HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May God bless you in 2010.

The Moon

See that photo at the top of my blog? Pretty good, isn’t it? Beautiful views of the craters Copernicus and Plato, and several others. Nice shading on the terminator that really helps you to see the curve of the moon's limb. Not quite full on the night it was taken. If you know your lunar surface you can even pick out Deslandres basin and the small crater named Hell after a Brittish preacher. I'm quite proud of this shot. Yep, I took it  myself by holding my camera lens up to the eyepiece of my telescope. Not too bad, huh?

 

The God who made the moon in the first place is not too bad, either. He made a beautiful ball of rock for me to look at and photograph. We live in a very beautiful and exciting universe. Too bad that not enough people spend time just looking at it.

 

2010 is coming. Spend at least a small part of it looking up.

 

 

 

AVATAR

Ok, so I had to see it despite all of the hype. Really great movie. I felt as if I was there on Pandora. The 3D wasn't just some stunt to get you in, it pulled you into the movie. Just my kind of movie, too. Simple storyline, lots of action, some sadness, some love, nature - what more could you ask? Ok, well I could ask to go to Pandora if it really existed.

I've been a fan of sci-fi since I began reading. Well, even before that. As a toddler I saw most of the old b-movies and loved them. No Disney fare for me; my mom took me to the real thing - "The Blob", "Invaders From Mars". Good stuff. "Star Wars" is one of my obsessions. "Star Trek" (the original) was one of my first TV have-to-sees.

Now there is "Avatar". Great stuff.

Post-Holiday

Well, Christmas was great. The whole day was low-key and comfortable.The gifts were not the central part, nor was the dinner (though both were good). The best part was being with people I loved and who loved me. We talked, we played a trivia game, we enjoyed each other. We experienced Christ in us. Just the way it should be.

It wasn't so much a bare-bones Christmas, as a pure-love Christmas.

Let's keep it going in the new year.

Merry Christmas

I refuse to wish someone Happy Holidays. I am not celebrating several holidays, I am celebrating Christmas. Christ's Mass. Christ. If I wish Merry Christmas to someone who is not a Christian, so be it. It is my holiday I am celebrating. If anyone would wish me a Happy Hannukah, or Kwanza, or whatever, I would graciously thank them for sharing their holiday blessings with me. I would not be offended, and hope that they will not be, either.

So, Merry Christmas to all of my readers, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, Hindu, Buddist, etc. (Forgive me for not knowing the names of all religions.) And may God bless you in the coming year.

 

Bare Bones Christmas

This year it seems as if everyone is having a "bare bones Christmas". Oh, there are decorations, but not too many. There are gifts, but so far small and meaningful. There have been celebrations, but they have been quiet and joy-filled.

 

Bare bones. Down to the important part. Down to Jesus.

 

That's what Christmas is all about.