Village Bulletin Board, 24th December, 2010:
Christmas in our Village!
“Dashing through the fields (sunflower),
On a horse-drawn open cart,
Oh what fun it is,
Eating pie and tart!”
MEEEERRRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
As soon as you’ve finished with the hay rick ride, jump off next to the old oak because we’ve set up some swings on one of its great branches. Whoever swings highest (without getting lost in the branches, ‘o course!) gets to cut and serve the giant Christmas Cake baked by none other than our resident Australian Fairy Winnie. After the swing, you still can’t get to the dinner table until you’ve had a go bobbing apples in the big casks that farmer Anil left us from his last cider making. Finally, when you’ve done all that, meander past the walnut grove where our friendly Village squirrels (can’t remember their names) are jumpin’ and jivin’ to a mambo version of “All I want for Christmas if my two front teef”, and over to Nina’s Cottage.
As you’ll see, large old country tables have been set up outside and inside, just depending on the weather. The theme this year, well, it’s a little eclectic, but that’s normal I guess for this crazy bunch. So we have Surf ‘n Turf with a Vegetarian twist, together with Norwegian-Italian-German-Singapore influences. Now, where, I ask you, are you going to find originality like that other than in our spectacular Village? Would you forgive me, I couldn’t find the time to take and mount the photos of all the delicious things that everyone had prepared, but here’s a list of what I’ve seen on the tables so far:
Clementines and oranges with cloves (not sure if they’re for eatin’)
Bouillabesse, a delicious fish soup from Marseille
Barbecued giant prawns from Down Under (they arrived fresh this morning – come over to the barbecue area where BBQ-meister Zenbear is hard at work – someone bring him a glass of cider?)
Tenderloin, rump and filet steaks, only the best from organic farms in Nebraska and Kansas (kind, nice farms, these ones)
Slabs of thick sliced garlic bread with oodles of butter (no fat – this is a special Village)
Norwegian specialties of all sorts (yum!)
Buns filled with hot cheese, and a giant Brie just out of the oven with toasted almond slivers
Michele has brought along heaps of Fresh Dungeness Crab meat with melted sweet butter to dip it into,and whatever other dipping alternatives might be dear to your hearts, along with a crisp fuyu persimmon salad with arugula and avocado in an olive oil and fig balsamic dressing, a dash of shoyu, with lots of freshly ground black pepper. (Wow!)
A remarkable vegie ‘n chickpea casserole from Pam
Heaps of Duck Cassoulet from Castelnaudary (France) to be enjoyed with a deep Cahors ‘black’ wine
Then to finish it all off:
Gooey Tiramisu from Nina’s daughter
Scrumptious fruity Stollen from Germany
Decadent peppermint chip chocolate brownies from Michele
Brightly colored silver paper-wrapped candies from Laura
If you make your way over to the bar area you’ll find none other than your Mayor on hand to deliver you just the drink you want, be that a splendiferous fruit cocktail (all fruits in season), or something with a little more punch. Speaking of punch, there’s also an excellent variety of wines, including but not limited to: Billecart Salmon Brut Rose Champagne (thanks, Michele!), and of course some delish Cabernet and Pinot from California. The mayor brought along a few choices wines from France (mostly Burgundy’s though there is an excellent bottle or two of a Monbazillac sweet wine from the Bergerac area you should try)
And I couldn’t let this opportunity go by without remembering the real reason
for us meeting together at this time. We have marked in the western tradition
the day of the 25th December as the day we celebrate the birth of
one particular individual into this world.
With the help of the Brother Who has guided each one of us with his gentle words
now for many years,we have come to learn that the spirit this one individual contained
resides within each of us. He has made it his task to reach out to us daily,
reminding us of our perfect equality in Him, and perfect holiness with our Father.
There is no difference, and there is no separation. We are all one and the same.
May this day be a symbol for us of remembering our own birth unto our Self,
the one Self that we share intimately with all the Sonship.
And so this day we come into our own, and the blessings we would bestow
on Jesus the Christ we naturally bestow upon ourselves, and all our brothers and sisters.
We are the holy Son of God. May we be blessed with this remembrance this day.
Thank you for being part of my Family, helping me remember this magnificent Identity we all share.
Village Bulletin Board, 31st December, 2010:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Let’s continue our end of year celebrations at the Village by wishing each other all the best for 2011.
May we learn that January 1st is a special day in the counting of our days,
as it marks the beginning of the time when each day shall blend into one.
One time, one day that remains forever unchanged in an eternal, heavenly Sky,
as changeless as the sea that ebbs and flows but always stays the same.
May we practice this coming year the remembrance of that special moment of ‘now’,
of Love and loveliness, such that tomorrow be not separate or different from today,
not better or worse. May we come Home this very day to Love and Innocence
such that it extends till tomorrow and the many days that follow until they all become one.
Enjoy your celebrations, my friends!
