Saturday, December 31, 2011

A Wonderous New Year To All~


Mother Lightning's Peace Garden, was launched four years ago this evening.
Truly time does fly... At this juncture of our universal connection~
Wishing everyone true peace in one's inner life of dealing with the daily challenges of what encompasses a life here on earth, & our planetary connectedness, of what brings forth this whole, our shared extraordinary experience here as Tigger would say on, Good ole Tera Fer Ma!

A prayer for peace, we wish you peace.

~Amen~


***********************************************

It is now New Year's Day 2012, & this morning I checked out my news feeds on my facebook page, where I often find some outstanding information, & am including a recent prayer that was posted by Frank Lipman, MD which is a true gift & joy!
A sincere heartfelt thank you to the sharer of this simple yet meaningful prayer.

For the New Year, I offer you all the Buddhist Metta Meditation/Prayer
“May all beings be happy, content and fulfilled.
May all beings be healed and whole.
May all have whatever they want and need.
May all be protected from harm and free from fear.
May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease.
May all be awakened, liberated and free.
May there be peace in this world, and throughout the entire universe.”











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Friday, December 30, 2011

Grandma Anna's Phase II of These Wonderful Rugullas~




Phase II of Grandma Anna's Newly Twisted Coney Island Rugullas 2011 edition are now prepared, & ready, so very ready to be shared. My husband, our son, & moi', have all been enjoying this fantastic treat which is so very hard to put down, as it's not too easy to stop. But I'll stop here, & just say, it is always a pleasure to put together these creations, no matter the time, the prep & the mess that it makes, for it brings forth some really pristine memories of our grandmother who truly to us was really, a great person. It's the little people in the world, one by one, that continue to inspire & bring us comfort during all the seasons of our lives, not just those lazy hazy days, be it the sunshine & the fun, but also the vortex of any black hole that can be lurking behind the facade that it's all right, as sometimes it's not, but situations do change, nothing is permanent, & we are not born into a world to have our stories be written in stone. Not in the beginning that is, & none of us are of any dynasty anyway. Just regular people, just trying ever so very hard to make it in this rather hectic, & at times very crazy world, one step at a time.

***************************

I'll come back sometime later, to post our grandmother's recipe, until then Bon Appetite!











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Grandma Anna's Newly Twisted Coney Island Rugullas, Phase I


After thinking, about it, & talking about it, phase one is finally here~

Our Grandmother Anna who was born & raised in Yonkers, New York was the best of the best. As a little child I always felt there was never enough time for us to spend together, & I was right of course. She was always a light hearted woman when she was spending time with any of her grandchildren, & I've been told by my cousin Burt that I'm a lot like her. When I think about it that way it certainly lightens my heart. She would often tell me the funniest stories about my grandfather, she was not only a great cook, but also could be very funny, in action & deed. But tonight I'll tuck some of those stories away momentarily, just to say tomorrow is the day I'll be baking a few batches of her rugullas, some newly twisted ones of course, but nevertheless, good as good can be.

"Oh Dolly", that's my rescue pup of course, "oh Dolly, we'll have to stay with the program & be sure to log on some more walking miles tomorrow, Grandma Anna's Rugullas are a-coming, & we all know what too much of a good thing can do."











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden



Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tis' The Season How Ya Doing...


The season has been moving fast, & with that the winter chill is blowing in. As per usual an over the top indulgence of holiday foods, of which it's now time for me to stop, please I must stop, of which I will, as I'm far too bloated now to think of anything other than~ yes, enough already!

It's been fun, but pay, oh do some of us pay, & it's not quite as easy as a snowman's life, for it never seems to melt off all too easily. So tomorrow my pup Dolly & I will have to brave the elements, & walk off some of those way too delectable holiday goodies.

Sooo, how are you doing... ?











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas & Chanukah The Morning After~

A season of good will as the week progressed...
The pan for the latkas was set up outside on the deck as my husband wanted all the smoke from the frying process outside for overall air quality. This was our first year cooking them this way, & it worked out just fine.



Both my husband & our grandson were exploring & enjoying some new technology that Santa had shared...

