Welcome to a World of Spiritual Harmony

Okay, get out your calendars and figure out when you can go see The Frog Princess at the Ensemble Theatre. It runs through January 6, so you’ve still got time.

This holiday play is hysterical, fun, terrifically cast, intriguingly staged - and a real fairy tale. Justice is done, all is right with the world at the end, and we all live happily ever after.

But before that, there are some terrifically funny moments. The king has his three sons each shoot an arrow out into the world to find their brides - with the result that the youngest son’s arrow lands in the swamp, in the clutches of a very cute frog. She is cute, but she is a frog. Complications and challenges ensure.

Since it’s based on a Russian fairy tale, Baba Yaga, the chicken-footed witch makes a mandatory and hilarious appearance. And did I mention this is a musical? And a fun and silly and good musical?

You’ll love it, your kids and grandkids will love it. And there’s still a bit of time!

I was amazed last night during Reiki Healing Circle to find that everyone else in the room was also in shock over Benazir Bhutto’s death.

I don’t see the news on TV - pretty much because I just don’t want those images and words, repeated over and over during the day, planted in my head. So I had seen the Enquirer and the Post, and read the New York Times on line. Plenty enough information to send me into mourning. But not enough to help me understand Benazir’s impact on my world.

We had all seen her beauty, her power, had felt the hope she gave, not just to her people, but to many of us around the world. Her loss was clearly similar to the loss of John Fitzgerald Kennedy all those many years ago, leaving us again with ‘what might have been’ in our hearts.

Our group meditation last night was on creating peace in ourselves, and peace in the world. Thus using our grief to power a different vision for the future. That’s the job of all of us, now that she’s gone.

I was shocked, heartbroken, unbelieving at the news of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination yesterday.

With the wonders of modern communication, I could see on the New York Times website pictures taken just seconds before the shots rang out, followed by a picture of the wall of fire from the suicide bomber’s explosion, people bleeding at that moment and forever more, a man in shock uttering a soundless scream as his world came apart.

The pictures of the speech / exhortation to her people that she finished just minutes before her death were powerful - a strong and beautiful woman who radiated wholeness and power, an embodiment of her own convictions. A true teacher and leader to her people.

The pictures of the crowd were wonderful, too - especially the women - standing proudly, stirred into more powerful versions of themselves by her example.

Poor Pakistan. Poor people. A new-made martyr to lead them now.

Okay, okay. I know it’s the day after Christmas, and nearly 10 p m. Nonetheless, I am celebrating: the 2007 Christmas wrapping frenzy is completed!

Lots more gatherings with friends, those always in town, and those just in town for the holidays. And now the presents are already for them. With one or two little items standing by, wrapped and ready, if someone unexpected drops by with a gift.

And our smaller family feast - just kids and grandkids - is tomorrow evening, so I’ve got loaves of bread rising, will bake them in the morning - and then no more kneading for a while.

Baking bread is fun. Taking a break from it is also fun. Life is good!

One of the things I like about the way Mother Nature has arranged the Universe is the fact that Christmas comes just as the dark truly falls. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the world stays that way for a day or two.

Then, on the 23rd, our day was .04 second longer. And tomorrow the 27th will be a whole 19 seconds longer. To me, Christmas keeps me focused so that I’m not regretting the lack of light. And then right after The Big Day, daylight begins to return.

Not a lot, I’ll grant you. But enough to keep me looking toward the light, rather than fussing over the dark. It’s so good that we’re already over that hump!

This is being a perfect Christmas so far! Lots of beauty, lots of friends, lots of giving and receiving. Making and baking bread, having a good time with Brian and Patrick Keegan and Kyle.

And, of all things, catching up on yard work! In the middle of the afternoon, several days in a row, I’ve been raking leaves - which just didn’t manage to get done this fall. Today, I brought in the last of the lawn furniture, wrapped up the hoses, and brought in the sprinkler. All on a beautiful sunny Christmas day.

And then I laid down on the couch and read this year’s chosen Christmas mystery.

After the busyness of getting ready for Christmas Eve at my sister’s, in the midst of all the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and gatherings - I have loved for the last several years just having a quiet Big Day all by myself, with all the lights on, Christmas music, and fresh warm bread.

Back into the busyness and fun tomorrow. For now, I’m going to go finish that mystery!

Only one word will do for the Midsummer Night’s Dream currently at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company - rollicking!

The best production of Midsummer I’ve ever seen - and the first that really had the audience roaring and laughing all the way through. Wow!

I was a bit put off by the modern dress of the principals for just a bit - until Hermia and Helena began losing their high heels, taking them off, limping around in just one shoe - adding to the general madness.

The fairies were good - the mechanicals (with my favorite Giles Davies as Flute / Thisbe) were over the top great. Oberon / Theseus, Puck and Titania / Hippolyta were excellent. Egeus played a terrific fuddy duddy. And then there were the lovers - Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius - star crossed, star struck, starry eyed. One wild and crazy situation after another, played to the hilt.

An unbelievably good play. Go recover from the stress of the holidays by laughing yourself silly! I sure feel better this morning! Even though, sitting in the front row, I nearly had the Lion in my lap last night!

I love Christmas for a million reasons - and one big reason is all the celebrations we can have.

Yesterday was a late lunch Christmas at What’s for Dinner with my friend Francine - great presents, great food, great conversation and planning for 2008.

Then this morning, Christmas with my massage therapist, who also always has psychic messages for me. Noon-ish, a Christmas exchange with my wonderful friend who also restores order to my house.

Now, I’m heading out the door to have dinner and presents at the new downtown Korean, Sung, before heading to Cincy Shakes’ Midsummer Night’s Dream. When, of course, mid-winter - the Solstice - is tomorrow.

Hooray! And there are still weeks of celebrations to go! Just have to bake more bread this weekend, and I can keep this going for a long time!

Happy Holidays!

Evidence of the paradigm shift right on the front page this morning:

“With no support from any of the 186 nations in attendance, the U.S. dropped objections to a provision” of the Bali Roadmap on climate change. “The United States stood down.”

In the follow-up inside, this quote from the delegate from Papua New Guinea: “We seek your leadership. But if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way.”

WOW! Is any further evidence needed of the decline of American empire? And we did it to ourselves.

We thoroughly deserved to be put down by those other nations during these talks. Our country’s current leadership seems unable to care that land is already being lost to rising seas. We are still opposing mandatory caps and cuts on carbon emissions.

Not much longer til new leadership takes over, and an era of partnership and collaboration begins. Thank heaven.

Mr. Spock from the original Star Trek - my favorite alternate universe - experienced a periodic madness, where he was irresistibly drawn back to Vulcan, was totally fixed on that goal, nothing else existed except that need. His object was to mate with the wife chosen for him as a small child, and nothing stood in the way, not even his friend Kirk.

My Pon Farr is just as compelling, just as focused. It is simply the perfect Christmas, Patricia-style. So I spent this wonderful day making loaves of Christmas bread, getting all the presents out of the gift closet, starting the long and pleasurable process of wrapping. All this with the Christmas lights all over the house, and carols playing in the background.

I’ll report back in to normal life sometime in January. Promise.