We are now in the second week of Advent. This lit candle symbolizes Faith, reminding us of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. 

When we travel to Israel we always make it a point to visit Bethlehem. Visiting Bethlehem has changed since early 2000’s, when the wall that separates the West Bank was erected.  Many tourists do not want to bother with crossing the border due security issues. Believe it or not, some tourists visit Bethlehem because of the graffiti artwork on the wall. There are plenty of political messages, because this wall, which is not yet completed, is over 400 miles long.  The most profound graffiti messages are found in larger cities like Bethlehem. The Walledoff  Hotel is now a popular tourist site. Its popularity is due to its location in front of the graffiti artwork of Banksy, an artist and political activist who also happens to own the hotel.

Depending who you ask the wall is either a hindrance or a blessing. I know for a fact that it has hurt the the economy of the Palestinians, and separated families. To the Jews it has almost completely stopped the suicide bombing. It’s a paradoxical situation, and still no peace.

At the security checkpoint, if our tour guide is Jewish, he/she can only bring us to the border. A Palestinian guide must take over the tour in a different bus. We must  have our passports in hand because several Israeli soldiers with really huge rifles get on the bus to make sure we are who we say we are.

There is no shortage of the visible Israeli soldiers. They are at almost every point, most of them being in their early twenties. Men serve for three years and young women are required to serve their country for two years. You will not see any Israeli police or Israeli army personnel  in Bethlehem, (unless it’s a raid), and many times as I have been there, I have never witnessed any Jewish authorities in this area.

We visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, because the Church of the Nativity is the home of the original “Nativity.” This church was built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus. The Church of the Nativity is one the oldest functioning Christian churches in the world. It is by far one of the most interesting sites and a must see while visiting the Holy Land. 

As you pass through the small opening to the main church, even I have to crouch to enter into this passage. This doorway was made small in order to prevent large animals from entering the church.

There is always a long wait, to go down  narrow marble steps to reach the star where Jesus was born. Usually you come across rude foreigners that push their way through to get there sooner. I sometimes fall into this category, only because one of my biggest pet peeves is someone taking cuts  in line, I stand by this principle. The only exception I will make occurs when the person taking the cuts suffers from unbearable body odor.

As a pilgrim, I experience the Church of the Nativity not only as holy, but with great reverence. Though we are only permitted to stay and pray a short period, we cherish these few minutes.  If you are blessed, there is an area where you can sit and pray to the left of the Star, but is it rarely available. Last year my friend Jane and I sat and prayed until we were asked to leave. We could have stayed for hours.

According to an article from the National Catholic Register, (December 19 ,2016.) In 1950, Bethlehem, along with surrounding villages were 86% Christian. Now the population across the West Bank, Christians represent less than 2%. 

St. Francis of Assisi was the first to introduce the Nativity scene into the world.

St. Francis had a special devotion to the Child Jesus. St. Francis was inspired after visiting the Holy Land  and the humble stable, a Bethlehem cave. In the year 1223, with the permission from Pope Honorius III, on Christmas Eve, St. Francis set up a manger in the village of Grecio, Italy, with hay and two live  animals. There St. Francis preached about “the Babe of Bethlehem.” St. Francis was so overcome by emotion  that he could not say “Jesus.” So the first Nativity did not have Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, or wise men either, just a ox and an ass. 

I love all Nativities, and in our home they are everywhere. I have some from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Spain, Bethlehem, and of course, Costco. 

As we gaze upon the Nativity let us be mindful of Christmas, so that we can draw closer to the real gifts God has set aside for us. We all have special gifts because we serve a benevolent Father. This Christmas ask Him for your special gift.

My husband Mike lovingly prepares our entire Thanksgiving meal. He’s not the come-alongside-me chef, but more of a loner in the kitchen; cooking this dinner is serious business. My job is setting the table and getting the house ready for our family and our our special guests, our daughter-in-law’s parents Mick and Jean who live in Minnesota. I also prepare spiritually.

Before  the Blessed Sacrament (Adoration), I pray that we all get along, and that if politics comes up,  I will not get caught up in defending my stand. I pray that all of our grandchildren get along, but mostly I pray that the peace of God be in our midst.

Maddie, our oldest grandchild, for the last few years, has been lovingly making our seating tags. These place cards are creative and personal,  depicting different themes of Thanksgiving. I gave our grandson Will a choice of Scriptures on Thanksgiving to read, Will read from Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”   Our son Mikos said grace, and with that we were ready to dig in.

I can only try to explain how delicious Mike’s meal turned out. I was the least surprised because I witnessed all the hard labor of love that Mike put into our feast. For every Thanksgiving, Mike starts Wednesday with brining the turkey overnight, and then prepping for his famous tortilla stuffing.  He gets up at the crack of dawn and works throughout the morning. I help with cleaning up, but mostly I need to stay out of the kitchen, because Mike needs his space.

Jenny is in charge of the salad, and she always uses romaine lettuce, but sadly all romaine lettuce was pulled off the shelves due to an E. coli outbreak. My heart breaks for the farmers, and the great loss they are going to experience, because all the romaine lettuce is tagged and must be discarded. Most of this product comes from California, and framers here supply most of the USA with lettuce. Jenny used butter lettuce instead, and we all loved the new flavor. Sonja made Pumpkin Pies, Turtle Cheese Cake, and Pecan Pie that was a little runny, but delicious. A sweet friend of ours, Natalia, stopped by with chocolate cupcakes; that were topped with pumpkin cream cheese frosting, and we had so many different choices that I had a little of all desserts. There is always a price to pay for gluttony, aside from the scale tipping in the wrong direction, my face was broken out with unwanted blemishes.