Um, er, there seems to be a slight technical problem with the original Christmas page. No idea what’s happened. The page that shows up doesn’t have any of the original content on it that I put there, and all the comments are gone, much to my great dismay. I’ll try to get the programmer to look into it, but I’m sure he’s not available this evening (just a guess). Maybe there’s a reason? Weird. Anyway, enjoy the festivities, and Bonne Année to everyone!
That is weird about the Christmas page. Especially since I found that I had left my computer open and in the middle of a post left unfinished on that page. (not unusual for me I mentioned my ADD before) I decided that I better copy my pondering and refresh the page so that I could adjust my post if need be. If I had only known I could have copied the entire page and saved it. I could have been a hero! But just as quick as that thought came the next thought behind it was. This is exactly what New Years Eve is all about. Party likes its 1999 and forget about what happened yesterday or two minutes ago. Stay with that which is eternal. We know Joy …We know Love. Nothing is missing, nothing is lacking. That’s worth having a Party about!
Having said that I still want to include the two sentences I had written the night before (:
that’s the OCD talking now…
Richard: happy trails..trials. We will miss you more than you us that is for sure! We shall eat the bitters while you nosh on those sweet carrot legs. It is the year of the Rabbit coming up after all.
That’s all folks see you at the Party tonight.
Oh yes one more thing.
I loved the Prayer above Bernard.
Can I just say ditto as my year end salutation.
Now I’m just being lazy.
Hugs to All
Love and gratitude to you, Bernard for this wonderful site, and to all of you/us that encompass it. “Let’s make this year different by making it all the same.” Or at the very least, let’s be able to watch with a gentle smile when we don’t! 😉
With Love,
melody
Oh, I like that, Melody! “Let’s make this year all the same, and when we don’t, let’s smile at our mind’s effort to make it seem like we managed to pull off the great Cosmic Hijack – because the leak I just fixed re-leaked, because you burned the quiche you were supposed to take to a pot-luck, because your mom’s mad since you didn’t visit this year. All these ever-so-valid reasons to think “Hey, Nietzsche was right! If the Big Kahuna was really around, he’d have stopped that leak, he’d have saved the quiche, and he would get your mom off your back.”
And what if They (J and his Band of Do-Goodies) were really around, hanging out there in the ‘vibes’, just waiting for us to say, “This is really, I mean really, not such a big deal.”
What if…
Happy New Year to everyone!
Blogs and Kisses!
Happy New Year to my beautiful, loving, wise, warm, funny, fearless Village family. And warmest hugs to you, Bernard, for your writings, your kindnesses, your wit, your wisdom and your big, wonderful heart. Echoing Melody: “…let’s make it the same.” Love to you all. Hugs, DonnaD.
L O V E T O A L L
Nina
I have another unofficial Course quote: “Let’s make this year different by making it all the same. Hell, let’s make it different by making it the best year ever with everything we ever wanted! Why not? May we dissolve the guilt that’s getting in the way of a smoother ride through this insane classroom. If you feel, like me, that there’s a block that’s been stopping you from finding a better way of doing something or of entering a new phase of your life, then let’s move together towards and through that invisible wall and out the other side. Amen.”
Thank you Bernard and all who drop in.
Peace to everyone. Luv Bev
Thanks Bernard, and thanks to all of you at the Village. Thanks for your thoughts and for your love.
Happy New Year!
Lots of hugs and much love,
Lisi
Peace and love and happiness now and in all years. Cheers to the Village. njn
Happy New Year!!!
Loving ALL OF You and our Sameness.
You’re the reflection of the PEACE, LOVE, JOY AND FREEDOM WE ALL ARE and will realize one day together or not at all.
XOXOXOX Michele
Wonderful company to bring in a New Year with. And let’s come back and replay it for the February Chinese new year! I’m supposing all new years are the same. And … then there’s the new year we start in March in Temecula . . . Ken’s academy class title cracks me up — he couldn’t possibly have used the Feb, or even April subjects for the big spring annual event. Me thinks there is method in his madness, or at least his guidance into and thru our madness.
Today’s Q&A #622is a wonderful lesson in case we need someone in our life to make this a good year for us. I am looking forward to doing the lessons starting tomorrow. Well, I have no idea what they are for, but think I’d like to get them right this time. Cheers and Love to both my mighty companions and those who are dropping crumbs in the couch with me as we munch croissants with J.
XXOOXXOOXXOOXXOO, katrina
Hey, There, All You Marvy Course Students…you made it through the year! And what a year it was! Remember? Jamie and Bonnie got remarried…Jamie
reconfigered his site and that gave us all a major forgiveness lesson. Bernard swung open his site to let us pour in and sit down by the fire. Thank you, Bernard. We had countless personal trials (my own included a daughter’s wedding, an especially challenging work situation that continues, elderly parents going into assisted living…and…drum roll, please, a break-up with my significant other of ten years), numerous health issues among us, the loss of Dreamy, some wonderful Skype get togethers, a new baby, what have I left out? Anyway, 2010 was a doozy. But not really. All the events were at the same level, neither up nor down…the same. Unless we let ego do the talking! Hmm, I had a bit of that in 2010…okay, okay, a lot. But there
is a new year coming. Yes, let’s go in with a resolution to make it all the
same. Again!!!
