Wednesday, December 10, 2014


Are You Prepared to Celebrate the Joys 
of The Season?

Rockefeller Plaza, Christmas 2014

 We here at 
FreeThinke's Blog
Certainly Hope So.

12 comments:

  1. Part of my observance of the Joy of the Season has usually involved going to a Christmas concert (choral).

    Alas! This year, I haven't purchased the tickets. I opted for fall and spring tickets instead.

    However, I have an extensive audio CD collection. And there's always YouTube! We also have satellite radio on Mr. AOW's iPad. Excellent "holiday" channels.

    Haven't yet decided which charities to which to donate this year. Maybe Decorate A Vet, a local group.

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  2. ...give me another week or so... :(

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  3. Best part of the Holiday Season? Enjoying the family. Especially the grandkids.

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  4. My wife told me no gifts this year and I am taking her at her word. Not sure how this will work out because she said the same thing for our thirty anniversary and I paid the price for a tear.

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  5. Merry Christmas,and a Happy Hanukkah, I want to wish you the very best.
    May your days be happy and full of joy, and Best Wishes
    for a wonderful Holiday, and a Happy New Year.
    May Peace, Love and Prosperity follow you always.

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  6. A gentle reminder:

    The joy experienced by those who have the Christmas Spirit has nothing to do with what we have, where we go, or even what we do. Instead, it has everything to do with how much affection and gratitude we feel in our hearts.

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  7. FT,
    I agree with your gentle reminder.

    However, the music of the Season helps us to cultivate and refine the affection and gratitude we feel in our hearts -- for some of us, anyway.

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  8. I couldn't agree more, AOW, but -- as Goethe said -- "Die Musik ist die rein geistigste aller Kuenste" -- i.e. "Music is the most spiritual of all the arts."

    So your observation about the effects of beloved Christmas music ties right into mine about the ultimate supremacy of "Spirit."

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  9. It's a bittersweet time for ol' Jersey McJones nowadays, nice, but bittersweet. I have wonderful memories though. I love Christmas. Always have. Even the religious stuff (well, most of it) is a lot of fun, full of warmth, humanism, and spirituality. It's nice. Christians make great holidays. Not so much Jews and Muslims. Pagans were apparently a little too good at it, and we'll just not mention the Greeks.

    JMJ

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  10. Hi, Jersey. I think all of us find Christmas a bittersweet time as we mature. I celebrate it primarily as religious experience, but don't see all that much conflict with the secular side, as long as gift-giving doesn't become comparative and competitive -- you know "keeping us with the Joneses," or "My father is richer than your father," and all that.

    There could be nothing wrong with promoting a show of bright, heartwarming decorative images, and a a concentrated expression of affection, good will, gratitude, merriment and feasting. After all Christ is supposed to have been born into the world to demonstrate the beauty and great power of allowing oneself to be ruled by Love.

    If the symbols often fail to measure up to the substance, we should at least be glad to give those who put them up all over town and those who prepare good things to eat in home and restaurant kitchens credit for trying to share the glory of the occasion.

    So, Merry Christmas to you, Jersey, even if you are an unbeliever. We could never hope to 'convert' you by chastising and insulting you.

    Hope The Season is as profitable as it is pleasant for you.

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  11. Oh hey, Merry Christmas, FreeThinke, in every sense of this lovely season. (This is the time of year I really miss being up North too... But then I'll watch the snow reports on the news and stop missing it ;)

    JMJ

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  12. I feel the same, Jersey. All the best to you, man, for the coming year.

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