Another Christmas is here. Another year has raced by. Things blend together like a kaleidoscope of shapes changing into different events. I think!? I lived another day, but what did I do in those awake hours? I was busy doing nothing. My pace is slow; younger ones go by me quickly while I am aware of every step . Slow is good; more time to appreciate every little action. Yes, caution, pay attention, and keep moving become daily thoughts, along with a little help from my friends. My mind, thank goodness, is still working. It does not age; I am just as inquisitive and creative as ever, and so it is! And so it goes! Yes, a wonderful life continually evolving.

My world revolves around Ya Po Ah. I take part in most of the events. The people here are amazing. They make this place the best place to live. The other attribute is its location, a butte and river on the north side and a city on the front side. I get to cool off on hot days in the river. I use my trike to get around, errands like groceries, post office, farmers market, etc. Fifth Street Market is a beautiful mall with a courtyard in the middle and elegant shops and restaurants. I take all the Ya Po Ah trips to the coast and various places of interest. One of the outings was a climb up Spencer’s Butte, here in Eugene, 750 feet to the top on a fairly steep slope. I took my time and rested many times, but I made it. I am proud of that accomplishment being at 88 years old.

I had my six weeks in Maine, August and part of September. I did everything I love to do, painted, swam in the cove, went to galleries and museums and gallery openings. I painted with friends in beautiful places. I went to potlucks also in beautiful places.

Several times I went to the Farnsworth to see the Wyeth’s exhibits. There was a first-time show of Andy’s abstracts. He had never shown these paintings. He was a realistic painter at the height of abstraction when realism was out of style. I consider him one of America’s best artists. There was a show of Jamie’s strange paintings. He looks physically like his grandfather, N.C. Wyeth. Jamie’s paintings definitely tell a story, I would say dynamic. There was a premier showing in Rockland of a full-length documentary movie about Jamie. Called “Jamie Wyeth and the Unflinching Eye.” I missed it there in Rockland, but I did get to see the movie in Boothbay. It was very well done.

I did sell a few of my paintings in a friend’s gallery in Friendship. Waldoboro sponsored a gallery studio tour. Twelve artists had signed up. My friend, who was on the list, said I could use her outdoor tent. She is a great artist herself, promotes artists, and works hard to keep the gallery in the public’s eye.

I hate to leave Maine. It is so beautiful there, with little towns with beautiful architecture. Not much changes in Maine. All the factories and industries are gone. Young people leave because there are fewer jobs. People with money own the coast, and retired people make up a good portion of the population. There is a huge influx of tourists in the summer, and they bring in the money. Maine is ranked ninth in least population, with plenty of space. Maine’s largest city is Portland, with 69,000 people.

While I was in Maine, my friend Prem, across the hall from me, sent a text that all residents living in Ya Po Ah had to take down all decorations and paintings from the hall walls by October 1st, with no explanation. I have over 100 paintings hanging on those walls. Well, this decree was a shock. Luckily, there are a few feisty people that rebelled. Petitions were gathered, and a committee started writing letters. When I got back, I wrote a letter to Ya Po Ah that I would not take my paintings down until we were given an explanation. There is a lawyer, writer, and creative people living here. Dennis on my floor is good at communications. He wrote a letter that did not blame or criticize and had suggestions for solutions. We still didn’t know what caused the problem. Many did take their things off the walls, and some left them up. On October 1st, we had notices on our doors that everything on the wall could remain until further notice. We haven’t heard a word about it since then.

This building has HUD housing, apartments for low-income people. It has a staff for maintaining the building and running the office, minimum. Other retirement buildings may hire people to do planned activities and other things. Here, it is the residents that volunteer. This brings people together, forms friendships, and works and helps each other. You get to know some amazing people that you appreciate and enrich your own life. I am grateful and blessed to live here. It is a special place.

It was still warm here in Eugene in September. I took more dips in the river. On October 12th, Prem, who has a car, took us to Mount Pisgah, where there is a swim hole on the river. The water is also a little warmer there. It was a beautiful day. That was the last swim of the season.

My two sons and their families are fine. Chris and Diane still have the cannabis farm. Doug has been working on this dad’s music and is posting it on YouTube. He has upgraded the Bechler-Arts website. Christina works on a farm in Damariscotta. Most of my time with Chris is at his farm in the summer. He takes me to his house for dinners, and this fall we watched together the Oregon Ducks college football games. The Ducks won every game this year.

