#Joshua Tree Candle

[thomasblonde]

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[raindroppoetry]

Stars Above Home (Dion Lesage/Joshua Rosfield)

I knew you the moment that I saw you

Joshua and Dion met as children, their connection ignited by an immediate spark. Both the future rulers of their nations, they can only love each other in secret, stealing away fleeting moments in each other’s arms.

One day Joshua receives a stolas from Dion urging him to come meet him in their Hideaway. Yet when Joshua arrives he finds only an empty cabin.

Back in Rosalith dire news awaits from Sanbreque: Emperor Sylvestre Lesage has declared a war on Rosaria— a war that would pit Joshua and Dion against each other on the battlefield.

Worried and driven by the disconcerting feeling of the strange ripples that travel across his soul, Joshua embarks on a journey to Oriflamme with a small party of friends to meet Dion and to prevent the war. But as the mystery of the ripples unwinds, instead of protecting his country, Joshua finds himself fighting for Dion's life.

Chapter 1: Waves of Worry

The owl had arrived with the first rays of the sun, knocking on Joshua’s chamber’s window with a demanding beak. He knew something was wrong the moment he heard Dion’s voice through the stolas’ glowing light, a nigh uncatchable quiver clinging to his words.

We must meet, urgently. I will be waiting for you.

Barely awake, he’d ridden out of the castle gates without a word to anyone. 

Nightfall reached its palm across the land bringing out the wind that herded clouds to seal away the stars. A small hamlet loomed in the distance, its houses and rooftops a shadow against the darkening land. Finally.

He pulled the hood deeper over his head. ”Make haste, Gaia.”

The chocobo shrieked an answering kweh. She picked up her step, raising up a whirl of dust on the dry dirt road. 

Soon they arrived through the weather-worn village gates. A small stable stood by the gate where Joshua left the chocobo for the night as he’d done many times before. The hamlet slept quietly as he snuck through the narrow streets, dwelling in the shadows. At the far edge of the village waited the wilderness, a large forest that expanded to all directions. The whispers of the trees followed him deeper into the woods, along a forest path nearly overtaken by underbrush. 

The glade he arrived at was round and small.  Right by the tree line stood a silent cabin, once used by scouts. The porch creaked like it had since the first time he’d stepped on it years ago. The door was locked tight. 

There was no light inside, no man dressed in white standing by the table or perhaps by the bed, waiting. Joshua’s worry grew. 

He lit the torches along the walls and the candle on the square table. Honing his ears for any sound coming from outside, he paced the small perimeter of the room, waiting.

The cabin held all necessities: a bed spacious enough for them both, a fireplace and on the opposite wall a bench softened by lambskins. The kitchen took up one wall. Joshua brushed his fingers along the cold stovetop, could hear Dion’s humming as he cooked breakfast eggs, a kitchen towel thrown over his shoulder. 

Now the silence was so deep the floorboards’ whining sounded like a screech.

The candle dripped wax on the table as it slowly melted down and quenched its own life. Joshua sat down on the bed that waited for him—them—so familiar now. He pressed the pillow to his face and breathed in the scent. The fabric smelled of earth, not of Dion. 

”Something’s happened,” he mumbled and clutched the pillow tight against his chest. ”He’s never late.” 

Keep reading

[possibilistfanfiction]

wn prompt: “All my longings lie open before you”

in the middle of a holy war, in the middle of battles that feel unending, that feel like eternity all over again: anguish and confusion and grief and loss and yearning —

in the middle of a holy war you hold beatrice to you in the dark of the night.

it’s quiet in the room they’d given you at cat’s cradle, one of the nicest ones with a queen bed and a bigger dresser. no one had even bothered to ask if you’d wanted your own rooms; no one had even bothered to extend any condemnation — just a wink from camila when she’d shown you to it. 

moonlight drifts through the curtains and you trace along the words you know are inked into bea’s skin, even if you can’t see them in the dark, even if you hold her hand from behind and bury your nose in her sweet-smelling hair. 

‘are you all right, ava?’

her voice is groggy, like she’d just woken up, but it settles something inside you and you can’t bring yourself to regret waking her, even in the middle of the night. ‘yes,’ you say. ’no.’ she turns over and gently touches your face, checking for tears, for scrapes, for something in your eyes, unnameable, that she’s somehow always been able to find. ‘tell me something good.’

it’s quiet, desperate; you have felt so, so much loss. 

‘one day, we’ll go back to la, if you want. and we can drive to the desert. it’ll be so beautiful.’ she wipes the hot, stubborn tears under your eyes with the pads of her thumbs. ‘we’ll rent a house, and we’ll make dinner together, and, when it gets dark, we’ll bring an air mattress outside to the yard; we’ll have lots of blankets, and everything will smell like rain in the distance. we can see all the stars in the sky.’ her voice is soft, aching. ‘and the joshua trees all around, strange and beautiful. i’ll hold you, and we’ll have hot chocolate.’

‘spiked?’ your voice is rough but bea doesn’t say anything, just graciously grants you a laugh. 

‘sure.’

‘you do love me.’

‘i do.’ her eyes are so serious and gorgeous in the moonlight. ‘we’ll be able to hear all the sounds of the desert, and i’ll teach you about all the constellations we can see.’

you kiss her; what else can you do?

‘we’ll go back, to the desert and the mountains and the sea. i’ll learn how to pray in a new language and probably get more tattoos; i’m sure you’ll paint our walls ridiculous colors. you’ll take up pottery and we’ll accumulate, eventually, a record collection of all the music we’ve danced to when we can’t sleep.’

‘bea.’ you swallow, hold her to you and bury your face in the crook of her neck. 

‘there will be no more angels or demons. just us, and our bed, and the rest of the world. and i’ll kiss you then, when it’s all over.’

‘you are…’ you shake your head, count her freckles in the dark: more every day you spent in the sun. ‘you are consecrate.’

‘you believe in that now?’

your smile feels a little helpless. ‘only with you. how could i not?’

‘all my longings lie open before you.’

you kiss her, like a promise neither one of you is sure you can keep. you ache for it more than anything you ever have. and then you kiss her again, let her press you back into the mattress. she pushes up your sleep shirt and touches your hips with her hands, with her lips, with her teeth. you bite into her shoulder as she takes you into her mouth; you feel the halo glow as your legs shake — unbound. and you touch her after, just like she likes, just like you’ve gotten to learn: your fingers curling into her, hot and slick, your tongue flicking against her pulse point. she says your name like no other words exist.

you imagine it all, as your wrist burns and she trembles all around you: a living room with candles that smell like cedar and clove; lavender and rosemary in the garden; learning to bake cookies and stealing her sweaters and arguing over what takeout to order. you’ll fall asleep watching movies on the couch. you'll have your friends over for brunches where there's far, far too much food. you’ll make tea and she’ll play her violin. you’ll look at her in absolute awe, one very holy, warm night, in a wispy white dress, barefoot, at sunset; she’ll have on a loose white linen suit. you’ll promise her everything; when she comes you realize you already have — beyond heaven and hell and death: a life, with her.

she settles her head against your chest. you trace up and down her spine; she shivers.

