Some Sundays end the way they should.
A good meal. Plates pushed back. Folks sitting around a little longer than planned. Nobody watching the clock. The talk wandering from one thing to the next, easy and unimportant in the best way. Somebody pours another cup of coffee or tea. Slices of pumpkin and pecan pies are served. Or maybe a slice of cake. Or two. And no one says much about it.
Those moments matter more than we sometimes realize at the time.
This morning in Honey Hill Country, the air feels different — softer somehow — as if the whole hollow has agreed to speak in a whisper. There is wood smoke lingering in the distance, a hush on the porch boards, and that rare kind of quiet that does not feel empty. It feels held.
Somewhere, a kettle is warming. Somewhere else, a pan of cinnamon rolls is nearly ready for the oven. Orange juice is being poured, chairs are being pulled close, and the day is just beginning to stretch awake.
And before the hours fill themselves with meals and messages, memories and visiting, Little Red Bear and I wanted to leave a small Christmas Blessing here — simple, neighbourly, and meant to be kept.
May your Christmas morning find you welcomed, whether your house is full of laughter and wrapping paper, or wrapped instead in a gentler quiet. Some folks wake today to stockings and noise and the happy clatter of family traditions. Others wake to softer rooms — and the quiet is not always easy.
So let this blessing be for both kinds of mornings.
For the full tables, and for the empty chairs.
For the hearts that feel light today, and for the ones doing their best just to carry kindness forward.
For joy that arrives easily — and for joy that must be noticed in smaller, braver ways.
May warmth find you today — in your kitchen, in your memories, or simply in the knowledge that you are not forgotten. May peace rest easy in your home, even if only for a moment at a time. And may the love that Christmas promises — quietly, faithfully, year after year — feel close enough to touch.
Little Red Bear padded in long enough to add this, and he insists it be included —
“If your heart feels full today, share it.
If it feels a little tender, guard it gently.
And either way — you belong at the table.”
From our little corner of Honey Hill Country to yours, we wish you a Christmas filled with warmth, grace, and the comfort of being held — by memory, by love, and by hope that still knows the way home.
— Jim (and Red!)
May warmth find your door, light fill your window, and peace know your name — this Christmas and always.
Merry Christmas.
Happy November!
A week ago I was dog and pet sitting for one of my sons while he and my daughter-in-law vacationed in Cancun, and leaves began to first display
Autumn colors here.
Then, on Monday and Tuesday of this week, 8 inches of rain soaked our area, caused widespread flooding along with many school closures, and blew newly colored leaves off trees already.
On Tuesday, folks headed to the polls in the Presidential election across the U.S., and officials declared Donald Trump the winner in a decisive victory.
And on Wednesday morning, following the overnight announcement of the election results, the world as we knew it ended. Or so it seemed anyway, as many around me fell into a sinking feeling of hopelessness, depression, and despair. Feeling drowned and done in by both the rain and the election.
Well, let’s talk about that. Because talking about problems and bringing them out into the light of day can help us to not only work thru what is bothering us but also to figure out what we can do about it all going forward.
Welcome to my Writing Pages and the first official entry for the new year — 2022!
Wow, where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday that the Christmas and Holiday Seasons were just beginning. And now we are already in the second week of January!
Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? How is it going? Please don’t be shy. Feel
free to share your resolutions and progress in the Comments!
I have read that about 40% of Americans make resolutions for the new year and that roughly 75% of people who actually do make resolutions are still successful in sticking with them after the first week. After that, the sticktoitiveness seems to taper off.
Sadly, only about 8% actually succeed in keeping to their New Year’s Resolutions in the end. But, that is 8% of us who are hopefully all the better for the experience! So you go, all you little resolutors out there! We’re rootin’ for you to follow thru to the end and succeed!
The only resolution that I made for the new year is to get back to writing consistently. That involves sharing more new materials on the Writing Pages and lighting a fire under my story character friend Little Red Bear’s furry butt to get some new stories and at least one more book assembled and published by the end of the year. So far, so good, as evidenced by this new post today. But enough about that.