Some of Diane’s family gathered at Seaside, Oregon, for Thanksgiving. Diane’s daughter and husband own a house there. There were 15 people for the feast. The weather was perfect: three days of sun and no wind. A small aquarium was nearby, off of the boardwalk that goes the length of the beach. All kinds of displays of marine life, but the best part was watching the seals. They have a pool up front where you could feed them. Seals are very acrobatic and have tricks to get your attention to throw the food toward them. The house where we had Thanksgiving only has a couple of bedrooms, so most of the family members had to stay at hotels. I stayed at a hotel, right on the beach. There was a jacuzzi in my room with a window that faced the beach. The first time I used it, I watched the sun go down over the ocean. It was very luxurious.

The Halliday season begins the day after Thanksgiving, with lights, decorations, and Christmas trees. Many events are scheduled in December here in Ya Po Ah, including a birthday party, with a men’s coral group singing Christmas music, Christmas dinner, and a Christmas party. The The Ya Po Ah bus took us out on a trip to see the light displays around in two areas in town. We saw the musical Oliver at the shed and their Christmas concert. Lastly, we went to a play at the Oregon Contemporary Theater.

The traditions of the Christmas season are a combination of many celebrations of rituals and customs from people around the world. The winter solstice is an important time of year, the time from moving out of darkness into the light. It was not just Jesus born on December 25, but many gods had the same birthday, Hermes, Buddha, Krishna, Horus, Heracles, Adonis, Dionysus, Zarathustra, Mitra, and Tammuz.

Here are some of the things that changed and influenced current Halliday traditions.

I grew up in a time when almost every Christmas had snow. Snow became a popular theme of Christmas after Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Back in his day, it snowed in England as it was the end of the Little Ice Age. A Christmas Carol did much to promote a renewed enthusiasm for the joys of Christmas in Britain and America. The book was published on December 19, 1843, and 6,000 sold out by Christmas Eve.

The greatest message in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was the inequalities of the times. Scrooge was shown the reality of how people lived and survived.Scrooge learned that his accumulation of money did not bring joy or happiness, and very importantly, it is possible for a despicable person to change and become a caring and loved person.

Here is one quote: Marley, Scrooge’s business partner, says,  "Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

Saint Nicholas was the original person who loved children and gave gifts. In 1931.Coca‑Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus. — Sunbeam got his inspiration from Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of St. Nick led to an image of a warm, friendly, pleasantly plump, and human Santa.

Christmas, the time I love best . As the Earth rotates around the Sun, it moves through the seasons. In New England, the four seasons are: Spring, new growth;Summer, hot , green, full; Fall,harvest ,brilliant color; Winter,cold, dark, renewal. All life starts in darkness, all seeds germinate in darkness, all animals come from a womb. Dark and light ,the two sides of a coin, the yin and yang. It is the Christmas holidays coming on the darkest days , yes, I love it. It is the contrasts of winter I love. Inside my home in Maine, warm and secure, I watched the storms and accumulation of snow as it drifted into magical shapes. Coming into the house out of the cold is the wonderful feeling of warmth and the smell of the wood burning in the stove.

Christmas for me wouldn’t be Christmas without the Christmas tree. I always have a live, tall tree, and I decorate my whole living space with fir branches. I have candles, lights , and all my bears and decorations collected through the years. Christmas Day was the time our families got together. Christmas is a time for friends to celebrate. Every year, I had a potluck Christmas party. We feasted, told stories, had interesting conversations, and exchanged small gifts from Santa’s big basket . As I grow older, the memories accumulate .

A friend sent me a letter that was to be read after her friend’s death. Summarized, it said: Don’t let fear fuel your choices. Don’t worry about what people think about you. Be true to yourself. Be intentional about cultivating friendships that lift you up. LOVE YOURSELF no matter how weird and silly it might feel. Say to yourself, out loud, “I trust you.” What I know, deep in my bones, is that learning to love myself has led me to be able to say this: I’m so proud of how I lived. May you, dear reader, feel the same when you head out on your soul journey, too. Until then, enjoy the ride.

Another wrote Be soft, soft, soft ... When you think there is "NO TIME!" take time ... There is time ... This is the only time ~ I want to live in a world where hearts come first, and I have to start by asking for help ~ connection is the thing we will remember in the end.

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart” — Eleanor Roosevelt

“Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.” — Tom Baker

“What is Christmas? It is the tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.  It is a wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." — Agnes M. Pharo

You don’t have to do anything to contribute to a world for peace . Just be!! Just be the loving person you are and your light will radiate out to the world and beyond.

I Love life and am grateful for all experiences on this beautiful planet, especially those of friendships that have helped me along my path. HAPPY NEW YEAR