‘when it’s over,’ you say, like a prayer and a promise. ‘i'll slice persimmons from the farmer's market in the fall and wake you some mornings with figs and honey.' you long for it, with your whole soul. 'let’s grow old together.’

she nods, turns to kiss, just once, softly and like morning you may never see, over your stubbornly still-beating heart. 

[fake-guns-blazing]

my favorite albums, 9/1/24. ✩

RECTO VERSO, PARADIS (2016)

favorite tracks: instantané, toi et moi, garde le pour toi.

TURN BACK THE CLOCK, JOHNNY HATES JAZZ (1988)

favorite tracks: don’t let it end this way, i don’t want to be a hero, shattered dreams.

KICK, INXS (1987)

favorite tracks: devil inside, need you tonight, new sensation.

BROTHERS, THE BLACK KEYS (2010)

favorite tracks: the only one, too afraid to love you, black mud.

SKID ROW, SKID ROW (1989)

favorite tracks: piece of me, here i am, big guns.

PRIVATE EYES, DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (1981)

favorite tracks: i can’t go for that, private eyes, friday let me down.

SING STREET (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK), VARIOUS ARTISTS (2016)

favorite tracks: drive it like you stole it (sing street), rio (duran duran), pop muzik (m).

THE JOSHUA TREE, U2 (1987)

favorite tracks: in god’s country, red hill mining town, i still haven’t found what i’m looking for.

VOLCANO, JUNGLE (2023)

favorite tracks: us against the world, back on 74, candle flame.

ANONIMO VENEZIANO (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK), STELVIO CIPRIANI (1970)

favorite tracks: anonimo veneziano, maquillage, vicino a te.

LOVING IN STEREO, JUNGLE (2021)

favorite tracks: all of the time, lifting you, keep moving.

PECCATO MORTALE (ORIGINAL MOTION SOUNDTRACK), PIERO PICCIONI (1972)

favorite tracks: happiness, sensual, happiness #7.

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, RUSH (1984)

favorite tracks: between the wheels, red sector a, the body electric.

NOT FAKIN’ IT, MICHAEL MONROE (1989)

favorite tracks: thrill me, man with no eyes, all night with the lights on.

NIGHTS ARE SO LONG, MICHAEL MONROE (1987)

favorite tracks: it’s a lie, too rich to be good, she’s no angel.

A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD, COLDPLAY (2002)

favorite tracks: warning sign, amsterdam, politik.

[alightinthelantern]

Books read and movies watched in 2024 (January-June): Should you watch/read them?

Poetry:

In the Next Galaxy (Ruth Stone): No

Selected Poems (Mark Strand): No

In the Dark (Ruth Stone): Yes!

Response (Juliana Spahr): Yes

The Unicorn (Anne Morrow Lindbergh): No!

Everything Else in the World (Stephen Dunn): Yes

Words Under the Words (Naomi Shihab Nye): Eh

On Love and Barley (Matsuo Basho, trans. Lucien Stryk): Yes!

The Transformation (Juliana Spahr): No

The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches (Matsuo Basho, trans. Nobuyuki Yuasa): No

The Book of Taliesin (anon., trans. Gwyneth Lewis & Rowan Williams): No

What Love Comes To: New and Selected Poems (Ruth Stone): Eh

Face (Sherman Alexie): NO

No Surrender (Ai): Eh

The Summer of Black Widows (Sherman Alexie): Yes!

The Afflicted Girls (Nicole Cooley): Yes!

Winter Poems Along the Rio Grande (Jimmy Santiago Baca): No

American Smooth (Rita Dove): No

Elegy (Mary Jo Bang): No

Angel (Giles Dorey): NO

Collected Poems (Paul Auster): Eh

June-Tree (Peter Balakian): Yes

We Must Make a Kingdom of It (Gregory Orr): Eh

Only as the Day is Long (Dorianne Laux): No

Grace Notes (Rita Dove): Yes

Bathwater Wine (Wanda Coleman): Yes

My Soviet Union (Michael Dumanis): No

American Milk (Ruth Stone): Yes

The Drowned Girl (Eve Alexandra): No

A Worldly Country (John Ashberry): No

The Complete Poems of Hart Crane: No

One Stick Song (Sherman Alexie): Yes

If You Call This Cry a Song (Hayden Carruth): No

Doctor Jazz (Hayden Carruth): No

The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart (Gabrielle Calvocoressi): No

And Her Soul Out of Nothing (Olena Kalytiak Davis): No

Prisoner of Hope (Yvonne Daley): No

The Other Man Was Me (Rafael Campo): No

My Wicked Wicked Ways (Sandra Cisneros): No

On Earth (Robert Creeley): Eh

Genius Loci (Alison Hawthorne Deming): Eh

Science and Other Poems (Alison Hawthorne Deming): Eh

Voices (Lucille Clifton): Yes

A New Path to the Waterfall (Raymond Carver): Eh

Where Shadows Will (Norma Cole): No

The Way Back (Wyn Cooper): No

A Cartography of Peace (Jean L. Connor): No

Minnow (Judith Chalmer): Yes!

Postcards from the Interior (Wyn Cooper): Yes

Natural History (Dan Chiasson): Eh

The Ship of Birth (Greg Delanty): Eh

Madonna anno domini (Joshua Clover): NO

The Terrible Stories (Lucille Clifton): No

The Flashboat (Jane Cooper): Eh

Book of Longing (Leonard Cohen): No

Streets in Their Own Ink (Stuart Dybek): Eh

Different Hours (Stephen Dunn): Yes

I Love This Dark World (Alice B. Fogel): Eh

Baptism of Desire (Louise Erdrich): Yes!

The Eternal City (Kathleen Graber): Eh

Monolithos (Jack Gilbert): Yes

Crown of Weeds (Amy Gerstler): No

Blue Hour (Carolyn Forché): No

Place (Jorie Graham): No

Meadowlands (Louise Gluck): Yes!

