PEACE AND LIGHTS

People deal too much
with the negative, with
what is wrong.....Why not try
and see positive things,
to just touch those things
and make them bloom?
--- Thich Nhat Hanh

Last night we finally got the Christmas lights up at the store. We got a late start and thought the lights from last year were working, but they were not. Mike got several strands up (we had plugged them in before) and then they stopped working! So back into town we went to purchase new lights for 150 feet of storefronts.(among other things, including bits and pieces of sheets for curtains for the bedroom or I am hoping!) We ended up with colored LED C9's. By the time we got back it was 8:15 and we hadn't had dinner yet so we split some pesto bread, salad and shrimp fra diavolo at our neighbor's Mario's Ristorante Italiano in Redwood Valley....always delizioso! OK, now it is 9 pm and finally we start the lights. Mike did the outside and I put up some icicle LED's in the front window, but of course the lace curtains and windows were covered with spider webs and dust so they needed to be vacuumed. (the curtains should have been washed, but no time or place for that) And to complicate things, we have bars on the inside of the front windows so vacuuming & cleaning them is not an easy task and usually done twice a year, if that! (I always do them at Christmas time though) We had items to put out too, so we left around 12:30 am and got home at 1:15am. Today we will do our home lights....yippee! I am always excited to get the Christmas lights up on the house! :o) How are your holiday preparations coming along?

Today's poem:

MEN OF PEACE

by Frank B. Whitney

Onward, Christian soldiers,

singing, "Peace on earth,"

Through your peaceful message

conquer war and dearth!

With your eyes uplifted,

with your hearts on high,

Christ will lead you singing,

"Peace," with banners high,

Onward, Christian soldiers,

sing the "Peace" refrain!

You through Christ will conquer,

every vict'ry gain.

~~~~~

Onward, ever onward,

keep your hearts at peace;

Through Christ's power eternal,

war is bound to cease!

Christ as love is reigning,

love must e'er prevail;

Christ is ever with you

and you cannot fail.

~~~~~

Onward, comrades, onward,

panoplied in light;

Nothing can resist you,

Christ alone has might!

Soldiers of His kingdom,

Knights of brotherhood,

Shout your peaceful message:

Christ be understood!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAVE AN ENTICING DAY!