Let me start with the …
Lighting of the Candles
Written by Ellen Bring and adapted by us:
With this candle of Peace and Justice, tonight, we light the candle(s) of [check below to see what night(s) and word(s) apply, depending on the night]. May [repeat the names associated with the candle(s)] burn brightly in our hearts and manifest in our daily lives.
Peace and Justice: Shammash (9th candle, lit every day)
1st night: Respect
2nd night: Love
3rd night: Compassion & Empathy
4th night: Connection & Kinship
5th night: Enlightenment & Consciousness
6th night: Liberation & Freedom
7th night: Gentleness
8th night: Harmony & Cooperation
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.
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A day late during a very, very busy holiday season for me, with dinners or brunches almost every day. Now we’ll finally get to the holiday drawing….
Though it has been busy, it also has been lots of fun. Starting with getting to know Steve’s parents. Steve is our daughter Liana’s boyfriend. Having both of our kids and their partners and parents around for get-togethers has made for lots of laughing and drinking and eating. And we’re not done yet. One more brunch and dinner and I will not step into my kitchen for a while. Except to grab leftovers from the fridge.
Knitting will become my main activity again. Remember Liana’s sweater I need to frog (unravel)? It’ll hurt but be so worth it. She says it’s ok being a little big, but, nah, it has to be perfect. I have many winter months left.
So let me hop over to the random number generator and see who will get an extra present this season.
The envelopes, please:
Almond chocolate bark. Ta-Da! Dawn
Chocolate truffles. Ta-Da! Cindy
The Cowl. Ta-Da! Cereza
It’s so cool that you’ve done these giveaways, Marianna. Congratulations to the lucky winner of the beautiful cowl, and thanks to your random number generator for letting me be a recipient of a pair of truffles! I’m gonna have to figure out how to retrieve them from my faraway, Bay Area perch.
The daily blessings are also wonderful.
Maybe I should follow your example to find a new home for my purple-y Summershines shawlette.
I hope that you and yours have a magnificent holiday, and that the new year brings you all good things.
Love,
G
I love that Bark!!! Thank you, thank you and yay!!! for the generousity, the progressive Hanukkah prayers, and your presence.
We are up in Portland till next week…I’ll stop by for the goodies and conversation before the year is over. L’chaim!
wahoo! THANK YOU!!