Dearest Creature (Amy Gerstler): No

Loosestrife (Stephen Dunn): No

Little Savage (Emily Fragos): Yes

The Living Fire (Edward Hirsch): No

On Love (Edward Hirsch): No

Human Wishes (Robert Hass): NO

Early Occult Memory Systems of the Lower Midwest (B. H. Fairchild): No

Sinking Creek (John Engels): No

Alabanza (Martín Espada): Yes

Saving Lives (Albert Goldbarth): No

All of It Singing (Linda Gregg): No

Green Squall (Jay Hopler): No

Tender Hooks (Beth Ann Fennelly): No

After (Jane Hirshfield): Eh

Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty (Tony Hoagland): NO

These Are My Rivers (Lawrence Ferlinghetti): No

Fruitful (Stephanie Kirby): No

Jaguar Skies (Michael McClure): No

Song (Brigit Pegeen Kelly): No

Roadworthy Creature, Roadworthy Craft (Kate Magill): No

Life in the Forest (Denise Levertov): No

Viper Rum (Mary Karr): No

Questions for Ecclesiastes (Mark Jarman): No

Brutal Imagination (Cornelius Eady): Yes

Alphabet of Bones (Alexis Lathem): No

Handwriting (Michael Ondaatje): No

Sure Signs (Ted Kooser): No

Sledding on Hospital Hill (Leland Kinsey): No

Between Silences (Ha Jin): Yes

House of Days (Jay Parini): No

Bird Eating Bird (Kristin Naca): Yes

Orpheus & Eurydice (Gregory Orr): Yes

Another America (Barbara Kingsolver): Yes

Candles in Babylon (Denise Levertov): Yes

The Clerk's Tale (Spencer Reece): Eh

Still Listening (Angela Patten): Yes

A Thief of Strings (Donald Revell): No

Wayfare (Pattiann Rogers): No

The Niagara River (Kay Ryan): No

The Bird Catcher (Marie Ponsot): No

Easy (Marie Ponsot): No

Human Dark with Sugar (Brenda Shaughnessy): No

Chronic (D. A. Powell): No

Novels/Fiction:

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (Yiyun Li): No

The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories: Yes

Movies:

What Dreams May Come (1998, Vincent Ward): Yes

The Cat's Meow (2001, Peter Bogdanovich): Yes

The Birdcage (1996, Mike Nichols): Yes

The Color of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov): No

The Eve of Ivan Kupalo (1969, Yuri Ilyenko): Yes

And here's my 2023 list!

[mingyusfool]

Seventeen doing wintery things with you

I tried to make this the least holiday specific that I could so that everyone can enjoy! :)

Seungcheol:

- would make sure you have all your layers on before you go out

- He does not want you to get cold🥺

- And then once you get outside he would keep checking to make sure you’re warm enough 

- He would also love to take you to a coffee shop 

- And y’all could sit in a window seat and drink coffee or hot cocoa and watch the snow fall 

- And tell each other about childhood holiday traditions 

- Imagine him insisting on reading a holiday book to you too

- He wraps an arm around you and reads it all dramatically 

- You’re just rolling your eyes the whole time but he’s knows you secretly enjoy it

Jeonghan:

- He would probably complain about how cold he is

- you would establish a “no snowballs in the face rule”

- He would proceed to throw a snowball directly in your face

- He wouldn’t even feel bad after

- After that you would not stop until you got your revenge

- Except every time you try to throw a snowball at him, you miss

- Ofc he just makes fun of you more for that 

- It gets to the point where Seungcheol has to hold him for you down so you can throw a snowball in his face

Joshua:

- You can’t tell me he doesn’t know all the present wrapping hacks

- His presently look the best and he wraps them so effortlessly 

- They’re aesthetically pleasing too 

- Like vintage, old looking, brown paper packages tied up with string type shit

- Also imagine this man taking you on an ice skating date 

- He would be so graceful like no way he’s falling

- Then if you fall or if you’re clinging to the side the whole time he would low key feel bad

- Or he would just try to teach you how to ice skate

- “I promise it’s not that hard! Here, just hold my hands. I’ll skate backwards. Just concentrate on me. There, you got it!” 

Jun:

- He would love to go sledding with you 

- He would be so happy just to watch you smile as he pushes you down a hill

- And he would insist on being the one to push you 

- Then you would ask him to sled with you

- “But I like watching you have fun.”

- “Please Junhui?” 

- “Okay fine.” 

- “Why are you grabbing another sled?” 

- “Uhhh because we’re going sledding together…?” 

- “Right. Together. With me in your lap.” 

- Imagine the blush on this mans face oh my god

- He would love it though

Hoshi:

- You would dare him to eat the snow

- He would absolutely do it

- Imagine his face if you jokingly told him it was yellow snow after he ate it too 

- This man would be mortified 

- The chaos that surrounds this man, I simply cannot

- Then he would be like “Well I ate the snow, now you gotta eat the snow.” 

- And you would refuse

- And he would keep trying to convince you and low key be mad

- But you would still refuse

- And he would probably pout

- Until you brought him inside and make cookies together or something

- And y’all could decorate them together

- But he would just keep decorating his as tigers

- Are we surprised?

Wonwoo:

- He’s got you covered with the hand warmers 

- Okay but imagine you’re out gift shopping and you realize how cold your hands are

- And as soon as he notices you rubbing them together he whips out his hand warmers from his own pockets

- And you’re like “But won’t your hands be cold.” 

- Then he slips one of his hands into your pocket, holding yours, and says “nope.” 

- Like you might look a little awkward but isn’t that adorable

- Honestly he doesn’t care that his own hands are cold as long as you’re comfortable

Woozi:

- Imagine he has you over at his studio 

- And you notice it’s not decorated 

- And you’re like Jihoon we gotta get festive

- So you suggest that you go get decorations and of course he can’t say no to you

- Off to the store you go 

- He only wants lights but you insist on buying it all: the lights, holiday knick- knacks, holiday pillows, ornaments, maybe a little tree, candles, blankets 

- And when you get back to the studio you decorate together 

- But the whole time he keeps insisting that decorating is not necessary 

- Of course you ignore him 

- And after he can’t help but notice how much more cozy it looks with all the decorations and you wrapped up in a blanket sitting on his couch with an “I told you so” look on your face 

DK:

- You can’t tell me that he’s not a fan of cheesy holiday movies

- Like the Hallmark ones

- You know when the holidays come around he always has the hallmark channel on

- Even if it’s just in the background

- They’re not even good movies but for some reason he loves them

- Imagine it’s a holiday movie musical too 

- You know he’s singing every song to you

- And he would probably try to get you to dance with him

- He would absolutely cry if it’s a sad movie

- Even if it’s only a little sad 

- Like imagine him crying over the Grinch

- He would have no shame either

Mingyu:

- He would definitely slip and fall on the ice

- Like y’all would just be holding hands, walking down the sidewalk

- And down he goes 

- He’d probably pull you down with him

- And you somehow always end up on top of each other

- This is almost bound to happen every time you go outside 

- He would feel so bad but also think it’s so funny 

- Then you would scold him about how clumsy he is and tell him he needs to be more careful

- And he would look at you with those puppy dog eyes and tell you that he probably has bruises from falling and he needs you to kiss them and make them better

- “You’re not getting any kisses from me until you start being more careful around icy sidewalks.” 

