On September 11, 2001, an evil force struck the heart of New Yorkers and all mankind for that matter. There isn’t an American who is not affected by it. Everyone who died in that tragedy left someone behind who loved them.
Show respect for police officers and firefighters.
Remember 9-11.
In a few hours, 2019 will be gone. Over and past. The New Year and a New Decade will be here. With it comes an opportunity to reinvent, refresh and renew. It’s up to each of us to make plans for a better YOU.
Have you had a stressful year in 2019? You’re not alone. I had a very stressful year. I hope 2020 will be better. I am making plans to do just that. For starter, I need something to keep my mind off my problems. To be able to relax, I found out that music is a good therapy.
A year ago, I bought a retro Victrola record player which plays vinyl records. Yes, I still have my old vinyls from the ‘60s. I intend to play most of them in 2020. They always bring back happy memories of the past.
When I lost my Mom a few days before Thanksgiving, my life changed drastically. With both my parents gone and being the eldest, I’m now the head of the family and it carries a certain responsibility. I do miss calling Mom. There were days when I thought of calling home, only to realize she is gone forever and I can’t call her anymore like I used to do for the last 52 years since I left home. There is one thing Mom promised me when she was alive. If I move back to the Philippines, she would buy me a piano. That’s not going to happen now so I decided to treat myself on my birthday a few days ago and bought myself a piano. It’s as if I fulfilled her promise to me. I always want to learn how to play the piano and with a piano at home, I should be able to do that. Where do I begin? As Fraulein Maria a.k.a. Julie Andrews from the “Sounds of Music” said, you begin with Do-Re-Mi.
Last May, my husband’s health turned for the worst and he decided to stay on the second floor for the duration of his illness unless he had to go see his doctor. That meant I had to bring his food upstairs. Most days, I made the trip upstairs 20 times a day and with 17 steps each way, I logged in about 680 steps a day just attending to his needs alone. I lost 16 lbs so far this year. Not good for me. At the rate I’m going, I will be back to when I was single, – 90 lbs soaking wet. Funny! But then I look at it this way. That’s a very good cardio exercise for me. Who needs the gym? I get my exercise right here at home and it is free.
There are a few book projects I want to do but so little time. I want to finish one book this coming year. I meant to do a final edit on one of them in 2019 but never did anything. I just had no time. I’ll make time this year.
There are piles of books I want to read. I barely met my reading goals this year. Most of my time that I was reading in 2019 were doing research for my blog. Blogging will take a back burner from now on. I am considering of spending less time on blogsphere and also engaging less on social media and political news in 2020. I’m sure others will not agree with me but considering what is good for me, I’m staying with my goals this coming year.
My garden did not get much attention this year either and I lost a lot of roses. The crazy weather did not help at all. I’m redoing my garden to include more shrubs and perennials, easy care plants. I promise myself to buy only 2 roses this year. I’m looking at David Austin English Rose catalog. I have enough plants to cheer me up and give me the outdoor exercise I need. I also got a beautiful red mini rose plant a few days ago. The sender wished me a Happy New Year but did not sign his/her name. If you are the mystery sender, I thank you very much. That’s very sweet of you to think of me and it cheers me up.
I have done a lot of volunteer work in NY and now here in SC. At this point of my life, I’m cutting back on that and leaving that to the younger generation. I’m still on the HOA board which is a thankless job. I just happen to like working with our property manager and our developer and I can watch where our money is being spent. I’ll stay on that since I can do it without leaving home which is impossible these days because of my husband’s health issues.
Lastly and the most difficult task I want to tackle this year. I want to organize my paperwork and my house. After almost 50 years of marriage, we have accumulated a lot of stuff. We downsized when we moved south but I still have plenty of things. I hate to think what my kids will do when I go so I’ll start unloading some of my stuffs now.
So that’s my plan for this year. I feel great already. Hope 2020 is a wonderful year for you! What are your plans for 2020? Share and comment below.
Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in the next decade!!
May you have the Spirit of Christmas which is peace.
The Gladness of Christmas which is hope.
The Heart of Christmas which is love.
I stumbled upon the Legend of the Christmas Tree while going through boxes of old Christmas Cards.
Today, the Christmas tree is the highlight of our Christmas festivities. Topped with a star, and adorned with lights and ornaments, it is a part of the beauty and meaning of the Christmas season.
How did the Christmas tree come to play such an important part in the observance of Christmas? There is a legend that comes down to us from the early days of Christianity in England.
One of those helping to spread Christianity among the Druids was a monk named Wilfred (later Saint Wilfred). One day, surrounded by a group of his converts, he struck down a huge Oak tree, which, in the Druid religion, was an object of worship.
As the Oak tree fell to the ground, it split into four pieces, and from its center there grew a young Fir tree, pointing a green spire toward the sky.
The crowd gazed in amazement. Wilfred let his axe drop, and turned to speak.
“This little tree shall be your Holy Tree tonight. It is the wood of peace, for your houses are built of the Fir. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are evergreen. See how it points toward the heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child. Gather about it, not in the wilderness, but in your homes. There it will be surrounded with loving gifts and rites of kindness.”
And to this day, that is why the Fir Tree is one of our loveliest symbols of Christmas.
WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Until next time, stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda R Morgan, “The Rose Lady”
I will spend Memorial Day quietly thinking about my parents’ life during WWII and the soldiers that died defending our freedom. I am here today because of them and with much gratitude I salute the armed forces.
