Monday Musings

Now that Thanksgiving is past, it’s time to move on to another time-honored tradition, decorating for the holidays. Depending on your family background, you may prepare for Christmas or Hanukkah; in our home, it’s Christmas. Time to tidy up from turkey day and head out in search of the perfect tree. We’re fortunate to live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC, where Christmas Tree farms abound. So we wind through the hills and dales until we arrive at our favorite spot and bundle up against the elements.  We trek up and down through rows of towering pines to select the perfect specimen, hail a tree-cutter, ride back in a wagon to pick up our prize where it has been trussed for travel, and strapping assistant loads it up. We follow a caravan of tree-topped cars and trucks back to civilization. The bindings loosed, and our 8-foot Fraser Fir leans on the deck overnight to settle its limbs. Stacks of boxes and bins are trundled from the basement. The next day, the tree is lugged into the ...

This week those of us who live in the US celebrate Thanksgiving. A time to gather with friends and/or family. Plentiful meals to prepare and enjoy. To binge on football. Or begin the hunting season. I’m thankful to travel and break bread with loved ones. How will you spend this weekend? You can follow the Author at her  Website  or on  Twitter .

Who is the richest individual in the world today? Is it the multi-billionaire Elon Musk? Does the dictionary definition tell us what real riches are? It avoids mentioning family and friends. What of a loving pet? Or do you find deep meaning in art? Perhaps music? Everything in excess is opposed to nature. ~ Hippocrates   My wife and I learned the meaning of the word when we worked as a non-profit entity in Haiti for six visits over the two years following the 2010 Earthquake. We now understand the difference between want and need. Above all, maybe richness is the knowledge to discern the definition of the word as it applies to oneself. Are you rich? What is your personal understanding of the word? You can follow the Author at her   Website   or on   Twitter   (where she is now a Blue Check Verified Tweeter.) LOL

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th, is Election Day. We are privileged to live in a free republic where we have the right to elect our governing officials. Depending upon where you live, you may have multiple voting options: vote-by-mail, early in-person voting, or voting in-person on Election Day. But who to vote for? So many candidates and issues. Fortunately, as Americans, we can choose for whom/what to cast our vote. Decisions, decisions. And NO, I’m not going to suggest how you should mark your ballot; that is for you alone to decide. Be a thinking voter. Information is readily available on the internet or in local, regional, and national publications.  Political commercials are laughable and insulting to one’s intelligence. Avoid being pigeonholed down straight party lines.  Dare to read the news on opposing news sites, no matter how much it makes you cringe. You may find one rough gem of another vein. One that may make all the difference in our world. I’ll be voting in-per...

On October 31, the US celebrates Halloween. Various opinions exist regarding the holiday’s origin. Some say Halloween came from the pagan Gaelic festival Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the onset of the darker half of the year, winter. It was believed to be a liminal time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned, when the Aos Si, ‘spirits’ were active and could enter this world. It was also felt that the souls of the dead returned home. People left offerings of food and drink to appease the otherworldly visitors. Bonfires were lit for protection and to provide cleansing powers. The word ‘Halloween’ arises from ‘All Hallows’ Eve,’ the evening before All Saints Day. It was a time for Christians to honor saints and martyrs and to pray for departed souls. In addition to the Church rites, people would go ‘souling,’ walking door-to-door collecting ‘soul cakes’ in exchange for prayers for the dead. Instead of the modern pumpkin vehicles, ‘soulers...

This weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy  Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience . It was like stepping into a painting: as you enter sunflowers swirl around you in a dizzying fashion. Subsequent rooms display copies of the artist’s work interspersed with fact boards that discuss Van Gogh’s brief tortured life, his relationship with other artists, and his brother, Theo. Music plays in the background, and a disembodied voice speaks quotes attributed to Van Gogh. A small side room holds a flower vase. Sit for a moment and watch as bright colors bloom into irises and go on to morph into sunflowers and roses. Emerge from this dark space and progress into another alcove to learn more about his art through film and spoken word. Next, walk into a 3-D representation of his Bedroom in Arles, France, or cross this room to enter the Asylum where he battled his schizophrenic demons after cutting off his ear. The piece de resistance is the final exhibit. Settle into a reclining lounge chair in ...

For over 60 years, I have worn glasses, a four-eyed creature. Gradually, with age, my eyesight diminished. Over the past few weeks, my outlook has changed, figuratively and physically, with cataract surgery. Not only were my cloudy native lenses removed by laser technology, but they were replaced with advanced multifocal lenses that allow clear focus on near, intermediate, and distant objects. And what a difference this made! I now have high-definition, full-color-spectrum vision. It was the perfect time of year to undergo this metamorphosis. Autumn in the Appalachian mountains is always breathtaking, but this fall is awash with clarity and colors unlike what I have experienced in recent memory. I am blessed to behold the transformation. Take time to witness your surroundings and rejoice! You can follow the Author at her updated  Website  or on  Twitter .