DreamyLaLa's CF Journal

[DreamyLaLa]

Hey, everyone, my name is DreamyLaLa! I thought I'd make a thread here for posting random things I do in my daily life-kind of like a journal here on CF! I was going to post random things on my other thread 'DreamyLaLa's Art' in the Visual Arts thread, but it seemed too off-topic. Feel free to comment here, if you'd like! I only ask that you be kind and respectful. Thanks! (Not sure how often I'll post here, but I thought I'd give it a try. )

If you don't know me, my interests include drawing manga and anime art, reading classic literature, cooking and baking, nature (especially flowers and the beach), and, of course, my Catholic faith. Hi!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Here are some pictures of our Christmas decorations. We also have a family tradition in my house in which on St. Nicholas's Day (December 6th), we leave our shoes out by the fireplace the night before and St. Nick fills them with chocolate! (I was St Nick's helper this year, actually! )

We like oceanic-themed Christmas decorations since we live in California!

A seashell angel Christmas tree topper!

 

[Multifavs]

Yay, I'm happy to see you made a thread to post your thoughts in! I look forward to seeing your posts!

Here are some pictures of our Christmas decorations. We also have a family tradition in my house in which on St. Nicholas's Day (December 6th), we leave our shoes out by the fireplace the night before and St. Nick fills them with chocolate! (I was St Nick's helper this year, actually! )

We like oceanic-themed Christmas decorations since we live in California!
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A seashell angel Christmas tree topper!
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Your Christmas tree is so pretty! I like the seashell ornaments and angel! That's a nice family tradition you have about St. Nicholas Day!

Does your family do anything for Epiphany? My family has a tradition where my mom puts out candy and sometimes small gifts for each of us on Epiphany. When I was a kid, she always told me the Three Kings left the gifts - I even left out food for the camels one year!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Yay, I'm happy to see you made a thread to post your thoughts in! I look forward to seeing your posts!


Your Christmas tree is so pretty! I like the seashell ornaments and angel! That's a nice family tradition you have about St. Nicholas Day!

Does your family do anything for Epiphany? My family has a tradition where my mom puts out candy and sometimes small gifts for each of us on Epiphany. When I was a kid, she always told me the Three Kings left the gifts - I even left out food for the camels one year!

Thanks, Multi! That's nice of you! I admit, this sort of thing is a little awkward for me to do at first because I am kind of shy.

I'm glad you like our Christmas decorations and tree! I hope to show more decorations, too, if you're interested! (We didn't finish decorating yet.) St. Nicholas Day is fun! Our tradition goes back to a story about St. Nicholas stating that he put gold coins in the shoes of a poor family in need. That's why we celebrate by putting gold chocolate coins in our shoes!

I like how your family celebrates Epiphany by putting out candy and small gifts! Ha, ha, what kind of food did you leave out for the camel? I remember on Christmas Eve night, we would leave out cookies for Santa Claus and carrots for the reindeer! My family doesn't do anything for Epiphany. I don't know why... I'm familiar with the Epiphany traditions you've described because in Mexican culture (we have Mexican blood), it is celebrated in the same way. It is called 'Dia De Los Tres Reyes Magos' (Three Kings' Day).

 

[Multifavs]

Thanks, Multi! That's nice of you! I admit, this sort of thing is a little awkward for me to do at first because I am kind of shy.

I'm glad you like our Christmas decorations and tree! I hope to show more decorations, too, if you're interested! (We didn't finish decorating yet.) St. Nicholas Day is fun! Our tradition goes back to a story about St. Nicholas stating that he put gold coins in the shoes of a poor family in need. That's why we celebrate by putting gold chocolate coins in our shoes!

