I think we all have truly high hopes for 2020 to be the light at the end of the tunnel, to be the uplifting wind of optimism we all need.
We can ensure that change will happen if we make it happen.
Here's to it.
Showing posts with label 2019. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2019. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Goodbye 2019...
...and stay out.
I think we all have truly high hopes for 2020 to be the light at the end of the tunnel, to be the uplifting wind of optimism we all need.
We can ensure that change will happen if we make it happen.
Here's to it.
I think we all have truly high hopes for 2020 to be the light at the end of the tunnel, to be the uplifting wind of optimism we all need.
We can ensure that change will happen if we make it happen.
Here's to it.
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 2019
The sublime songbird Ella sings the ultimate version of this lovely song..."What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"
I hope whatever you do, you have fun.
I hope whatever you do, you have fun.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Happy Hogmanay 2019-2020!
Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's celebration that takes place over the course of several days. While the festival and its customs date back to pagan celebrations of winter solstice, the word Hogmanay itself is harder to trace. Scholars have guessed that the word possibly comes from the French, Norse, or Goidelic languages.
This year, the world's largest Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh--Scotland's gorgeous capital city--starts on December 30th with a spectacular torchlight procession.
The event kicks off today at 5:30 with a torchlight procession. Over 35,000 celebrants accompanied by pipers and drummers, fire and fanfare in a river of light will wind through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town culminating in the historic Holyrood Park. On reaching the Park, torchbearers will form an image of two people shaking hands, which will be captured from the air and broadcast around the world!
Every year, the torchbearers make a different shape when seen from the air...
December 31st is Auld Year's Eve. Street parties, outdoor concerts, indoor concerts, and The Ceilidh Under the Castle (a concert of traditional pipe and drum Scottish music held at the base of Edinburgh Castle) all culminate in an overwhelming firework display at the stroke of midnight.
There are many charming New Year's customs in Scotland. "First footing" is the idea that the first person to cross the threshold of your home is a harbinger of good luck. Starting immediately after midnight, people call on friends, going from house to house for much of the night and even into the morning and next day, with over half the population of Scotland observing the practice of "first-footing." It is good luck for the "first-footer" to be a tall, dark male. Traditionally, this male would bring gifts of a coin (symbolizing prosperity), bread/ black bun fruitcake (symbolizing food), salt (flavor), coal (warmth), or a drink (good cheer). These days, a "first-footer" usually just brings the whiskey!
January 1st is Ne'erday, a contraction of New Year's Day. The celebrating and "first-footing" continue, the annual Loony Dook takes place in the Firth of Forth (a wacky costumed cold plunge for charity), and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie.
https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/
http://www.visitscotland.com/
This year, the world's largest Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh--Scotland's gorgeous capital city--starts on December 30th with a spectacular torchlight procession.
The event kicks off today at 5:30 with a torchlight procession. Over 35,000 celebrants accompanied by pipers and drummers, fire and fanfare in a river of light will wind through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town culminating in the historic Holyrood Park. On reaching the Park, torchbearers will form an image of two people shaking hands, which will be captured from the air and broadcast around the world!
December 31st is Auld Year's Eve. Street parties, outdoor concerts, indoor concerts, and The Ceilidh Under the Castle (a concert of traditional pipe and drum Scottish music held at the base of Edinburgh Castle) all culminate in an overwhelming firework display at the stroke of midnight.
There are many charming New Year's customs in Scotland. "First footing" is the idea that the first person to cross the threshold of your home is a harbinger of good luck. Starting immediately after midnight, people call on friends, going from house to house for much of the night and even into the morning and next day, with over half the population of Scotland observing the practice of "first-footing." It is good luck for the "first-footer" to be a tall, dark male. Traditionally, this male would bring gifts of a coin (symbolizing prosperity), bread/ black bun fruitcake (symbolizing food), salt (flavor), coal (warmth), or a drink (good cheer). These days, a "first-footer" usually just brings the whiskey!
January 1st is Ne'erday, a contraction of New Year's Day. The celebrating and "first-footing" continue, the annual Loony Dook takes place in the Firth of Forth (a wacky costumed cold plunge for charity), and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie.
Haud Hogmanay, everyone!
https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/
http://www.visitscotland.com/
Ice Hotel #30
The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden is celebrating its 30th year in style. The hotel is built from actual snow and every year, the design for the hotel as well as each of the rooms is different! Participating artists and designers come to sculpt and craft the suites into works of art that one can sleep in. And the rooms for their 30th annniversary season are wonderful.
