Goodbye 2016 and good riddance to the US mess

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Another year ticks by.  I heard about the 'leap second' which will make 2016 hang on for a heartbeat - what is a second right?

2016 was a year which kept me busy busy busy - I remember January, dragging her feet - and I was thinking, jeez, this is gonna be a long year.  Busy has it's advantages in that, it zips by very quickly.  

I can't wait for 2017 - it's supposed to be a year of promises for the world.  My schedule is the same, but better since we are all in the business of getting better and not stagnating.  So I am looking forward to a more manageable level of craziness.

No love lost on years gone.  It's what life is about.

We move forward and we get better, in reality, not the 'hi/bye I'm good' better but truly better in our souls.

Just reading about the mess Obama is making just tells me that sometimes, having a chip on one's shoulder isn't a good thing because one skews towards being emotional and irrational.  Many who voted for him or supported him did so because he shares the same minority status as they do, thus clearly voted/supported out of emotion rather than intellect.

I knew people who didn't know **** about Obama but rallied behind him, back in the day i.e. birds of a feather syndrome.

2016 was terrible for friendships in politics and although the Democrats tried to use the woman's card and race card, it failed.  They had a female candidate, who lied all the way to the top.  Yet, the ignorant, ignored a key character flaw and still supported her.
I thought at first, that I was the only Asian, who felt the repercussions of the US Election, when not living on American soil.  I was wrong.  Many of my close friends, were cautious when bringing up the subject and most were relieved to find us on the same camp.

Close as we are, one never knows what lurks behind that persona.  It's a relief, to eventually find out, weeks before their polling day, that we are close friends, because we did not have an alternate persona.

As the year 2016 drew to a close, I met my closest friends for lunch, dinner - to say our thanks to each other for the friendship.  I even managed to ride in a brand new car, to the furthest part of this island on a sunny morning.

I will not miss 2016, but I will remember it.  It was a year, people could no longer contain their unintelligent selves from the rest of the thinking people.  Why bother to make race an issue, when it's not about what colour our skins are, but more whether we have societal, moral, ethical sense.
Colour matters only when there is no other logical argument left.

Civic Education/Social Studies must continue to impress upon the school-goers that our duty must be to keep the respect and peace in our society first.  We are all exposed to similar laws and thus, we should not expect liberties anywhere else.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Welcome 2017 - I've been waiting for you for a long time.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The season of Christmas has lost it's meaning, years and years ago.

It has been over-taken by commercialisation and the need for the ignorant to belong to the world's most observed celebration, Easter aside.

It's easy for the Ignorant to jump in, to join the festivities.  Shopping Malls worldwide have their windows decked in Christmas Splendor - it's the season to be Merry.

Back in the day, Christmas Eve dinner was a family thing.
These days, it's time for food outlets/restaurants to cash in. They can't be blamed, because the bottom line does count.

Some families invite very close family friends for Christmas Eve dinner.  Once over, Christmas Dinners/Lunches, are just for the masses.  Alcoholics love this season, because they are allowed to drink senseless, although, they generally are senseless because getting drunk every week isn't being an alcoholic, right?

Few understand the concept of Christmas for the Christians, preferring to just go there for the free food and booze, not in the preferred order, of course.

My message to those, who just see Christmas as that is, get real.  Christians go to Church to celebrate Christmas Mass, because that's where it begins - the message of God.

That's why I detest the wannabes - they are probably worse than the weebos.

As I grabbed my Christmas shopping yesterday, I saw many non-celebrants grabbing stuff and talking loudly, as if, they understood what a present meant.  I'm all for tolerance, but I do have my moments of disgust, especially when people just talk about attending a Christmas party/dinner invite without really knowing why there is Christmas in the first place.

Then there are those who talk about not ever wishing Christians a Merry Christmas, because it isn't in their religion.

Well, this world isn't about ONE religion, but about many.  The important thing is the belief in God and doing what's right by His Name.

