‘Tis the Season to Give (and Receive) Gifts: We’re in the season of giving, so have a look at the psychology, philosophy, emotion and science of the giving and receiving acts.  Quotable quote – “You can show gratitude even if you don’t have that warm, overwheming feeling. If you wait for the feeling to arrive, somebody didn’t raise you right.”

When Angels Saved President Russell M. Nelson’s Life (+What We Know About Heavenly Messengers): It’s also the season of angels round about us in the scriptures as well, so increase your wingspan on our heavenly associates.  Quotable quote – “Do we believe in angels? Yes! We believe in angels—heavenly messengers—seen and unseen; and earthly angels who know whom to help and how to help.”

Five Great Islamic Books Americans Should Read before Doing Stupid Stuff: With all the chaos and stupidity in the news lately, some learning from books is a good option and antidote.  Quotable quote – “I get that we are at war. But it is not the war that most Americans imagine themselves to be fighting. It is a war of ideas between the values of the Enlightenment and the extremist ideology of fundamentalist Islam. The billion and a half non-terrorist Muslims in the world are not the enemy; they are the battleground.”

Mormons and Muslims Building Bridges of Understanding: covers what was discussed at a recent luncheon at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religions Scholarship, with a delegation of Muslim leaders from Sudan.  Quotable quote – “Children of every religions persuasion should feel secure at home and confident at school. Their fathers and mothers should likewise be treated with dignity and human kindness in public, in private, and online.”

To Today’s 14 Year-Old Girls:  A letter from a current 19 year old, framed within her own five year old experiences.  Quotable quote – “This message of strength, courage, and promotion of individuality comes straight from the heart toward anyone who needs a little bit of tough love…”

Shakespeare Masterclass…Toddler Style!  This Is Precious!: Proving that Shakespeare is for all ages, here a 2 year old is taught the classic “To be or not to be” monologue by Brian Cox. Quotable quote – ““… that is the question.” …  “Yeah”.”

Can’t Take it Anymore? Read This! : Holiday anxiety much?  Quotable quote – “Anxiety has the ability to make your life feel like you are without hope. You can be cured, and you can find relief, but the only way to find that relief is to commit to the idea that anxiety help exists.”

10 Phrases to Drop from Your Vocabulary: resolutions are coming, and in theory so is better vocab! Quotable quote – “Researchers believe that the earliest spoken language was Mayan, which was around 7,000 years ago. Imagine, in 70 centuries, we’ve progressed to, “… and I was like, really?”

16 Things You Should Say Goodbye To In 2016: An unusual list of suggestions to farewell. Quotable quote – “Say goodbye to the all the flaws you keep pointing out in the mirror and the times you really didn’t like who you were looking at. Buy a new mirror if you have to, but more importantly, start liking who you see and change the way you look at yourself.”

Hopeful Images From 2015: Part of looking forward is looking back, and these pictures are unlikely to leave a bad taste in your memories.  Quotable quote – “Alternate titles considered were “The Good Side of 2015,” “The Better Angels of Our Nature,” or simply “News Photos That Won’t Make You Despair for the Fate of Humanity.””

Chandeliers Is A Dizzying Artwork In Itself: If you’d like something zone out to, (or to watch for educational value), watching chandeliers being made is a treat. For zoning out, mute the sound or put quiet music on, and watch the glass heat up, be stretched and made glorious.  Quotable quote – “Did you know that crystal, in its unstructured form, resembles a lengthy, scaled serpent made of what appears to be many molten orange jolly ranchers?”

This week’s First Draft Poetry is by Melonie.

To Say Goodbye to.

Another year hangs

itself like a blood red ornament

on the pointed tip of my life tree.

I spin it with a flick of a finger,

reflecting its light and shadows.

Other years, stored in dusty bins,

come out on display

– a glass harp, the wooden soldier, snow-white bird, and a velvet drum,

to dazzle, to haunt,

to move my tired heart from its winter solstice.

These are the things I’ve said goodbye to.

Light from tiny candles

make them dance

like bracelets on undulating arms

and all who walk by can see

my life through the window-

carolers stop and are shocked into singing,

cars slow down to ogle the fire-opal display,

heads turn to the fragility

of a tree of years,

holding breath

in their warm chests, like glowing braziers,

so on that exhale into the cold air,

the ornaments poised,

won’t simply

shatter.