Month: December 2014

Let me start with the …

Lighting of the Candles

Not much to report here, actually not much time for writing. Last minute vacuuming done, all spices and foods packed so I can do a brunch tomorrow morning for the Bay Area family. Presents wrapped and ready for delivery.

While cleaning up, I noticed we’ve received only one holiday card. Stephen and I disagree about whether to display the thing or not. Of course we don’t write cards anymore, a story I will let you in on soon. But it looks so cheesy only having one card. Then again, the card comes from very important people: Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter. Perhaps we can impress the holiday guests with it.

Your Ta-Da! Moment: It’s Janie who won the 2 truffles today.

I lied. All this time I was under the mistaken impression that Christmas Eve and the last night of Hanukkah collided this year. Not so. High School algebra was of no use to me after all. Eventually I would have figured this out. It would have been a clue when the candles ran out.

This might be a good thing, now we get to celebrate 9 nights in a row.

I’ve cleaning news and progress to report, but that’s boring. I’ve let go of a lot of cleaning. The basics are done and we all will have to live with what didn’t. There were no plans to eat off the floor anyway.

Let’s get right to the Ta-Da Moment! Barbara Sue, it’s you for the 2 truffles.

And for the Lighting of the candles tonight:

Written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us:

With this candle of Peace and Justice, tonight, we light the candles of Compassion and Empathy, Love, and Respect. May compassion and empathy, love, and respect burn brightly in our hearts and manifest in our daily lives.

Last night Stephen picked up a book I had on hold at the library: The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis. I read late into the wee hours and finished this morning. Obviously I recommend the book. Nothing earthshaking, but a good read.

Finished some more truffle orders and other than that this day was pretty uneventful. Tonight will be more exciting as we’re invited to dinner.

The winner selected by the random number generator for 2 chocolate truffles is: Debbie! Ta-da!

This being the second night of Hanukkah, here is the “prayer” to go with the lighting of the candles. Every night we add another named candle. Yesterday it was Respect, tonight it’s Love.

Written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us:

This holiday thing had me clean my house a little deeper. OK, I admit it, it’s not the holiday thing, but Liana’s boyfriend’s parents coming to visit. As usual, I had grand deep-cleaning plans and even contemplated finishing up chores long since deserted mid-task, like painting the ceilings. But as time runs out and I’ve done fun things instead, like knitting, I’m getting more and more tolerant of the state of our house. If ever there was someone who took the concept seriously about clean house or fun with friends, it’s me. Friends win each and every time. So I will not be remembered as the German with the clean house, a myth anyway, but as someone willing to expose her cleaning shortcomings.

A little frantically, things are stuffed into the garage. This time from the front garage door. The access from the kitchen is kind of almost blocked. Sure wish I could start purging, but instead I told a Hanukkah well wisher today: sure I embroider and cross stitch, so apparently I’ll inherit what she didn’t manage to throw away. As you can see, I’m helpless and the situation is hopeless. Let’s move on, nothing to see here.

I decided to put the random number generator into action for Hanukkah. Tonight, one of you will be a winner of 2 chocolate truffles. If you win, you’re still in for the cowl and 5 truffles and the chocolate bark. The big prizes will be revealed on December 22 or 23.

Ta-da! It’s Ginna! We’ll talk flavors soon, and perhaps a visit?

And as a bonus, here is our prayer for the first night of Hanukkah (written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us):

With this candle of Peace and Justice, tonight, we light the candle of respect. May respect burn brightly in our hearts and manifest in our daily lives.

In this time of the miracle of Light, let the message, the mission and the action be enlightenment. May humans open their hearts and immediately cease their war against other animals, Mother Earth and each other. May we cease our ignorant, arrogant, unconscious and violent ways, and become our highest selves, filled with love and respect for all who are here, committed to gentle coexistence with Mother Earth.

May those beings who are suffering be released from their pain and terror.

May those beings who are unjustly imprisoned and enslaved be freed and unshackled.

May those beings who are anxious and scared know peace and courage.

May those beings who are cold and hungry know warmth and plenty.

May those beings who are lonely and depressed know love and joy.

May those beings who are lost and abandoned be found and loved.

May the waters run pure and free; the flowers bloom; the trees grow old; and the Earth renew and reclaim herself.

May the Light of the universe shine upon everyone and everything, and through everyone and everything, so that all beings experience their highest, truest selves.

May kinship with all life blossom and flourish in our hearts, and may peace and justice for all living beings and things be now.