Lights of St. Mary’s
On the frosty eve of Bethlehem, hazy nimbus of lamplight on cobblestones leads to the open doors of St. Mary’s. Within, eternal flame of brooding majesty burns above the ornate cupola. Towering pillars, angled arches, patterned concentric circles lofting above the altar — silent hints of the complexity of church history. Lambent stained windows and shadowed mosaic encircle the faithful with biblical messages. Ruby poinsettias amid pine-scented greenery flank altars ablaze with candles shedding their muted pools of empathy and bright sparks of hope this Christmastide. A tree-wrapped manger filled with new straw portends the good works of a parish to welcome the Christ Child! Lusty chorus of ancient carols […]
Creativity and Business: Candace Cotterman Thibeault
Artist Spotlight: Candace Cotterman Thibeault Balance between creativity and business is a rare quality in an artist, but Candace Cotterman Thibeault makes it appear natural and fun — just like her paintings. Intrigued by art since childhood, Thibeault’s talent was recognized by teachers and peers throughout her formative years in Gilbert, South Carolina. After completing high school, she left the small town to attend Capital University in Ohio, where she obtained a Fine Arts Degree plus degrees in Public Relations and Art Therapy. After college, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and purchased an art gallery and frame shop. Thibeault became a small business owner and operator while simultaneously pursuing a […]
A Thrifty Christmas Celebration
Christmas in Ireland is a massive celebration over the entire month of December. Normally we would be celebrating Friendsmas, a great huge gathering of my husband’s mates from Blackrock College and their spouses in a nice large restaurant spilling over with people. There is also the grand adventure of The 12 Pubs of Christmas, where friends and family take on a pub crawl that is not for the faint of heart, as revelers must complete a set of challenges for each pub. Anyone sick of his family on Christmas Eve can wander down to his local watering hole, always bursting to the door with people. For television entertainment, there is […]
The Season of Change is Here!
Peeling off the layers and becoming who you truly are is hard work — it never comes easy. I know a lot of people that put on different faces depending on who is around them. Of course there is a business face when you are in a professional environment, a playful face when you are at home or out in nature, but that is not what I am referring to. I am talking about becoming your true authentic self. The you that has been pushed down due to life’s trauma, people’s negative opinion of you, hurts and pain — the things you think you can hide and never face, and […]
OPEN – HANDED Generosity
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across water to create many ripples.” MOTHER TERESA As we enter yet another month of the COVID-19 epidemic, I look around in wonder at the generosity I see in our community. Not only on the front lines in the ER, hospitals, police force, etc. but the dedicated service workers who continue to show up to keep a job, knowing they may be risking their own health as well as that of their families. What intrigues me the most is the generosity of those who daily continue to carry on the work of their churches and organizations manning the […]
100 Christmases
I walked into the old farmhouse that housed four generations of the Jenkins family. Suddenly memories of Christmas Eve flooded my mind. I remembered so many details of that special night that made me laugh and shed a tear, but mostly, my heart swelled with gratitude. Uncle Bill was standing in the doorway with his fancy video camera with enough lights to illuminate a football stadium. So what I did I get for Christmas that year? Retina damage… I remembered my grandfather — we called Gumpa. He sat in his old burgundy chair with the wooden arms. It was his corner, almost a sacred place. He had a bird’s eye […]
The Ancient Traditions of Yule
Yule, also known as Yuletide, Yulefest, and Winter Solstice, has many traditions that are present in current day religions. If you like history as much as I do, come on an exploration journey with me. First, what is Yule or the Winter Solstice? Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). During this time of declination, the sun appears to be standing still. This year, that the solstice occurs on December 21. After this day, the days get longer until we reach the Summer Solstice. In ancient times, Yule was celebrated by the Germanic tribes of Northern Europe in anticipation of the return of […]
Holidays and the Gathering Spirit
Celebrations have social and emotional motivators Grandma Anderson made delicious meatballs with a secret ingredient called Rusk that is no longer found in stores. She taught my brothers and me to play Rook, which may explain why I still get the creeps when black birds soar overhead. Grandma Harper made prize-winning potato pancakes and stuffed cabbage. She taught us how to play pinochle and we would dance around the table if someone got what she called “a thousand aces.” My mamma was the most creative in the kitchen. She ventured away from traditional meat and potatoes and delighted us with recipes from our South American lifestyle. Gold Coast Stew served […]
Fall of the Berlin Wall, Part II | First Person Account
My sister Ursula lived in Berlin. By 1989 she was chief oboist in the Theater des Westens, taught a number of oboe students, substituted at the Berlin Opera, and owned a woodwind repair shop. And she was in Berlin during the time when the Iron Curtain separating East from West began to crumble. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a foregone conclusion once Hungary opened its borders to Austria, which permitted more than 13,000 East Germans to board trains and flee to the West. On Thursday evening, November 9, 1989, the Wall “fell” when the border between East and West Berlin opened. In her words, continued: Nov 12 Sunday […]
Sparkling Wine Cocktails | Libations
I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so maybe you thought 2020 rocked. Yeah. Maybe you’re into pandemics, polarizing elections, systematic racism, murder hornets, wild fires, impeachment, and the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. No? Didn’t think so. It’s safe to assume that I’m not alone in looking forward to ringing in 2021, and what better way to do that than with a little bubbly? Sometimes you just gotta pop some bottles. I’m definitely into some champagne (or cava, prosecco, or whatever — I don’t discriminate) but, really, I’m into some sparkling wine cocktails. French 75s are delicious, but in the midst of celebrating, we can’t be bothered […]
