My Holiday Newsletter Greeting

Newsletter 2011 from Sebastian and Donna Lewis

It has been awhile since I have written an end-of-the-year newsletter but given the cost of mailing through the post office, I decided an online greeting would be a fine way to reach many friends and family members.
Since I continue to strive to live a peace-filled life outside the maelstrom of madness that seems to pervade in nearly every aspect of life in this century, I find I have less to write about. Surely you don’t want to hear about the mundane daily happenings.
My family continues to astound and please me with their achievements and their growth. We go on in spite of our tragic painful loss. We do this not only because our loved one would want us to do so but because we believe in living life fully. We appreciate our gifts, talents and opportunities.
Sebastian, in his 16th year, is still robust although a bit slower. His deafness doesn’t seem to defeat his ability to offer love and comfort to anyone who will offer a friendly pat on his head or a scratch behind the ears. He still enjoys a good romp about although like me, he pays for it the following day.
With encouragement from my friend, Ellen, I submitted my 12 year old manuscript to a publisher last spring. After much editing and rewriting, Born Of Fire: A Yearlong Diary of Transformation will be available on the market by Christmas. I have published under a pen name, Deanna Cottrell at the publisher’s request. This is my first publishing experience but it has inspired me to attempt another book in the future.
As I write this greeting, Sebastian and I are once again living in Homosassa, FL away from the severe cold of the north. Thanks to the generosity of a friend, we will spend the next five months here. I hope to paint and write as well as enjoy my bike touring around the historical sites that abound in this area. I welcome guests too!
When we returned from FL last spring, I listed my cottage for sale because I realized I cannot tolerate the New England climate except during the warm months and need to reside in FL. Of course, given the real estate market, it may take some time to sell.
We are all on the cusp of change in 2012. My sincere wishes for each of you is that you find your Joy, your Divine Spark of Love and Compassion and your niche in this life.


Donna and Sebastian

Have I slept through it???

I live alone. At least I thought so until I caught a glimpse of a strange, older woman who sometimes follows me around. She is very secretive and manages to stay behind me much of the time but then if I surprise her with a quick movement, there she is! I suspect she has been around awhile because my dog Sebastian has accepted her as one of our little family. I am very suspicous of the wrinkled, age spotted stranger though. I think she has hypnotic powers and makes suggestions to my psyche. I say this because about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I become unconscious on the sofa for up to an hour nearly every day. I would worry about sleeping through these last years of my life but for the fact that she is very seductive. The dreams that occur are spendid. I appear in my youthful state, athletic, strong, beautiful and filled with a sense of my own woman power. There is nothing I can't do if I want. Just don't get in my way. I run with the wolves. What joy! I awake refreshed and enthusiastic about this life I have created. Then out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of that old round shouldered, gray haired, thick wasted woman with the squinty eyes. She scares the heck out of me. Where did she come from? She resembles my mom a little (mom was 90 when I last saw her). She also looks a bit like my dad especially around her mid section. Dad has been gone a long while though. Perhaps she is a ghost of my past or worse, my future. Yipes!!

I think Sebastian and I share similar dreams as he runs through his dreams with kicing feet, blinking eyes and yips. When he awakens, he takes a moment to clear his head of his youthful carefree self only to return as a deaf, stiff and visually challenged 16 yr old dog. I wonder sometimes when he appears to see something threatening and he barks loudly, if he is seeing the ghost of himself.

In the meantime, I won't be setting another plate for dinner in front of the TV. And, I will avoid mirrors...maybe she will disappear forever!!!

Sunny Naples, FL

Having had lots of time to think as I drove the 1700 miles from Hartford, NY to Naples via Lutz, FL where I picked up a borrowed motor coach to use as our base home here at Lake San Marino for two weeks, I want to write about expectations. Recently, I have had discussion with others on expectations concerning relationships. I have an old friend who is a wise man indeed. He said to me numerous times, "Expectations are resentments waiting to happen". How right on he is but still there are certain expectations that I think hold relationships together. Trustworthyness, honor, respect, faith are some that come to mind. Love is too fickle to be a reliable expectation. Physical attributes and actions are certainly not important over the long haul.

Under a blanket of new snow

WHAT THE GROUNDHOG SEES by Donna Henes

Each year on February 2, the attention of the nation
is directed to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where
Ground Hog's Day is big business. Weather forecasters
and news reporters converge to stake out the burrows
of these furry hibernating creatures. Like gazing into
Bridgid's holy well, or the tunnel leading to the oracle
crypt, or Cere's explorations of the cave, in order to
ascertain the true prognosis of the coming of spring.
Though decidedly silly, Ground Hog's Day is a direct
and thriving descendant of age-old mid winter divinatory
practices. Will Phil, the ground hog, see his shadow?
Will spring come on time this year? Tune in tonight for
the eyewitness report.

OK. Now pay attention. This is how it works: if the ground
hog sees her shadow, it means that there are still six
more weeks of winter. If she doesn't see her shadow, it
means that spring is only six weeks away. So what is the
difference? There are always six more weeks of winter.
Spring is always six weeks away. That is why we mark the
day in the first place. To remind us that winter is half over.
To access our situation. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac,
by Ground Hog's Day you should still have half of your food
store and half of your fuel if you are going to make it through
the remainder of winter. And for us, I guess that means we
have to have half of our inner resources, patience and humor
intact to make it the rest of the way through the dark days of
winter.

Enjoy the rest of the dark period. Take advantage of the
slowness and introspection that it offers us.