- As if the puppy dog eyes couldn’t get any bigger

- “But I need your kisses to make me better! I don’t even think I can stand up right now.”

-  “Then I guess you’ll have to stay here in the snow.” 

- He wraps his arms around you, momentarily trapping you there with him

- “And that means you’re staying with me….. Unless…”

- Then you kiss him on the cheek 

- “You missed.” 

- That little shit

- Then you kiss him on the lips and he releases you 

- He would make the best hot cocoa when you come back inside

- I’m sorry this one is so long, I love this man haha

Minghao:

- Picture this:

- You

- Minghao

- Evening time

- You’re outside and it’s snowing lightly

- You can hear distant holiday music

- There’s twinkling lights all around you

- Minghao puts his arms around your waist, pulling you in

- “Dance with me?” 

- You wrap your arms around his waist with the biggest smile on your face

- “If you insist.” 

- And then y’all dance together in the snow

- He twirls you around and everything

- Your head rests gently on his chest so that you can hear his heart racing, of course, because you’re there

- Then he softly kisses you on the top of your head

- It is perfection

Seungkwan:

- He would definitely have a snowman building contest with you 

- But no matter how hard you tried

- He would say his looks better 

- Even if it was a mere pile of leaves, a carrot, and a sad excuse for snow 

- He would also probably sing holiday carols to you while you build your snowmen

- Imagine if you kicked his over though

- He would be so mad

- This would probably result in a snow fight

- Or him putting snow down your shirt

- He would probably kick your snowman down too 

- This man is so petty omg 

Vernon:

- Unlike Josh, he cannot wrap presents to save his life

- Like imagine a simple box

- It takes this man 20 minutes to wrap it 

- He tries really hard too

- There’s a bow and everything 

- But like a really bad bow tied in an awkward knot

- And the wrapping paper ends up getting hella crinkled

- Somehow there ends up being tape all over that thing 

- And there’s still wrapping paper hanging off awkwardly on the side 

- His present wrapping: 1/10

- However, the gift: 10/10

- Absolutely listened to you say what you wanted when you were perusing some store

- Then he got Seungkwan to distract you while he bought you everything you said you liked 

- Even if you merely said something looked cute

- It’s now yours

- Thanks Vernon

Dino:

- Imagine you’re at the studio rehearsing something with Dino or watching him practice

- You know there’s a bit of a storm outside but you think you’ll be able to make it home fine

- You’re wrong lol

- Weather reports are saying that the roads are not safe right now 

- Essentially everyone is stuck where they are for the rest of the night (Please don’t come for me on the snow logistics, I spent most of my life in Florida.)

- Uh oh cLoSe prOxiMitY trOPe

- Dino is like hey it’s okay we can make little party out of it

- He goes to grab blankets and pillows that the boys conveniently stored there 

- And then you suggest that you make a fort to sleep in because you’re a little scared due to the howling winds outside

- He agrees and you make a huge fort with some chairs and your amazing fort making abilities

- At night the studio ends up getting really cold too so uh oh the only thing you can to do keep warm is cuddle with each other

- He’s kind shy about it at first too 

- But you initiate the cuddling because you’re freezing, wrapping your arm around him from behind and pulling him in

- Then he scoots back a little so you can feel his body heat which helps a lot

- Eventually you entangle your legs together and fall asleep holding each other

[mattievictoria]

You’ve been driving north for over two hours since you left Los Angeles, the unrelenting fog you’ve encountered thus far on your journey highly unusual for this time of year. Some time ago you crossed the county line over into Kern, but the endless stretch of Joshua Trees and dry, shrubby landscape that make up the Mojave Desert continues to remain unchanged. Around some middle-of-nowhere crossroad marked Kelso Valley and Jawbone Canyon, you get out to stretch your legs and fill your lungs with the dry desert air, the fog still gathering around you. It’s then something catches your eye out in the gloom of the valley floor— circling a single tall, bizarre yucca plant known locally as Our Lord’s Candle, you spy a white stag. An albino animal? Out here, in this harsh terrain? You look closer, and see the creature radiates a ghostly glow, brighter than the whitest piece of desert quartz currently scattered around your feet. As fast it takes you to blink only once, the phantom creature seems to fade out of view, becoming one with the surrounding haze. You peer into the fog that has so uncharacteristically blanketed the desert valley, but you soon find yourself smiling and shaking your head. It’s been a long drive, you say to yourself, and you’ve still got a long way to go— it’s far too early on the drive to start seeing things.

~

For the biweekly Cursed Files art prompt on The Unexplained Phenomena discord server! This time the theme was Local Folklore, so I drew the White Stag of Kelso Valley. My stint in the high desert may be over, but it’s definitely left an impression on me!

[a-typical]

CALIFORNIA JOSHUA TREE

Sometimes you visit corpses all around the world and realize that the corpses dearest to your heart are right in your own backyard. When I returned to Los Angeles, my funeral home awaited—along with my long-suffering funeral director, Amber, who facilitated cremations and comforted distraught families while I was off requesting help with mutual funds from a Bolivian skull.

Undertaking LA had an un-embalmed, natural burial scheduled for Mrs. Shepard. Inspired by what I had seen on my travels, I returned to work with a new sense of purpose. In my mind, the grieving family would prepare the body with love, wrapping the dead woman in a handmade shroud lined with peacock feathers and palm fronds. We’d lead a procession to the grave at dawn, carrying candles and scattering flower petals, chanting as we went.

This burial—well—wasn’t like that.

By the time we got Mrs. Shepard into our body preparation room, she had been dead for six weeks, trapped in a plastic body bag under refrigeration at the L.A. coroner’s office. Amber and I stood on either side of her as we unzipped her bag. Mold had begun to grow under her eyes, and carried down her neck and onto her shoulders. Her stomach was collapsed, colored deep aquamarine (brought on by the decomposition of the red blood cells). The top layers of skin peeled free from her calves. The bag had been swamplike, bathing Mrs. Shepard in her own blood and bodily fluid.

We released her from the plastic prison and washed her body down, soapy water sliding down the steel table and disappearing through a small hole near her feet. Amber washed her hair, originally white but now dyed brown with blood, doing her best to work around the patches of mold growing on her scalp. We labored in silence, something about the decayed state of the body making us less vocal than usual. After patting Mrs. Shepard dry, it was clear that she was not done leaking. If Undertaking LA were a typical mortuary, we’d have all types of tricks up our sleeves (Saran Wrap, diapers, chemical powders, even head-to-toe plastic body suits) to combat the aptly named “leakage.” But a natural cemetery won’t accept a body for burial that has been treated with any of those chemical leakage treatments.