The Festival of Lights continues...


Of all the merries for our small fam*, this past Christmas was just about the best. My husband & I are of course empty nesters, & are always very thankful for all the times each & everyone of our adult sons is able to come back to our neck of the woods. The element that is adding to this season's specialness is the respectful & giving attitude of pitching in & helping out whenever a project is needed to be done. For me it has always been the element of the domestic scene, the cooking & the cleaning, that could be problematic, & would run me ragged with all the prep time, & the aftermath of cleaning up afterwards. This year it was a new & most wonderful planet~ of everyone pitching in with a hands on attitude, from standing at the pan, for several hours of cooking latkas, to peeling & cutting apples for our apple crisp pie. All of it done together with so much efficiency that in the old days I would have been alone in the kitchen for hours on end, just working at it, & getting it done.

Voila~ a new generation has grown up, & arrived, here in my kitchen, which is an important aspect in any one's garden of life. A kitchen~ the creative, nutritious heart that is needed for the growth of any family's well being. I am truly a most thankful mom to be alive & to now have reached this exciting aspect of life, the sharing, & the continued learning & growing that we gain from one another is by far the very best of the best in any satchel of gifts. It will always be the simple things that bring forth a deep richness in the quality of living & celebrating in this season of~

~Peace On Earth Good Will Towards Men~

Amen, Amen, Amen











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Friday, December 23, 2011

Our Visit To~ Cirque Dreams Holidaze





From the beginning of time, we human beings have done our creative best to cope with the darkness of our days~
& during the Winter Solstice of December 21st of each year we are the furthest away from the sun. Yes it can be cold. Yes it is dark longer, but do not fear; light & color await to transport us to an artistically creative place in the imagination of the mind.

Our daughter in law, & son gifted to us tickets to see Cirque Dreams this past Tuesday at the Bushnell in Hartford, Ct. What a lovely gift indeed. The show began at 6:30pm which was a good time to accommodate folks with young children too. This was our very first time taking in an acrobatic show of this dimension. It was way cool, with costumes, staging, lights music & yes action. The overall presentation was quite excellent, as there was always something interesting to focus on, along with the unique costumes.

No matter what, a kid lives inside each & every one of us, so as we continue onward into this season of winter, & the dark, let us all take in a bit of color, enjoying the song, & festival of lights!











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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Winter Soltice Time, & Chanukah/Hanukkah Is Here~

I would so love to have a giant draidle, but instead~
I have a little draidle I made it out of clay...
Not really, in all actuality, mine are made out of, wood, plastic, & I even have a silver one that was given to me, too.
Above is an assortment of our family's menorahs which still need cleaning up,
my fave is the one pictured below that our friend Sue designed mostly made out of marshmallows, & pretzels. What's not to love, but you'll have to wait eight days, as Chanukah is an eight day festival, enjoy~
My friend & children's book co author, Peg & I taking a quick pause after an additional episode for our BeadforLife fund raising event.

Here I am doing a little bead talk with one of our supporting shoppers Marge. Marge took the photo above, as we all love the colors & aray of the mix of this vibrant display.

I needed to go out of town for one of those end of the year medical appointments, of which all of us women of a certain age must do, in order to maintain our health. Lets put it this way, they put a certain body part in a flat vice-like apparatus that feels like you're in the midst of the iron crusher. It wasn't a terribly horrible experience, but prior to the exam you are instructed "no powder & no deodorant", goodness gracious, going without deodorant, can feel like a day without sunshine. So afterward I did a dab or two, there that was more like it, & then it was off to the mall for a visual pick me up. And don't you agree that the Ice Palace and her Royal Highness the Snow Princess, are a vision to behold~

Tonight is the second night of Chanukah/Hanukkah, & though it's been a bit rainy & gray, nonetheless it's been a wonderful day, of just plain taking my time, & getting things done. Being we are an Interfaith family, we try our best to touch upon the aspects of the season that have given us enjoyment from way back when my husband & I were kids growing up, to the days when we were raising our own family, & to now, sharing with the newest generation, our grandchildren. We make certain that we are able to share with those who are less fortunate, as these are hard economic times across our land. Our local food pantry, & fuel assistance programs in our neck of the woods are finding it ever more challenging to meet the needs of our community. Just a few weeks ago, the chapter of the Sisterhood, of which I have been a member now for a little over 4 years, was still raising funds for the BeadforLife program all the way in Uganda. The very same evening we collected & made Care Packages for our local women's shelter.

