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Today is that unique and special day in the year when one day makes a year difference; we turn the imaginary page of time tonight and after some celebrations we wake up in a brand New Year. By then, page 2012 of the ‘book of life and the world’ has been completely written, and all experiences of the past year are in it.

The year of 2012 has been a very intense year; a year filled with change, highs and lows, letting go and getting to know, closing doors and opening windows…everything is balanced in the end.

It is good to know that all the 2012 experiences are stored in a safe place; in our hearts and memories…one can always look back, laugh, cry, read and learn, without regrets!

Writing things down and then turning the page of time also means that things can be put to rest…it is a good moment to go on and look forwards towards everything that future offers, 2013 here I come!!

Time…o-so relative…I wish everyone a splendid life in the Now, filling each moment with unconditional love and sharing it…

George Burns: “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”

After days filled with food, food and some more food (coz that seems to be what Xmas is really about 😉 ), the exercise in the YouTube clip below is a funny way to bring back some balance in weight-wish and -reality! 😉

Albert Schweitzer: “Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.”

The little angel gets bigger and bigger; today Misha turned 15 months, 1 1/4 year, wow!! After three (pretty intense) weeks together with him in Norway, in which we enjoyed Xmas preparations, the dark and magical snowy outside and of course a lovely Xmas celebration, he is now with Kissy, ready for New Year’s Eve and the start of 2013. Time flies, so many changes in one year time…for him, *and* his parents…

Henry David Thoreau: “Every man is the builder of a temple called his body.”

AAAAOOOOWWWW, the Moon is Full today! The last Full Moon in quit a lunar year; 12 months and 13 Full Moons! The December Full Moon is also called the “long-night’s moon” since it is the closest Full Moon to the northern winter solstice (when the nights are longest). It also mean that tonight’s Full Moon will be visible for the longest amount of time.

So, for all you werewolf lovers; beware (or enjoy 😉 )!!

(PS. other names for the December Full Moon are: oak moon, frost moon, winter moon, and moon before Yule. And in order to be complete: In Hindi it is known as margashirsha poornima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is unduvap)

Madame de Stael: “Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow them.”

I found out that the pictures along Misha’s first Julaften blogpost never made it to the blog…unfortunately, coz they are CUTE! 😉

Well, I updated the post, *with* the pics this time, so check’m out!

Ha, the picture below says it all; it has been a Merry Merry Xmas, with a lot of Santa…ho ho ho!! 😉

Peter McWilliams: “If you want peace, stop fighting. If you want peace of mind, stop fighting with your thoughts.”

Wow, it has been over two months since my last Song of the Day (pretty amazing for a music lover! 😉 ), so it is about time…

…time for: Damian Rice with ‘The Blower’s Daughter‘! The song continues to amaze and creates a magical flow and atmosphere (in Xmas terms; let it flow, let it flow, let it flow 😉 ).

The lyrics for this song can be interpreted in many ways (obsession and love of his life out of reach, though the ‘true meaning’ is here). For me it is mainly the music and of course THE sentence: ‘and so it is’…indeed, it IS! 😉

Enjoy!

Confucius: “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson : “Give all to love; obey thy heart.”

Ho, ho, ho…Merry Xmas everrrrybodyyy! 🙂

Warmth, Light and LOVE to you all!

Julaften (Christmas Eve) is when norwegians celebrate Christmas and this year is Misha’s first! The two of us were invited by friends, who prepared a fantastic dinner! Very special to be a part of this tradition…and, to be part of the other tradition; Christmas gifts! Loads under the Xmas tree!

(click to enlarge)

Oprah Winfrey: “Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.”

Winter has officially arrived some days ago (indeed, that happened on ‘the’ day 😉 ), so the autumn header graphic can be changed for a one better fitting the season or actually, fitting color of the world outside!

The dark days before Xmas are balanced with white stuff coming from above, not so much in one go, but the pack is growing cm by cm (around 50cm right now)!

It is almost Xmas (it is actually Little Christmas Eve in Norway today) so…Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow! 😉

King Whitney Jr.: “Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.”

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles roll
ed into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

Seth Godin: “People don’t believe what you tell them.
They rarely believe what you show them.
They often believe what their friends tell them.
They always believe what they tell themselves.”