The Gathering

The worst sin - perhaps the only sin - passion can commit is to be joyless.




Dorothy Sayers

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Hello Linda

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Now it's Autumn. Most people cal it The Fall, I call it The Gathering. "Fall" is too much of a negative word, too close to Fail. Nothing should fall in Autumn except leaves, eventually, after they have blessed us with Nature's miraculous paint job.



But the Gathering is a more appropriate title for the last full season of the year. It's a time to reap and gather in the crops, all kinds of crops. The ideas that were formed last winter, were planted in The Spring and grew into realization are waiting to be gathered up and enjoyed.



Autumn is a time for joy and celebration, a time to look over the accomplishments of the year and rejoice. It's not a time to dread the approaching winter or to regret that more was not accomplished. No, the Autumn attitude should be a joyous one full of gratitude and thanksgiving.



The Gathering is a time for New England clam bakes on the beach, for shucking the ears of corn and boiling them up, a time for pumpkin pies and fresh cranberries.



Autumn is a time to go back to school. a time for concert, opera and ballet seasons to begin and baseball season to wind up and throw it's final World Series pitch.



Autumn is a time for families, for home and for preparation. Winter is my favorite season, but I love The Gathering.



DB - Vagabond Journeys

Never give up.

My Friends

Always be a little kinder than necessary.

James M. Barrie
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Hello Everyone.
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Whether you are celebrating a holiday or not, wherever you are I wish you a joyful day.

I think the thing I am most grateful for this time in my life is friendship. I have blogspot friends, IM friends, email friends, telephone friends, postage stamp friends and some friends who I have actually seen and know. I've got friends. I also have friends between the covers of books and on CDs. I have a lot of friends.

This seems to be a good time, this season of The Gathering, to come together with friends if only in your thoughts, to remember why someone is your friend, what makes a particular friendship and why you care for someone. The thoughts and feelings of friendship are powerfully positive ones in the dark skies and cold winds of approaching winter.

We share a part of our lives with our friends as they share some of theirs with us. That's a blessed commerce. It helps to balance the uncertainty of the future and to define life as it should be.

I may be a vagabond but there is room in my heart for many people, my friends.

May you have a happy thanks giving.

DB - The Vagabond

Never Give Up
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Eveyone Enjoy! 11/18/08

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Emerson

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It's Holiday Hopping Time


For y'all in the South it's "Ho hum, another Winter." But for us'ns in the North, Winter is a challenge. And the way we get through is by making a big deal out of every chance we get to kick up and have some fun.

Halloween is over, with it's ghosts and fairies, the Walpurgisnacht for kids. That was fun. Now comes Thanksgiving, the turkey's dreaded day, but a smash hit for humans ever since the pilgrims.

Now there's a long stretch of time during which Winter begins, as if we didn't know already. Nothing to do now but go out with red noses and do our holiday shopping, if we have any money left. Sit on Santa's lap and ask him if he could take care of our debts.

Then the big one hits: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and whatever else folks can find to celebrate. Much congregating in churches and otherwise. Much getting together with people you may, in fact, like but only see once a year. Much unwrapping of gifts and throwing away of wrapping paper. Much eating of food, some of it no good for you. Much standing under the mistletoe. For my Canadian friends there's a Boxing Day in there somewhere (watch out for that left jab).

Now somehow we've go to make it to New Years Eve when we either drink too much or we go to Times Square (not recommended) or both, or we spend a quiet evening at home and hope for a better year.

Now comes the hard one. It's cold. The only things we get to celebrate are snow, ice, freezing rain, slippery side walks and icy streets. If you're lucky enough to go skiing, that's fun. But don't kid yourself. It's still cold.

When we finally reach into February, the dead of Winter, those of us in Pennsylvania can go and watch Punxutawney Phil come out of the ground, look around, see all the gawkers taking his picture and dive back down into his hole.

My Chinese friends get a New Years celebration next. Out come the dragons and the fire crackers. They help brighten up the drear.

Then we get to Hallmark's Day. Sorry, I mean Valentine's Day. You didn't know you had so many sweet hearts, did you? Or so few? Never mind, if you're Irish, you get another chance.

So now we inch along to Washington's Birthday where every thing goes on sale and everyone goes mad. Stay out of Macy's basement if you know what's good for you.

I get to have a birthday somewhere in this mix of holidays and celebrations. And though I'm hitting the big seven oh, I have no close friends or family around me, so who cares? I'll have a beer and congratulate myself.

Speaking of beer, I think it's one of Ireland's national beverages and one day a year it turns green. In New York there's a big parade up Fifth Avenue right past Saint Patrick's Cathedral and right into the bars. They've already been to church, those that go to church, and then it's time to "get acquainted." The Irish know how to have fun, "Kiss Me I'm Irish." It's better than the mistletoe.

Whoops! The calendar says it's Spring. You wanna bet?

May Day. Mom's Day. And before you know it it's hot, sweaty, scorching Summer again.

Happy hopping everyone.


DB