I like how your family celebrates Epiphany by putting out candy and small gifts! Ha, ha, what kind of food did you leave out for the camel? I remember on Christmas Eve night, we would leave out cookies for Santa Claus and carrots for the reindeer! My family doesn't do anything for Epiphany. I don't know why... I'm familiar with the Epiphany traditions you've described because in Mexican culture (we have Mexican blood), it is celebrated in the same way. It is called 'Dia De Los Tres Reyes Magos' (Three Kings' Day).

No problem! I always enjoy seeing your posts. ^-^ I can totally understand that about being shy, but it gets better once you've posted some more. And in my opinion, you're doing a wonderful job!

I would absolutely love to see more of your decorations! I'd heard about the St. Nicholas Day story, but I'd never met anyone who celebrated it before. I love the idea of putting delicious chocolate coins in your shoes!

I forget exactly what kind of food I left for the camels, but it might have been carrots. I left out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer too! Wow, really? I didn't know our Epiphany traditions were celebrated in Mexican culture! I'll have to ask my mom how she started that tradition sometime. We don't have Mexican blood so I don't know where she got the idea from.

 

[Tom D]

Here are some pictures of our Christmas decorations. We also have a family tradition in my house in which on St. Nicholas's Day (December 6th), we leave our shoes out by the fireplace the night before and St. Nick fills them with chocolate! (I was St Nick's helper this year, actually! )

We like oceanic-themed Christmas decorations since we live in California!
View attachment 358259View attachment 358260

A seashell angel Christmas tree topper!
View attachment 358261

View attachment 358257

Hola, amiga mía.
I like your Christmas decorations, DreamyLaLa.
You also got some Catholic statues and images there, awesome.

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Hola, amiga mía.
I like your Christmas decorations, DreamyLaLa.
You also got some Catholic statues and images there, awesome.

¡Hola, señor! ¿Cómo estás?
Thanks! Glad you like my Christmas decorations as well as the images and statues! The image is of Our Lady of the Rosary. The statue is of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Marian devotion that began in Spain. Our Lady appeared there to tell people of the importance of wearing the sacramental scapular.
Nice to meet another fellow Catholic! I see you are from Australia. What is it like where you live?

 

[DreamyLaLa]

No problem! I always enjoy seeing your posts. ^-^ I can totally understand that about being shy, but it gets better once you've posted some more. And in my opinion, you're doing a wonderful job!

I would absolutely love to see more of your decorations! I'd heard about the St. Nicholas Day story, but I'd never met anyone who celebrated it before. I love the idea of putting delicious chocolate coins in your shoes!

I forget exactly what kind of food I left for the camels, but it might have been carrots. I left out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer too! Wow, really? I didn't know our Epiphany traditions were celebrated in Mexican culture! I'll have to ask my mom how she started that tradition sometime. We don't have Mexican blood so I don't know where she got the idea from.

Thanks a lot, Multi! I appreciate your kind words!
I'd be interested in knowing where your mom got the idea to celebrate the Epiphany, too, if you ever find out. I wouldn't be surprised if other Catholic cultures around the world celebrate the Epiphany as well!

 

[Multifavs]

Thanks a lot, Multi! I appreciate your kind words!
I'd be interested in knowing where your mom got the idea to celebrate the Epiphany, too, if you ever find out. I wouldn't be surprised if other Catholic cultures around the world celebrate the Epiphany as well!

You're very welcome! I just asked my mom where she got the idea. She said back when my brother was little, she read about that Epiphany tradition and thought it would be a fun thing to do. We still enjoy it to this day! Oh, and my mom also said that we actually took some grass from outside to feed the camels.

 

[DreamyLaLa]

You're very welcome! I just asked my mom where she got the idea. She said back when my brother was little, she read about that Epiphany tradition and thought it would be a fun thing to do. We still enjoy it to this day! Oh, and my mom also said that we actually took some grass from outside to feed the camels.

That's a really cute story! It's nice you still hold on to that tradition to this day! I love that about the camels!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe! This is a big Mexican feast day, and my family and I like to celebrate with a nice Mexican dinner and dessert! I pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego will shower you all with their love and blessings!