While the chambers are indeed made of ice, the ICEHOTEL recommends that you spend perhaps only one night in them and the rest in the warm sections of the Hotel!
The website has some helpful information:
One night in a cold room and a couple of nights in a warm room is ideal, as it gives you time to join wilderness excursions on the days when you have a warm room to return to in the evening.
If possible, we recommend you book your first or last night cool, the remaining nights in our warm cabins or hotel rooms, or join an overnight snowmobile excursion (only on select days).
The temperature inside the hotel hovers at a constant of -5 to -7 C. We provide you with expedition-style sleeping bags which are tested for extreme temperatures, so you’ll be fine with just thermals, hat, warm socks and a mid-layer jumper. You are given access to your room at 6 pm, but the heated service building, the Riverside Lobby, is staffed and open 24 hours, this is where you store your belongings, collect your sleeping bag and use the bathroom, shower and sauna. There is a tutorial for guests sleeping cold every day.
Icehotel is carefully designed and handcrafted by artists from around the world so to make the most of your visit, make sure to attend one of the guided tours through the hotel and pick up a copy of the art catalogue to read upon all the details. We recommend that you book activities to get the most of your holiday. Dog sledding, skiing or snowmobiling in winter, or river rafting and cycling in summer, takes you into the vast uninhabited boreal forest. Fishing, midnight sun and northern lights safaris are amazing ways to experience the Arctic. Joining a class with one of our master ice sculptors is of course a must!
* Between 10 am and 6 pm, Icehotel is open to the public. Day visitors and guests have access to see all the rooms (except Deluxe Suites) and join a guided tour. This means overnight guests get their rooms at 6 pm and wake-up call is around 7:30 am when staying cold. (Check-in and out for warm rooms is at 3 pm and 11 am).
* All rooms except the Art and Deluxe Suites in Icehotel 365 have curtain doors.
* The beds in the cold rooms have a bedframe made of ice, slatted bed base with mattress, reindeer skins and pillows.
* There are no bathrooms (except the Deluxe Suites) or storage in the cold rooms. These facilities are housed in a heated service building, the Riverside Lobby, where you also keep your belongings during the cold night. * The service desk is staffed 24 hours.
* You get a locker or cubicle (if staying in a suite), where you can get changed and keep your belongings.
* The changing rooms, sauna and showers are communal for women and men respectively.
* There are no electric sockets to charge your phone inside the cold room, so be sure to charge your phone before going to bed.
* If you’re changing between cold and warm accommodation, there are about 6-7 hours when you don’t have a room to withdraw to. We strongly recommend you to plan one or two excursions during this time as exploring nature and local culture is a substantial part of getting the full experience. Our lounge and shop are open from 10 am.
* Ice is an organic material. We may carry out maintenance and repairs during open hours.
* Icehotel is built in sections, which means that there is still building work going on for some time after we’re open for guests.
https://www.icehotel.com/
While the chambers are indeed made of ice, the ICEHOTEL recommends that you spend perhaps only one night in them and the rest in the warm sections of the Hotel!
The website has some helpful information:
One night in a cold room and a couple of nights in a warm room is ideal, as it gives you time to join wilderness excursions on the days when you have a warm room to return to in the evening.
If possible, we recommend you book your first or last night cool, the remaining nights in our warm cabins or hotel rooms, or join an overnight snowmobile excursion (only on select days).
The temperature inside the hotel hovers at a constant of -5 to -7 C. We provide you with expedition-style sleeping bags which are tested for extreme temperatures, so you’ll be fine with just thermals, hat, warm socks and a mid-layer jumper. You are given access to your room at 6 pm, but the heated service building, the Riverside Lobby, is staffed and open 24 hours, this is where you store your belongings, collect your sleeping bag and use the bathroom, shower and sauna. There is a tutorial for guests sleeping cold every day.
Icehotel is carefully designed and handcrafted by artists from around the world so to make the most of your visit, make sure to attend one of the guided tours through the hotel and pick up a copy of the art catalogue to read upon all the details. We recommend that you book activities to get the most of your holiday. Dog sledding, skiing or snowmobiling in winter, or river rafting and cycling in summer, takes you into the vast uninhabited boreal forest. Fishing, midnight sun and northern lights safaris are amazing ways to experience the Arctic. Joining a class with one of our master ice sculptors is of course a must!
* Between 10 am and 6 pm, Icehotel is open to the public. Day visitors and guests have access to see all the rooms (except Deluxe Suites) and join a guided tour. This means overnight guests get their rooms at 6 pm and wake-up call is around 7:30 am when staying cold. (Check-in and out for warm rooms is at 3 pm and 11 am).