Today, after writing this, I’ll walk to Swiss Cottage station, take the Jubilee line to Bond Street, and head east on the Central line from there. I’ll emerge from London’s labyrinthine underground network in the shadow of the towering dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Once inside, I’ll head to the eastern end of the building and find the American Memorial Chapel. This corner of the cathedral complex was destroyed during the blitz in World War II, and the chapel was rebuilt as a commemoration of the Americans who died during the conflict.
That will be my place to reflect, to mark this day. Memorial Day is at once a national day of commemoration and an intensely personal one. We all feel Memorial Day differently. But however it’s experienced, it’s the day we set aside as a nation, when we can take a few moments to remember.
There are specific memories…
View original post 449 more words
Lest we forget, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those men and women of the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in times of war.
The occasion of Memorial Day will be marked by parades, speeches and wreath-laying ceremonies. People are urged to take time from their day’s activities on Memorial Day to remember those who died in the service of their country. For those who have lost a loved one in the service of our country, the day will be an especially poignant one.
Established in the 1860s during the American Civil War, Memorial Day tapped into the general human need to honor our dead who have done so much to serve this great country. Memorial Day came into being in a ceremony called Decoration Day in 1868 when John Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued an order fixing May 30, “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country in the late rebellion.” Memorial Day was originally observed as a memorial by the northern states to the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. From this, Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it also came to be called, grew into a national holiday that honors soldiers killed in all wars.
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and has been an annual tribute to those who have given their lives in service to their country. May 30th was initially designated as Memorial Day but an Act of Congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May which only served to take away from its intended purpose as a day to remember our war dead.
The day has and always should be a day when we all ,take a moment to honor and reflect upon these men and women of the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in times of wars to protect our freedom. They perished in service to their country and for each and every man, woman, and child who calls the United States home.
My gratitude to all men and women in uniform who served and who are still serving in our armed forces – From Rosalinda R Morgan, author of “BAHALA NA (Come What May): A WWII Story of Faith, Love, Courage, Determination and Survival”, a book dedicated to our soldiers.
Anna Reeves Jarvis was the first woman to hold a celebration of mothers in 1858 in West Virginia, where she instituted Mothers’ Work Day to raise awareness about local sanitation issues. During the Civil War, she expanded the scope of Mothers’ Work Day to include sanitary conditions on both sides of the battlefield.
Julia Ward Howe, author of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” also attempted to institute a national celebration of mothers that honored women’s inclinations toward peace. In 1872, she initiated and promoted a Mother’s Day for Peace, to be held on June 2, which was celebrated the following year by women in 18 cities across America. The holiday continued for another decade but eventually phased out after Howe stopped underwriting the cost of the celebrations.
In 1905, Anna Reeves Jarvis passed away and her daughter, Anna Jarvis, took up her mother’s cause. Anna swore on her mother’s gravesite that she would continue her mother’s lifelong dream of creating a national day to honor mothers. In 1907, Anna launched her campaign by handing out white carnations to the congregation at her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia.
Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis’ church acquiesced to Anna’s request to hold a special Sunday service in honor of mothers – a tradition that spread the very next year to churches in 46 states. In 1909, Anna left her job and began a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States. She dedicated herself to a full-time letter-writing campaign, imploring politicians, clergymen and civic leaders to institute a national day for mothers. Jarvis’ efforts met with success and her home state of West Virginia adopted an official Mother’s Day. Two years later, the U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution, signed by President Wilson, establishing a national Mother’s Day emphasizing the role of women in their families.
In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day” in the singular possessive form in honor of each mother. Mother’s Day has been celebrated by Americans on the second Sunday in May ever since. Jarvis’ holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures and it is now celebrated all over the world. The date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood, such as Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom and the Orthodox celebration of the presentation of Jesus Christ to the temple on February 2 in Greece.
Ironically, Anna Jarvis never had children of her own. But that didn’t stop her from making the celebration of Mother’s Day her lifelong mission. In fact, as the holiday took on a life of its own, Jarvis expressed disappointment over its growing commercialization by the 1920s. In this tradition, each person offers a gift, card, or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers, and/ or maternal figure on mother’s day. For my part, I dedicate my first book “BAHALA NA (Come What May): A World War II Story of Love, Faith, Courage, Determination and Survival” to my mother as shown in the Dedication Page.
Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.
Rosalinda (The Rose Lady)
Another year has gone by. Out with the old and in with the new. Tonight we are celebrating the New Year and what a better time to pop the cork and drink champagne or sparkling wine for that matter. Before we run to the store, you might want to know the label lingo to thoroughly enjoy the experience.
How sweet is it?
Ultra Brut (or brut nature, or brut zero): Absolutely bone dry, for those who resist even a little sweetness.
Extra Brut: Still reliably dry.
Brut: The most common designation; denotes a quite dry sparkling wine.
Extra Dry: Confusingly, these wines are sweeter than those labeled brut.
Sec: The word means “dry” in French, but these bottles are even sweeter than those labeled extra dry.
Demi-sec: Sweeter still.
Doux: The sweetest sparkling option.
Where is it from?
Champagne: Sparkling wines from the Champagne region of France tend to be among the driest.
Crémant: Sparkling wines made in other parts of France: these are also reliably dry.
Cava: Spanish sparkling wine, typically dry and smoky.
Prosecco: The most common sparkling wine from Italy, made in the Veneto region. Often sweeter than cava, Champagnes, and crémants.
California sparkling wine: Typically sweetish and approachable.
Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Until next time, stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda, The Rose Lady
Get your copy today at www.amazon.com/author/rosalindarmorgan.
Rosalinda R Morgan 