Snow Moon Rising

The Snow Moon rises today, glowing bright against the muted light of late winter.

For generations, people knew February’s full moon as the Snow Moon. It marked the coldest stretch of winter, a time of survival, patience, and quiet strength.

The name carries both starkness and hope: a reminder that even when the world feels still and silent, the earliest signs of new life are gathering beneath the surface.

Traditionally, the Snow Moon symbolised patience, resilience, and the slow, quiet preparation for spring.

Endurance – moving steadily through challenging seasons
Clarity – winter stripping things back to what truly matters
Renewal – the subtle beginnings of new energy forming beneath the surface
Trust – believing in cycles even when progress is hidden

Winter’s stillness can feel stark, but it also helps us see what matters, and what doesn’t. This full moon encourages us to slow down, conserve our energy, and prepare internally for the new cycle ahead.

The Snow Moon invites gentle reflection:

Where can you soften your grip?
Where can you let stillness support you?
Where might rest be the medicine you’ve been avoiding?

From the Serendipity Corner
Photo from Pinterest

Silence is Healing

“When I am silent, I fall into the place where everything is music.” — Rumi

Whew, it’s definitely time for a Rumi quote to bring down sky high BP.

Today is Martin Luther King Day and that petty psychopathic orange POS removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days for our national parks and replaced them with days like Flag Day (his birthday).

My governor, California’s Governor Newsom, countered by making over 200 California State Parks free on MLK Day.

Enjoy this silent and stark tree from Mt. San Jacinto near Palm Springs, California.

Silence is healing.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Terrible Things Are Happening

This is the reality of where we are, and anyone who might disagree is living in a fantasy. It’s time to take off the rose-colored glasses and WAKE UP to things like the murder of Renee Good (and others), Minnesota, ICE, Venezuela, Greenland, and what’s happening in your communities and mine, too.

Will you join the growing numbers of us who refuse to allow this travesty to continue? When this hell is finally over and we can once again breathe, will you be on the right side of the roaring rapids?

I’m cautiously optimistic that a slight ray of light might be emerging.

According to John Pavlovitz, this will all be over soon, America. The sundowning of the MAGA movement is upon us. The signs are everywhere.

As much as History can be an albatross in moments like these, alerting us to the terrifying ways in which we are repeating the past pathologies of inhumanity, she can also be a source of comfort; a reminder of the inevitability of the endings of all evil things.

If we consult her with a clear head, she’ll remind us that all brutal empires fall,
that all hateful movements dissolve, that every seemingly bulletproof regime reaches its extinction, and that all malevolent momentary victors eventually find themselves defeated and driven out.

Every time the pendulum has swung wildly toward barbarism in a society, it has invariably come back with even greater opposite force to bend the arc of the moral universe back toward justice again.

And History tells us that, despite the story in our heads or the one that comes through the partisan propaganda that we’re continually saturated by, our brutal national nightmare is likely in its final hours.

Few cults survive the passing of their leaders, and MAGA will not outlive the departure of Donald Trump from the White House or from this earth, whichever comes first. Read the full story here: https://johnpavlovitz.com/2025/12/02/the-maga-nightmare-is-almost-over-america/

I have edited this to add an important and powerful letter from Hillary and Bill Clinton to James Comer, responding to their refusal to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein:

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
January 13, 2026

Chairman Comer,

We want to take a moment, given everything, to address you directly.

This past year has seen our Government engage in unprecedented acts, including against our own citizens. People have been seized by masked federal agents from their homes, their workplaces, and the streets of their communities. Students and scientists with visas permitting them to study and work here have been deported without due process. The people who laid siege to the U.S. Capitol have been pardoned and called heroes. Agencies vital to the country’s national security have been dismantled. Universities, media companies, and law firms have been subjected to threats to their funding, access, and licensing unless they made concessions and surrendered their right to constitutionally protected free speech. American troops have been deployed on the streets of our towns and cities. The Justice Department has been used as a weapon, at the direction of the President, to pursue political opponents. And most recently and searingly, an ICE agent killed an unarmed mother only days ago.

Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences.

For us, now is that time.

We are lucky by virtue of the positions we held, and the protections afforded by them. But we are not blind. Every day we see the country we have dedicated our lives to improving take step after step after step backwards.

As chairman of this powerful congressional committee, you have immense power to target anyone and subject them to closed door interrogation and more. The decisions you have made, and the priorities you have set as chairman regarding the Epstein investigation, have prevented progress in discovering the facts about the government’s role.

The facts speak for themselves: You subpoenaed eight people in addition to us. You dismissed seven of those eight without any of them saying a single word to you. You made no attempt to force them to appear. In fact, since you started your investigation last year, you have interviewed a total of two people. Two.

A legal analysis prepared by two law firms and provided to you yesterday makes clear your subpoenas are legally invalid. You claim your subpoenas are inviolate when they are used against us yet were silent when the sitting President took the same position, as a former president, barely more than three years ago. We call on you to release that analysis to the public to allow them to see how this is yet another example of the casual disregard of the law of the land. All the while, you have done nothing with your oversight capacity to force the Department of Justice to follow the law and release all its Epstein files, including any material regarding us as we have publicly called for.

Over the last year in the House, extending health care for Americans in any state succeeded only because enough Republicans joined with Democrats. The fact that the public and we are seeing any of the Department of Justice’s Epstein files is only because four Republicans, out of 220, joined every Democrat to reach the minimum number of Members to force a vote. You were not one of those four. Even now, despite the Department of Justice’s failure to follow the law the Congress passed, you have chosen not to consider subpoenaing the sitting Attorney General to follow the law.

Despite everything that needs to be done to help our country, you are on the cusp of bringing Congress to a halt to pursue rarely used process literally designed to result in our imprisonment. This is not the way out of America’s ills, and we will forcefully defend ourselves.

Indeed, bringing the Republicans’ cruel agenda to a standstill while you work harder to pass a contempt charge against us than you have done on your investigation this past year would be our contribution to fighting the madness.

We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific. If the Government didn’t do all it could to investigate and prosecute these crimes, for whatever reason, that should be be the focus of your work – to learn why and to prevent that from happening ever again. There is no evidence that you are doing so. Instead, you have forced the victims to relive their painful experiences, while doing little to give them and everybody else what’s deserved: truth and justice. There is no plausible explanation for what you are doing other than partisan politics.

You accepted the least from those who know the most but demand the most from those who know the least. To say you can’t complete your work without speaking to us is simply bizarre.

You have asked what we know. To answer your inquiry, we are providing you with the same or more than seven of the other eight individuals you subpoenaed regarding the handling of the Epstein investigations and prosecutions, which may be why you have not publicly released their written statements.

We expect you will say it is not enough. We expect you’ll reject it. You may even set out an empty empty chair chair o or stand in front of the cameras and outright dismiss what we have provided. We expect you will direct your committee to seek to hold us in contempt. You may even release irrelevant, decades-old photos that you hope will embarrass us. You will say your caucus, and the Speaker and the President are behind you 100%. We hope, perhaps in vain, that they will not allow you to singlehandedly hijack the Congress by unilaterally making this decision for your colleagues, your party, and our country.

You will say it is not our decision to make. But we have made it. Now you have to make yours.

We are prepared to make our case to your 45 committee members, and if need be, more. Importantly, we also will defend ourselves in the public arena and ensure this country knows exactly what you are doing and why you are doing so, instead of helping the American people who need this Congress’s work and protection.

For most people, maybe even the bulk of the Congress, today will be the first they learn of this dispute. We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those think are your friends.

Continue to mislead Americans about what is truly at stake, and you will learn that Americans are better at finding the truth than you are at burying it.

Continue to pursue autopens instead of penning laws Americans need, and you will learn that you are signing away any remaining chance of being on the right side of history.