With all that as a backdrop, I find it is still possible to just simply take it all in, do what it is one person at a time, can do, & appreciate & enjoy the richness of simply~ living a life.

For as the Dali Lama has taught,~

"If there is something that is worrying you, & you can do something about it, then do it, & don't worry. If there is something that is worrying you & you can't do anything, don't worry about that either."

I find that statement, very freeing, though it takes a cetain amount of effort in retraining my thinking, but it is workable, & small steps along the way do help in retaining the energy needed to do something effective in reguards to maintaing personal peace, in order to continue to work each & every day towards world peace. So truly all I can say, is a most simple statement, that is both honest & true, for me & for you~

Please help us God

Amen












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Life Doesn't Have To Be Perfect To Be Wonderful

This little critter is from our local Stop & Shop & I just couldn't help myself the other evening; I was sitting on a bench enjoying a pause in time, & the luxuary & convience of checking, on-the-go, for emails of the day after getting a few essentials such as coffee, & herabal tea. I had a little over an hour to spare before needing to be at our Sisterhood meeting, which hosts our usual end of the year activity of preparing gift bags for our local women's shelter, but as figures right in the middle of responding to an email, I noticed her again & knew I had to take the above photo. So bong, up I bounced, silly shopper I can be, & here she is, such a cute member of Frosty's fam~
I also had two boxes of our BeadforLife shipment already loaded in my car which needed to be brought to our meeting that night so our membership would have an opportunity for some last minute BeadforLife holiday shopping.


In the photo above is our new computer friend-to-be,
Paige M. Gutenborg
Paige, is operated by Lyden of the Harvard Book Store, in Cambridge, Ma.
My co author friend Peg & I , have been trying ever so hard, for several years now to figure out a way to get our children's book published. Our friend Janet, a very talented artist, last year so wonderfully agreed to be our illustrator, but it has been most challenging for us newbies to the book publishing world to find a way to have our work published without being taken to town on expenses, but voila~ Peg, the attention to detail partner of this book writing venture has persisted, & has truly come upon a most doable way, & 2012 , God willing, will be the year that our sweet, wise, funny & most adorable characters will be released to the world.
Here's Peg, sitting with some of her most fav, garden critters, at one of the oldest & beautiful public spaces in the U.S., the Boston Common.

Getting there is always a textured, sometimes windy, but rhythmically beautiful...

From the inners of the city, to the underground stellar transportation of the T,
to the quaint New England street scapes...
to the welcoming message,
of peace, love & creative hospitality..
It's never really ever has to be prefect, as it will never be so, that much is true, but this much I do know, no matter what realm we travel in from, that
peace, love & understanding
never, ever gets old, never..

I borrowed today's title from a mini sign from a gift shop in Boston yesterday, of which I so agree,.. & how about you...

A good rhythm of busy has settled on these shores. We've been able to go out of town on various days, & much is getting done. Certainly in the way of what we are preparing for our family & friends, but most important for us anyway, staying with the message & our own personal rhythms of the season, in keeping of the harmony we know is necessary to get through not only a busy holiday time, but each & every day. Amen












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A Holiday Task, of Lists & Things~

The display above is from the counter at Claire's Corner Copia, New Haven, Ct. & the array just below are some of the cards that have come in recently over the past few days, sitting on our stack of cards to be mailed. I thought perhaps this year I wouldn't do the snail mail thing, but just couldn't resist sending a card, & dropping a note. When it comes to receiving holiday cards, it's just one of those things that are always welcomed~

A BeadforLife, guy just above, trying to stay active this time of year. I guess jumping rope could do it. Who's game...
And a rough draft of what's to come...

