Dec 2019 - Shalom, Moms, Xmas, Dollhouse, 2020, Impeachment
Shalom!
Such a good word. It’s Hebrew meaning is: peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility and can be used for both hello and goodbye.
I hope everyone’s Christmas was merry and filled with the joy and laughter of people you love. Or maybe just peace and solitude. We could all use more of that. We had the usual family celebrations and holiday parties. Mom and I had a treat with some lucky last minute tickets and were able to attend The Nutcracker by the Milwaukee Ballet. It was a delightful and magical performance. It’s been years since I have seen it. Such sublime music and costumes – and of course the dancing! – what a feast for the eyes and ears. We drove around town and enjoyed the holiday lights afterwards. We had a Christmas singalong at mom’s apartment building last week. Tom participated in the annual Sleighriders Benefit Concert. They raised close to $7000 for Variety Children’s Charity. Check our my Dec 21 Anita Burgermeister Facebook page for photos and concert snippets. They rocked! He also has gigs coming up with Hail to the Zoo and is the new bass player for Cold Sweat and the Brew City Horns. Check their website calendars for info.
The year is about to end as we are ushered into a new decade. I find it to be a time of mixed emotions and more reflection than usual. Personally life is good, though tinged with some sadness. As independent creatives Tom and I are always looking for the next job. Other than my piano students, January looks pretty quiet. And I’m OK with that. I’m waiting for a few website design jobs to get rolling. It helps a lot that we live small and have no debt and decent health. We worry about our moms. My mama is doing pretty well other than achy legs. I try to help her keep tabs on appointments and meds. My mother in law, Sandy, has sadly been dealing with declining memory for the past five years. She was diagnosed as having late onset Alzheimer’s with behavioral disturbance. Dad recently found some alternative drug treatments which have smoothed things out considerably. She is sleeping better and is much less agitated. But the eventuality of placing her in a memory care facility is something the family may face fairly soon. The folks were blessed with a long and beautiful marriage. They marked their 59th anniversary this month. This tragic condition makes the moments we spend with her all the more precious. Our Burgermeister Christmas Day celebration was lovely - with both moms joining us.
Our kids made Christmas extra special. Denae did ALL the cooking for the holiday! Including baked ham, cheesy potatoes, baked 7 bean casserole, cucumber salad, pumpkin pie and home-made cookies and fudge. She LOVES to cook. And she’s really good at it. Could we get any luckier? Adam and his little family are doing terrific. Grand darling Sophia brings us so much joy, and boy did she have a wonderful Christmas. Santa delivered on many unicorn wishes. Our big gift to her was a very special dollhouse. A handmade wooden house with real glass windows, built by my father and mother over 50 years ago for me and my sister. My two nieces inherited the dollhouse about 18 years ago, complete with a new ‘French Cottage’ faux finish paint job by my mom. It’s been in storage ever since. Everything was mostly intact - after adding a mess of wood glue to the foundation. Oh, the delight on Sophia’s face. I can still hear the squeals of joy when she opened her presents! Life doesn’t get much better. Do you know the story behind the "X" in Xmas? It comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Χριστός), which became Christ in English. The suffix -mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass. Language is so interesting.
On a serious note, 2020 is sure to be a roller coaster ride politically and emotionally for this country. I find it remarkable that progressive and Christian values of empathy, compassion and basic human rights and freedoms are seen as some kind of radical left wing agenda. Despite the impeachment it is doubtful that Trump will be removed from office. Though he clearly should be. Blindly devoted members of the senate will do everything they can to prevent that. In addition to his crimes, he fully embodies each of the seven deadly sins - greed, pride, gluttony, envy, sloth, wrath and lust (Article 1) (Article 2). How can anyone look up to this lying conman as a leader? I don't understand. Luckily, I am not alone. Multitudes of young (and old) people have become politically engaged for the first time. They are mad as hell about the status quo and will be voting. And that is what gives me real hope.
Not sure if the correct phrase is Merry Impeachment or Happy Impeachment?
So I’ll just end with ‘Treason’s Greetings!’
Here's something to cheer you up. Dave Barry's 2019 Year in Review. Nah.
Thank you for reading. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Shalom,
Anita
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2019 Greetings / Dollhouse w Sophia / Xmas w Elsa / Thomas & Sandy B
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Anita Burgermeister, eclectic independent artist in Milwaukee ~ creator of faux finishes, murals, fine art, photography, websites & more. Sharing news about creative people & events in art, music, magic, dance, dining, film, writing, architecture, inventions, life & other stuff. Hope you enjoy and read often!
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