Continue to abet the dismantling of America, and you will learn that it takes more than a wrecking ball to demolish what Americans have built over 250 years.

Sincerely,

[signed] Bill Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinto

K Pop Demon Hunters

First it was a unicorn obsession, now it’s this…have you heard of K Pop Demon Hunters? It’s a global phenomenon.

K Pop Demon Hunters

Up until a couple months ago, I never had heard of them, but it became front and center on my radar because of Angel Girl and what she wanted for Christmas and Hanukkah.

That’s all she asked for–ANYTHING Demon Hunter-related, and those are the songs she wants to listen to (NOT Leon Russell lolz), which meant I had to educate myself FAST so I would know what it’s all about.

K-pop stands for Korean Pop, referring to popular music originating from South Korea, known for its blend of diverse musical styles (pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic) and highly visual, performance-focused productions, often featuring idol groups with synchronized choreography and elaborate fashion. It’s more than just a genre; it’s a cultural phenomenon with a massive global following. 

KPop Demon Hunters is about a world-famous K-pop girl group — Huntrix — who secretly use their music and powers to fight demons and maintain the magical barrier (Honmoon) protecting the human world. Their mission becomes complicated when a rival demon boy band, the Saja Boys, tries to steal their fans’ souls, especially as one member, Rumi, grapples with being half-demon herself. The film blends K-pop, action, comedy, and Korean folklore, exploring themes of self-acceptance, shame, and finding strength in community, all set against the backdrop of a musical battle for humanity’s souls. 

Some online pearl clutcher types have expressed concern about of the Demon Hunters messages but there are far more important things to worry about in this world, in my opinion. I’m not all that happy about the merchandising aspect of it, but I’ll support what the Angel Kids like, whether it’s unicorns or skateboarding, ‘cos that’s what grandmas do.

Angel Girl’s favorite character is Zoey, and I was able to procure a Zoey bobblehead that she adored, along with some of the figures to hang on her backpack, and posters for her bedroom wall. Other family members gifted her with sweatshirts and clothing, so I think she’s a happy Angel Girl.

And now you know about as much as I do about K pop Demon Hunters. Let’s just hope I can figure out how to create a Demon Hunter birthday cake when it’s that time again…

An American Nightmare

I couldn’t find an inspirational quote to distract me from the horrific news I woke up to yesterday morning, as if things here couldn’t get any worse. I mean, is there no longer a working Constitution?

Did you hear about the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, being captured by American forces and flown out of the country?

I don’t know much at all about Venezuela or Maduro or his wife, but I do know that this has nothing to do with drugs or drug cartels.

WTAF? Can’t ANYONE stop him?

it’s more likely about OIL to enrich him and his billionaire cohorts, to stay out of prison, and perhaps to further distract us from his disgusting obsession with underage females.

As the heat turns up on the Epstein files, that orange POS will continue to perform insane stunts to keep us from learning even more about what a vile, despicable, sociopathic person he really is.

Didn’t that orange POS just free a big drug kingpin Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, who was serving a forty-five year prison sentence?

Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do but shake our collective heads and hope Congress wakes up, does their job, and removes him from office, along with all of the people he brought with him.

There are legitimate questions regarding this attempt to oust Maduro and if they were genuine events or staged stunts, just like contrived “assassination attempt” or even what happened to that podcaster, Kirk. I think the bottom line is that nothing he or his administration says or does should be believed. They are evil incarnate.

I’m so tired and afraid of this dark energy clouding everything and ruining what is good about America. If only Hilary or Kamala were President now, none of this would be happening.

When will we wake up from this nightmare?

Is It Rude To Dispose of Your Dog’s Poop in Someone Else’s Trash Can?

Yes. It’s rude. It’s disgusting and stinky and gross and can be left behind when the trash is emptied. 

Somebody keeps throwing their dog poop bags in my trash can. It occurs after I put the cans out before our regular pick up day.