We moved Mrs. Shepard straight into her shroud, hoping to wrap her enough times that she wouldn’t ooze through. Amber had sewn the shroud herself from unbleached cotton fabric. The family had little money, and we were trying to bring down costs everywhere we could. The day before, I had received a text from Amber: a picture of a receipt from JoAnn’s Fabrics with the caption, “Guess who just saved the family 40% on their burial shroud with JoAnn’s points!” The finished product was charming, complete with ties and handles (though no peacock feathers or palm fronds).

— From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death, Caitlin Doughty

[victusinveritas]

William Hogarth’s Satire on False Perspective (1754) offers an Escher-like array of impossible lines and vanishing points: a man lights his pipe from a distant candle; a flock of sheep grow bigger as they recede round a corner; a foreground flag disappears behind a distant tree, and many more.⠀

⠀

These multiple visual tricks are all jokes to convince the viewer of the necessity of reading and understanding Hogarth's friend Joshua Kirby's book, "Dr. Brook Taylor's Method of Perspective Made Easy, Both in Theory and Practice" for which Hogarth's image acted as frontispiece.⠀

⠀

How many errors can you spot?⠀

More on the print here.

[phoenix-flamed]

REMINDED

Joshua was sick. No -- "sick" was understating the situation; the little boy was struggling for his life, and the physicians had warned them that he may not make it to the morrow. Clive, understandably, was confused, unable to grasp what was happening and why. He peppered his parents with questions, inquired as to why he wasn't allowed to see his brother at current. Elwin had no answers for him, or rather, he had no answers that wouldn't devastate their firstborn as much as it was devastating Anabella and him.

And Anabella... Dearest Anabella, oh how she wept, how she sobbed. She begged for something to be done, pleaded for Joshua to be saved. For him to be spared. She wanted nothing more than to hold the toddler in her arms and never let him go, and Elwin didn't stop her from doing so, because how could he? No, it was better to be there for her, to act as a pillar of support should she need it -- not that she would need it. At least, not from him.

Not with how uncertain their relationship was becoming, and how often they disagreed as of late.

Still, Elwin did his best for them, to make himself available, to keep up a strong face, to spend every possible moment with them -- and with Joshua. It wasn't until late into the night where the Archduke, unable to sleep, ventured out to the royal stables to retrieve Eleftherios, and left Rosalith behind for a time. The air was brisk, its breeze sweeping across the lush green plains and hills and making the leaves of the trees dance under their guidance. A few clouds drifted lazily across the star-speckled black sky, but otherwise the night was almost, almost perfect. If the cause of his departure hadn't been so dire, he would surely have enjoyed the lovely weather and everything that it brought with it, including a sense of calm.

But all he could think, over and over and over again, was how it was his father's passing repeated with his littlest boy now. Sudden, unexpected illness, threatening to snuff out his life as if it was no more than a candle in the wind. It was wrong, he knew, and yet Elwin couldn't stop thinking back to that morning when his father's death had been discovered. The man had retired to his chambers earlier than usual, stating that his head had begun to hurt, and insisting that a bit of sleep would clear it right up.

And that was the last time Elwin had heard his voice, the last chance he had received to say goodbye. Come morning, the former Archduke's body had already been cold.

With this memory embedded painfully into his heart, stabbing it as a knife would and slowly, agonizingly twisting, the man stopped in the midst of a vast and very much empty stretch of plain somewhere on the outskirts of Rosarian territory. Eleftherios watched in curiosity as his master descended from his back, booted feet thudding heavy upon the grass and dirt. No sooner had the man steadied himself before he let loose an anguished, unrestrained wail. It was a desperate sound, a pained sound, a representation of every ounce of emotion welled up deep within him, unleashed in its rawest form. It was fear, it was despair, it was hurts that had never properly healed, and it all spilled forth as though the metaphorical dam had bent and broken from the sheer weight of it all.

He wailed and sobbed until there were no more tears left to shed, and his voice was too hoarse and strained to make more sound; then he was left heaving and gasping. His body lowered towards the ground and settled into a crouching position, while leather-clad hands first buried his face within palms before shifting upwards to clutch at his head. This couldn't be real. This wasn't real. Not again.

Not again. Please, Founder, Phoenix, Meteia, anyone, not again.

Eleftheiros had been watching in silence, his usually stern, critical gaze seeming to have softened just the barest hint. With a quiet trill, the beast of a chocobo approached his master, nudging at him with his beak a few times, as though the companion was trying to offer some semblance of comfort. It took several minutes, but Elwin eventually did reach up to pat the other in gratitude.

".. Thank you, my friend..." He murmured, all the more grateful that Eleftherios did not judge him for his weakness, did not look down on him for his expression of emotion -- no matter how unbecoming it was. No, instead the chocobo bumped his beak against the side of Elwin's head a few more times, then huffed and, trilling again, ruffled those dark locks until they were quite a mess, and the man had no choice but to laugh from the absurdity of the gestures. To laugh and, just for a moment, forget how much he still yearned to cry.

[nityarawal]

7/24/23

Joshua-

Triangulated

Me - Got "Afternoon Delight,"

Better Than Any Writer

Could've- Understood

DNA And Anatomy Of

AP Developer

And Me- Before Our 

Time- Even

Meeting

Cosmic Serendipity

That Is Art

Always Wish We

Could've Given "How

I Met Your Mother,"

A Better Ending

In Real Life

And "O"

For "X" - Natural

Octopuses Love

So Necessary

Hugs At Reunification

To Talk About X's

And O's

Hold The Rockets

Martians

Need The Hugs

Not Drugs

Need The O's

Buddha Sattva

Taoist

Not Chinese Judges

Probating Us

With Gay Defense

Team And Indian Dr's

For Late Night

Immigrant AI Farmers

Dr. Nitya 

Wants Nitya Capital

Never Agreed To

Be An AI

Experiment

For -AB Research

Or International

Data

And Lame

Cambridge Analytica

Practicing UK Medicine With

Oshos Warfare Chemistry

No- Not Me

Not Dr. Nitya

From NAR

Realtor

No-Not Me

But I'll Light 

A Candle Daily

And Play 

Tick Tack Toe

Dr. Nitya

Encinitasbeachhome.com 

Dial For Divorce

Dollars

No- Not Me

Nitya- Dr. ETERNITY

Cold Caller

Charity Raiser

For #TM centers

No Not Me

Dancing 

In The Rain To

Lady Gaga's Paparazzi

No-

Not Me

Talking To

Redwood Trees

Hug A Tree

Survivors

Watering Them

With Yoghurt

Lassi

Light

Trinkets

Candles

Wishes

From Good Grandparents

White Witches

Idy Elves

Folks

Miracles

Chinese Russian

Anastasia Urine

Therapy

My Redwood Camp Bro

Asked For Water 

Love

And Goddess Rained

Trinity

Upon Thee

Instant Gratification

In Hours

I Only Had A Sip

To Spare

A Little Candle

Light- for Shant Be wrongfully

Charged with Arson

Like Camp California

Often is

For My Tree

Who Holds 

Me Up

And Umbrellas Me

At Night - My Darling

Tree

More Than A Rock

Roots Spreading

Always Grateful

For Any Little Attentiom

My Sacred Redwood

Standing Firm Next

To Me- Love My Redwood

Camp Bros

And Black Belt

Sisters

Britney Army

Secret 

Kung Fu 

Fughters

Josh Army

Love My #FreeBritney 

Investigators

Cracking Mysteries

In Record Time

That Find The Truth

We Were 

Never Told

"Britney Bitch"

