Only a Week Away

Each year, no matter how much I think I may be ready for them, the holidays always seem to arrive much more quickly than expected.

Priscille's festive Annalee Dolls welcome
guests who enter into the foyer of our home.

In early October, I begin getting my thoughts in order for the onset of Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

I start thinking about making up a Christmas wish list; begin to consider what gifts to buy for others (I’m not very good at that).

But mainly, I look forward with anticipation to our convivial gatherings with friends and family – dear people with whom Priscille and I have the chance, once again, to share, to reminisce, and to be joyous.  Having the opportunity to add to one’s storehouse of precious memories is a privilege – a gift from the Almighty.

Memorable Mothers

Moms are persons that can easily be taken for granted. Decades ago, my own mother embroidered and framed the following words for all the family and visitors to see: “A man works from sun to sun; a woman’s work is never done.” That aphorism delivers a message of deep meaning. Somewhat weathered by the sun, those words now hang on a prominent wall in the laundry room of my daughter’s home in Potomac, Maryland.

Good spot to hang such an adage. It’s a reminder that laundry, although one of the most humble jobs in the lives of most mothers, never really goes away. Even more important, it underscores that mothering goes well beyond the bounds of the laundry room. Moms are an incredible mixture of intelligence, competence, sunshine and, the key ingredient, love.

It’s also a reminder of how many other functions my daughter performs within her community: She comes and goes past that frame, the washer and the dryer, as she completes dozens of family and community commitments, exiting and entering from the back door leading to the garage and the ever-present Honda van.

Oh! How about my own wife and mom, who has done thousands of pounds of laundry during her lifetime for an often Cretan husband who should know better. Thanks, Pris, for all of the washing, drying and ironing. Happy Mother’s Day.

In With the New . . . .

Tonight, when you tune your TV to the celebration in Times Square, you will see that the ball coming down to welcome 2008 is a brand new creation. Phillips lighting has developed and manufactured custom LEDs (light emitting diodes) to replace the incandescent light bulbs which were previously used. Would you believe that there are over 9500 LEDs, all of which can be color-controlled for maximum effect?

The Ireland-based Waterford Crystal company has designed and manufactured 762 individual, triangular-shaped crystals which are cut on each side to provide even more light refraction.

So . . . to all of you in Bridgewater and elsewhere who have taken the time to periodically read this blog:

Have a very Happy New Year!!

And, in the spirit of all those good Irish hearts, “May the road rise to meet you … May the wind always be at your back … May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”


Note: For more information about the New Year’s Eve Ball, see the Times Square Alliance at, http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_ball.html

Good, Any Time of Year

The following piece, written by a friend, Maureen Wild of High Road Solutions of Bridgewater, appeared in the At Work section of Monday’s Courier News.

“Courtesy and refined manners have absolutely nothing to do with what you drive, what you wear, where you eat, where you shop or where you live. There are plenty of perfectly rude people who are living luxurious lifestyles . . . There is absolutely no correlation between refinement and disposable income.

As we prepare to step into a new year, I would encourage everyone to put others first, watch what comes out of your mouth, set a good example for young people and small children and try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Be more patient, behave more gently, slow the ego, do good as often as you are able. Choose the harder right over the easier wrong . . . If more people would behave with dignity, kindness and selflessness, oh what a beautiful life all of us would enjoy.”

Boy! If I could internalize a few of those precepts, I’d be doing great!

It’s that Time of the Year

The celebration of Christmas is associated with great joy and gift-giving. It is a time for Christians to unite in the birth of their savior and to partake in memorable family traditions. At least, that’s the ideal. But not all people find themselves in a position to enjoy the holiday in that fashion.

That fact was vividly brought to mind for me, when my spouse and I received a Christmas card from a friend in Bridgewater who recently lost her husband. The personal note at the bottom of the card read as follows (for obvious reasons, no names are used):

"Thank you so much for your expressions of sympathy. It’s not been easy. I miss him so much. Our life was so good. So . . . . Love one another. Cherish each moment! Life is so short."

Ponder the simplicity and great wisdom in those words: It gives us all – regardless of our religious persuasion – reason to pause and to assess our current status in life. For those of us for whom life has been kind, it may not be a bad idea to think of some of our friends or relatives who could use a lift right now.

Think, for a moment, of the fundamentally profound meaning behind the old AT&T commercial, “Reach out and touch someone.” It's a good sentiment, especially for a hurting person. You may have within you a gift far greater than anything that you could purchase in a store.