Hello all my streaming peeps~
I've been thinking about all of you but have had little energy to do any writing.
I hope everyone's Christmas or Solstice was as memorable as the one I shared with my family this year. Finally the holiday was about something more than "getting something". While I enjoy the giving and receiving of presents as much as anyone, it only represents the love in our hearts and I think hence, the reason we feel compelled to spend alot! Of course we want to shower those we love with gifts! Too often the point of the holiday becomes centered on that and it really loses meaning after awhile...this year though, we were a family reunited after about five years. My sister Barbara is responsible I guess...my brother's wife Mary emailed her inviting her for a holiday dinner and my sister responded by saying she wanted to see them but only if we all got together as a family. I think we were all alittle shocked when the answer came back yes. The week of planning after we received their rsvp was filled with happy anticipation and some nervousness...no one really knew what to expect. Christmas Day found us embracing, smiling and truly celebrating our reunion. Their little boy Kyle, who none of us have really gotten to know made the day even more special because most of the kids are grown up now and it's been a long time since there have been little ones entranced by the magic of the day. He was pure joy and watching him bounce around just like a kid made my day.
The return of my brother Wayne's boisterousness and loud humor brought tender remembrances and it felt so good to hear his booming voice and laughter. He sure keeps things lively!
His wife Mary has grown up a lot in the past few years (she's my daughter's age) and I think now that she is a mom and working woman, we will find much more in common.
Wayne's oldest son Adam from his first marriage, was just beaming from ear to ear, as were the other cousins and sisters. All of the young ones were devastated by the break in the family and I know our reunion was even more important to them.
And finally, my eighty year old mom got the Christmas she desired with her kids back together again. We all played our parts in the break up and she is not excluded; but at least now she can spend the last years of her life with a crowd surrounding her in joyful cacophony.
This was truly a Christmas with a reason for celebrating the birth of Love or Christ...in that spirit my family found it's way back home and for that, I am so grateful.
So, while I'm thinking about all of you and hoping your holiday was a fulfilling as my own, it has been a very exhausting time and it will take me a while to really recuperate. In the meantime, know that I miss all of you so much and hope I have renewed energy SOON!
Hugs and Love to all,
Pyewacket

The execution of Saddam Hussein was a cruel display of barbarism. 85% of the people polled agreed that he should die. All that was available to judge him was what we have been told in the media.
I'm very sad and feel compelled to pray for Saddam Hussein's soul, as well as the people that killed him for killing people....and yes, of course those souls which fell victim to his insanity; but how did he become insane? How did he rise to power in the first place? Do you know? Before you judge him, you should know.
Something is really wrong on this planet and killing people will never fix it.
In Spirit
Pye

To all my friends and terrific people here in the stream, have a warm and love filled holiday season.
I wanted to do something special here, but time is carrying me along like a wave in a hurricane and I've just had to go with it. Our Christmas celebration has now grown to include 14 people as we collect those who are alone along the way. I am so excited to share the joy with so many peeps and especially my brother and his family who have not celebrated with us for five years now. The only thing that could make our Christmas more perfect is our brother Bill and sister Diane joining us, and of course my son from across the ocean~
My heart is already bursting with happiness at a season which allows the true nature of our existence to come forth as we celebrate love and togetherness in so many different ways.
May your Christmas or Hanukkah be filled with the Light of Love and your hearts be filled with magic!
all my love and gratitude to you here in the stream.
Have a Merry, Happy, Joyous, Miraculas Christmas!!!
OOPS...I forget Happy Kwanzaa!!

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- This is a boomtown, but it is also scattered with signs of bust -- namely, homeless people. And the city is taking a hard line against them.

With mixed success in the courts and on the streets, Las Vegas has tried sweeping away their encampments, closing a park where they hang out, making it a crime to feed them, even passing a ban on sleeping within 500 feet of feces.

Mayor Oscar Goodman has been leading the charge in his effort to clean up and revitalize the city's aging downtown, north of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

The booming Las Vegas area of 1.8 million people expands by more than 5,000 a month but also counts 14,500 homeless people.

Goodman, a former lawyer for the mob with a flair for the dramatic, said many of the homeless are ruining things for their neighbors by breaking the law while on drugs and alcohol, and "that's intolerable to me." He said the goal is to get homeless people to use shelters and other services available to the poor.

The crackdown has alarmed the homeless and their defenders.

Several women I know, including myself, have been forced to go the local shelter which houses both the homeless and victims of domestic violence. There are very few murders in Ithaca, but one of them took place at the shelter. It's in the worst part of town and it's so rundown and ramshackled that no one would even believe it's a shelter.
It is't clean and all the second-hand mattresses smell of urine. If you go to the shelter, you have to be in by 10pm with lights out at 11. They lock the doors so you can't get out and make you leave the shelter at 7 am. Even though you might have no where to go, you still must leave.
The one night I tried to stay there, they locked me in with a woman who was completely psychotic who told me cockroaches were eating her brain and that the radio was constantly broadcasting her personal business. As I listened to her argue alone in the next room, I panicked, rang the emergency number and insisted they allow me to leave. I spent the rest of the night in my car in a parking lot. When I went to ask for help from Social Services, they called me a liar and refused to give me help. Even showing them the car with my bedding it it didn't convince them. I ended up going back to the abusive household I'd been in for another eight years.
Another friend of mine attempted to go to the shelter and was given the same sort of runaround. I finally wrote to Red Cross and told them about all the problems at the shelter. They responded with a bad attitude and told me to complain to whoever owned the shelter...well, it's the Red Cross Shelter...duh. When I informed them of that fact, I never heard from them again. By the way, I will not give money to the Red Cross anymore and I always have if I was able. Between their handling of Katrina and my own experiences I no longer trust this institution to make good use of the funds it is given.