THIS time I saw who did it only they ran away and I wasn’t able to follow them, but that proves they were obviously aware of their stupid action. I didn’t recognize the neighbor OR his dog, so I don’t know who it is.

I fished the VERY FULL bag of poop out of my trash can and left it on the curb.

I can’t understand why it’s so hard for someone to just take THEIR poop home. It’s not mine and I don’t want it. Don’t get a dog if you can’t handle carrying a poop bag. It’s poor etiquette as well as being lazy and RUDE, perhaps illegal.

While not explicitly a separate criminal offense in all cases, putting dog poop in someone else’s private residential bin in Carlsbad without their permission is a form of unauthorized dumping or theft of services, and it could lead to legal fines or civil action. 

  • Unauthorized Use: Trash collection is a paid private service to the homeowner, so using their bin without consent is essentially using their property and services without permission. This can cause issues for the homeowner, such as the bin reaching maximum weight limits, which could result in extra fees.
  • Carlsbad Municipal Code: Carlsbad, like many California cities, requires dog owners to immediately clean up and properly dispose of their pet’s waste in a trash receptacle. The law emphasizes that disposal must be done appropriately.
  • Illegal Dumping Statutes: Under California Penal Code § 374.3 PC, it is a crime to dump “waste matter” on private property without the owner’s consent. While this is usually an infraction with a fine, repeated offenses or significant amounts of waste can escalate the penalties.
  • Nuisance and Trespassing: The act of walking onto a private driveway or property to deposit waste without permission can also be considered trespassing or a public nuisance. 

In short, it is considered inconsiderate and can be illegal. The proper disposal method is to use your own trash bin or a public pet waste station. 

It’s not just about me. This behavior tells me you don’t care about our public workers at all. You’re fine with the trash folks having to handle bins that are lined with excrement.

In the summer time it turns into a shit soup that reeks to high heaven. It disgusts me that some of my neighbors have no respect for ME or the people who literally do your dirty work.

A little Googling reveals that this seems to be a frustrating and RUDE problem everywhere, not just in my community, as it’s essentially illegal dumping and disrespectful. 

Here are some solutions that are offered online:

Simple and Non-Confrontational:

  • Signs: Place a clear sign on the lid saying “No Dog Poop” or “Not a Public Bin”. 
  • Relocate Bin: Keep your bin in a garage or fenced yard until collection day to make it less accessible. 
  • Physical Barriers: Use a heavy brick on the lid or a bungee cord/strap to keep it shut. 

More Direct Solutions:

  • Talk to Neighbors: Politely explain the issue; they may not realize how bothersome it is. 
  • Bin Locks: Invest in a lockable strap or padlock for your bin. 
  • Security Camera: A camera can deter offenders and provide evidence if needed. 

Last Resort:

  • Check Local Laws: Some areas have ordinances against using private bins for public waste; contact your local council. 
  • Document & Report: If it continues, you can document it and report it as illegal dumping to local authorities. 

Is this a problem where you live? How do you deal with it? I’d love to hear any suggestions…

Winter Solstice and Mother’s Night 2025

Mother’s Night (Mōdraniht) is an ancient Germanic/Anglo-Saxon tradition, celebrated on the eve of the Winter Solstice, marking the first night of Yule to honor ancestral mothers, female deities like Frigg, and the divine feminine, to focus on nurturing, protection, and rebirth. It’s a solemn yet festive night for remembrance, offerings, and connecting with life’s cycles, often involving candles, feasts, and rituals for the “Disir” (mother spirits). 

The first thing that comes to my mind is to honor my very own Mother Spirit with some yummy chocolate, so I will!

Winter solstice —
the farthest touch
of dark.
The sun’s been
arching back,
breathing behind the clouds,
taking its time,
waiting
for you, too. –Tanya Markul

Here are a few positive affirmations to greet this winter solstice:

Embrace the Darkness – I welcome the darkness, for within it lies the seeds of new beginnings.
Find Inner Light – I am a beacon of light, radiating warmth and positivity even in the coldest of times.
Release and Renew – I release what no longer serves me, making space for growth and transformation.
Connect with Nature – I am attuned to the rhythms of the Earth, finding harmony in its cycles.
Cultivate Gratitude – I am grateful for the lessons of the past and the opportunities of the future.