Some of the words of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego:

Know for certain, littlest of my sons, that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God through Whom everything lives, the Lord of all things near and far, the Master of heaven and earth. I wish and intensely desire that in this place my sanctuary be erected. Here I will demonstrate and exhibit and give all my love, my compassion, my help, and my protection to the people.

I am your merciful Mother. The merciful Mother of all of you who live united in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me. Here I will hear their weeping, their sorrow, and will remedy, and alleviate all their multiple sufferings, necessities, and misfortunes.

Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you, Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you…

Our Lady of Guadalupe, please pray for us!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

We put up the rest of our Christmas decorations a few days ago, but I didn't have time to take pictures until today!

Wreath with seashells and a banner of the Nativity for our front door.

Light-up reindeer and blue Christmas lights for the front of our house. (The blue lights look kind of weird in this photo, though. They are prettier in real life!)

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Happy Feast of St. John of the Cross! I thought I'd share one of his poems here, 'Dark Night of the Soul', which I have found very helpful when I am going through periods in my life in which I feel as though God is not present. Through these periods, He helps us mature spiritually. I pray that St John of the Cross will help all of you out there who have similar spiritual struggles in your lives.

The Dark Night of the Soul​

BY ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
I.

In a dark night,
With anxious love inflamed,
O, happy lot!
Forth unobserved I went,
My house being now at rest.


II.

In darkness and in safety,
By the secret ladder, disguised,
O, happy lot!
In darkness and concealment,
My house being now at rest.


III.

In that happy night,
In secret, seen of none,
Seeing nought myself,
Without other light or guide
Save that which in my heart was burning.


IV.

That light guided me
More surely than the noonday sun
To the place where He was waiting for me,
Whom I knew well,
And where none appeared.


V.

O, guiding night;
O, night more lovely than the dawn;
O, night that hast united
The lover with His beloved,
And changed her into her love.


VI.

On my flowery bosom,
Kept whole for Him alone,
There He reposed and slept;
And I cherished Him, and the waving
Of the cedars fanned Him.


VII.

As His hair floated in the breeze
That from the turret blew,
He struck me on the neck
With His gentle hand,
And all sensation left me.


VIII.

I continued in oblivion lost,
My head was resting on my love;
Lost to all things and myself,
And, amid the lilies forgotten,
Threw all my cares away.

 

[DreamyLaLa]

A quote from one of my favorite books (and one of my favorite authors!).

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Christmas is approaching!

"I like Christmas better, [because] at Easter Jesus is crucified and this makes me suffer, whereas at Christmas the Baby Jesus is so sweet!”
-St Padre Pio

 

[Multifavs]

Christmas is approaching!

"I like Christmas better, [because] at Easter Jesus is crucified and this makes me suffer, whereas at Christmas the Baby Jesus is so sweet!”
-St Padre Pio

Christmas is my favorite holiday! Something about it is so much more fun and joyful than birthdays and other holidays! I hope this Christmas is filled with blessings for all of us!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Christmas is my favorite holiday! Something about it is so much more fun and joyful than birthdays and other holidays! I hope this Christmas is filled with blessings for all of us!

Thank you! Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas as well during this blessed time of year! The Baby Jesus, colored lights, Christmas decorations, presents...Christmas does seem to be a very fun and joy-filled season for a lot of reasons!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Merry Christmas to everyone on CF! Jesus Christ is born! May He fill our hearts with His love and peace today and always!

 

[Multifavs]

Merry Christmas to everyone on CF! Jesus Christ is born! May He fill our hearts with His love and peace today and always!

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Merry Christmas, Dreamy! I hope your Christmas has been very blessed! Happy birthday Jesus!

 

[DreamyLaLa]

Today (December 28th) is the feast of The Holy Innocents. Pray for the pro-life cause, everyone, and that those who are opposed to it may repent of their erroneous ways!