I’m selling my newest mini comic, Enter, Holy Pilgrim, on my website. Here’s a sneak peek video. It’s about a peasant woman, a pilgrimage, and gothic church architecture.
InGreece, the name and its derivatives are especially popular in maritime regions, as Saint Nicholas is considered the protector saint of seafarers….for more than a millennia.
No wonder I have salt water in my veins! My ancestors came from seafaring towns in central and southern Greece….dating back centuries. I’m drawn to the sea….
“Nicholas” in Greek means, literally, victory of the people.
The name became popular 1,700 years ago through Saint Nicholas, Greek Christian Bishop of MyrainLycia(today’s southern Turkey). Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor….with the name and the legacy evolving many centuries later, to become the Dutch/German (my Mom’s heritage, by the way) inspiration for Santa Claus – a derivation of “Saint Nicholas.”
For all my brethren named “Nicholas,” December 6 is a day to celebrate, on par with your birthday. It’s a day to reflect on all the good things you bring to family, friends and community. It’s a time to stand tall and proud: you’re a “Nicholas”! And, around the Holiday Season each year, you might even earn the affectionate moniker “Saint Nick”!
(My Dad, also ”Nicholas”, and I celebrated the day as far back as I can remember. It was our private bond. And it’s always been a deep honor to carry his name!)
* * * *
My Dad penned this poem early one December 6th morning, as he was sipping on his pre-dawn coffee in front of his computer. He gave it to me when I went over to my parents house for dinner that evening 17 years ago (to celebrate our shared Name Day)….(he passed away quite suddenly just a nine months later)….and the poem remains a priceless gift and treasure – loving inspiration from Father to Son – that will remain with me always. I think about it almost every day….and gain strength from it….as if it were a compass for this life-long mariner….
Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths by W.H. Matthews
Humans have long been fascinated by structures that pack the maximum amount of path in a small space, and those that create a puzzle to move through to find a center or exit. This 1922 book was the first major work in English to take a thorough look at the history and locations of mazes and labyrinths.
Bella Bailamor and I are just trying to stay cool, looking like a tool, feeling like a fool, needing a pool, but only got this azul wall to work with during this heat wave, end of summer, suppose to be fall, global warming realness that we are dealing with over here on Temple street in Historic Filipino town (#hifi if ya nasty). Lil Bella always wanted to be a Primadonna on the big stage at Lincoln Center. She always had a sparkle in her eye and a chip in her tooth, but all she got was Sister Guadalupe at the Echo Park Rec center sponsored tamale con mole festival and my biscuit. Everybody was driving by honking (beep beep who got the keys to my Jeep), cat calling #heyPapiMorenito as my big Ass was hanging out of the entrance to the autobody shop, but I was like fuck it… You gotta risk it for the biscuit. #ticketorbiscuit #mybiscuitisarisk #kfcorpopeyes #churches #twopieceandabiscuit #balletbiscuit #bellabiscuit #biscuitcouture #chocolatecouture #juicycouture #babycouture #freelancewriterforallure #forsure #handsupdontshoot #raiseyourhandifyouresure #notsure #putyourhanddown #notthere #putyourhandhere#heygirlhey #shanteyoustay #sashayaway #iwannastay #yougottapay #paytoplay #toepoint #betterlucknexttime #bye (at Gigi’s Bakery & Cafe)
Bulgarian Orthodox faithful light candles attached to jars of honey during a Holy Mass for the “sanctification of honey” at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin church in the town of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, on February 10, 2022. Borislav Troshev.
![kleinecharlotte:Art History Meme [1/6] Themes or Series or Subjects ↳ Rose Windows](https://64.media.tumblr.com/2bbaaaa5f67384d0a2d2665067c81890/tumblr_muo4gdOGp71rdf1x2o1_500.png "kleinecharlotte:Art History Meme [1/6] Themes or Series or Subjects ↳ Rose Windows")
![kleinecharlotte:Art History Meme [1/6] Themes or Series or Subjects ↳ Rose Windows](https://64.media.tumblr.com/b3bbae93b0f30a53fedcc7bae0a3baec/tumblr_muo4gdOGp71rdf1x2o2_500.png "kleinecharlotte:Art History Meme [1/6] Themes or Series or Subjects ↳ Rose Windows")