* All rooms except the Art and Deluxe Suites in Icehotel 365 have curtain doors.
* The beds in the cold rooms have a bedframe made of ice, slatted bed base with mattress, reindeer skins and pillows.
* There are no bathrooms (except the Deluxe Suites) or storage in the cold rooms. These facilities are housed in a heated service building, the Riverside Lobby, where you also keep your belongings during the cold night. * The service desk is staffed 24 hours.
* You get a locker or cubicle (if staying in a suite), where you can get changed and keep your belongings.
* The changing rooms, sauna and showers are communal for women and men respectively.
* There are no electric sockets to charge your phone inside the cold room, so be sure to charge your phone before going to bed.
* If you’re changing between cold and warm accommodation, there are about 6-7 hours when you don’t have a room to withdraw to. We strongly recommend you to plan one or two excursions during this time as exploring nature and local culture is a substantial part of getting the full experience. Our lounge and shop are open from 10 am.
* Ice is an organic material. We may carry out maintenance and repairs during open hours.
* Icehotel is built in sections, which means that there is still building work going on for some time after we’re open for guests.
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| Bone Room by Rob Harding |
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| Cabinet In The Woods by Hugh and Howard Miller |
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| Crescents by Elin Julin & Ida Mangsbo |
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| Echoes of the Torne River by Francisco Javier Cortés Zamudio |
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| Feline Room by Brian Alvin McArthur & Dawn Marie Detarando |
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| Gingko by Nina & Johan Kauppi |
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| Golden Ice by Nicolas Triboulot & Jean-Marie Guitera |
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| Kaleidoscope by Natsuki Saito & Shingo Saito |
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| Subterranean by Daniel Rosenbaum & Jörgen Westin |
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| The Torneland Bar by Luc Voisin & Mathieu Brison |
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| Warm Up by Aleksandra Pasek & Tomasz Czajkowski |
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| White Santorini by Haemee Han & Jae Yual Lee |
https://www.icehotel.com/
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Winter World 2019
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| Central Park, New York City, New York |
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| Colmar, France |
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| Dresden, Germany |
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| Westminster Bridge, London, England |
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| New York City, New York |
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| Eiffel Tower, Paris, France |
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| Christmas Market in Prague, Czech Republic |
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| Røros, Norway |
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Happy Winter Solstice 2019!
Today is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Tomorrow, the sun begins its return to the northern hemisphere.
Happy Winter Solstice 2019!
Friday, December 20, 2019
International Human Solidarity Day 2019
Every December 20th is International Human Solidarity Day.
Started in 2005 by the UN, today is a day to observe, remind, and support the world's population in the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples in the twenty-first century. Of the observance, Ban Ki-Moon, eighth Secretary General of the United Nations succinctly said, "We all have a role in overcoming today’s economic, political, environmental and social challenges, and we must all share the costs and benefits of sustainable development according to needs and ability. This is the essence of justice, fairness and equity. It is the meaning of solidarity."
The U.N. has set forth a new set of Sustainable Development Goals. "The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030."
For those of us in the United States, but also for many in other parts of the world, these dark days should motivate us to rise above the ugliness, hatred, and divisiveness and affirm the value of the human being. We can be better than the leaders who are leading us away from humanism and core values of decency, and we can be better than the small percentage of people who are misguided enough to work against the interests of our species.
https://www.un.org/en/events/humansolidarityday/
Started in 2005 by the UN, today is a day to observe, remind, and support the world's population in the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples in the twenty-first century. Of the observance, Ban Ki-Moon, eighth Secretary General of the United Nations succinctly said, "We all have a role in overcoming today’s economic, political, environmental and social challenges, and we must all share the costs and benefits of sustainable development according to needs and ability. This is the essence of justice, fairness and equity. It is the meaning of solidarity."
The U.N. has set forth a new set of Sustainable Development Goals. "The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030."
For those of us in the United States, but also for many in other parts of the world, these dark days should motivate us to rise above the ugliness, hatred, and divisiveness and affirm the value of the human being. We can be better than the leaders who are leading us away from humanism and core values of decency, and we can be better than the small percentage of people who are misguided enough to work against the interests of our species.
https://www.un.org/en/events/humansolidarityday/
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Holidays At The Manse 2019
If anyone needs me, I shall be spending the holidays at the manse like always...just ring and ask Wilson to find me. I'll most likely be in the sitting room...you know, the smaller one with pine panels...not the one with the silk, salmon-colored walls. But don't ring on the eve of the 24th...we'll be doing prezzies and having pudding then.
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