Curated from rebeccadouglas.co.uk

Hell on Earth

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.
William Shakespeare

After last night’s horrific anti-Semitic massacre at Bondi Beach in Australia during a Hanukkah celebration and the violence at Brown University in Rhode Island, at least right now, this world we inhabit is not a warm and loving place.

I spent quite a bit of time in Providence while DIL was there getting her doctorate and Angel Boy was at Yale doing the same thing. I walked around the campus and the neighborhood, even Governor Drive where there was a report of another incident which proved to be false.

When AB endured his serious medical scare, he was at the same Rhode Island hospital where the shooting victims were taken because it’s the closest trauma center. These poor kids were simply taking their mid-term exams when they were attacked.

It looks like they have a suspect in custody, but the damage is done. I read that at least two of the students had already witnessed other school shootings.

What a hellish world this is.

Lost Inside of You

Did you know that Leon Russell wrote “Lost Inside of You” with the one and only Barbra Streisand? The hit song was recorded for the movie, A Star is Born, and that’s Leon on the soundtrack. He will forever be the one and only Master of Space and Time, a musical, visionary genius.

Barbra Streisand took on the lead female role of Esther Hoffman in the 1976 remake of the 1954 film A Star Is Born, opposite Kris Kristofferson as John Norman Howard, an aging singer engulfed by excesses and demons.

Howard’s road manager was portrayed by Gary Busey, a friend of and drummer for (as Teddy Jack Eddy) Leon Russell. Busey introduced Barbra to Leon, and while at her Malibu ranch, Barbra and Leon wrote “Lost Inside of You”.

It was included in the film, on the soundtrack, and as a B-side to Barbra’s single “Comin’ In And Out Of Your Life” from her 1981 hits album Memories. The soundtrack album has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and Memories did well with over 10,000,000 in sales worldwide, earning Russell loads of money in royalties as a songwriter. From Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade

I love knowing that Barbra Streisand collaborated with Leon and I love hearing him play the piano. I wish I had a photo of the two of them. One day, it would be my dream to chat with her about it.

A small anecdote about my six degrees connection to Barbra Streisand is that I once met and had lunch on set with her husband, James Brolin, when he did some filming locally. He was SUPER nice and welcoming. It was a special day and if you’re wondering, he’s even more handsome up close.

P.S. And did you know that Streisand’s co-star in A Star is Born, Kris Kristofferson, was married to Rita Coolidge, who was once upon a time Leon Russell’s girlfriend? Leon’s song, Delta Lady, was written about her. Cool info, huh?

Rest In Peace Sophie Kinsella, Confessions of a Shopaholic

“…nothing haunts us like the things we didn’t buy.” Quote from Becky Bloomwood/Confessions

There’s sad news to report from the literary world.

Author Sophie Kinsella died yesterday. I didn’t know that she had been diagnosed with a glioblastoma in 2022, which is one of the deadliest and most aggressive types of brain cancer.

I loved all of her books and probably have read everything she’s ever written. The first two novels in the Shopaholic series were adapted for the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

“That moment. That instant when your fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag–and all the gorgeous new things inside it becomes yours. What’s it like? It’s like going hungry for days, then cramming your mouth full of warm buttered toast.” Becky Bloomwood/Confessions

Those who dismiss her books as merely frivolous rom-com or chick lit don’t take into consideration the amount of work and talent it takes to write great dialogue and create characters that come to life.

RIP Sopie Kinsella. She’s survived by her husband and their five children.

And me? I’m still searching for that perfect green scarf. IYKYK

“You speak…PRADA?” Becky Bloomwood/Confessions

Here’s a trailer for the film, Confessions of a Shopaholic. I’m going to watch it again this weekend.