Getting to the subject then, as the new year was just beginning a week ago someone asked me what quotes most influence me regarding how I live my life, guiding principles, etc. I had to think about that. But not for long, really. The answer was quite obvious once I put my mind to it.
As followers here know, I tend to share a number of relevant quotes at the end of each writing piece. Writing topics thru the year here range in subject matter from Positivity, Kindness, Compassion, Children, Family, Environment, Conservation, Wildlife, Writing Topics, and Holiday Features, to plain old silly and humorous pieces now and then just for fun. And the list of my quote influencers is long, from Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin to the Dalai Lama and Dr. Seuss. So, that is quite a range of accompanying quotes from which to be asked to pick out a few favorites.
How about this one perhaps, from “The Simpsons” TV show —
Of course, despite the fine, emboldening quote, it turns out little Lisa Simpson, dutifully doing her due diligence researching more into the town hero’s background, later discovered that Jebediah
Smith had previously been known as ‘Hans Sprungfeld’, a murderous pirate. The local town hero was, in fact, a fraud.
And that is always the risk in quickly grabbing any “quote to suit occasion” without researching if it is really true and factual, or not. Abraham Lincoln nailed it right on the head. Or did he really say that?!? Random quoting can be a tricky business if one is not careful.
Seriously though, ol’ Jebediah and Abraham Lincoln aside, there is no question about my most favorite quote, the guiding principle which governs and influences everything I do in my life and always has — “The Golden Rule”.
Growing up, The Golden Rule was always prominently displayed on a kitchen plaque on the wall, placed right above the kitchen table where we could not help but see it. This verse was my Mother’s favorite Bible passage and she never wasted an opportunity to apply it in any situation. I grew up with it, and do my very best to live up to it every day.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” — Short and simply stated, but it seems to encompass it all, doesn’t it?
In the same vein and going right along with The Golden Rule is another guiding quote and principle in my daily life and the way I go about things —
Simple kindness and going about treating others as you would like to be treated yourself. They both tend to get a lot of lip service it seems, but the world would be a lot kinder and gentler place for us all if more folks put
those few simple words into true practice, don’t you think?
So, those are the principal guiding quotes in my life, influencing my approach to writing, my Little Red Bear stories, how I conduct myself, my relationships with others and the world around me. Guiding everything I do in my life.
I invite you to visit with some of my writing friends to see the quotes which most influence their lives going into the new year —
Sandra Bennett → “A Few Favourite Quotes to Live by in the New Year”
Rosie Russell’s ‘Books By Rose’ → “Four Special Quotes To Consider For 2022”
Carmela Dutra → “Favorite Quotes to Live By in the New Year”
Rebecca Lyndsey → “A Whole New Year”
Julie Gorges → “Favorite Quotes to Live By in the New Year”
A simple kind word or gesture costs nothing and yet has the power to possibly help turn someone’s challenging day or entire life around. Another of my Mother’s favorite
sayings was —
“You Reap What You Sow”
I choose to sow Kindness. How about you?
Thank you for visiting today! I hope everything is going well for you and yours as we step further into the new year now.
Little Red Bear joins with me in sending along very best wishes for a safe, happy, and healthy year ahead!
‘Til next time — Jim (and Red!) 🤠 🐻
If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “I Will Greet This Day With Love In My Heart” and Wishing You Deep Peace, Love, Happiness, and Joy – And A Very Good Day!
(New Visitors — Welcome! To find out what we are all about here, please check out — “Welcome To My Writing Pages!” and “About the Blog, Jim, & Little Red Bear” — and sign up to follow and be notified of every new post and feature!)
“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are but tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends — “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods . . . .”
“Lift up your hearts. Each new hour holds new chances for new beginnings.”
– Maya Angelou
This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no 
income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating.
If you enjoy your visits and time with us, I invite you to Join our new Patron Community today, because together we can do so much!
With the help of patrons, we are able to donate free print copies of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear: The First Holler!” to Senior Citizens, School Libraries and Classrooms, and to those who could otherwise not obtain a copy.