We Were Always

"Mind Your Business"

"B" - lol

Mind Your Business "B"

"W" - No More

Next "X"

No More

Busy-ness

On Me

Please

If Devas

And Devis

Can Make My

Dreams Come

True - Use Muses

Thankyou

For Every

Drop In The

Bucket Counts -

We'll Never Curse

You- Forever Grateful

For Our Light Workers

In Silencing Of Courts

Ghosts

Judges And Attys

Might Be Promoted 

Gleefully In Biden

Harris- Obama

Administration

And Economy

From Cops, DA & Clerks

But Mommying

Suffered

Laughed at Like Earth

Loving

Granola Light Workers

And That

Mattered To

Me

Can't Re-Write

"How I Met Your 

Mother Ending,"

Can't Get Bob Saget

Back

Comedy Made

Is Cry

At Officers Hands

Defense Team

Your Character's Elder

Self

Appears To

Have Made

A Brutal Mistake

Not a Funny Ending

On The "Hand Of God,"

How Many 

Can We

Sing To

In

Trinity

Thank God

For This - And Dancing

In The Rain To Lady

Gaga Yesterday

Knowing My Redwood

Tree Was Happy

"The Giving Tree"

Grateful For "Paparazzi"

Lady GAGA

Agua Pura

Rain Dancers

California Campers

Just Wish

My Kids 

Could Be Here

To Experience

Glorious, "Power Of Now,"

My Darlings

Spin Doctor's

Oh How I

Wish We'd Started A

Band In 2019

Pre-Covid

And We Wouldn't

Have Suffered

Just Could've

Sung Until Hearts

Content

Maybe The Wars

Would Be Over

Maybe It Wouldn't

Have Started

Maybe We Could've

Written Another Ending

A Song For Eternity

Anyways - A Letter From You

A Letter To You

Is Always A

"Women Of Letters,"

To My Heart

A Letter To You

Is A Blessing

Because I Know

Someone Out There

Hears My

Tune

Heart's

Strings And

That's All That

Matters 

Got Your

Dog Whistle

You Strummed My Heart

Singing

Chords

Creating 

Miracles

Peace,

Dr. Nitya Nella Davigo Azam Moezzi Huntley Rawal X

[pepperonidk]

seventeen as the seasons

warnings: i am so sorry to the southern hemisphere i did say that october was fall 🧎🏼

a/n: i wrote this instead of doing my hw as an apology for not uploading the end of aml yet... i promise its almost done pls don't hate me

✿ seungcheol is fall, but right at the beginning of it ↳ he is like warm days but cool evenings, when the days are beginning to get shorter and you start to feel the warm sleepiness of the fall. he's the excitement for the holidays to come, and the giddiness of seeing the first of the trees turn into orange. The beginning of school, the beginning of busy days and long evenings. he's the joy of finding your favorite candle back in stock and burning it for much too long, exciting yourself for the cold days to come. he's the feeling of nostalgia when you find old memories of the bright nights of summertime and the longing for new stories to tell.

✿ jeonghan is fall, the entire month of october ↳ he is bright orange paper leaves that line shop windows and spooky plastic decorations on suburban lawns. he's the exhilirating feeling you get while walking through a haunted house, the feeling of being scared, but knowing you're safe in someone's arms. he's the excitement of seeing your favorite candy in your bucket and wearing a silly costume to make someone laugh. he's the warmth of watching a scary movie with a group of friends while making jokes through the whole thing.

✿ joshua is the beginning of summer ↳ he is cool mornings with dew still on the grass and bright and sunny days full of laughter and sweat. he's a day spent by the water surrounded by the sound of splashing and shenanigans. he's a bright colored popsicle that stains your tongue and leaves you craving the taste of raspberries for the rest of the day. he's the sharp feeling of tip toeing across the hot pavement before the relief of sticking your feet into the pool. he's the giddiness of planning a road trip to another city with your closest friends.

✿ jun is spring, right as the snow is melting to reveal bright green grass ↳ he is the smell of fresh morning dew lining the leaves, the smell of fresh flowers tickling your nose to excite you for the warmer days to come. he's bright colored cardigans and sweaters to keep you warm, but excite you for the flowers in their bloom. he's tulip farms that are clothed in various shades of pinks and purples and yellows and oranges. he's the softness of the breeze that makes you wrap your arms a little tighter around yourself as you walk out to feel the sunlight. he's the warmth of the sun and the softness of pastels. he's hastily planned picnics with your lover on checkered blankets.

✿ soonyoung is summer evenings spent at carnivals with friends ↳ he's the screams of joy on loopy rollercoasters while clutching on the hand of your lover. he's funnel cake dinners and ice cream sundae desserts. he's the feeling of pride after winning the largest teddy bear in the game. he is the warm glow of the boardwalk lights that make your skin shine against the indigo night. he is fireworks that boom in the sky and feel electric in your bones. he's the feeling of awe when you get to the top of the ferris wheel and see how small the world looks from above. he's the feeling of air escaping your lungs and rushing back in on the up and down of the rollercoasters. he's pink and blue cotton candy and the rush of sugar you feel in your body.

✿ wonwoo is the thick of winter ↳ he is the feeling of surprise you get when you swear you're used to the cold until you feel the bite of the wind. he's the feeling of bliss when you finally find yourself by the fire. he is icy hands desperate to find themselves in the warmth of a lover. he's the warm sweetness of a mug of hot chocolate sliding down your throat. he's the silliness of having to switch which hand to hold your book and which hand can be warm in the blanket. he's the child-like happiness when you wake up to see a blanket of white outside and know there's not going to be school that day. he's snowball fights and snowmen and snow angels and red noses that come with it. he is mitten-clad hands trying to clumsily hold on to each other on frozen ponds.

