November Fairy Party

11/10/12 party

Our gathering was a good one as usual… food, friends and lots of fun.

Non-stop conversation was the order of the day with topics flying like a whirlwind.

Now, let’s see…topics were…politics, recipes, old times, old and new friends, food, more politics, school days, family, corporate policies, more politics, retirement, elder care, home repair, shopping, children, more politics, social security, wine, jobs, children, Mary Kay make-up, health, Zumba, super markets, Thanksgiving, weather, paint colors, world news, more politics, the royal family (mostly Harry & Kate), the four courses of dinner…all wonderful!, the resolution to not talk of any more politics, taxes, hairstyles and hair color, eye glasses, Bob, Hurricane Sandy, religious education, outreach programs, Christmas…

And where did the year go?

This will probably be our last group gathering till next year, what with the holidays right around the corner. The end of the day was completed with a birthday cake and ice cream with a chorus of Happy Birthday for this our 59^th year. Our annual birthday ‘Yankee Swap’ was a success too.

…and a good time was had by all! What a good year!

Cathy

* 

From Patti:

Good Morning Rosie,

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DID FOR US ~ AGAIN,

The food was fabulous - as always, the Yankee Swap was alot of fun, the Nuns would've been proud of our singing but more importantly, the companionship remains solid. What an amazing group of women we are huh? I love you all & look forward to the next get together.

Veteran’s Day 2012

Thank you to all of our veterans, servicemen and their families. Freedom is not free. The dedication of our servicemen keeps us a great country.

Thank you.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2012, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/11/07/presidential-proclamation-veterans-day-2012

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/veterans/

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."^[2]

Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day

Veteran’s Services

http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

http://www.mass.gov/veterans/

Fairy Tea Party

Today is a gathering of our SMF clan.

Party!!!

Food, friends, conversations and fun are on the menu.

See you there!

Aurora

Aurora

Dances through the night

With lights fantastic

Dazzling

Mesmerizing

Or is it Eos

An Aeon of eons

Doing what comes naturally

Not a magnetic storm

But

A calming of the storms

Of gently grace

Indescribable

A gentle hand

Waving a magic wand

Polarizing

While we gently sleep

Till dawns first light

At waking

Or was it a dream

Illusion

Fantasy

Beauty

So splendid

Imagination could not

Conjure its existence

Yet it is there

Reality from dusk to dawn

These castles of the air

Where wishes are created

Through tangible thoughts

In fluid prisms

Orchestrating

A new day

Woven just for you

Cathy

Great Barrington, MA

Smithsonian Magazine has named Great Barrington, MA THE best small town in America! It was featured in Chronicle on Ch. 5 WCVB TV on Wed. night.

This area of Massachusetts is beautiful and full of history. Our renowned Arlo Guthrie, in the footsteps of his father Woody Guthrie continues to keep music and the folk culture alive and well there. It borders Tanglewood, The Kripalu Center and The Norman Rockwell Museum in neighboring Stockbridge.

Four seasons can be enjoyed here. Always something for everyone!

Enjoy your discovery through these websites.

Cathy

http://www.wcvb.com/chronicle/Wednesday-November-7-Main-Streets-and-Back-Roads-Great-Barrington-Massachusetts/-/12523032/17217470/-/9tqj9r/-/index.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/The-20-Best-Small-Towns-in-America.html?c=y&page=2&navigation=next#IMAGES

http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2012/04/smithsonian_mag.html

Alice’s restaurant…then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

Alice’s restaurant…now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjKF7aQthcQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrington,_Massachusetts

http://berkshires.org/

Boston

In researching some of our patron saints on the more recent blogs, I came to wonder if there was a patron saint for Boston. It appears that Boston’s name comes from a saint. There is a direct connection to England as the site of the first town named Boston, named after St. Botolph, who lived at the approximate time of King Arthur in the 5^th to 6^th century. I’m sure we are all aware of the St. Botolph St. area of Boston.

I further researched the patron saints for Massachusetts and the USA. Both have the patron saint of our beloved Mary, known as the Blessed Virgin and Immaculate Conception respectively. The Archdiocese of Boston is honored with St. Patrick. Native Americans throughout the USA are blessed by St. Anthony.

We as SMFs are doubly-blessed having gone to St. Mary School in the parish of the Immaculate Conception while having her watch over both our state and our country. We have been blessed in more ways than we knew of with her protection and love through all these years.

Whether we were aware of it or not, our paths in our life have had remarkable guidance by these wonderful saints’ guidance.

Cathy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botwulf_of_Thorney

http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-botulph-of-ikanhoe/

http://www.roca.org/OA/115-116/115aa.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston

http://www.bostoncatholic.org/About-The-Archdiocese/Content.aspx?id=11570

http://www.stbotolph.org/

--------------------------------------------

USA: http://saints.sqpn.com/feast-of-the-immaculate-conception/

Massachusetts: http://saints.sqpn.com/bvm/

Archdiocese of Boston: http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-patrick/

Native Americans: http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-anthony-of-padua/

Patron Saints: http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron00.htm

St. Christopher, Pray For Us

With another storm bearing down on the east coast, we should pause and say a prayer for the safety of all affected. So many are still suffering from Hurricane Sandy and are directly in the path of yet another major storm.

