MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all my friends!


Christmas' present to all of us

is the subtle messages underneath the obvious ones:


1.) Love comes unexpectedly.

2.) You find love in surprising places.

3.) Love comes at its own season, in its own unique way, wearing a face you weren't looking for.

 
But then, we can be forgiven for not hearing those messages. After all, none of us is perfect. Well, there was that one.

 
But we killed Him.

 
Or did we? 


I choose to think not. I know His message and the messages of this day are not dead.

Love never quite dies. 

It stays in the sparkle in the eyes of each passing generation of children.

The best Christmas stories, in both movies and books, remind us that love always seems to find a way,

though it comes to us in unexpected ways, shining in the eyes of those we might have overlooked in the past.

 
The Jews were expecting a king.  

They never got one because they were looking in the wrong places for the wrong faces.

A manger contained the prince of peace in its straw. Few were even aware of His arrival.

Only those who were not too proud to stop and consider love might come unexpectedly 

and from a source we would never have suspected of containing it. 


And only to those who had kept looking up.

 
Christmas teaches us to keep the child's sense of awe, of wonder, and of the willingness to believe ...

in the possibilities of miracles,

of the soft whisper of magic in the air if you but listen,

and in the healing power of love.

Like young Kevin in HOME ALONE, 

it is up to us alone to protect the home of our hearts from being robbed of their innocence and love. 


Sometimes we do not see unicorns in the snow because we have stopped looking for them.

 
Continue to look. 

Continue to hold gently to the possibility of a miracle waiting for you just around the next corner or the one after that.

 
Excuse me. I think I hear a strange whinnying outside my door.

 
I'll open it to have a look. 

My unicorn may be out there below my terrace right now waiting for me to go for a ride in the moonlight.

You never know.

Keep looking and believing, Roland
***

HOW TO FIND THE TIME TO WRITE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

I know how hard it is to find time to write during the holidays!

16 hours of straight rare blood runs for over 400 miles yesterday 

left me too wiped but to collapse and sleep for 16 hours on my precious day off!

But holiday writing can be done.

Today, I helped McCord and Meilori end the Civil War ... alternate history is so much fun ...

But not so much for Sherman and Jefferson Davis

 (did you know his personal slave, William Jackson, slipped secrets of the Confederacy to the North?)

Sometimes the truth is more fantastic than fiction.

But I digress ...


1.) FORGET THE GOAL OF OTHER MONTHS

Any words written now should be considered a victory.  Reward yourself for them.

 By removing the pressure of trying to beat the clock, you’ll free yourself to see your productivity in a new way. 

Also, give yourself a little slack this time of year.


2.)  BE A YOGA WRITER

Be flexible.  

Take an inventory of any free time:

 your lunch hour,

the time you spend waiting for your children during holiday pageant rehearsals,

 sitting in an airport waiting for your flight—you get the idea. 

Use this downtime to write. 

And since this “found” time doesn’t take away from any other holiday tasks you need to accomplish, 

you’ll be less likely to feel guilty about working on your writing projects.


3.)  TO YODA LISTEN -- A CREATURE OF HABIT YOU MUST NOT BE

Think you can only write at your favorite desk?

Unthink.

Bring a laptop, a tablet, or a pen and paper with you as you run your holiday errands. 

When you find you’ve arrived somewhere early,

 use those few extra minutes to jot down ideas or to continue working on an ongoing writing project.

You can also decide to wake up earlier (or stay up later) than usual to ensure 

that you spend some time at your favorite desk, with your favorite hot cocoa, and no interruptions.


4.) HANDS FULL -- MOUTH OPEN

 You’ve got five bags of holiday gifts in one hand and a platter of holiday goodies in the other hand. 

How are you supposed to type or hold a pen to write?

 With a dictation program for your computer or app for your cell phone, writing can be virtually hands-free!


5.) WRITE LIKE A SHUTTLE LAUNCH ... IN STAGES

 Look at marathon runners: they don’t begin their training by trying to run 26.2 miles. 

Instead, they run many shorter distances to build stamina, and slowly increase the mileage as they get stronger. 

Why would you start writing a book by trying to write the entire book?

Writing in 15 minute stages in the morning, then in the afternoon, and finally in the evening hours can get a lot of writing done per day.

STAR WARS TROLLS

I got bit by one the other day.  If I am asked to like a FB page, I do it.  One friend for another.

I did it for SECRET RECIPES ...

You get notifications when a new post is up in your email with the first line of it in your email announcement.

You guessed it.  Jason  Visockis ( may his tribe not increase!)

put in that line who was killed and by whom.  

Arrrgh!

I am Unpopular

 Have you had the number of visitors drop off recently?

Of course that is the result of Christmas family functions, parties, and holiday shopping.  

Work as a rare blood courier has become grueling from all the holiday wrecks.  

I worked 16 hours straight yesterday ...

Sleeping 16 hours straight today on my precious day off to heal from that!

And I awoke to having 31 followers gone from my blog!  Ouch!!

That is the first time I have lost so many.  But I have just recently gotten a new follower:

THANK YOU, HONG LONG!  

Visit his blog page:
http://vov10.blogspot.com/

It is inventive and artistic, advocating victory over violence.

I pray this Christmas week treats you so fine it is a gift unto itself!  :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! 

 

WHAT WOULD YOU PICK FOR THE BEST MOVIES OF 2015?

It’s easy to bemoan a film business dominated by “Jurassic World”- and “Star Wars”- size spectacles. 

But even in a year when those bigfoots roamed the ’plexes, 

the cinematic ecosystem looked encouragingly healthy and diverse, with big-budget popcorn movies, mainstream studio dramas, 

edgy indies, documentaries and foreign-language films all showing signs of originality and high craft.