✿ jihoon is the icy winter evenings ↳ he is nights spent under multiple blankets. he is pajamas with the pants tucked into fuzzy socks and red checkered tops. he is the sound of the wind howling with snow, but feeling warm inside. he is hearty bowls of soup with steam that feels biting against your frozen cheeks but make your whole body relax in its warmth. he is curling up beside your lover and cringing when their icy toes find their way onto your skin but melting into the comfort of their touch. he's the sense of relief of cancelled plans, of slipping off uncomfortable shoes to curl back up on the couch. he is the soft jazz holiday music playing to mask the sound of the wind as you dance with your lover, gliding across the floor in fuzzy socks.

✿ seokmin is springtime, when the flowers are blooming and the sunlight is is coming down in cascades ↳ he is pops of pastel colors and the sweetness of pink colored candy that fills every one of your senses. He is the pink cherry blossoms that you long to see every year, the yearning and the joy of finally standing under falling petals. he is the sneak peek of long sunny days after long cold nights. he is the feeling of excitement after finally putting your coats away and opting for something lighter. he's the melody of birds finding their way back after hiding from the cold. he's the earnestness of the trees getting their leaves back, the feeling that something new is about to begin, something good and something sweet.

✿ mingyu is early summer mornings ↳ he is the feeling of waking up to darkness to feel the cool breeze against your tired face right before the sun rises. he is the candy colored sky as the sun begins to creep over the horizon, the shades of pink and purple that paint the sky. he is the smell of dew and the sound of birds beginning their songs. he's the sontentment of waking up before your lover and watching their movements as they reach over to find you in their sleep. he's exhilaration of an early morning jog, the feeling of warmth that surprises you after a few minutes of chilliness. he's the excitement of the brightness to come, of the memories to be made, the stories to be told.

✿ minghao is fall mornings when every breeze brings colorful leaves to the ground ↳ he is color all around. shades of orange and gold and brown against a background of sunrise -- pinks and purples on a bright sky. he is the crunch of leaves as you step on them, a reminder that another year is nearing its end. he is the contentment of early morning walks, with jackets that begin to feel too warm after half an hour, but cheeks that sting from the chilly wind. he is the brightness of gold leaves that shine even in the piles of leaves that find their way together. he is the joy of jumping into a pile of leaves as a child, the earnestness of raking them back into a neat mound only to jump in once again. he is the scent of pumpkin spice wafting from bakeries and candle shops on early walks and sigh of relief after the first sip of a hot cup of coffee.

✿ seungkwan is rainy spring days that quickly disappear into sunny afternoons ↳ he is petrichor, the smell of freshly dried rain. he is sunlight escaping through gray clouds. he is gold that forms cracks in a dark sky, like kintsugi, like art. he is the crashes of thunder that suddenly give way to the harmonies of bird songs. he is the child-like excitement of jumping into puddles with bright colored rain puddles. he is the vibrant blue that hides behind stormy skies. he is rainbows of promises of brightness to come. he is the feeling of running from the rain while holding hands with your lover. he is the reflections in puddles, backlit by the sun as you finally enjoy the cascades of sunshine on your skin.

✿ vernon is winter mornings without snow... warm enough to trick you into believing it's spring ↳ he is the feeling of giddiness when your favorite t-shirt makes a comeback for the day without being hidden by a puffy winter coat. he's the sunlight reflecting on puddles in the street, bright enough to make you squint your eyes, and warm enough to make you think there are even flowers on the trees. he's the extra bright blue that makes you wonder if the sky has ever been this blue. he's the crowded parks and sidewalks, full of people who want to bask in the sun. he's the feeling of suddenly longing for picnics with your lover, and longing for bright pastels and hours of sunshine. he's the feeling of yearning when the day ends too soon and the night brings the icy wind once again.

✿ dino is the middle of summer when the sun is at its highest and the days are longest ↳ he is the stickiness of the summer heat, the glow of sunlight on skin. he's the bright blue sky with no clouds to hide the sun. he's the feeling of tenderness from a sunburn, but the contentment of wanting to go back out again tomorrow. he's the sleepiness of midday heat, of laying by the fan and falling asleep with only the blanket of summer heat on you. he's waking up from a nap and still seeing the sun out, of asking your friends what the next plan is. he is the feeling of giddiness of saying "the day is still young" at 6 p.m., because the sun is still at its zenith. he's the happy numbness in your mouth from eating an ice cream cone too quickly. he is the sweet kisses that taste like cotton candy that leave you wanting more. he is the shock of brightness after taking off your sunglasses to see the blinding glory of sunlight.

taglist: @spidersohn @nvmbheart @yksthings @iamxelia @alonelystarfish @celestialchans @coveyland @xuimhao @jinnyoungcheeks @2degreesoflove

[neillien]

Joshua and Neil

not quite full of themselves yet, in knowing how attraction turns physical. It would be nice. Two neglected outlines crouched on a sturdy tree bough - side by side. Chewing last autumn's psilocybin, smoking. Drinking stolen Vodka, Spitting backwashed blowflies at backstabbing imbeciles who dare try to fuck-them-over.

One atrocity down from the disreputable legend which makes them irresistible. Handsome. Vigilant. Your cumbersome hands, so male yet tenderly learning tactility. My hands often tremble. My hands and knees bent in a pugilistic stance to protect myself from wrath. If I tell you, you will go batshit. Tear straight round to my house to confront my dad.

Disgracefully, you’d cut-off your hair in an attitude of a sneer. The following evening brandishing a blunt disposable razor and a bar of soap, I follow suit. Two halves in one knave, eager to make devilish nuisances of themselves. We have a whole summer ahead, and our tongues already sharpened on brimstone will cut out the cloth of our new apparel, our bodies full of chloral and Chlorophyll, we are nature boys, a life in the trees, perched like Harbinger birds. Birds of the coming storms.

Stretching our necks out of your bedroom skylight. The heavy rain an anointment. Protecting ourselves from rural attitudes that go against our reasons. A candle burns. To Be Free, and live, off-our-faces. We don't want anyone but ourselves. We sing orisons, and set fire to your nylon bedspread, and watch it drip violet and toxic because good lives live with beauty however badly it is construed. Horror is a construct and there is horror in our tactics but only perceivable from the outside. Are hearts are wild because we are beasts. Our eyelashes full of distorted creatures.

We hunger for each other. Gossamer thin, just aching to be broken from the stem. Green between the foliage, our skin undertaken and flowing, green gildings of our own human outfitting - an egg devoured by serpents, our first trembling kiss, defiles a yoke of spittle, unhurried. Then we touch.

You are tremendously impressed by my gag-reflexes and laugh aloud when I admit to having been practicing on spoon handles. The purity of appearance, broken.

