There is a beautiful poem by Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets, called Look And See (Why I Wake Early), in which she shows us through her beautiful language and vivid images how much richer the everyday things in our life can be, if we learn not just to "look" at them but to "see" them: Look And See by Mary Oliver.
Walking around my present neighborhood in Switzerland, I was reminded of her poem. Here are a few pictures of ordinary things that shine in an extraordinary light.
Enjoy! Wishing you a Happy New Year. May you "see" much beauty in 2016!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Look and See!
Labels:
Look And See,
Mary Oliver
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Sunday, December 6, 2015
Samichlaus - Sankt Nikolaus (Santa Claus) visits Switzerland on December 6!
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In the United States, Santa Claus is the bringer of Christmas gifts. In Switzerland, this role is fulfilled by the Christkind (the Christ child), an angel who flies from Heaven with the gifts and puts them under the tree on Christmas Eve while the children have to wait in their bedrooms. They stand by the window, staring into the night, hoping to spot the Angel flying down from Heaven. Of course, they never see him/her, but they hear the bell ring. This is the signal that tells them that everything is ready. They dash from the bedroom to the Christmas tree in the living room, where the presents are stacked under the tree. At least, this is the way it was when I was a child. Of course, a lot has changed since then.
Accompanying Samichlaus on December 6, is his helper, the Schmutzli. His name, Schmutzli, comes from "Schmutz" (dirt) and refers to his "dirty" face (smeared with ashes). Whereas Santa Claus is the light and good force, his helper, originally Knecht Ruprecht in the old days, represents the darker side. While Santa Claus is the bringer of gifts for the childen, Schmutzli punishes them if they were disobedient during the year. There is a rich tradition (both secular and religious) around these two figures. Interested? Read this!
Nowadays, however, both Samichlaus and Schmutzli are kind men (although Schmutzli still looks a little scary in his black robe and his face smeared with ashes). Schmutzli's basic role now is helping Santa Claus distribute gifts--mandarines, peanuts, and the famous Lebkuchen (ginger bread).
Labels:
Samichlaus,
Sankt Nikolaus,
Santa Claus,
Switzerland
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Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Coffee, cake, chatting, and mulled wine with author Linda Huber in Zurich
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For those who missed Linda's blog post last week!
One of the challenges of being an independent author is creating connections, but this is also one of its perks. Since I started my micro publishing business back in 2010, I have had the good fortune of meeting many wonderful friends on social media. The true pleasure, however, is when you have the chance to get together with them in person. I've met several of my author and reader friends for lunch or an outing and these occasions are always an inspiration.
To walk off some of the calories, we took another stroll, admiring the many small shops, the beautiful old buildings, and Christmas decorations.
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Since the weather was rather on the cold and wet side, we needed to warm up at one of the many Glühwein stands (mulled wine) which, together with roasted chestnuts, are very popular at this time of the year.
It was a truly memorable time and I look forward to more such occasions!
Labels:
author Linda Huber,
reading,
writing,
Zurich
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