People who think they just showed up in this life because they are that good, ought to address how ridiculous they sound, because nothing ever just pops up.  I'm into Science, but I'm also aware that God has surrounded me with His Love, all my life.  There was never a moment in my life, where I felt abandoned by God - my life isn't a fluke.

This is the reason, I am always at peace.
And I wish for the world to be at peace.
If you're not a Christian, don't mock Christmas - there is no religion better than another.  God never taught anyone to take a life/lives.  If there is a religion which preaches taking a life/lives, it isn't one with God at the pinnacle.

Merry Christmas.  Spread the love and cheer, because of His Love.

Christmas soon

Almost at the Eve of Christmas Eve.  My new additions, of air plants in my kitchen, are doing very well - The pink buds are now twice their size and it's lovely just to admire in the morning.  The others have grown in size and length.  Makes me wonder why I took so long to get 'into' them.

As usual, I wind down the year meeting friends who are valuable.  Today, the process begins, with a close family friend.  Because everyone is busy, celebrating and observing Christmas with huge family dinners, the more important people meet outside these gatherings - it gives us all time to appreciate the years of friendship and love our families have shared - noisy dinners are for loud laughs at crude jokes.

This year was true madness.  I was so busy, I didn't have time to really spend long hours with them for meals.  I did my travelling done as usual but that aside, I get friends asking me what the hell's keeping me busy.

Besides putting home cooking on the table every day, I do need to take care of the pets, 2 x ND rabbits; 1 x Holland Lop; 4 x cats; 1 x Amazon parrot - which means, vacuum, mop, feed.  Then there's the re-decorating, love to always keep the home looking fresh (since it's the home I purchased) - paint, wallpaper, new accent pieces - fresh rugs - and yes I'm aware the economy is going into a technical recession.

The difference is, this home, is almost fully paid.  I do not respect people who are permanently on home mortgage but boast they own properties.  Well, you are a mortgagee until you fully pay for your property - so get real people, those who keep re-financing their home loan so that they can appear to be in the upper income bracket group.  

I don't buy counterfeit goods for use or consumption - I shop at Cold Storage and I have time to game for 6 hours each day.
THAT, my friends, is God's wonderful Blessing, for which I am always grateful for.

Next year, I'm hoping to actually help friends help a South American orphanage.  Time will permit, now that I have put this down in writing.

Time to get some Christmas goodies!

A Merry Christmas Week

Wow another 2 weeks to 2017!

The year has passed so quickly, that I'm stumped.  It felt like just a heartbeat away, when I was settling into my schedule for 2016 and wished it would pass quickly because the first quarter of the year was too draggy.

Since it's the season of Christmas, I have had friends come over.  They remember when I just moved in and got excited about having a potted 'garden'.  Well, they saw flowers and basically, my plans come to fruition.  It must be how I grew up, tending to herbs and fruit trees, that gave me this desire to always have plants around me.  The orchids, for once in my life, are really doing well.  I was hesitant, when the plant shop lady insisted I try to grow a pot - when that did well, a friend gave me another and now I have 3 - all doing great.  I have sprays of orchids every day, cheering up the corridor.

Christmas is a personal holiday for me - I am done having huge dinner dos at my place - for the past decade, I have observed the holiday, giving Thanks to God for all the goodness he has bestowed upon me and my son.  The many Blessings we have received and the laughter that rings from my home daily.

How many people can say, they feel Blessed with their life?
I can.

I have had many disappointments, but never with the decisions I make, but more from the failure of people.  But as we get older, we learn to discount them and let Karma be their teacher.  Why try to walk in shoes not meant for us, right?

I used to think I could 'save' everyone.
That is a myth.  No one can 'save' anyone really.  It took me a long time to figure that one out but I did figure it out and I'm living better.

So, begins the count down to Christmas Eve and the sumptuous Dinner and several Christmas lunches that will mark the ending of 2016.

And then we begin again.....and look forward to closing 2017 just as well, if not better!