What's Up With Wreaths?

Good Friday Morning,

Last night I attended the gala for the 9th annual Festival of Wreaths at Pleasant Day Medical Adult Day Care Center. It was a glittering affair complete with four musical presentations, and more than 125 wreaths hung in the halls of the facility -all of them ready for sale by silent auction. The event was catered by just about every restaurant in the county. What a party.

I was there nine years ago when the boss, Jackie Vickers, told me she wanted a fund-raiser to help keep indigent clients in day care. Back then, it cost something under $70 for the services: transportation, two meals and a snack, medical supervision,activities, shopping, and social worker services. Last night proved the festival was pure gold. The sale of all those wreaths, a couple of raffles and a live auction of wonderful donated items generated thousands of dollars to keep our elders in the program.

I retired from Pleasant Day several years ago, but every Christmas I take time to make some wreaths - for myself, and for others. It is a lot of fun, and I always use up some of the tons of materials that seem to find their way into my craft shelves. Each year, I help decorate one of the 18 trees that decorate the center, and this year a couple of friends from the Wednesday Morning Artists helped. We made a wreath too - with dozens of little paintings by the members.

The gala was so much fun. I collected hugs and reconnected with friends I made during a career as fund-raiser for two non-profits and as a news reporter - one of the reasons I adore Cambridge. People are great here, and they aren't afraid to tell you they love you!

You can't beat a night like that. I hope you take time to do something for others less fortunate this holiday season. It sure keeps you on the sunny side. Love, Terry

A Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I am writing to ask you for a very special gift. I would like to have peace on earth this year. The old folks used to say war is good for the economy, so why are so many people teetering on the verge of bankruptcy? It doesn't make sense to me, and I know it doesn't make sense to the families who have sons and daughters stationed at one of the hot spots in the world.

I would like to have peace on earth here in the homeland as well. It would be really nice if everyone would stop the frantic activity and step outside on a clear night to look up at the stars and take note that man did not create the sky, nor the stars, nor the moon and sun. Something greater than you or I made the heavens.

Dear Santa, it would also be nice if people could be kind to one another. I post another blog at Virtual Tours 101 where authors take the spotlight. Take a look at C.J. Scarlet, wo offers the Kindness Cure and asks her readers to perform an act of kindness each day. I can only imagine what life might be like if everyone read her book and tried to do that one act of kindness each day! What a wonderful world it would be ... to borrow a like from an old song.

I don't want a lot of gifts this year. There is no room in my house for anything new, so I think I will continue my quest to give the nice things away and throw out the not-so-nice things. Maybe that will make room for some joy!

Take care Santa and don't work too hard.

Terry

Sunday Dinner and Belief

Greetings Bloggers,

I like Sunday, it was always a special day when I was a child and I have fond memories of both Sunday School and the happy Sunday dinners and picnics that followed. My father was big on parties and he could make an occasion out of barbequeing a can of government surplus meat or making candy out of hot syrup poured on a pan of snow.

Times were hard when I was growing up, but I know Dad believed in me because shortly before he died, he got me James Mitchner's book on writing. Back then I only had a couple of self-published chapbooks, but he showed them off to his cronies and bragged on his daughter the writer. He helped me believe and I know that wherever he is now in the great beyond there is a party and he is bragging about his daughter the writer.

My point is that we have to believe what we want will happen. Every one of the authors I write about on the new blog I write for Nikki Leigh had a dream and hung on until those dreams came true. (http://authorsontourblog@blogspot.com)

I once heard a speaker say, "I would hate to think I would give up five minutes before my dream came true." and that really made an impact on me. Being a writer is a very lonely business. You do all the work alone, and it is not until the book is in print that you go out and meet bookstore owners and readers. Then the work has to speak for itself.

So, if you are a writer with a dream, hang. Your miracle could be only five minutes away!

Keep on the sunny side, Terry