A List of Checking More Than Twice


doubled dared
to be or not

risk taken
or
to not
be
too

revealing
or am
I
sharing
doubts
joys
fears
for
what purpose
I ask
you
me
pray,
do tell
please,
or not
I whisper
thoughts~
recesses
of
mindful
mindless
mindfulness
which is mine
how's yours
?
to hum endless tunes
of
nonsense
this
and not,
not knowing
ever know
these waves
of curdled thoughts
doubts,
never doubt
my love
always,
always
from a pocket
of my heart
deep within
what's
me

*************************

It's been a bit of time since composing a poem, but once again, I needed to get aspects of the season rounded up, in my own mind that is, to make it through what has become a rather needlessly stressful time of year. I say needlessly, as we tend to put so very much of theses stresses upon ourselves. My brother in law in my opinion is doing the very best thing to deal with all this materialism, consumerism stuff, & yes I do mean stuff. He spent a good part of his day on Sunday, tracking down & calling family members, & telling everyone that due to the economic situation this year, & with so many individuals being without some of the essential basics, such as shelter, heat, & food, that he would be donating to these causes in our family's name. That Santa gifts would still be given on his behalf to the young children on his list, but that is now his method & way, to make for a saneness to what has become a season of over indulgence of far too much stuff. I agree, & will teach myself to also take his cue.

One need not be rich to do this, & it was true when we all were taught, that it is better to give than to receive not only during this season, but throughout the seasons of a lifetime.


And so concludes today's addition to the ongoing~ Poetry A Muse In Motion, project.
We wish you all,~ All that is good, & truly worldwide inner peace.

Amen, Amen, Amen












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Monday, December 12, 2011

A Cornacopia of Culture, Beauty & Carrot Cake Too~

Claire's Corner Copia always a destination point for us at least once a year. This time we we would be off to the Yale Repertory Theatre which as you can see had their lights, all a glow for one & all~



Claire's is a vegeterian restaurant, but even non vegetarians find every morcle a pure
culinary delight~

It seems we never can leave without a slice of carrot cake, but we've wised up, & now share it~
The first of this season's Christmas Trees was glowing bright on the New Haven Green this past Saturday night~
And another tree, not quite as tall in the center of the state, at Hartford's Bushnell Park, alongside the pond which is all set up for community ice skating~

Just a few more city street scapes before reaching our destination...
The Veterans Memorial Arch alongside Bushnell Park, & the Connecticut State Capitol is always a favorite, no matter the season.

It seems like not much is new, yet I've made a discovery or two..

Am listening to 60's oldies on PBS as I click along the keyboard. So what's new in these here hills, hmmm..., let me think... Well for starters my husband & I have branched out in our theatre repertoire, in the audience that is. We went into New Haven, which is a rather small city in southern Ct., but with much history & immense culture. We love theatre & are committed to the extensive travels it sometimes entails, the draw was New Haven, as it is a little lighter as far as road time goes. We were pleasantly surprised during our very first visit to Yale Repertory Theatre, their high caliber of performance, & ability to make us all feel relaxed, welcomed & enthralled with all that it takes to engage an audience.
We saw, A Doctor in Spite of Himself by Moliere a modern day version of this 1666 play was a co-production with Berkeley Repertory. The version of this play made it's premiere in 2010 by the Intiman Theatre, in Seattle, Washington.

This farce of 1600 France, with modern day hip language hits the nail right on the head. When you see this play, so much is still true in regards to navigating the medical world, both as a doctor & as a patient. For the doctor so promises since Hippocrates~ First do no harm, & for the patient & his/hers family, to this day~ get an advocate, really it is often necessary. We loved the play, & are now big fans of Yale Rep, & are already planing our return.

After dinner at Claire's Corner Copia, which is a breath away from the Historic New Haven Green, we went home by the way of Hartford, & stopped in at Real Art Ways to see Melancholia produced & directed by Lars von Trier. Melancholia a beautiful artful film, filled with so much allegory that more than one viewing [if one can take it] would be necessary if one were to get it all. And even if you see it only once, as we did, it is one of those movies that won't let you take your eyes away from the screen. This movie is no uplift, by any means, but nonetheless there's a beauty. I'll say no more.












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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden