Peace in 2017

A first post in many years...expect ponderings on peace in this new year, a year of great tumult, to say the least. 

A year in retrospect:

I have been away from this space for quite a long span of time! Here is an attempt to catch up:

I have been busy looking for signs of peace & love everywhere I go. 

This was an especially lovely sight I came upon end of 2012:a sea of lit tress-each one with the name of a  loved one. 

There was not much snow this year and that was a disappointment as I so love the sense of quiet & beauty snow brings.

A trip to DR for a wedding gifted us with beautiful people, birds, food,beaches , blue skies

 and soothing seas. 

limited sight distance

It is hard for me to get a read on this New Year. Some moments I almost feel like I am on a plane that is on fire & I have located the parachute & am trying to time the best moment at which to jump. Other days I feel like I am on a plane that is just beginning to take off and become joylessly airborne. The juxtaposition of it all is what confuses me. Seeing this sign today: I took it as a "sign". Perhaps there is no way to know what kind of year it will be until it is all over.

2010

2010 is just hours away from being over & I will not remember it as one of our more peace filled years.

Some parting shots of the 2010 tornado/micro burst/macro burst here in F.H.

Very Merry

Some snap shots of the past few days in our family:

Wonderful trees, fantastic food,family & friends,nut crackers, wreaths , festive decorations & lovely lights, fun, gifts & good times. It flies by too quickly and my only regret is that we all do not get together more often and not everyone can be there when we do!

It was a VERY Merry holiday season :

Our annual gathering on Christmas eve at Aunt J. & Uncle P.'s was wonderful!

Our 80th birthday celebration for cousin Helen the next morning was a fun SURPRISE !

Christmas at Aunt P. & Uncle J.'s was filled with old family memories & photos from Christmas past!

And we made the annual visit to the cemetery -leaving with questions that got answered on Christmas day and we were VERY lucky-the big "blizzard" of 2010 came a day after, allowing all to get home safely.

end of year traditions

As the days grow shorter and the nights lengthen I look forward to the many holiday traditions to keep things upbeat. The many holiday markets scattered throughout NYC. (Bryant Park has a wonderful tree & ice skating rink)

This year we went for a very small tree. It simplifies things wonderfully to have something scaled down & it meant editing the ornaments to only those I really, really loved since there was no vast landscape of green to fill this year.

Hanukkah aftermath

Somes final scenes from this year's Hanukkah & one photograph depicting what I like to call the Hanukkah aftermath=lots of wax everywhere.

Each year I am left with just one question : How do you spell "Hanukkah"?

Hannukah aftermath