Celebration | The Showers of Blessings

Tag Archives: Celebration

Happy New Year 2021

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Miriam Hurdle 95 comments

Happy New Year, My Friends!

Happy New Year 2021 Gif - Animated New Year GIFs Images

I enjoy reading quotes. I used to memorize them for encouragement and motivation. Lao Tzu is known for his wisdom and I believe our doing begins with our thinking.

Ancient Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu Quotes - Third Monk | Lao tzu quotes, Watch your words, Karma quotes

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. - Lao Tzu

I read 100 best New Year’s quotes for 2021 and included 10 here.

1. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” ―Josiyah Martin

3. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P. Morgan

4. “New year—a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.” —Alex Morritt

5. “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” —Thomas Jefferson

6. “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” ―Germany Kent

7. “As we grow older and wiser, we begin to realize what we need and what we need to leave behind. Sometimes there are things in our lives that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes the changes we don’t want are the changes we need to grow. And sometimes walking away is a step forward.” —Unknown

8. “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake.” —Francis Bacon Sr.

9. “This year, be structured enough for success and achievement and flexible enough for creativity and fun.” —Taylor Duvall

10. “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” —Frank Scully

Our New Year’s tradition used to be watching the fireworks beginning at 15 minutes before 9:00 p.m. PST (12:00 a.m. EST) for the countdown in Times Square, New York, then watching the fireworks around the world. Many countries didn’t have fireworks this year. We watched the video clips of a few countries where they had fireworks. Here is a short BBC clip.

Wishing you a Happy first day of the best possible new 365 days of Year 2021!

RIP My Beautiful Sister

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Miriam Hurdle 69 comments

I had written a post about my sister Canty’s Home going on January 29 when I returned from Hong Kong.

It was my nephew Enoch’s wedding on January 19, 2019. Mercy, Will, Autumn, Lynton and I traveled to Hong Kong to share his joyous beginning journey of marriage. We arrived on January 12. Three days later, I got a message from sister #12 Yolanda, the mother-in-law to be, letting me know that sister #8 Canty was in the hospital. Later that day, Canty’s son messaged me that his mom had liver inflammation and hydrocephalus, congestive heart failure.

Sister #13 Queenie was also traveling from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to attend the wedding. I had scheduled the visit of Canty as soon as Queenie arrived.

On the 17th, the third day of being in the hospital, Canty’s condition made a sharp decline at noon. We all rushed to the hospital by taxi. She was unconscious when we were by her bedside. We took turns to massage her head and hands, speaking to her. She seemed to hear us as the muscles of the forehead gradually relaxed.

Queenie arrived in that early evening and made her way to the hospital. By that time, the monitor couldn’t detect the blood pressure. The doctor said she was on 100% oxygen and received mediation to sustain her heart. Her breathing and heartbeat were artificial for some hours.

After Queenie spoke to her, I went close to the bed and saw the blood coming out of her nose. I got the attention of the nurse. The nurse couldn’t stop the bleeding and informed us that, “It’s time.” Before the nurse closed the drape around her bed, I saw the blood gushing out of her nostrils.

~ ~ ~
Canty was a Ballroom Dance instructor in her early years. She continued to be active in dancing. She participated in the Dance Championship on November 4, 2018 and received an award. She posted some photos on social media. I messaged her on January 4, 2019, saying I wanted to see her dancing. She sent me the video clip of her Championship dancing. I said, “See you next week.”
It was saddened to say good-bye to her within two weeks of sharing her thrilling moments.

Colleen’s 2019 Weekly Poetry Challenge – Slow & Work

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Miriam Hurdle 44 comments

Here is this week’s Colleen’s 2019 Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 121, “Slow & Work,” #SynonymsOnly

January 12 to 20, 2019, a group of family members from West Coast of the U.S.A. traveled to Hong Kong to celebrate my nephew’s wedding, a joyous begging of a new journey. It was a marathon ceremony of playing Chinese traditional games when the groom picked up the bride in the morning. The games were set by the bridesmaids and responded by the groom and best men. Only when all the games were responded, the door was open for the groom to pick up the bride. Then a modern church wedding and garden cake ceremony were held in the afternoon, and a nine-course Chinese banquet was served in the evening when the bride and mother-in-law (my sister) changed their gowns four times.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #23: Celebrations

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Miriam Hurdle 25 comments

Amy’s theme for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is Celebration.

December is a month of celebration for me and my family. We observe the advent which is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for Christmas–the birth of Christ. It begins four weeks and Sundays before Christmas and continues until Christmas. The preparation includes lighting an Advent wreath, setting up a Christmas tree and decorations.