As for the lessons, I’m gonna do something really scary this year with the lessons…just in case ego has been in on the act and got me into a ritual rut. I’m gonna play J-Roulette, which will be a flip-the-page and toss up the lesson for the day. I’ll try to keep track as to how appropriate the
lesson proved to be for the day and give a periodic report.
And because humility and not-taking-one-seriously is a basic tenet of our study…here’s a writer’s joke for the New Year:
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.
When asked to define great, he said, “I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!”
He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.
(Now there must be some ego or Course in this joke somewhere????)
Hugs! And Happy New Year!
Laura
Oh Laura!!! The joke!!! How did you know that I have had my mom’s new laptop for the last month slowly going through the setup process on it and mine and Cory’s new computers at the same time and it culminated with my spending 9 and a 1/2 hours (this did include lunch and supper breaks)at her house finishing the setup and transferring files installing programs setting up a new e-mail account (windows has ditched outlook express)etcetera. Gawd girl I needed that belly laugh. Maybe the new year won’t be so bad after all.
Here are several bottles of pink bubbly and hugs for all.
Dear Villagers , Thank you for all your great posts during the past year ! Now I want to wish you each and everyONE a Year when we can see “PEACE INSTEAD OF THIS”.
My roof is leaking and I hear the dripping all the time. I have to wait for Monday to get it fixed. It is not easy to stay peaceful but at least I ask J for help : )
Lots of Love from Hedda
A joyful 2011 to all of you,
love,
a*
Good Morning my Sweet Cyber Family. Blessings to you and yours on this New Years Day.
Found a Beautiful Poem by an Sufi mystic Hafiz to start my day and I wanted to share it with you.
KEEPING WATCH
In the morning
When I began to wake,
It happened again.
That feeling
That you, Beloved,
Had stood over me all night
Keeping watch,
That feeling
That as soon as I began to stir
You put Your lips on my forehead
And lit a Holy Lamp
Inside my heart.
re the Light-cave…the two last names I added, Lisa and Richard, did not go through for some reason – maybe electronic overload- will try to morrow, or anyone might try it if they feel like it –
I am so enjoying the last two lines of that Hafiz-poem – thank God for poetry
Lovely Annie – thanks !!
Nina…
Sweet glow of candles…thank you for the heart-warming gesture of lighting
up the Village. You are loved.
Hugs!
Annie…the poem speaks to me of the spirit/Son relationship. I sometimes wonder if there are as many spirit communication symbols as there are Sons?
Yes, poetry can say so much in so few words to so many. Thanks!
Happy New Year, everyone. All my blessings, my beloved little family. Beautiful poem, Annie.
I’ve just been informed that a blog has been started by an anonymous Course student (who might or might not be a member of this Village) kicking off the Workbook with Lesson 1 today, January 1st, for anyone wanting to work through the lessons this way. Address: http://acimur2011.blogspot.com/
Sound cool!
😉
happy new year … on my morning walk along the beach here in hawaii, two sea turtles were making their journey out of the ocean up on the sand to rest … how magical and beautiful to watch their efforts being supported by the gentle waves … they’d each let the next wave help ride them up the beach … inch by inch they made their climb until they joined some other turtles resting in the sand … it’s a wonderful begining to a fresh new year … so peaceful watching the turtles and the ocean … the palm trees and the breezes … may our hearts be happy … may we welcome 2011 and all the many adventures awaiting each of us … am sending all the blessings of this beautiful day to you … you’d love it!
Thanks for all your ponderings. Really enjoying reading them on the 1st of January. Annie, thanks so much for the poem. Just beautiful!
Much love to you all, Lisi
Beautiful poem Annie…keeping watch indeed.
and we had Nina lighting holy lamps for us and Laura the toddler student doing a great year end wrap up which mentioned a new baby?
how did I ….did I miss a*’s and Shobha’s baby being born???
I decided to join zafu and walk the beautiful beaches in Hawaii. Just lovely. And the sea turtles showing us how gentle and effortless it can be. So worth stopping to watch and rest a while with them. I’m glad you are there to report it for us zafu because my imagination does need that little nudge.
I love that we are spread across this planet and I so look for these kind of moments to be shared by you my friends. Please don’t think it mundane. Sea Turtles resting on the sand is vital information to Annie!
Before I wish you all a beautiful day let me leave you with another quote:
In the garden of gentle sanity, may you be bombarded by the coconuts of wakefulness. Chogyam Trungpa