Anybody watching the U.S. news has seen photos and videos of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian in Florida. Millions of people are without power. Gasoline stations have been depleted of gasoline supplies. Grocery stores have been emptied of basic necessities. Residents can’t get back to their homes because of flooded streets and damaged roads. It will take years for the residents of Florida to recover from this horrific storm. The storm is now headed north into South Carolina and North Carolina.
Please pray for the people of Florida and for all other people affected by Hurricane Ian.
God Bless You.
Dawn Pisturino
September 30, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi ~
Gandhi was a spiritual man full of wisdom and keen insight. What exactly does he mean here?
One of the first practices we learn on the spiritual path is to protect ourselves from the negative influences of the material world. A Hindu tenet is to live in the world but not of the world. In other words, although we have to live, work, love, and function in material society, our minds should be focused on our own spiritual growth. We protect ourselves from the influences of negative energy by wrapping ourselves in a cloak of blue or white light (or some other form of spiritual protection). We eat healthy, wholesome foods. We clear our minds of negative thoughts and accentuate the positive. We practice patience and forgiveness and push those dark feelings of hatred and anger from our hearts. We take care of our bodies in ways that honor and promote LIFE. We avoid hateful, chaotic, negative people. We surround ourselves with beauty, cleanliness, aromatic fragrances, peace, tranquility, and serenity. We remain calm in the face of danger and adversity. We strive to help others. We extend our hands in friendship and kindness. We turn off the noise, the hate, the violence, the chaos, the insanity directed at all of us by the media and loud, angry, hateful people.
And it does not matter whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Wiccan, or any other spiritual affiliation. The principles remain the same. Meditation and contemplation; prayer; trusting in a higher power; opening up our minds and hearts to the positive flow of energy; cleansing our minds and hearts of negative thoughts, feelings, and influences; striving to be a constructive force in the world instead of a destructive force; projecting light and a ray of hope in a dark world – all of us have the capability to shine like the brightest star in the night sky. But it takes commitment and work and a sincere belief that we all contain a divine essence inside ourselves.
May the divine spark in you shine brightly!
Dawn Pisturino
July 20, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
“Prayer is the only means of bringing about orderliness and peace and repose in our daily acts.”
This simple statement by Mahatma Gandhi reflects the experience of a man whose faith, values, and dedication to a cause transformed an entire nation.
After the horrific events of 9/11, the people of the United States turned to prayer to find comfort, unity, and meaning in the midst of tragedy.
Since the dawn of civilization, people have prayed to a higher power for health, guidance, forgiveness, gratitude, and transformation.
Prayer fulfills a natural human longing for communion with God. During times of stress, when we are feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, prayer offers us release, reminds us of our priorities, and restores balance to our lives.
Prayer is an act of love. We pray because we care about our loved ones, our nation, and our world.
It is an act of hope. When we pray, we know we are not alone. We can face our difficulties with renewed strength and courage.
Praying confirms our faith and belief in a higher power. It reinforces our conviction that a spiritual world exists. It helps us to transcend our daily struggles and to find peace inside ourselves.
Many scientific studies have been done on the effects of prayer, but prayer cannot be quantified by science. No conclusive evidence exists to either prove or disprove the effectiveness of prayer. And this is to be expected, for prayer is a very private and individual act of worship.
Researchers have shown, however, that people who consider spiritual activities an important part of their lives tend to live longer, recover from illness more quickly, and deal more effectively with grief.
David B. Larson, MD, of the International Center for the Integration of Health and Spirituality, summed it up nicely when he reported, “Statistically, God is good for you.”
Amen.
Dawn Pisturino, RN May 12, 2007; December 4, 2021
Copyright 2007-2021 DawnPisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means arrival. In the Christian tradition, the four Sundays before Christmas represent the Season of Advent. These four weeks are spent waiting for and preparing for the arrival of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, through prayer, penance, fasting, study, and good works. Children use special Advent calendars to mark each day, discovering a chocolate surprise behind each little door.
In the 16th century, German Lutherans began creating special Advent wreaths to commemorate the four Sundays before Christmas. It wasn’t long before Catholics adopted this tradition. The wreath contains four candles: three purple and one pink. Sometimes, a white candle is placed in the center of the wreath.
Each Sunday, a candle is lit as follows:
First Sunday: one purple candle, called the Prophets’ candle, in memory of all the prophets, but particularly, the Prophet Isaiah, who foretold the coming of the Messiah. This candle symbolizes HOPE.
