sing along? Some tunes that once enchanted me now don't make sense. Be just and free, merciful, alive and stable, driving out false dreams and fable, preferring joy to pleasantry.
Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the requirement is to use “stable” as a rhyme word in the D position of a décima have rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC.
Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blogging Party.
Beam – Six Sentence Story
The open beams joined the walls showing the ceiling and the loft where they slept. These beams pressed low enough that Ben could reach up and touch them in their cabin in the Maine woods.
This morning like those beams his spirit pressed in on him, but Ben had no time for moody temptations. Toward evening as he removed his boots and outer coverings he felt a breeze of consolation. He knew that consolation would come if he were faithful which he was.
Rushing to him he lifted his three-year old son and smiled watching his wife add decorations to their small Christmas tree.
Linked to Six Sentence Stories where Denise offers the prompt word “beam”.
Also linked to Crystal Grimes’ Holiday Blog Party.
One-Liner Wednesday – Evil and the Light
Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday.
Art From Nature
Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “art from nature”. The art here is the hook, trellis poles and grape arbor. Nature framed it.
Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. We moved back to Miami Beach, but could not get our internet re-connected for a couple of days. Everything seemed to go bananas and the excuse was always “covid”. Then the problems vanished after going to the cable provider’s offices personally, covid or no covid. I look at it as divine blessing. I did realize we need to prepare for extended periods without the internet. That realization was the source of my smile this week along with every opportunity to offer gratitude for blessings.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 