Holiday Memory from Pop—Happy Christmas Eve Day—Following the String from our Christmas Tree—a son takes a step into growing up

When my brother, Gary Thompson, was 13 years old, he took a step into manhood. My father, Erwin A. Thompson, remembers the event like this. —JGR
Gary always liked the out of doors. Fishing, hunting, and trapping were things that he enjoyed and liked to spend his time at.
We used to trap rabbits in “figure [...]

“The Kite Runner”—family value of Standing Up For Your Life

The St. Louis Writers Guild did its best to get a free preview screening of “The Kite Runner,” but didn’t quite make the numbers. This whetted my appetite to see the film, though, and last night I walked up to the Chase Park Plaza Hotel Cinema, just a few blocks from my place to see [...]

Connecting Art and Good Times at Freida L. Wheaton’s Salon 53—Home for the Holidays in St. Louis—Savoring a Holiday Party—”Home is where the art is”…Freida’s is a place where old friends meet…and everybody knows your name.

In September, my first private party in St. Louis was at Freida L. Wheaton’s Salon 53 opening for her private residential art gallery.
Now, in December, my second private party in St. Louis—and my only Holiday Party this season—is at Freida’s Salon 53, whose slogan is “Home is where the art is.”

In September I wrote: [...]

Happy Winter Solstice

To greet you today, I’m offering you some links as gifts.
For the meaning of the lighting the darkness at Solstice, read Susan J. Tweit’s Community of the Land’s post on how Luminarias light the night. I agree…nothing like rows on rows of luminarias and the smell of pinon under the startling clarity of a Southwestern [...]

TCM’s Ernest Dempsey Reviews Riehl’s “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary”

1) You can go to Amazon’s product detail page for “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” to search inside.
2) On sidebar of Riehlife you can browse sample poems and read background information on photos and talks at readings.
Sightlines
Janet Grace Riehl
iUniverse Inc.
ISBN: 0-595-37499-9
Genre(s): Poetry
Reviewed by Ernest Dempsey
Death sometimes brings about a radical swing in the way the [...]

Stocking Stuffers–ideas

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season, from childhood on, has been my holiday stocking. As a child they were mainly filled with things that seem unexceptional now, such as navel oranges and nuts.
The Queen of Stocking Stuffers in my life was my former mother-in-law Eileen Souder. Girl, could she ever stuff [...]

“Catch and Release” explores tenderness in the rawness of grief

Since the death of my sister and mother in the past three years, I’ve watched many films on the theme “for every loss there’s something to be found.” Here is another that someone handed me yesterday. It garnered Two Thumbs up from Roeper and his guest critic on “At the Movies.” I like it, [...]

“Blood Diamond” — Jewels in Zwick’s Classic Film

In Blood Diamond a fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond. But, what are the real jewels here?
The smuggler is searching for a diamond, but finds God in an unexpected series of plot turns that change his heart.
The fisherman is searching for his son, the [...]

Announcing Prince George’s Short Story Contest for Conceit Magazine…Black Writers Guild…Afrocentric Book Expo

Conceit Magazine (conceitmagazine2007@yahoo.com) announces Prince George’s Short Story Contest sponsored by the BLACK WRITERS GUILD OF MARYLAND—in support of the magazine.
DEADLINE: February 16, 2008
JUDGE: Judine Slaughter, Moderator of the Black Writers Guild, Inc.
Winners announced at the 2008 Afrocentric Book Expo
Saturday, February 23, 2008 10:00 am ET – 5:00 pm ET

Heart Practice—Variation on the Nectar Flow–Changing the Oil Under the Hood of Your Heart

In The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Soyal Rinpoche in Chapter 19 “Helping After Dying” Rinpoche shares a beautiful HEART PRACTICE on pages 313-316 “that can truly help you when you are suffering from deep sorrow and grief. It is a practice my master Jamyang Khyentse always used to give to people who [...]