Patrons also help my friend Little Red Bear and me to continue this as a Non-Monetized site free of distracting advertisements, dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes while sharing positive messages of Happiness, Inspiration, Kindness, Environmental Awareness, and Conservation with everyone.
We invite you to Join Us In Making A Positive Difference In The World!
“Here is the secret of happiness: Forget yourself and think of others.” – Paramananda
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy Holiday Season to everyone!
Some writer friends and I are taking a few minutes this month, some to recall treasured holiday memories and traditions, and others to take a look back at the writing year soon coming to a close. I invite you to check out their thoughts later, listed at the end of this post.
For me, the morning of December 9th, 1965 found me one week away from my 16th birthday, approaching nearly not fast enough at the time, as you may well imagine — The Big 16!
That evening featured the debut of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on the CBS television network, based on my favorite comic strip “Peanuts” by creator Charles Schulz. The
show remains a much-anticipated classic and delight each holiday season for millions of viewers to this day and an annual highlight of my family’s Christmastime.
I honestly do not believe that Charles Shulz, the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip, ever envisioned the impact this simply created little show would have over time. Nevertheless, over fifty years of continuous broadcasts and changing times have not diluted or diminished the show’s impactful messages.
While there are many discussion themes running thru the story, the most poignant for 
me has always been Linus’s speech on stage, responding to a frustrated Charlie Brown’s question of — “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!?”
At this time of year, trying to keep our wits about us while navigating thru and around all the hustle and bustle of crowded malls, traffic, grocery shopping, cookie exchanges, decorating, children’s school plays and activities, holiday parties, family pictures and greeting cards, boxes, packages, wrappings, and bows, all while trying to out-maneuver porch pirates from swiping online deliveries, do you ever find yourself wondering the same question — “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Sometimes we simply need to pause, taking a moment to catch our breath, and reflect.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” — Dr. Seuss
As one of my sometimes forgetful uncles used to say years ago — “I don’t need to be told, but I do occasionally need to be reminded.”
In reply to his friend Charlie Brown, Linus took the stage to remind us all —
“And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid.
“And the angel said unto them — “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
“And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and goodwill toward men.”
And that is what Christmas is all about. For Charlie Brown. For Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy. For us all. The reason for the season, as they say.
Not to be found in a store, Christmas it turns out, does indeed mean a goodly bit more.
Linus is famously noted for carrying around his trusted security blanket with him wherever he goes. Held tightly fast and never let go lest panic ensues. Have you ever
noticed that at the point when Linus repeats the words of the angel “Fear not!” that the blanket is suddenly on the floor beside him, confidently lain aside until he once again retrieves it at the end of the presentation?
There are subtle messages and lessons to be found in Linus’ simple action and demonstration of faith for us all this Christmas Season.
As Ebenezer Scrooge even came to realize in the end — “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!”
Peace, Good Will, Kindness, Generosity, Charity, Compassion, Empathy, Love — none of these are or should be exclusive or seasonal things, as each of us should truly keep them in our hearts throughout the year.
The Christmas Season is an annual reminder of how we should be always, for everyone and all things in this miraculous and beautiful world we all share and call home. Sometimes we do not need to be told, but occasionally do need to be reminded.
Thru the inspiration of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts”, Charlie Brown and Linus remind us of the real meaning of the Christmas Season each year.
Thank You for visiting with us! In a period when it seems 
so much and so many seek to divide us, perhaps the Christmas Season is a time when we can all set aside differences for a while, come together in the spirit of the season, and just perhaps, realize that in coming together, like Charlie Brown’s little Christmas tree, that those things are really not so divisive and bad, after all.
Wishing you and yours a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and Holiday Season!
A simple act of kindness or encouraging word can change someone’s entire life around. Will you do that for someone today?
In the Spirit of Christmas. — Jim (and Red!) 🤠 🐻
If you grew up with the Coca-Cola Santa image as I did as a baby boomer in the ’50s, you may also enjoy my piece on → “Haddon Sundblom, Coca-Cola and Santa Claus” 
(New Visitors — Welcome! To find out what we are all about here, please check out — “Welcome To My Writing Pages!” and “About the Blog, Jim & Little Red Bear”
(Then sign up to follow and be notified of every new post!)