Second Sunday: the next purple candle, called the Bethlehem candle, which symbolizes LOVE.
Third Sunday: the pink candle, called the Shepherds’ candle, which symbolizes Joy. This candle reminds us that our waiting is nearly over. Our faith is strengthened through prayer and fasting.
Fourth Sunday: The last purple candle is lit, completing the circle. This is the Angels’ candle and symbolizes PEACE.
Christmas: When the white candle is included, it is lit on Christmas Day and symbolizes CHRIST – the light of the World.
From Christmas Day (December 25th) to Epiphany (January 6th) is called the Twelve Days of Christmas, just like the old carol.
“Never discard the bones of turkey or chicken as they always will make a delicious soup. Scrape the meat from the bones, break the bones, pack in a kettle, and cover with cold water, adding a small onion. Cover closely and simmer very gently for three hours. Strain and cool. One-half hour before it is to be served, return to the fire, and for every quart of stock, add one cup of the cold meat, season, and keep hot till needed. This soup may be greatly improved by adding to it, three minutes before serving, ten oysters to each quart of soup.”
Chestnut Stuffing
1 quart chestnuts
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream
Salt and Pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion juice
Shell and blanche chestnuts and cook in boiling water until tender. While hot, rub through coarse sieve. Mix with remaining ingredients. Makes 2-1/2 cups.
~
FormalTable Settings and Service
Housewives of the 1950s set their holiday dinner tables with their finest china, bearing the most exquisite designs. If the dinner was served in courses, a different design might be used with each course. All the dishes used in one course would match.
Place Plate – 10-11 inches across. This was the base plate on which the dinner plate was set.
Dinner Plate – 10-10.5 inches across, used to serve the meat and side vegetables.
Entree Plate – 8.5-9.5 inches across, used to serve an entree, salad, or fish. May have been used for dessert if the fingerbowl was brought in on it.
Dessert Plate – 7.5-8 inches across, used for dessert or salad. Used for the cake plate at tea.
Bread and Butter Plate – 6-6.5 inches across.
Soup Plate – 8-8.5 inches across with a broad, flat rim. Or a bowl could substitute.
Cups and Bowls
Cream Soup Cup – A low, broad cup with two handles, 4.5-5 inches wide and about 2 inches deep. Used for purees, bisques, and cream soups.
Boullion Cup – Looked like a tea cup with two handles that was used for clear soups, consommes, and bouillons.
Chilled Cocktail Bowl – A low, broad bowl inside a separate container. The bowl would be used to serve grapefruit, shrimp cocktail, and other chilled foods. Crushed ice would be packed around the bowl.
Glass
Colored glassware was very popular in the 1950s and would have matched the colors in the china dishes. Crystal glassware was preferred for formal dinners, either etched, cut, or rimmed with gold.
Goblet – The main component of the glassware setting. Two other glasses would have been set alongside the main goblet, usually a claret glass and a champagne glass.
Sherbet Glass – A medium sized bowl on a short stem used to serve sherbet, ice cream, and other frozen dessert.
Finger Bowl – a low, broad bowl used to dip the fingers in water.
Silver
Polished silver gave an air of sophistication to the table setting. Besides the usual dinner knife, fork, and spoon, the 1950s hostess might have provided an array of cutlery including a butter knife and smaller knives and forks for fish, entrees, salad, and fruit.
A List of Useful Serving Pieces
2 or 3 tablespoons
2 or 3 dinner forks for serving
Medium sized carving set
Butter knife or butter pick
Gravy ladle
Sugar tongs
Pie or tart server
Cold meat fork
Olive spoon or fork
Berry spoon
Jelly server
Preserve spoon
Long-handled fork and spoon
Pickle fork
Pierced server
Salad dressing ladle
Lemon fork
Asparagus server
Entree server
Cake fork
sardine server
Ice tongs
Ice spoon
Sugar spoon
Sugar sifter for powdered sugar
Ice-cream knife or server
Cheese server
Melon knife
Grape scissors
Linen
The 1950s hostess preferred white linen damask for a table cover at dinner. The napkins always matched the tablecloth. Monogramming was very popular in the 1950s.
Centerpieces and Decorations
Flowers were popular centerpieces in the 1950s. The colors had to blend in with the rest of the color scheme. Candles were usually white or natural wax color. The candles were lighted before the guests entered the dining-room and were kept burning until after they left the room.
