“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
— John Steinbeck
Photography
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” — William Shakespeare
“We hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky. Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds. Let it be remembered as a story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called by many different names. Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood.”
— New York Times, 1937 December 25th
May your holiday be full of magic.
“The holiest of holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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A good color image is a good B&W image. – Bill Burt
Welcome to the holiday edition for Leanne Cole and Laura Macky’s Monochrome Madness. Which perhaps this week with the festive one color addition should be called Bichrome Madness. Whatever you call it, this will be a busy week for everyone so give yourself a stress break from the cooking, gifting, and/or fretting. Pour a spot of tea, relax, and later on today head over to Leanne’s blog to view what magical places and things the talented contributors have brought for display this week.
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Christmas is a time of little time.
How we get there is a mystery.
Racing madly mall-to-mall, we climb
Into fields of sunlit harmony.
Shopping, cooking, clearing walks and yards,
Trimming house and tree while working, too;
Making phone calls, wrapping, writing cards,
As all worn out we do what we must do
So that this day of joy might joy renew.
Solstice Song – Denise Jordan Finley
i heard your voice upon the wind
as northerly it came
now i see your face again
as you call out your name
when i feel your frosty breath
tears will fall like snow
who may melt your heart of ice
who may only know
the musky scent of earth’s decay
hangs heavy on the breeze
breezes turn to winds one day
that rock the very trees
when you rage through rusty woods
leaves will fall like rain
who can calm your heart so cruel
who can only name
when the ring around the moon
lends beauty to the night
planets circle round the sun
and bask in borrowed light
if a taste of spring should wake
what winter white would quell
who may own the mystery
who may only tell
I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love. — Conor Oberst
“The snow doesn’t give a soft white damn whom it touches.” — e.e. cummings
“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Maverick Mist 