I invite you to please visit with my other writer friends to discover more about their writing year and holiday season thoughts!
Cat Michaels — “My Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens on the 2019 Writing Road”
Rebecca Lyndsey — “December Dreamin’ – Holiday Traditions that Ring in My Season”
Julie Gorges — “Baby Boomer Writer’s Ups, Downs & In-Betweens in 2019”
Rosie Russell — “My Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens on the 2019 Writing Road”
Julie Schooler — “3 Writing Wins and Lessons in 2019”
Sandra Bennett — “December Dreaming – 5 Ways Looking Back Can Help You Look Forward”
“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” – Eric Sevareid
“Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” – Helen Steiner Rice
Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends — “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods . . . .”
“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” – Washington Irving
This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no 
income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating. If you enjoy your visits and time with us, Join our new Patron Community today, because together we can do so much!
With the help of patrons, each month we are able to donate free print copies of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear: The First Holler!” to Senior Citizens, Schools, Classrooms, and Local Libraries, and to those who could otherwise not obtain a copy.
Patrons also help my friend Little Red Bear and me to cover site fees, registrations and operating costs while continuing this as a non-monetized, ad-free site, dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes while sharing positive messages of happiness, inspiration, and kindness with everyone.
We invite you to join us in making a positive difference in the world!
“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” – Dale Evans Rogers
I always maintain that we are never too old to stop learning, having adventures, and experiencing new things. And to have fun while doing it, if for no other reason than it sure beats sitting home on the couch eating popcorn and grumbling about being bored.
For example, the other day I shared on my Facebook Page that right now I am at one of
my children’s homes for two weeks dog and pet-sitting while they are away cavorting around Disney World with Mickey Mouse and the gang.
Sitting for two families, watching over four dogs altogether, ranging in size from a very large and heavy German Shepherd to a lighter-than-a-feather long-haired Chihuahua, with a medium-sized mixed breed and five-month-old pug puppy completing the pack.
Back to experiencing new things then, just this morning, for example, I was awoken at 4:19 a.m. by the little black pug puppy standing on my pillow, urgently licking the bald spot on top of my head. We tend to take note and remember the exact time of such unique and momentous occurrences in our lives, don’t we?
Having written about a wide variety of animals and critters over the years with Little 
Red Bear in his adventure stories and being fluent to passable now in a number of animal languages and dialects, I immediately understood the message from the puppy to be —
“I need to go outside and pee right now and if I don’t you will be sleeping in a wet bed and it will not be my fault because I told you first hurry up I gotta go!”
As you can probably tell, especially in the middle of the night, puppies are more focused on delivering the message and not really yet into dramatic or purposeful pauses in their speech and dialogue at that stage.
Grasping the urgency of the message, I jumped out of bed, stepped into shorts, and moments later three adult dogs and I were standing in the backyard batting away
mosquitos and staring up at the moon and stars while the puppy watered the grass in the beam of my flashlight.
Despite the risk of a nervous neighbor reporting a half-dressed old stranger leaning on his cane with a flashlight in the backyard, a little black dog is hard to spot and keep track of in the dark of night, and we’ll just leave it at that. This fact attested to by movie ninjas dressing all in black, opting not to go on martial combat missions dressed as circus clowns. Although, clowns might actually be more terrifying for some, but that is perhaps a topic and post better suited for Halloween at a later time.
With a high degree of confidence, I can honestly state that the occurrence of having the bald spot on the top of my head frantically licked in the middle of the night 
was a new experience for me, as I have no recollection whatsoever of it ever having happened to me before.
Well, with the possible exception of that toothless Florida swamp zombie a few years ago, but his intent was so different I really don’t count that encounter the same.
And must admit that as far as the puppy licking my bald spot this morning is concerned, overall it was an unexpectedly energizing experience, not unlike the lemon juice 
thinking cap of Zaphod Beeblebrox in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. (Something to definitely check out.)
