Happy Holidays Everyone! I like to watch Christmas movies while I do the tasks that don’t require a lot of attention, such as wrapping presents. But I save the best Christmas movies towards the end, when I am really in the Christmas mood. So what I watch earlier in the month can vary. Three of … More Why The Star Trek Movies Are My Perfect Hallmark Christmas Movies This Year
Today is National Positive Thinking Day. But after the week we’ve had, it’s kind of hard to get into that groove. As I was meditating on this, I realized that I don’t recognize the USA I’m living in right now. It is not the like country I grew up in and that I loved. I … More I Want the USA to Feel Like Home Again
Last night I had a very special opportunity to celebrate the Islamic spiritual practice of Ramadan, even though I am not Muslim. Ramadan is one of the most sacred traditions in Islam. It commemorates the revelation of the Qur’an through a month in which Muslims shift their focus from their material world to their spiritual … More Celebrating Ramadan with Feasting and Philoxenia at the Divan Center
Wow! If that isn’t a true quote, not just about America, but about everyone and everything I’ve ever loved, I don’t know what is! If you are not familiar with Senator Booker, he is an African American and former mayor of Newark who is now a US Senator for New Jersey. Long-time readers know that … More July 4th Thoughts from US Senator Cory Booker: “If America hasn’t broken your heart, you don’t love her enough.”
I’ve never been one to restrict celebrations to a single day, so I’m continuing my 4th of July series beyond the literal day. Especially after reading the news today, including another mass killing at a 4th of July event and rising unrest after another police shooting of an unarmed Black man, I would like the … More Final Fourth Thoughts
It may not surprise you that George W. Bush is not my favorite of the living US ex-Presidents. Except for yesterday. Yesterday, he was ex-President #1 in my opinion. Yesterday, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon building outside Washington DC, all the living Presidents/ex-Presidents attended memorial services … More What We Really Need to Remember from 9/11
I’ve been pretty transfixed watching the inaugural activities today. If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you will know one of the highlights of the day for me was the incredible poem by Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate. I had high expectations, but she blasted past them by not only giving us … More An All-American Inauguration Dinner
I’m writing this post in the pre-dawn hours of a day that I personally have looked forward to for over 4 years–the end of the Donald Trump presidency and the beginning of the Joe Biden presidency. But before I throw myself into the celebration of a new administration, with my new focus on the Beloved … More Guess What Famous Person Most Inspires Me to Compassion this Inaugural Day Morning
This morning the official Inaugural Planning Committee released its lineup for the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris inauguration ceremony next Wednesday. While most Americans are probably most excited to hear that Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are performing, I was DELIGHTED to see a poet’s name on the list. And what a poet! Joe Biden has chosen … More YAY! Looks Like We’ll Get a Biden Inaugural Poem!
Well, I’m still processing all the events of January 6 and beyond. In the meantime, however, we have one final Inaugural Poem to enjoy before the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris next week. I actually had my high school students analyze this poem on January 5, the day before the madness struck. This … More Inauguration Poetic Countdown: One Week
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