THE YEAR ENDER :) BE OF GOOD CHEER

WE'LL TAKE A CUP OF KINDNESS YET
It is only appropriate THE WEEKENDER :)
make way for this YEAR ENDER :)
and permit you to have it your own way.
First-NEW FACES ON AN OLD TUNE

The Scots blood in me body compels me thus.
Begin the new year with Robert Burns classic.
Your choice. Or a wee dram of them all-
ENJOY
Instrumental

Traditional

Sinatra and Martin

Smooth Jazz

With Pipes

Thanks for making LightBreezes part of
2011.  I look forward to continuing our 
relationship.
Here's to your health and happiness in 2012.
See you down the trail.

CAMBRIA ECCENTRIC

THE DINING MOB GETS CLASS
Frequent readers of the blog have seen
previous posts about our Friday Lunch Flash Mob
that assembles in San Simeon at the bottom of the
mountain of Hearst Castle.
First we outgrew the deck and moved to the
picnic table compound.  Then we added
table cloths.  Now, thanks to Jeanie,
we've gone to lace and a candelabra.

Here two of our distinguished number seek to protect their identities while enjoying the "elegance" and
the looks from other customers.  We do get stares.

It is one of the joys of our eclectic and eccentric
village life.  
DAY BOOK
THE NAMESAKE
Cambria-Pines by the Sea

See you down the trail.

CONTEMPLATIVE AT YEARS END

MOMENTS AT THE SHORE

As a high school kid I'd take this holiday break 

week to evaluate. What about the year ending

and how would I do things differently in the 

new year?  It's akin to making resolutions, but 

the point is the time to ponder.

It is a habit that stuck. Back then I'd hike

off through a field behind the house between

corn or soybean fields to a little copse of trees

where an old tractor bridge crossed a creek.

Quiet, solitary and a great place to contemplate.

Today, the nearby big blue of the Pacific with

its sound, smell and energy serves the purpose.

 From personal experience, this is a great spot to watch the whales in their winter migration south.

South of here, off Rancho Palos Verde, large pods of
Gray whales have been sighted already. This is
earlier than normal.
Regardless of where on the planet you find yourself,
I urge you to spend a few quiet minutes outside,
in nature, working on your emotional, psychological
and/or spiritual balance sheet. Or just relaxing
looking at something that is not of human hands.
See you down the trail.

MAHER'S MOUTH AND SELF INDULGENT MIND &SANTA ROSA CREEK

PROFESSIONAL WISE ASS 
LOOSES COOL AGAIN
If TV whiner Bill Maher had said about a Muslim and
Mohamed what he said about Tim Tebow and Jesus,
there would be a fatwa issued and a price on his head.
If you've not seen the tweet in question you
can read about it here.
Fortunately we live in a democratic republic where even
insensitive and offensive comments are tolerated.
I don't care for Maher, don't think I'd like to spend anytime with him, though I watch his HBO program REAL TIME.
Why do I watch a smug and self absorbed, sometimes humorous and occasionally clever, tiresome, trite, smarmy, pretentious, pseudo hip master of snark?
For the sometimes and occasional referenced above plus
the better moments which almost always come from
one of his panel of guests. He at least invites
differing points of view and he lampoons political
pomposity and fools.  He also explores the edges of
social humor. Years of journalism have prepared me to know
it is important to consider a divergence of views.
Nothing is gained by burying our heads in the sand.
I am comfortable enough with
my views and beliefs not to be rocked
by coarseness, vulgarity and mocking. 
It is here on this point that the wise ass betrays 
his own Achilles heel. Often, usually always with
religion, spirituality or faith he is a tired old act, sure not to
listen nor conceptualize on a deeper scale. He
insults, demeans and belittles. He is as 
tiresome as the nutty old Madeline Murray-Ohare
got to be, like a rusty old gate making a useless noise.
Still there is a place for him in the public square, even
if it is to be pitied. And there is a place for those
who wish to boycott his network.
What there is no place for is intolerance.
Even the Jesus who Maher demeaned said
we should forgive our enemies.
DAY BOOK

REFLECTIONS ON SANTA ROSA CREEK

See you down the trail.

TELLING STORIES & WALKING WITH AN EGRET

THESE TOO ARE GHOSTS
It must be a seasonal vibe. Christmas card letters,
unexpected calls, party chatter, e-mails and 
blog postings all brim with stories this 
time of year.  They are rich in memory and
 evoke emotion and humor. 
It seems blogs have become a 21st Century version
of the cracker barrel or pickle tub pictured in the
general store community gathering spots
in days of yore. A couple of examples
are found in the Vinyl Stats and Chubby Chatterbox
blog posts you can find linked below on the right.
 A good story is a great companion for these days
and nights. Share your own and
be of good cheer.
DAY BOOK

WALKING WITH AN EGRET

On the line near the house I noticed a Hawk

keeping an eye on our youngest kitten, Hemingway.