Despite suddenly waking from a very pleasant dream about a chocolate sundae in the park, I understood the importance and immediacy of the situation right off the bat and am proud to say I responded accordingly, as any responsible dog sitter would be expected to do. And also as someone very averse to sleeping on a soggy bed.
Ramblings aside, the message here is that it is important to remain open to new experiences, broaden our horizons and try new things in life. At every age. There is just too much of life going on around us to throw up personal isolationist barriers and walls to keep it out. Thru experience is how we learn and grow, after all, so we should always be open to an adventure and trying something new. It never gets old and helps to keep one from getting old in the process.
Who knows? A new experience may come disguised as an anxious and impatient puppy licking the top of your head in the middle of the night. We don’t always get to pick and choose our adventure experiences, so I have found over the years that it’s just best to roll with them, trusting that the Universe has it all under control. And if it doesn’t, well then, we’re kind of doomed like a dead duck so it won’t make any difference in the end, anyway.
As my story friend Little Red Bear observed and commented on life — “You might as well enjoy the show. There ain’t no refunds.”
So while rolling along thru life, we all need to remember to simply leave our cranky pants in the closet and look on the bright side when surprised, or when things don’t go our way or as imagined.
For several folks I have come across, I can imagine that suddenly being woken by frantic head-licking at four in the morning might have had a sour impact on them that no amount of morning coffee could have changed, perhaps even ruining their entire day. What fun is that? For anyone?
Call me crazy if you like, but I laughed about it. Personally, I had never been awakened by anyone of any species licking the top of my head before so just chalked it up to a
new experience, another added to the list. Even with the zombie fellow, I was already wide awake and active that day when the slobbering licking incident occurred so like I said, not really the same.
Life is much more enjoyable when we are able to look beyond the discomfort, inconvenience, or self-imposed misery of the moment and to find the humor in a situation.
Be happy. It is a choice, you know. I think the puppy was laughing about it, himself.
Thanks always for reading and visiting with us! We hope you enjoy your visits here and return often, if for no other reason than to check out the number of Short Works & 
Free Reads available whenever the reading urge strikes. A lot of cold and dark winter days await shortly over the horizon. Good reading time.
In my own reading the other day I came across a message from Dr. Wayne Dyer, not to seek peace, but rather to Be The Peace.
Please remember to be kind and live your life as though all of your children are watching. Because they are. And always choose to be happy. The folks around you will appreciate it. — Jim (and Red!)
If you enjoyed this piece, you may also enjoy → “Opting for Millstones or Milestones — “The Desiderata”
(If a new visitor — Welcome! To find out what we are all about here, please check out — “Welcome To My Writing Pages!” — and sign up to follow and be notified of every new post!)
“Choose being kind over being right and you’ll be right every time.” – Richard Carlson
“A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.” – A. A. Milne (‘Winnie the Pooh’)
Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends — “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods . . . .”
“The person who was holding me back from my happiness was me.” – Keanu Reeves
This is a purposefully non-monetized, ad-free site to be able to offer the most enjoyable reading and viewing experience for everyone, with all content freely shared, and generates no 
income to offset the costs of maintaining and operating. If you enjoy your visits and time with us, Join our new Patron Community today, because together we can do so much!
With the help of patrons, each month we are able to donate free print copies of “The Adventures of Little Red Bear: The First Holler!” to Senior Citizens, Schools, Classrooms, and Local Libraries, and to those who could otherwise not obtain a copy.
Patrons also help my friend Little Red Bear and me to cover sites fees, registrations and operating costs while continuing this as a non-monetized, ad-free site, dedicated solely to entertainment and educational purposes while sharing positive messages of happiness, inspiration, and kindness with everyone.
We invite you to join us in making a positive difference in the world!
“All the peace and happiness of the whole globe,
The peace and happiness of societies,
The peace and happiness of family,
The peace and happiness in the individual persons’ life,
And the peace and happiness of even the animals and so forth,
All depends on having loving kindness toward each other.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche
James Milson - The Writing Pages 