While I was Christmas shopping at Marshalls, I noticed a Bingo game, I don’t know why, but the image of the game stayed in my head and I felt a strong urging to purchase the game; however I did not buy it.  Several days later I went to Home Goods and purchased the last Bingo game in the store. I also purchased several gifts for the prizes. This little old-fashioned game was a huge hit. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone loved it, and we ended with a cash blackout bonus.

The importance of any game is to keep the kids off their electronics and to experience real interaction with the rest of the family. Electronic gadgets are quietly ruining a generation of kids, and I am concerned about several things, including the lack of exercise, and placing the device on their laps. I always ask my grandkids, “Do you want to have children when you get married? Then you need to place a pillow on your lap when you’re using your iPad.”  Only God knows what type of emissions we are being exposed to.

Our daughter Sonja has started a tradition with her family of going to the movies after Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately for the rest the of us she leaves right after dessert and right before the cleanup starts. Unlike Mike, I welcome all the help I can get in the kitchen. Thank you Jean, Norma (my sister-in-law), and Jenny for all your help.

After our guests left Mike went straight to bed for a well deserved good night’s sleep. Not me, because while I’m putting away Thanksgiving decoration, I’m getting out Christmas stuff. It takes us three days to complete this task.

When I got home from church last night, I walked into a dark house. I asked Mike why the all the Christmas lights were off and he said, “I don’t want the electric bill to be too high.” “So we worked our butts off for three days to not enjoy the Christmas decorations?” I said to myself.  It was late, and I was too tired to start a dispute over this; plus I needed to remind myself of all the hard work Mike put into our meal. The Christmas lights will shine soon enough, and the moratorium for arguments will be lifted after three days.

“The family that prays together stays together.” Fr. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.

When we first arrived in Spain we were staying at a boutique hotel not far from the city center. Every morning we ordered a tortilla for breakfast. The tortillas in Spain are very different from tortillas in America. Their tortilla is similar to a fluffy omelette with onions and potatoes. It reminded me of Silvia and Florencio, our friends from Madrid, who had Mike and me over for a meal, where they served tortillas. I decided to contact them by texting their son in the US; he quickly responded with a phone number. After exchanging a few text messages with them, we arranged to meet over brunch the following morning.

Silvia and Florencio are the most cultured people I know. They are elegant and hospitable,  yet humble. Our brunch was at an upscale hotel in Madrid.  The last time we saw Silvia and Florencio was at a dinner in Irvine, California, about 5 years ago. I remember because I had a terrible cough and got one of those horrible coughing attacks after drinking iced tea. Silvia kindly suggested that I drink something hot to control the cough, and she was right.

At brunch we shared family pictures and caught up with our lives. Mike and  I have known this couple for many years. Their cookies were imported into the US, and Mike was their distributor. We appreciate our friendship with Silvia and Florencio, and I love to watch how skillfully they eat. Eating for them is an art, and I believe that is one of the reasons this country does not suffer from obesity. Eating is a form of relaxation.

Another observation about Madrid was the freshness of the food; nothing seems to be processed. They have very few fast foods, and you can forget about Starbuck’s because there is nothing that compares to Spain’s cafe con leche; each morning I had three cups.

After leaving Spain we visited Lourdes, France, and then on to Tuscany. We have frequented the same accommodations in a small village about 45 minutes outside of Florence. The Castello del Nero never disappoints, the setting is not only picture perfect, it’s celestial.

We visited Cortona, where the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” was filmed. Cortona, like Assisi has beautiful, quaint villages that offer incredible experiences. Assisi is always one of my favorite places to visit. This is where St. Francis’s body is laid to rest. Helen and I walked the long distance to the church, said our prayers and left. It was getting dark and driving on unfamiliar roads is not safe for Californians; one wrong turn on the round-about can pose a big problem. Even with navigation, it’s still complicated.  We ventured into Florence, walking around one of the most aesthetically perfect cities in the world. I will always be in awe of it’s beauty and all that it has to offer.

In both Cortona and Assisi, many homes are adorned with small statues of the Madonna and child. These dwellings are more than just homes, because they are witnessing their religious beliefs for the world to see.

We returned to Madrid to once again meet with Silvia and Florencio. This time dinner was at La Gran Pulperia, specializing in tapas. Tapas are like ours appetizers, you get to sample a little of every thing the Spaniards eat. There are many stories about how tapas first originated, but my favorite is the one from one of the oldest restaurants in Spain, El Ventorrillo del Chato.  The story goes as follows: After a long voyage following one the the longest routes in Andalusia, King Fernando VII  arrived at the restaurant. He was served a glass of wine, covered with either a slice of bread or cheese to repel the bugs. The King knew why the wine was covered, but ate the slice anyway; then his entire court followed suit. After this event it is said that the King continued to ask for “tapas” with wine wherever he went. Some of our tapas included octopus – thank God I tried it for the first time a few days earlier. Octopus has the same texture as calamari but with no breading, because it is served with potatoes. It takes some time to get used to the rubbery coarseness. I cannot recall all the different types of tapas we ate that night, only that it was a memorable evening with wonderful friends.