Our annual Christmas fondue dinner happened early this year since we’ll be in Switzerland for most of the holiday.
It was the usual great fun but now I’ve got to get to bed; we start rehearsing bright and early tomorrow morning!
Friends & fondue
Post-Thanksgiving wheeling & dealing
When I was a young adult (in what now seems like the pre-internet Stone Age) “Black Friday” sales meant braving hordes of shoppers in an actual store.
Considering how much I disliked shopping in general and holiday shopping in particular, it’s no surprise that I never once participated in what seemed (to me, anyway) like pure insanity.
But now shopping can be done online. And it occurred to me a few days ago that there were several big-ticket items that I’ve been needing for some time which maybe I could find in a Black Friday sale.
So, most of my day-after-Thanksgiving has been spent on the computer looking for deals. The good news is that I’ve found a few. 😉👍
An abundance of gratitude
I love all the gratitude quotes and memes that appear every Thanksgiving.
In fact, I love them so much that, instead of struggling to narrow it down to just one, I decided to share a bunch of them instead!
And finally…
Feeling thankful
There’s no doubt about it, I have lived and am still living a singularly blessed life.
I have so much family: immediate, extended; near, far; American, Swiss; human, spiritual.
And I have so many friends: from childhood; high school; music; church; Ananda; local and global.
I have a loving husband with whom I share the spiritual path, a commitment to serving through music, and the joy of living in spiritual community.
I have amazingly good health, all things considered.
I’ve always lived in pleasing, healthy, safe environments, and many were stunningly beautiful as well.
I could go on and on, but I think I’ve made my point.
Thank you, God. Thank you, family. Thank you, friends. Thank you to every person who’s been part of this blessed life.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
This spoke to me today
Finding beautiful, thoughtful, inspiring expressions of truth such as this is the main reason I continue using Facebook.
Striking a match too hard won’t light it.
In fact, it might break it.
And then there will be no light.
Piling too much on a fire won’t keep it lit.
In fact, it might suffocate it.
And then there will be no fire.
Burning a candle constantly won’t keep it burning.
In fact, it will exhaust it.
And then there will be no flame.
Sometimes gently is better.
Sometimes little by little is needed.
Sometimes rest is necessary.
Sometimes gentleness gives us light
and space to breathe.
Sometimes gentleness allows us to come back to life again when we weren’t even sure if we still had that fire in us.
So don’t be too hard on yourself.
Don’t pile on the pressure.
Don’t burn yourself out.
Because your flame can’t stay alive like that.
Becky Hemsley Poetry ✨
We’re almost there
I pretty sure that this is the first time the music ministry has collaborated so completely and intensely with Crystal Clarity Publishers on a music release.
Collaboration certainly happened in the past, but the marketing and promotional possibilities simply didn’t exist in the same way back in the 80’s, 90’s, and even early 2000’s.
The fact is that the recording, re-recording, editing, mixing, and mastering of the actual music — while the biggest part of the process — were by no means all we’ve had to focus on.
For months now, Ramesha has been writing and sending emails; building landing pages; designing merchandise; releasing singles; arranging for lyric videos; and more that I don’t even know about.
At the same time the Ananda Joy Singers were rehearsing and preparing for our launch concert, and helping get the word out to family and friends.
Now, with the release of this second lyric video, we’ve pretty much put it all out there. People have until December 3rd to pre-order the album at a discount. Then — BAM! — as of December 4th it’s officially launched and available everywhere!
I can’t speak for anyone else, but at that point I’m going to breathe a huge sigh of relief and thank God it’s over.
Grateful for so much today
It was actually a fairly crazy morning.
We were missing singers due to illness; had to make last-minute changes to the Festival of Light musicians; and a miscommunication meant one of our quartet singers didn’t even know we were performing until it was time for rehearsal (yikes!). 🤦♀️
So, I’m obviously very grateful that all those glitches got worked out…thank you, God!
But there are other things for which I’m even more grateful…
🎉 Jyotish and Devi giving their first Sunday service since their return from three months of traveling in Europe and India.
🎉 An incredibly beautiful Thanksgiving-themed altar.
🎉 And a fun and successful CD-signing after service.
All in all, a joyful and productive day.
A moment of beauty…
…that speaks for itself.
I have absolutely nothing to add.
From a funny, songwriting friend
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Greg Tamblyn (comedic singer and songwriter) before. He’s one of those people who was part of my life only for a brief spell (more years ago than I care to remember!), but whose music impacted me deeply during that time. It’s surely been over thirty years since the last time we connected but I’ll always think of him as a friend.
Anyway, I still get his newsletter and there’s almost always something in it that either makes me chuckle or causes me to pause and reflect. Sometimes both.
The primary topic of this newsletter was Gratitude; Vegetables; Awe and Wonder. There was a lot in it to ponder and reflect on, but I felt to share a few random tidbits.
“There’s always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it.
For example, I’m sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don’t hurt.”
– Unknown Author
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this
emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
– Albert Einstein
“If you wish to make an apple pie truly from scratch,
you must first invent the universe.”
– Carl Sagan
A little crabby
I’ve been feeling a little crabby and wondering if it’s because Mercury is going retrograde in a few days (yes, thanks to my Gemini sun being ruled by Mercury, I really do feel the retrograde energy).
On the other hand, it could be that I need more downtime but can never seem to figure out when or how to fit it in. Which makes me seriously cranky.
Ah well, I’m hoping an early night and a good rest will help me rise above my cranky crabbiness by tomorrow.