Marty
Marty
“The Swinger” is the nickname that my husband and I gave to our cat, Marty.
When Marty lived in our backyard as a feral cat, we tried to befriend him by trying to pat him. But each time we tried, he would quickly turn around and swing at us with a paw. Hence, that’s how he acquired the nickname. Now, he’s strictly an indoor cat, but his swinging habit hasn’t disappeared, yet, he loves pats!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick was the bishop and patron saint of Ireland.Today is his feast day. During his lifetime, Saint Patrick performed many miracles. I regard him with the utmost respect, and pray to him for help which I really need.
Many folks celebrate his feast day by drinking green beer, wearing green clothes(In my school days, I recall that if I wasn’t wearing anything green, I would get pinched.), and looking for shamrocks, specifically a four leaf clover . I don’t know where or when these practices originated.(If you know drop me a line.) I have never had the pleasure of tasting green beer. (I don’t drink now, so I will never how it tastes.) However, I admit looking for a four leaf shamrock when I collected insects, never saw one, though. If you want to learn more about St. Patrick click here.
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Today is Ash Wednesday. Many Christians participate in this religious ceremony, and I was fortunate to attend today’s ceremony at St Peter, the Apostle, Catholic Church.
What Ash Wednesday means to me. Ash Wednesday, like Thanksgiving Day, is another opportunity to officially give thanks to Jesus Christ for tolerating 40 days of fasting; depriving Himself of luxuries; and finally suffering excruciating pain on the cross to save mankind. Therefore, when I think of how much Jesus Christ did for us, it is not a big deal, for me, to give up something that I like to do during Lent.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season which lasts 40 days. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the burning of palms blessed in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Also, some churches cover statues and images with purple shrouds during Lent.
The ashes remind me of the words: “Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return,” and that eventually, I will die, and that I should use the time I have on earth wisely, in spite of having a debilitating chronic illness. Life is precious. I’m so grateful to be alive.
Orchid Flower
It’s 45° outside, cloudy, and there’s a threat of rain. But my orchid started to bloom two weeks ago, and I thought it would be nice for my readers to see one of its flowers. I think the orchid will have six. Seeing them will be relaxing.
Happy Valentine’s Day
What Valentine’s Day Means To Me
I don’t expect chocolates or anything special for Valentine’s Day. Gifts disappear and so does tasty food, but being with my family (hubby and pets) doing things together mean a lot to me. Those memories will stay with me forever, and memories are the reason why I celebrate Valentine’s Day every day.
Kliban resting
Marty Resting on Kitchen Counter
Twister relaxing in sunroom
Doing the Happy Dance!
by M. E. Murray
I was deeply honored to learn that my Haiku poem, DAWN, was accepted for publication in the Fall 2018 issue of Poetry Quarterly.
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan
Today Mexico celebrates Mariachi Day. I didn’t know this until this morning when I tuned in to “La Ranchera”, my favorite Mexican radio station. Local national mariachi bands are also being honored. Yay! I love to sing and listen to that music!
Martin Luther King Jr.
Born: January 15, 1929 Died: April 4, 1968.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice, and he never got tired of trying to end segregation laws (laws that prevented blacks from entering certain places, such as restaurants, hotels, and public schools). He also did all he could to make people realize that “all men are created equal.” Because of his great work, in 1964 King received the Nobel Peace Prize — the youngest person ever to receive this high honor. King was also a Baptist minister. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was just 39 years old. His birthday is now observed as a national holiday on the third Monday in January.
Note: The Library of Congress is the source of this information.
Wise Men Visiting The Baby Jesus
Every year on January 6, Christians and Catholics celebrate the feast of the Wise Men. In some Catholic communities, children are often the recipients of more gifts. Sometimes tradition calls for making and eating “La Rosca de Reyes” which contains a figurine of the baby Jesus. The person who has the baby Jesus in their portion gets to prepare dinner for friends and relatives. I didn’t know about this tradition until my sister told me.
The following excerpt from Wikipedia provides more information.
The Rosca de reyes is traditionally eaten on January 6,[1] during the celebration of the Día de Reyes (literally “Kings’ Day”), which commemorates the arrival of the three Magi or Wise Men. In most of Spain, Spanish America, and sometimes, Hispanic communities in the United States, this is the day when children traditionally get presents, which are attributed to the Three Wise Men (and not Santa Claus orFather Christmas). In Spain before children go to bed, they leave a dish filled with biscuits and a few glasses of water for the three wise men and the camels they ride on.[citation needed] The baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family, fleeing from King Herod‘s Massacre of the Innocents. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2 (Candlemas Day, Día de la Candelaria). In the Mexican culture, this person has the responsibility of hosting a dinner and providing tamales and atole to the guests. In U.S. communities with large Mexican and Mexican-American populations, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Dallas and Chicago, the celebration includes the Mexican hominystew pozole, which is made for all one’s neighbors.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
Suspenseful Stories for all Ages.
M. E. Murray 
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