http://soundcloud.com/maria-jolicoeur/my-neighbor-vacuuming

O Magnum Mysterium - Gabrieli. Virtual singers with brass.

Here Comes Santa Claus

http://soundcloud.com/maria-jolicoeur/here-comes-santa-claus-at

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer

http://soundcloud.com/maria-jolicoeur/rudolf-the-red-nosed-reindeer

Carol of the Bells

http://soundcloud.com/maria-jolicoeur/carol-of-the-bells-at-50

Look up in the sky, are you alone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr3o4Hgn5fM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The good 'ole Summer time,

Watch "Ramblin' Rose - Nat King Cole" on YouTube

Grapes?

The descendants of Jabob shall inherit the Vineyards of Naboth Seizure of Naboth's Vineyard

Old Testament 1 KINGS Chapter 21,  Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of  Ahab, king of Samaria, Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard to be my vegtable garden, since it is close by, next to my house.  I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will give you it's value in money.  "The Lord forbid," Naboth answered him, "that I should give you my ancestral heritage."  Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him; "I will not give you my ancestral heritage."  Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.  His wife Jezebel came to him ans said to him, "Why are you so angry that you will not eat?"  He answered her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.' But he refused to let me have his vineyard."  "A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!"  Get up.  Eat and be cheerful.  I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you."  So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and, having sealed them with his seal, sent them to the elders and to the nobles who lived in the same city with Naboth.  This is what she wrote in the letters:  "Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.  Next, get two scoundrels to face him and accuse him of having cursed God and king.  Then take him out and stone him to death."  His fellow citizens--the elders and the nobles who dwelt in the city--did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing, through the letters she had sent them.  They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.  Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with accusation, "Naboth has cursed God and king."  And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.  Then they sent the information to Jezebel that Naboth had been stoned to death.

Rasberry flowers;

raspberry flower - Google Search

White grape flowers;

White grape flowers - Google Search

Grapes

Parts of the Grape Vine: Flowers and Fruit - eXtension

Grape leaves

grape leaves - Google Search

Grape leaves

Watch "Enja......" on YouTube

White Grapes

Expressions - via mariajolicoeur - Newsvine

Notes From the Night Shift: Don't Give Up

Notes From the Night Shift: Don't Give Up:   "One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."                                            ...

Indian Leap

Expressions: Hummingbird

Expressions: Hummingbird  http://youtu.be/98LaApCB4l8                     :HUMMINGBIRD SEALS and CROFTS ~ for MOM

Hummingbird

An evening in Spring.  It was softly raining.  The ground damp.  A soft mist in the air.  A bird chirping good night.  Some of my classmates from highschool had gathered for dinner.  We were planning our class reunion.  A classmate and old neighbor hosted our gathering.  Looking at the time, realising 40 years had passed since our graduation.  It was as though we planned to meet up together once again in the future and here it was.  The host I  have known since kindergarten.  We talked about Occum school.  Wishing it was still there.  We talked about the past, our innocence, our parents, living and those that have died.  Our childhood we remembered, playing outside.  Did anyone remember the New York Fair, the Bronx Zoo?  What about the toys?  Remember your toys?  Getting a prize in the CrackerJack box.  Which of us loves to be in the kitchen cooking?  Our parents growing up during the Great Depression and how we learned to be frugal when cooking our recipes.  While in the backyard, stepping into a darkened outdoor patio frim the conversation of the kitchen indoors, our host was doing at the grill.  How lovely it was to get togther.  In sight was a hummingbird enjoying the sweet nectar.  Yes, time passes and may you have blessings through your years.

Notes From the Night Shift: Over the Rainbow

Notes From the Night Shift: Over the Rainbow:   This is the hardest part for me lately it seems.  Yeah, this part.  The beginning of it.  In fact I've had the idea for this post boun...

American Indians Revered Nature

Occum, Connecticut is a small town in New England.  History has it an Indian tribe lived here before the European settlers came to this area.  The Shetucket River runs through Occum and two roads, Canterbury Turnpike and Old Canterbury Turnpike are said to be, originally, Indian trails.  On a piece of property, (I own), in Occum on Canterbury Turnpike, I happened to be doing some landscaping and clearing brush.  I came across about five arrow shaped stones, ranging from about two inches in length to about seven inches in length and three inches wide.  These looked like Indian tools, not arrow heads, but, maybe a tool for preparing meals such as rabbit, squirrel, or fish.  A little ways down the road, about 150 feet, I came across a few huge rocks, in an area that looks as though it maybe used as an Indian camp.  My my imagined the Indian men, free spirited, walking along the path from this area on a warm, sunny day, with the area trees in bloom and the leaves filtering the sunlight as they go to the river to catch fish or do a little hunting.  When the English came to America, one of the first things they gave Chief Occum was a Christian Bible.  To the English, the Indians were a tribal people, not sophisticated or educated in the schooling as the English were.  For instance,  building housing for the pilgrims.  Trees needed to be cut for their lumber, and the English had clocks, watches, used currency.  American Indians were not familiar with the European lifestyle.  The American Indians told the English how important their land was.  To the English, the 'white' man needed to control nature.  Nature was something to conquer to the 'white' man.  Generations, centuries later, our society, and our Earth, realize, with global warming and the whole in the Ozone area, how important it was what the American Indians were saying.  The trees, Mother Nature, the animals, the American Indians lived with, along side  and respected all the Earth's living creatures and spirits.   It did not take one person for our land to be destroyed or, not even one generation.  It took many people and generations to want to build where forests once grew plentiful.  Our generation was handed the mistakes of our ancestors, and we are the generation that will have to begin to correct it.  Yes, we are fortunate, that our generation is learning from each other and trying to take care of our Earth for future generations.

American Indians