St. Nicholas Day and Second Sunday of Advent

My grandson's first St. Nicholas Day!

Today is St. Nicholas Day, and today starts the second week of advent. Advent is a time of vigilant waiting; I wait for something mysterious and unscheduled, but I wait with quiet excitement, and expectation. If I fall asleep to this awareness I risk missing the moment of joy, courage, or insight; the gift of grace that has the potential to feed me in ways I need.

Agenda Today:
1. Advent Prayer
2. Journal queries

3. Advent wreath ceremony

4. Plan activities for unity and peace

St. Nicholas Eve

 
 

Tonight is the eve of St. Nicholas Day.
In Holland St. Nicholas is called Sinter Klaas (he is the original Santa Claus). Children in Holland leave their shoes by the fireplace on this night, and in the morning they are filled with marzipan and small toys. Also, Sinter Claus often leaves larger gifts tonight or during the next day.

Nicholas was born in Lycia, which is now part of Turkey. Legend says he was a kind and generous man, who protected the poor and did many great deeds.

Agenda today:
1. Joy of Giving meditation
2. Journal queries
3. Donate to Toys for Tots
4. Make pfeffernüsse
5. Fill shoes

Advent Land Acknowledgement

This advent is unique because it's the first when we are (pretty much) quarantined in our home, and also the first when we have owned our home free and clear. It's gotten me to thinking about our land and it's history, and what brought me to this valley - I mean, historically.

My nuclear family's heritage is English, French, Dutch, German, Swiss, Norwegian, and Slavic. Some of my family came to North America with the first pilgrim ships. We moved west steadily, and came to Oregon as early as 1888. My mother's family were mostly farmers and loggers in the Willamette Valley, and my father's family settled further north.

We live now on the traditional land of the Kalapuya people.  

I've been looking for a way to recognize and show respect for those indigenous people who lived here before us, and I stumbled onto the Native Governance site for writing Indigenous Land Acknowledgements, a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

“To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.” (Northwestern University)

Agenda: 

1. Research my land

2. Write an Indigenous land acknowledgement letter 

3. Pay rent

Advent Simplicity

 My theme for this first week of Advent is to "Cherish and care for the earth". I aim to celebrate simply, and consume less, so that I have a gentle impact on the planet.

The modern way of observing the winter holidays supports an increase in waste; one statistic says that Americans throw away 25% more trash– an additional 5 million tons– between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. A fun holiday season doesn't have to be a wasteful one!

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries
2. Make fabric bags
3. Make sweet, salty, or spicy nuts

Advent Earth Care

Exploring the Amazon, looking for birds.

 My theme for this first week of Advent is to "Cherish and care for the earth". I express my unity with nature at Advent in two basic ways:

• by offering small gifts of love and attention in recognition of all I receive from the earth
• and by finding joy and fulfillment in simply being alive, instead of in an excess of buying, eating, using, and wasting.

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries

2. Go for longer walks
3. Work against climate change
4. Create an outside winter visiting area
5. Make bird feeder pine cones

Advent Nativity Fast

Advent is important to me, and I have many ideas to share. This first week of advent my theme is to "Cherish and care for the earth". A vegetarian diet is better over all for the planet, so this week I've started a Nativity Fast.

The Nativity Fast is the Orthodox Christian way to experience the waiting which is Advent. Instead of “pre-celebrating” Christmas, they have a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, charity, and love, beginning on November 15th. (I wait until AFTER Thanksgiving!)

Besides fasting, the practice includes also prayer, charity, and love. 

Agenda Today:
1- Advent Prayer
2- Mini-Nativity Fast
3- Make Revithia Soupa (Chickpea Soup)
4- Donate to Friends of Trees