Sometimes Family is for the Birds...

The picture was taken at the MetroZoo in Miami by one of my visiting cousins. She called it our family picture and assigned a family member's name to each flamingo. Let me just say from the "get go" that I LOVE my family .... so, that said .... I wish the visit was shorter. They arrived on Dec. 23 and are leaving Jan 2 ...

They were supposed to stay at my sister's place (which she stressed over with the cleaning, etc...), but they are staying with me instead. There is no quiet space and no dish unused.

New Year's Eve, Mr. S will be with me at the house and we will celebrate with several families and their children. Food, music, laughs (yes, I have a bottle of Jack Daniel's handy for Mr. S), games, etc....we will enjoy it. Then New Year's Day I will watch the Tournament of Roses Parade, then head back to the Island to continue welcoming in 2009.

I am wishing all of you health, prosperity, love of friends and family, and many good surprises, smiles and peace for the New Year!!!

(NOTE: Please put my friend Leo's Mom on your prayer list. She went into surgery this evening and the outcome is uncertain at this time.....)

Dressing For Chirstmas

Dressing for Christmas:

2008 Christmas Message from Bishop Leo Frade

(Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida)

What should I wear for Christmas?

That’s an easy question for a man to answer. There are just a few limited options that we have: Choose this or that suit, decide which color shirt and maybe grab a matching tie. If we really want to be impressive, we make sure to shine our shoes and put on our favorite–and only–cologne.

That’s not the case for women. Most women have been working on their choice for quite some time, definitely more than the seven minutes that a man uses to make his decision.

For most women it starts with what dress is the appropriate one–what length, what color, what style—and involves finding what shoes will go with the outfit and what jewelry will add the right touch. Then one more glance in the mirror–is this a good color or not?

Of course I’m sure that there are many more details that have not yet been revealed to me on how a woman decides what to wear.

The Gospel story doesn’t bother to tell us what Mary, Joseph or the adoring shepherds were wearing, but it does tell us exactly what Jesus wore. St. Luke tells us that after giving birth to her firstborn, Mary wrapped him in bands of cloth. That was Jesus’ first outfit, just simple bands of cloth.

I think that this is a very appropriate reminder that Christmas should be a very simple holiday. We have added so much hype to our celebration and turned it into such a commercial extravaganza that we worry about feeling underdressed if we don’t manage to wear a proper outfit to honor the birth of this baby–who wore simple bands of cloth.

We come to church dressed in our best, and that is fine. It is natural that we should want to look our best when we welcome our Lord, our Savior and King, but at the same time we need to remember that the true spirit of Christmas can be found only if we look for its simplicity. The warning I want us to heed is this: Do not mistake the wrapping of Christmas for the actual gift. Unless we can put aside the wrapping, we will not find the gift that God has given us—God’s own self in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If someone brings you a gift wrapped in the most exquisite and colorful wrapping, you don’t toss the gift aside and put the paper and ribbons in a place of honor as if these were the actual gift. You may be delighted with the beauty of the gift paper wrapping, but you know that it is not the gift.

All the hype, and even all the stories of Christmas, with the shepherds in their field by night and later on the visit of the Magi, even the celestial choir, are just signs that point to the real gift.

And that gift is from God, the gift of his presence in our midst that allows us to look more joyfully at life, a life with hopeful possibilities, where people can be different, where peace may reign, a life full of love, optimism and open-hearted generosity.

You see, I sincerely believe that the proper outfit for Christmas Day is pajamas and bathrobes. We may begin by wearing our best outfits to parties and receptions and then at last to Midnight Mass, where we hear the familiar and awesome Gospel story and sing all the familiar hymns that we love. But the reality is that all of our dressing-up leads us to the simplicity of a morning on which we greet baby Jesus with the joy of children.

Have Yourself A Peace and Justice Christmas.

(This was passed on to me, and I am passing it on to you)

"A popular Christmas song says “let your heart be light,” and that "our troubles will be out of sight." Even though Christmas is a time of wonder and excitement at the birth of our Savior, a troubled economy, violent conflicts, and extreme poverty weigh on our spirits and require our attention.

So instead of just the feasting and presents, what if we all take action this Christmas? Let’s not just sing about God’s love when we can commit to actions that will bring love, peace, and justice for our neighbors far and near."

Sing to the tune of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Have Yourself a Peace and Justice Christmas
Have yourself a peace and justice Christmas,

Set your heart a-right.

Flee the malls and focus on Christ’s guiding light.
Have yourself a peace and justice Christmas,

Give your time a way. Share God’s love,

And serve “the least of these” today.
Here we are, as we pray for peace,

We’ll live simply and give more.

We care for those far and near to us,

Which brings cheer to us, once more.
God brings down

The haughty from high places,

And lifts up the low.

God cares for the hungry and the humble,

so –Forget the stress and

let the peace and justice flow!

The Holidays are almost here....

Well, the week has been very busy. Met up with some friends from Kentucky that were down last weekend and had a really nice lunch and visit on Espanola Way. Then now this week am in the middle of putting up all the holiday stuff.

If you have not been to the house, putting up the holiday stuff is a 2 to 3 day chore. We replace everything with Holiday decor .... shower curtains, bed spreads, towels, plates, cups, bowls, throw pillows, knick knacks, wall art, etc. Then there is the outside lights (in the front yard, outside patio and yard). There is a Nativity set for every room of the house....