St. Christopher is the Patron Saint for protecting us from storms, water and safety in travel. He is the bearer of Christ on His journey and the perfect companion for us as we all bear Christ within us. Please ask for his help during this week with imminent bad weather.

Cathy

http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-christopher/

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron01.htm

Blogs following Hurricane Sandy Aftermath:

http://live.nydailynews.com/Event/Tracking_Hurricane_Sandy_2

http://www.ibtimes.com/hurricane-sandy-live-blog-day-9-113-dead-nj-allows-email-voting-cold-weather-arrives-858654

To Donate: http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-sandy-victims/story?id=17598687#.UJkRwMVfCSo

VOTE

With flags unfurled

And politicians waving

The red, white and blue

Is spirited forth

Through our voice

VOTE

November Magic

November may bring

Frost on your pumpkins

But the navy blue skies

Are filled with magic

Frosty moon

Solar eclipse

Twinkling stars

Fairies coming to light

At night

Yet remain

Out of sight

So look if you might

For a sprite

With delight

Good night

Cathy

Payback

This morning we turned the clocks back one hour. We gained an hour stolen from us six months earlier. Time should be level now. The hour borrowed in the springtime should be like having interest gained in our ‘life bank’. Today is payback. We gained an extra hour of sleep, or a moment for our self. How we use these sixty minutes is up to us…fun, quiet, insightful or crazy wonderful! Perhaps the extra hour is for reflection of the six months of borrowed time…what was accomplished…or perhaps how to proceed in the next six, regrouping during the winter months or just being pleasantly pleased with life as is!

However you spend this time, enjoy!

Cathy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1r6GcPqFSo

Indian Summer

Frost comes and goes

With autumn’s varying sun

Leaves in a flurry

With the crispy winds

Expose the hardiest souls

Lingering leaves and bursting berries

With bared branches arching upwards

With the songbirds singing their

Last serenade

As the birds of near winter

Chirp into the night

Preparing us for the

Next season to reason

The cycles of life to come

Cathy

Donate To Victims Of Hurricane Sandy

Donate:

http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2012/11/01/14852645-nbc-to-host-benefit-concert-for-sandy-victims?lite#__utma=14933801.664117994.1351901218.1351901218.1351901218.1&__utmb=14933801.2.10.1351901218&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1351901218.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=msnbc&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=153203128

Help:

http://www.google.com/search?q=donate+to+victims+of+hurricane+sandy&rlz=1C1_____enUS439US439&oq=donate+to+victims+of+hurricane+sandy&sugexp=chrome,mod=0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The ABCs Of Life

Guidelines…you can’t beat the basics…the ABCs. We first start with the building blocks of life as blocks. Simple, colorful, playful, and probably used as the first introduction to our name. Cute!

Next, we are introduced to flash cards. We kick-it-up-a-notch with visual associations of our favorite things in life…apples, balloons, cat, dog, etc. Our life gets more colorful, playful and interactive.

In school we were introduced to our “Palmer Method” means of writing. Life got more serious. We had to memorize the alphabet and methodically apply a style of cursive writing to our thought patterns first, then learn to apply it to paper. With that accomplished, we had to then formulate our completed thoughts to complete sentences…in cursive! Quite a feat for youngsters in the second grade! Life got SO serious, SO quickly for us!

As life’s complexities grow, we can also turn to a more adult version of ABCs. This is a gentle reminder for us when we wish to regroup and re-simplify our lives. The ABCs of Life:

Guidelines are just that…guidelines. The ABCs are real and permanent, yet flexible! Rearrange them as they suit your life and situation. Create new guidelines for yourself. Go for it…

And have fun doing it!

Cathy

SMF All Saints Day

Painting:

Capanna, Puccio 

The Virgin and Child Enthroned Between Angels,

the Annunciation, and Female Saints

In our SMF school days, the day after Halloween brought us to school with a sugar-rush hangover. Not too pretty. It must have been such a chore for the nuns to get us to focus our attention on the day at hand.

November 1st, All Saints Day, meant a half-day-ish of school because it was a holy day of obligation. Mass was an obligation. From our perspective, it was time-off from classwork. We started the day with prayers and our religion studies, and then proceeded to Mass in the church right next door.

The nuns encouraged us for Halloween to choose a saint for our costumes. Read, study, make a costume and represent a saint in school; all in all, not a bad lesson. All Saints Day honors those who have gone before us. It honors those who have successfully become aware of the ‘gifts if the Spirit’ that allow us into heaven.  Patron saints were recommended…mine being St. Catherine of Siena. I honestly don’t remember anyone else’s choices, but there are many strong women who have gone before us. Perhaps you remember yours. Names such as Mother Mary and Joan of Arc are the first to jump to mind. Sts. Therese and Bernadette immediately follow along with Bridget and Anne.

As mentors may come and go in our lives, perhaps finding comfort in a namesake or another strong ancestor of choice will help guide us on our path.

Cathy

Female Saints: http://www.catholic.org/saints/female.php

St. Catherine: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=9