What would be your choices?

SPOTLIGHT?

INSIDE OUT?

 CAROL?

THE MARTIAN?

SON OF SAUL?

EX MACHINA?

 THE FORCE AWAKENS

Which are your picks?

HAVING A BLUE CHRISTMAS?

Having a Blue Christmas?

I am probably the last person who remembers Shotgun Red - a puppet who appeared on the late lamented NASHVILLE NOW.

On his Christmas Special, Shotgun was driving in the snowy night, trying to reach his family before Christmas.

He kept switching radio channels but no matter what station he found, the tune BLUE CHIRSTMAS blared out: 

Elvis, Ernest Tubb, Willie Nelson ...

When he turned to the last station he could get and got the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it, Shotgun raised his head and howled like a wolf.

Is that Blue Christmas wolf howling inside you right now?

There are ways to starve it and feed the Serene Wolf within:

1.) CHOOSE YOUR COMMITMENTS WISELY -

You may be expected to show up at a family gathering, or to attend a certain set of social events, but if you are not going to feel comfortable in certain environments,

 then simply decline an invitation.

Choosing when to step out and mingle and when to have a quiet night in,

 no matter what day your calendar says, is a great practice in self-care and a great way to avoid a blue Christmas this year.

2.) PUT A H.A.L.T. TO YOUR CHRISTMAS BLUES -

We are much more likely to make poor decisions when we feel Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, so taking time to check in with your current mental and emotional states is important.

Did you choose wisely and commit to a party that you are now feeling too tired to attend?

You have the right to not go.

When tired, for example, the chances of you making decisions that are not aligned with your values, goals, and way of life are higher.

What can you do instead?

Take a nap and see how you feel. Rent a movie and cook some dinner either alone or with a trusted friend.

Listen to new Christmas carols that are not tied to any bittersweet memories.  

Browse YouTube for comedians that add sparkle to your private times.

3.) STRIVE FOR BALANCE -

Instead of indulging at every event, and every time a treat is offered, stay balanced with your daily intake.

If you indulged at a get together last night, try having a breakfast of fruit and a whole grain (maybe oatmeal or wheat toast with peanut butter) and a hearty salad for lunch.

 Starting the day off with good food choices leads to better food choices throughout the day.

The see-saw of Christmas blues can be swung your way by laughter -- seek out sources that make you smile and laugh.  And try to add the perfume of laughter to someone else's day -- some of it will linger on you.

4.) REACH OUT -

Not just for help -- but to give it as well.  

That elderly neighbor you haven't seen in awhile?  Drop in with a plate of cookies or a holiday turkey or food for her pet.

Have friends slipped away from your daily contacts?  Emails are short and simple. Twitter and FB them, letting them know you miss them.

5.) A MOVING TARGET IS HARDER FOR THE BLUES TO HIT -

By simply taking a walk everyday, you are getting the blood flowing and keeping your body in active mode. 

Increased activity releases endorphins which will elevate your mood.

Just as antibody production is connected to both exercise and happiness, so too is endorphin production.

Endorphins act as both a painkiller and as the pay-off for your body's reward system.

You may also get an endorphin blast from talking to a stranger, eating a satisfying meal or being exposed to ultraviolet light.

A jog, an hour of yoga,

(just me trying to get into those ridiculous positions is good for a good belly laugh -- from those watching me)

 a trip to the gym, a bike ride, or anything else that makes you feel good is even more important this time of year.

What can also keep you from a blue Christmas is movement in the form of volunteering. 

It is hard to be down when you are helping others. 

Check with your local food kitchen or charitable donation centers for when and where you can provide service to those in need.

WHAT I WATCH EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE

Never heard of it?  That's all right.  It is a humble film of a humble man.

It has been an old friend since I watched it on TV on the late, late show.  

As a young child it helped shape how I perceived what a true man of faith really was.

I guess it is no surprise that, like the priest played by Gregory Peck in his 2nd performance, 

I have no problem with my best friend being an atheist.

A good summation of it is here:

It is on DVD.  Give a try.  :-)

Healing Holidays, Roland

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE?

DIE HARD?

ELF?

MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL?

I have a Christmas tradition which answers the question for me.

HOME ALONE I & II are just as dated in their way as Dickens' Christmas Carol.

Yet for me they are forever young.

Chris Columbus' movies represent both a childhood long left behind and, 

indeed, a bygone age that doesn't make sense anymore viewed from the 21st century. 

The entire premise of HOME ALONE is now an impossibility, 

 because how could a child end up accidentally abandoned 

and declared missing in this new Millennium of mass communication? 

With post-War on Terror airport security checks being what they are, 

the McCallister parents couldn't possibly get on a plane to Paris without noting that one of their group is AWOL.

 
Today, Kevin would be live-tweeting his ordeal, 

sticking giddy selfies all over cyberspace and then - if he started to feel frightened and forlorn - 

signing-in to Skype to sing Christmas carols to his folks in France.

 It's actually quite fascinating and strangely comforting to revisit 

this quaint pre-internet, pre-mobile phone era of VHS tapes and 4:3-ratio TVs. 

And with regard to its precise place in history, 

as a film it also marks the timely convergence of John Hughes in his peak

 with a star about to go nova and a cultural environment that was ideal 

for HOME ALONE's explosion as an international mega-hit.


The film deftly uses Christmas as a narrative engine on which to power a resonant comedy-action-drama.

This fun movie continues to resound in the hearts of all children, no matter the age of their bodies.

The secret to HOME ALONE's longevity

 is its delicate balancing of a sense of peril and menace 

with a sense of fun and a sense of sweet Christmas-ness: 

all elements beautifully expressed by John William's wonderful score. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE 

AND WHY?