Christmas has passed, and I'm still following my personal star...Різдво минуло, а я все ще після мого особисту зірку. С Новым Годом,

 

Happy New Year dear friends around the world.   Over the years I've been writing this blog, 2000 of you in Russia  have read it, 2050 in  Ukraine, 8000 in the US, and thousands  more in many other countries.  How I  wish I knew who you were.

 

 

At Christmas my heart is pulled between South America, Spain and Scotland...I want to be here and I want to be there....

 

 

 in San Pedro Prison, La Paz, Bolivia, this Christmas Ivan Nogales 'chicos' perform for the 350 kids who live in the jail with their dads, then they had a wonderful  Chocolatada fiesta.   I wasn't able to organise our usual  community fund raiser...but an 'anonymous' friend donated 1000€, so the show went on!

 

 

 

for many people in Europe Christmas has little  to do with Jesus.

 

 

 for hundreds of kids living in severe conditions in the Andes of Peru Christmas is a Chocolatada fiesta, a mug of hot chocolate and a sticky bun and sometimes a little toy.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Europe many of us have the luxury of experimenting with recipes..

 

 

This year a great inspiration for the world  has been  Malala...

 

 

 

 

 and also  Dr Mads Gilbert....both have exceptional missions to complete

 

 

and another truly inspirational person in my life this year has been my young friend Merxe, the emerging professional  photographer...

 

 

 

Pope Francis is reputed to have said:

 

It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money — for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history do not believe in God, while some of the worst deeds were done in His name.

According to  www.snopes.com he did not say this, but I think many of us  would agree with these words.

 

 

 

 

 there's been a lot to think about this year....

 

 

 

and as you can see the treatment is going well, and I am still being drawn by that star!

 

...Різдво минуло, а я все ще після мого особисту зірку.  С Новым Годом,  

 

 

 

 

 

                                        

   I wish you a wonder-filled 2015 where ever you live.

 

and finally...

 

 

“(For) last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning."

(Little Gidding)”

― T.S. Eliot