Once Hemingway was inside, the raptor flew away.

The little polydactyl is growing rapidly and will soon be too big for the Hawks.

See you down the trail.

A GOOD DEED

CLEANING SAND AT THE BEACH?

 Moonstone Beach-Shamel Park

 Deed, well done.
But first, the story.

The objective-

 clearing steps

 just over the rise

 at the end of the walk

 an endless supply on Moonstone Beach.

 Dirty steps meet Lana

 Recycling sand for a project

 She reasons

two little buckets won't be missed.

More walks off on shoes.

See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER :) NOEL

GIFTS

I'm my dad's son never more than at Christmas.

Sentimental, romantic, hopeful and appreciative.

Loved ones, be they family or friends and life itself are blessings to savor. So are the words of others.


********************************************************

"Maybe Christmas," he thought,

"doesn't come from a store. 

Maybe Christmas...perhaps

means a little more."

Theodor Seuss Geisel THE GRINCH
*********************************************

A CHRISTMAS STORY
In 1847 a French parish priest asked a wine
merchant to write a carol to be sung
at Christmas.  Placide Cappeau
penned what is one of the season's
most beautiful.
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

O Holy Night, words: Placide Cappeau, 1847(Minuit, chrétiens, c’est l’heure solennelle);English singing rendition by John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893).

Music: Adolphe C. Adam (1803-1856).

*********************************************************************

A STOCKING STUFFER

And this is delightful

**********************************************************

"May you have warmth in your igloo
oil in your lamp and peace in your heart."
Eskimo Proverb


MERRY CHRISTMAS
See you down the trail.

THE AMERICAN DRAGON

CLOSE TO THE BOOK

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Millions have read Larson's book, I heard somewhere it sold 65 million copies.  Millions have also seen the original Swedish series, so the David Fincher directed version is a big deal.  It is a big film by comparison to the original.

Big name talent, big scope and vision and still works as a tense, dramatic intrigue where ultimately a girl gets her sense of justice and then gets rocked by her own heart.

Mara Rooney as Lisbeth is superb. Christoper Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard as the good and bad Vangers are both
perfect.  Daniel Craig is a convincing Blomkvist. 
Portions of the book made me cringe, even after decades in journalism. The film does the same thing and certainly is not for everyone.  After all is said and done,
Lana and I thought the book was better than either film.
I understand how directors make choices and by necessity need to leave pages out of a script.  Fincher was mostly true to the book, but the nuance, texture and sidebar story material of the book, make that telling better than the movie, as big and well done as it is.
The opening credit sequence though, to my sense
was needless, pointless and out of sync with the cinema that followed.
Another late post today, but the new computer is up and 
I'm in learning mode.  This computer will do things I haven't even thought of, so as I say, I'm learning.
See you down the trail.

LEARNING NEW TRICKS

SANTA BRINGS THE FUTURE

Late with this post and composing it from

my daughter's computer.  The old lap top is being

loaded into a new computer.  It was time.  The old G4

had been half way around the world with me and was at

least a decade old.  A couple of novels and 

countless articles helped put the miles on it.

The data is being transferred to a new desk top model-bigger screen, easier to see, and ultimately better for 

 the neck and shoulders.

As the service guy turned on the old lap top he 

said "Have you been using this recently?"

"Yes."

"Really? I see why you are you're buying a new one."

So, I hope it will be quicker as well.

Odd how impatient I've become waiting for something

as spectacular as a file to load.

REEL THOUGHTS

Same daughter, Katherine, had a day off

and wanted to see the Sherlock Holmes flick.

We made it a near birthday outing.

It's a great "popcorn" movie.  Directed by Guy Richie it's got lots of action, some of it in stop motion which is fun and

a gritty "old Europe" look.  We like Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law and they are a good team.

It's an action packed, rock'em sock'em movie but a 

fun view.  It is a long way from the purists taste

in Holmes, but gets in a couple of nice points

about war, war profiteers and the coming of a

"defense industry."

See you down the trail.

TEXTURES OF CHRISTMAS

EVOCATIONS AND SCENES FROM A PARTY

 Do you find a kind of feel or texture 
in the scenes of Christmas?

 Beauty with dimension.

 Allow yourself to play director, pull back from

a view and discover surprises, like

Norbert the keyboardist in socks.

He needs that sensitivity for the pedals.

At this party, I was struck by the beauty, color and 

visual texture of the clothing.

 Each of the "Christmas scenes" we've seen so often

 offer a sense of feel.

 Being a sentimentalist I am warmed

by visions of peace, light and joy.

See you down the trail.