I also have some more things set up this week. The Task Force Holiday get together will be on Thursday at Halo. The beautiful and fabulous Nancy will be coming in from Boston for a visit. (She is Mr S's best friend.) Saturday is up in the air. There is a kid/family get together in South Miami and also the Diocesan Youth's Christmas Ball in Boca Raton .... not sure if I'll go to either .... but just might go to give Mr. S and Nancy some time alone to catch up (and get into mischief.) Sunday we are meeting some friends (Vickie, Penny, The Mrs Astor, etc) for champagne brunch at D'Leo ....but ... there is also a Fish Fry Fundraiser for the South Beach Aids Project (SOBAP) at Thomas Barker's at 4pm ... let's see how it goes.

Got to hear from the Jonnies today. They have a new address and are doing well. I'm hoping to get together with them sometime before the New year.

That's about it for now. Not sure if I'll post anything before Monday. If not, enjoy the weekend! Peace.

In Memorium ... Jessica Palmer

The following is from the University of South Florida newspaper "The Oracle". I am an Alumni and I was glad when Jessica chose it as the school she wanted to attend. Sometimes people live so much and touch so many lives is a short amount of time that God decides to reward them by calling them to his side.

I will be attending the Funeral Service for Jessica this morning at Holy Family Episcopal Church. The youth of the Diocese are taking part of the service. Last night they had a Thanks for Life Service at the funeral home.

Michael Sahdev was one of the youth that went to the Province IV Network meeting in Alabama with me the week before Thanksgiving. I wrote and led the prayer service for his father in October.

Jessica was an exceptional young woman and will be missed by many.

For freshman Jessica Palmer, life wasn’t about grades, accolades or popularity. It was about living her faith, spending time with her family and supporting her friends.

It’s what made her spend about $120 on a last-minute plane ticket home to Miami a month ago when she missed her train, just to surprise her family. It’s why she stayed there until 2 a.m., listening to one of her friends and helping him cope with his father’s death, even though it meant driving through the night to make it back to USF in time for class the next day.

It’s also why she packed her bags early Tuesday, said her friend Florencia Quevedo. Palmer was getting ready to make the five-hour trip Wednesday to be home with her family for Thanksgiving.

Palmer didn’t get to make that trip, though.

Just before 9 p.m. Tuesday, November 25, 2008, she was hit by a car while crossing Fletcher Avenue near USF Palm Drive, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported. She was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where she died Wednesday morning.

“We had been instant messaging each other just the night before about how she couldn’t wait to get home, and how we couldn’t wait to see each other again,” Quevedo, 18, said. “The last thing I ever said to her was ‘goodnight’ and ‘God bless you.’”

Quevedo and Palmer met in July at a weeklong Christian conference called the Episcopal Church Event. Their faith brought them together, Quevedo said, and it was the first thing she turned to when she heard her friend had been injured. She began calling Episcopal churches throughout Tampa Bay, as well as the 700 Club — a national Christian news talk show — and asked to have Palmer added to their prayer lists, she said. She also started a Facebook group called “Prayers for Jess Palmer,” to encourage others to keep her at the forefront of their thoughts.

“Jessica had so many plans for her life that I wish she could’ve stayed here longer, but I know she’s some place much better than here,” Quevedo said. “She’s fulfilled God’s purpose for her on Earth and — sometimes I wonder if people are going to heaven, but I have no doubt that’s where she is right now.”

Palmer, 18, dreamed of becoming an engineer, her MySpace page read, but friends said her heart stood out more than her ambition.

“She was there for everyone, and she was so proud of her family,” said Michael Sadhev, a friend. “She’d always talk about them and introduce them everywhere they went and, after a while, I felt like her family was my family.

”Though Palmer wanted to surprise her parents and brother, Quevedo said that wasn’t the only reason she bought spur-of-the-moment plane ticket at the end of October — she also wanted to be there for Sadhev, whose father had died just days before.

“She was one of the most dedicated friends,” said Scott Gallimore, a junior majoring in business. “‘Dedicated’ may be a weird word to use, but it defined her. She was so supportive.”

Shortly after her plane landed, she went to Sadhev’s football game, Sadhev, 17, said, where she held a homemade sign that cheered for the “tall man,” as she jokingly referred to her 6-foot-5 friend.

“I couldn’t believe anyone would do something like that for me — spend all that money on a plane ticket, just to make sure I was OK,” he said. “There’s just something amazing about that.

”On Thanksgiving Day, Quevedo said she and other friends gathered at the Palmer house in Miramar to watch videos of Palmer.“The past few days have been in slow motion,” she said. “You meet a lot of people in life who are nice, wonderful people, but rarely do you meet anyone with such a good heart.”

December...already?!!

November is over and gone and the cool weather has come in to remind us that winter and the next round of holidays are coming. That brings us to Miami.... We have Art Basel in town this week (http://www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/) and the holiday shopping slowly trying to start up.

I have a friend and her hubby from Louisville, Kentucky coming in today. She wants to see some the "arsty" stuff and hit the Palace for a show and, of course, food. We plan to have dinner on Saturday evening before they hit the Symphony and then go see "Milk" on Sunday. I have noticed that there have been a good number of tourists in town ... maybe it will help.

There is an exhibit of Coco Chanel photographs and jewelry/time pieces on the SeaFair yacht that is parked at the Marina across from the newly renovated Fountainbleau Hotel. $15.00 admission. We might check it out.

I am in the beginnings of getting my holiday stuff ready. I wasn't in the mood, but the cooler weather helped ... also, the pic of Mr. S and I that was taken on Thanksgiving Day in front of a Christmas Tree at CocoWalk kicked start my holiday planning.

I think this year (like everyone else) we are going to cut down a bit. Let's see how it goes.... Hope you all have a good week.