As We Enter the Holiday Season...

As we enter the holiday season, let me be the first person to wish you all a very happy holiday season--whichever one(s) you celebrate. For Americans, most of us celebrate Thanksgiving in November and a holiday or two in December and New Year's Eve. So, please consider yourself "greeted" by yours truly. (If you like, you can return the holiday greetings in the comments below.)

I wanted to make this holiday greeting announcement fairly early on in the season so that what I'm about to say next wouldn't come as a shock to you: I've decided not to send any Christmas cards this year. Don't worry--I will give gifts to close relatives, and I will decorate my tree and house as usual. I'm not going to be a total "Scrooge." The reason why I'm not sending out holiday cards is to make a statement: Not everyone is going to experience a "Happy Holiday!" this year. I feel that the money I spend on postage and cards could be better put to use helping others have a happier, safer and more just 2017, so I plan on doing just that.

You might not be aware of what is happening at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation  with the Dakota Access Pipeline, but this would not be because I haven't shared this information frequently on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and on the weekly blog I edit, Our Revolution Continues and in several pieces I've written for Political Storm.  Since this is my general writing blog/web page I won't go into details here (you can easily click on the links provided for those), but I wanted to share the reason behind the statement I've just given. 

How can I say the words, "Joyous tidings of the season to you," or "Peace on Earth, good will to all mankind," when horrendous injustices are being inflicted on our peaceful water protectors of the Missouri River? I just can't.

Instead of mailing out hollow words of joy to friends and family, I will use those funds to help out the people of Standing Rock and elsewhere who are in need. If you feel inclined to help others in need this season instead of mailing cards and letters to the names on your Christmas list, please feel encouraged to do so. I won't feel slighted in the least if I don't receive a card from you. In fact, I'll feel very happy and proud to call you my friend for putting the needs of those suffering injustices--such as the water protectors of Standing Rock who strive to protect our precious land, sky and water--ahead of my feelings.

I wish you all a happy holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May it be a better year than we hope, or at least may it be one in which we all re-discover our humanity and humility and truly live out the Golden Rule, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Think: One day you may need your neighbors' help. How can you rely on them in your darkest hour if they can't rely on you during this season of light?

--Cindy






Update 11/21/16: Here's the first project I'm supporting for the water protectors at Standing Rock in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year. I've always wanted to build a straw bale home, so I'm glad to support Honor the Earth as they build a community hall for the Oceti Sakowin encampments. Check it out, and if you feel motivated, donate a little something toward their goal of $75K (they're about halfway there). They will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner there in a few days. https://honorearth.nationbuilder.com/makagioti

The Christmas Tree Without Presents

The lights shine just as brightly on a Christmas tree without presents.

And there's a whole lot more room under it to position your nativity scene, Christmas village, HO train track, stuffed animals, Santa figurines or other decorations you've accumulated and managed to hang on to over the years.

Looking at my Christmas tree this year, I can see just how much I have been blessed. I have been fortunate to accumulate many ornaments just by living this long and for having friends and family members who have gifted me with such treasures. None of my ornaments are what you'd call "pricey", but to me they are "price-less". What price can you put on love and good memories?

It's a difficult holiday season for us this year without an income and without much hope of finding jobs in this bleak economy, but for now we can afford to keep the lights turned on our Christmas tree and that is enough. When I think of all those who don't even have this much--no place to call home or no tree filled with the ornaments of good memories--I try to stop my pity-party and mentally kick myself in the rear. But I won't lie to you--it's difficult.

If I could give everyone in the world a gift, I'd like to give the gift of hope. Hope that tomorrow the tree will have presents and that the lights will always be turned on, twinkling in the darkness, proclaiming that a Light bigger than ourselves is shining over us. May He shine over us all forever.

Why Can’t We All Just Learn to Recycle?

You’re not seeing things—that’s a piano….sitting by a dumpster. It’s being thrown out. It wasn’t a particularly good piano (I couldn’t get it to make a sound), but you’d think its last owner could have found another home for it instead of simply tossing it out on the junk heap, wouldn’t you?

I discovered the piano the other night while out walking with the hubby. He honestly didn’t see it when I pointed it out to him, and he’s got better eyesight than I do. The reason he didn’t see it was probably because there are so many items being dumped in our neighborhood on a weekly basis that something the size of a piano doesn’t really make a mark on your conscious. We regularly spy sofas, overstuffed chairs, kitchen tables, end tables, mattresses, dressers, plastic cabinets, bookshelves, entertainment centers, televisions, lamps, urns, carpets, Christmas decorations, etc., being put out with the trash. A lot of these items we’ve put to good use, too.




And before you ask, yes, we do have mandatory recycling where we live. We have to sort our garbage out into bins for plastics, papers, metals and other recyclable materials. But for some unknown reason, you can’t make people pick up the phone and call Goodwill or the Salvation Army to take away these large items to sell and put the money to good use. Sad, isn’t it?

If you don’t want to garage sale your items, put them on Craig's List, or donate them to a charity shop, people like us will continue to put them to good use ourselves (if we can use and/or move the item—the piano was a bit out of our league). But wouldn’t it be nice if we could all come up with a better alternative to rid ourselves of old furniture items rather than sending them off to the landfill?

Summer Causes

So far this summer, I've been involved in a number of "worthy causes", fundraisers, or charitable events. Here's a bit about a few of them.



This event wasn't exactly a charitable event, but it was fun. The 8th Regiment of Missouri Volunteers (Civil War reenactors) help to open Grant's Farm for the season and the new Ulysses S. Grant Museum at Whitehaven National Monument across the street.



I walked the full route of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on June 16th in downtown St. Louis. This year the walk didn't go past the Arch, much to my chagrin. In past years I help to entertain walkers by singing with my chorus, The River Blenders. Since our director couldn't make it this time, I took up my writing pal Debbie Hull's offer to walk with her Jazzercise group from St. Peters. I realize now that I desperately need to get in shape like these gals!


(A fun fact: There was approximately 75,000 in attendance at this year's walk. And I'm the one wearing the white t-shirt and big straw hat.)






Another annual summer cause I like to help out with is "Taking Jesus to the Streets" a street-festival/Vacation Bible School that is put on by Bethlehem Lutheran Church, St. Louis. Each week, the BLC singers, helpers and volunteers go to a different neighborhood on the northside and share the Gospel through song and skits, arts and crafts, snacks and prizes. It's a lot of fun. And you meet some great kids.


A new project I helped out this year was a "Don't Go to Church (Be the Church)" project to help put insulation in the ceiling of the Peace ESL Center on S. Grand Avenue in the city. It's an older brick building in the heart of the immigrant community of St. Louis. They have a "computer lab" of old, donated PCs to help teach newcomers computer and English skills so they can find work in their new country. I'm glad that I got to help out at this great community center.





Probably the most enlightening experience of my summer so far has been going out one evening with the "Extreme Faith Ministry" group from Faith Lutheran Church in Oakville. Every other Wednesday, this very organized group of believers goes into the city and feed the homeless and other street people. And is it ever appreciated!

At the first stop on the corner of Locust and 14th Streets, we fed about 150 people. The organizers then bought some more food to go from there into the abandoned warehouses along the river--right next to the Arch. Yes, within a yard or so of the National Monument sleeps several dozen people in an old warehouse without windows, lights or running water. And many of the homeless are working--they just can't afford the high rents to live in the city. The visits and friendships are as welcomed as the food is, too, I learned... And sometimes after these homeless people get back on their feet financially, they come and help out with Extreme Faith Ministry as well.

That's my summer so far... It's always good to get out there and see what's happening in other parts of your community. I suggest you give a try yourself and see what happens.