Nothing we say or do ever makes us paranoid when we keep ourselves loaded. Together we make a formidable whole. We are strong and better abled to confront our daemons. When I am discarnate, when I am uninvolved, you find me. Bring me your victories. When I am an accomplice but feeling life vicariously only, when I accomplish nothing of my own because I have autumn melancholy it brings about the worst side-effects, you say you bleed into me and make me total. You promise this for me, it will b eternal, that day is coming. I feel it already. You are the ghost in me hanging fulgently from my tree.

[ausetkmt]

NPR: As the Bidens mark Hanukkah, the White House gets its own menorah for the first time

NPR: As the Bidens mark Hanukkah, the White House gets its own menorah for the first time.

This year, to celebrate the ancient Jewish festival of lights, the White House added a menorah to its holiday lineup for the first time.

The nine-pronged candelabra was created by the Executive Residence Carpentry Shop out of wood removed from the building in 1950 during a Truman-era renovation, the White House says.

White House unveils its holiday decor, including 77 trees and a 'We the People' theme

POLITICS

White House unveils its holiday decor, including 77 trees and a 'We the People' theme

It now sits in Cross Hall, between portraits of former presidents Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson, as part of this year's "We The People"-themed holiday display. The White House welcomes roughly 50,000 visitors each holiday season, in addition to offering virtual tours of the decorations.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are set to add the menorah to the permanent White House collection at a Hanukkah reception Monday evening, which will mark the first time a Jewish artifact is added to the White House archives, according to the White House.

NATIONAL

Many American Jews are conflicted about publicly celebrating Hanukkah amidst growing anti-Semitism

Various menorahs of special significance have been loaned to the White House over the years, the Hill reports.

A 2007 event included the parents of murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and a menorah that had belonged to his great-grandfather, and in 2010 then-President Barack Obama lit candles on a menorah that had been recovered from a Louisiana synagogue hit by Hurricane Katrina.

It's one of several ways the Biden administration is marking the holiday

The Biden administration marked the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday by publicly denouncing antisemitism after a rise in troubling incidents and hate speech. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is himself Jewish, lit the National Menorah on the White House Ellipse.

Second gentleman Emhoff says antisemitism has become an epidemic

POLITICS

Second gentleman Emhoff says antisemitism has become an epidemic

"Together, we must stand up against the disturbing rise in antisemitism. And together, we must stand up against bigotry in any of its forms. Our democracy depends on it," he said, according to CNN. "As a descendant of those who fled persecution because they were Jewish, it is especially meaningful to be here tonight as we light this menorah in our nation's capital and under the protection of its laws."

The White House points to other actions that Biden has taken to support the Jewish community, from convening a summit to combat hate-fueled violence to forming an antisemitism task force to securing the largest-ever increase in federal funding for the physical security of nonprofits, including synagogues and Jewish Community Centers.

Antisemitism is on the rise, and it's not just about Ye

UNTANGLING DISINFORMATION

Antisemitism is on the rise, and it's not just about Ye

Monday night's Hanukkah reception will include a blessing and menorah lighting, with special guests including Holocaust survivor Bronia Brandman, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker (who was among the hostages held at a Texas synagogue earlier this year) and Avigael Heschel-Aronson, the granddaughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

The White House says that Biden's remarks will "make the case that in the face of emboldened antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world, silence is complicity — and we must forcefully say that all forms of hate, antisemitism, and violence can have no safe harbor in America."

A brief history of White House Hanukkahs

The first president to mark Hanukkah in the nation's capital was Carter, who lit what would come to be known as "the National Menorah" in nearby Lafayette Park in 1979.

Hanukkah officially arrived in the White House a decade later, when President George H.W. Bush displayed a menorah (given to him by the Synagogue Council of America) in the building. Bill Clinton became the first president to actually light a menorah in the people's house in a small ceremony in 1993 (at which a young student's hair famously and briefly caught fire).

How to address antisemitic rhetoric when you encounter it

RELIGION

How to address antisemitic rhetoric when you encounter it

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted the first White House Hanukkah party in 2001, lighting a 100-year-old menorah borrowed from the Jewish Museum in New York.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff led the menorah lighting at last year's Hanukkah party, which Biden called a White House tradition that was newly "a family tradition" as well.

And this year, the president and first lady hosted the first-ever High Holiday reception at the White House in September.

[carolap53]

December 7, 2022

A Reason To Celebrate All Year LAURA BAILEY

Lee en

español

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

I watched my little girl float between her party guests before she took a deep breath to blow out the candles on her cake. Through the smoke of extinguished flames, she whispered, “I wished I could celebrate my birthday every day!”

Returning her grin, I replied, “Wouldn’t that be something? But you might grow tired of celebrating your birthday every day.”

She paused for just a beat before exclaiming, “Well, we already have something to celebrate every day — Jesus!”

Only a few months had passed since Christmas. My husband and I made it a point to tell our girls that, although we celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25, this, along with His death and resurrection, is reason to celebrate Him all year long.

I've spent many past Christmas seasons consuming Advent devotions and attending Christ-focused celebrations. However, when the party is over, the excitement over God's great gift to humankind soon wanes.

Numerous times I’ve brushed over the words from our key verse, neglecting to ponder their significance: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The Greek name for Jesus comes from the same origins as the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves.” Yes, Jesus' birth is something to celebrate because God sent His only Son into the world to be our Savior.

We need not dampen our excitement for exchanging presents, swapping cookies or trimming the tree during the holiday season; what we do need is to keep our hearts and minds on Jesus — not just at Christmas but throughout the year. Here are a few ideas of how we can continue to celebrate the gift of Jesus year-round.

Grab a mini artificial Christmas tree, and place it somewhere you will see it frequently. Don’t take it down after Christmas! Trim your tree with Bible verses of encouragement and reminders of God’s love and forgiveness.

Set a reminder on your phone to play your favorite worship song on the 25th day of every month. Lift your voice in praise and gratitude for God’s continual gift of salvation.

Host a “Christmas in July” celebration, and invite someone who doesn’t know the Lord. Talk with them about why you celebrate, sharing with them your testimony and what God has done in your life.

Keep bags filled with nonperishable food items, toiletries and a Bible in your car so that if you see someone in need, you can provide them with a “Christmas gift.” Invite them to church or share about the gift of salvation if you feel led.

God has given us good reason to celebrate: the birth, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Not only is salvation a free gift from God but it's also freeing, for it is the only gift that provides everlasting hope and eternal life.

Heavenly Father, how grateful we are for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please help us keep our spiritual zeal year-round, celebrating the Good News on all occasions. We pray for boldness as we share the gift of salvation to the world this holiday season and in the days to follow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[moonbrochshop]

Joshua Tree candle is up in my Etsy shop!

Containing spiced and floral notes, this baby makes me want to road trip through the desert tbh ✨🕯✨

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonbrochCandleCo?ref=seller-platform-mcnav