From The American Woman’s Cook Book, 1950
~
Sounds like a lot of work! A lot of serving to do, and a lot of dishes to wash! But the 1950s housewife took pride in setting a well-appointed table. She derived satisfaction from pleasing her guests. Of course, we all know that that does not always work with family.
Most importantly, however, Thanksgiving is and was a time to spend with family and friends and to be thankful for what we have. Washing dishes is a small price to pay.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Lord, source and giver of all things, we give You thanks and all the glory on this Thanksgiving Day for the splendor and majesty of creation. We give You thanks for the blessings of family and friends: both those gathered around this table and those who are present only in our hearts. We give You thanks for this food, prepared by loving hands, and for the graces You provide to nourish our spirits, souls, and bodies so that we may continue to serve You passionately. Help us to be faithful stewards of all we have been given. May we reflect Your love and that which we have received to all those we meet, especially the less fortunate in our midst. Amen.
Practice Gratitude – Conversation Starters for Around the Table
Name two things you are thankful for this year.
Who are you thankful for, and why?
What part of nature is inspiring and beautiful to you?
What is something that makes you laugh out loud?
What is an unexpected blessing you’ve received this year?
Choose someone you are with and share three things you admire and appreciate about that person.
What is something you love about your family?
How are you going to practice gratitude this year?
Have aSafe, Happy, and Blessed Thanksgivingthis year!
Dawn Pisturino
November 4, 2021
Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
When my husband ended up in intensive care in 2014 with heart, liver, and kidney failure after a reaction to medications, his outcome was uncertain. On the day of his discharge from the hospital, the internal medicine doctor pulled me aside and warned me that my husband could die at any moment of sudden cardiac arrest. I was so distraught, all I could do was pray to God to cure him or kill him. I did not want him to suffer a long, lingering illness.
At home, my husband remained very weak, using a walker to get around the house, and oxygen. He prayed a lot during that time, and one day, he decided to get up and start walking. He told me, “It’s either going to cure me or kill me.” He took a few steps outside and then a few more, until he grew stronger in the springtime sunshine and made a full circuit of the path we had created many years ago. He later told me that a monk in a brown robe was guiding him.
Today, my husband is fully recovered from his illness. He is a walking miracle. And I attribute his stubbornness, tenacious will to live, fervent prayer, and WALKING to his recovery. I don’t know who the monk in the brown robe was, but he gave my husband the inspiration to get up and walk – (Remember Jesus’s words: “Get up and walk!) – GOD BLESS HIM!
Buddhist WalkingMeditation
Walking meditation began when the Buddha traveled on foot around Northern India disseminating his message.
Its purpose is to discipline the mind, improve concentration skills, and develop a deeper level of body awareness.
Walking meditation can be performed either indoors or outdoors, with or without shoes and socks. You can walk along a favorite path, around in a circle, or simply back and forth.
Stand quietly in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and your arms at your sides. Do a mental scan of the entire body. Working slowly from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, make a mental note of any sensations, tension, pain, and fatigue. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Breathe deeply and relax.
Slowly shift your weight to your left foot, focusing your complete attention on the movement of the body and the sensations in your feet and legs. Then slowly shift your weight to the right foot, repeating the process.
Gradually shift your weight back to the center and ground yourself in the earth. Then carefully begin to lift the heel of your left foot, focusing all of your attention on the feel of that movement. Lift the left foot and take a small step forward, feeling the leg move through the air, and place it on the ground.
Be fully aware of the contact between your foot and the earth. Feel the pressure and weight. Feel the touch of your shoe against the sole of your foot or the feeling of the ground against your bare skin. Note the sensations. Do you feel itching, tickling, or pain? Does it feel pleasant or unpleasant? Do the muscles feel tense or relaxed? Does your leg feel heavy or light?
Repeat with the right foot, then come back to center and begin the exercise with your left foot all over again. Practice for at least 15 minutes.
When you are going about your daily activities, apply this exercise to whatever you are doing. For example, while washing the dishes after dinner, feel the warmth of the water, notice how your hands turn red, smell the dish soap, play with the bubbles, be aware of the circular motions involved in washing a plate or drying a glass. Feel the roughness of the dish cloth against your skin.
This is mindful living — being fully aware of the present moment and fully experiencing every second of your life.
Dawn Pisturino, BSNH, RN April 21, 2007; August 19, 2021
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