Category Archives: Christmas

celebration, Christmas, Uncategorized, WordPress

Anticipation

December 16, 2016 emmapalova 1 Comment

This post is in response to the Daily Post Friday prompt Anticipation.

So, Santa. We’ve been waiting and waiting for you to come down our chimney. We’ve swept and cleaned, and baked and shopped.
We’ve been good in our own way. You know, the kiddie way you love. We wrote letters to you to the North Pole @NorthPole, and you never responded. Your elves told us that you were too busy making gifts.

I Josephine Marie Palova of Hastings have been named the person of the family for 2016.
I asked grandpa Ludek why?

“Because you didn’t bug me,” he said. “You left me alone.”
I Ella Chavent of Fixin, France was also picked for this 2016 Anticipation series even after I told grandma Em that she annoys me.
Why was I picked?
“Because you made your first stay with us in the USA this summer very special and we anticipate another one,” Ludek said.

Dear Santa, we all believe you will come.

We anticipate Your coming.

Do you believe and tell us why?

celebration, Christmas, events, history, traditions, Uncategorized

White Christmas in Fallasburg pioneer village

December 10, 2016 emmapalova

Experience an old-fashioned white Christmas at Fallasburg tonight

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

Fallasburg, MI- Come and chat with an old friend tonight during the annual vintage Christmas party. The topic will be “Christmases of the Past” at the historical village of Fallasburg.

Create some memories forever. Thank a volunteer from the Fallasburg Historical Society. They make things happen your round at the sleepy hamlet northeast of Lowell.

The FHS mission is to preserve Fallasburg history for future generations.

Visit Fallasburg tonight at 6 p.m. for a memorable white Christmas . Experience a white Christmas of the past inside the old 1867 Fallasburg one-r…

Source: White Christmas in Fallasburg pioneer village

art, Christmas, inspiration, Uncategorized

Sea in Me Unravelled

December 8, 2016 emmapalova Leave a comment

Christmas time unravels epiphany

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

Lowell, MI-This morning, I was fortunate enough to come across the “saidsimply” blog about artistic ventures. And the labyrinth-like colorful painting inspired me to write this epiphany piece.

Short story collection “Glass Flowers” by Emma Palova

The famous tree at Selby garden in Sarasota.

I looked at the photo of the “Sea in Me” painting and the following took place in my head:

This is how I feel about writing when I don’t write for a while; I am lost in a labyrinth of thoughts.

Yesterday, my friend Kitty from the Netherlands really encouraged me. We ran into each other in the snack aisle at the Lowell Meijer store.
I needed to get some yellow lemonade, ribbons and nuts for undisclosed reasons.
We chatted about Christmas and getting old. We both agreed that Christmas is more about getting together with friends and family than about gifts.
“But, we can do that anytime right?” I asked for assurance all frazzled at this time of the year.
“Sure, that’s what it’s all about, we don’t need Christmas for that,” she laughed.
Kitty has re-posted the Christmas bucket list on Facebook with comment:

“My kind of Christmas.”

Here is the Christmas bucket list

1-Be present instead of buy presents
2-Wrap someone in a hug vs. wrap gifts
3-Send love vs. send gifts
4-Donate food vs. shop for food
5-Make memories vs. make cookies
6-Be the light vs. see the lights

“I am already tired of people asking if the shopping is done and if we are ready for Christmas. Flying the coop again,” Kitty commented.

Kitty told me she was leaving for the holidays for a cruise somewhere in the Caribbean. I was jealous.
“Keep writing, Emma,” she smiled and off she walked with her shopping cart that wasn’t fully loaded with goodies.
And I left the store with warmth in my heart, two yellow Fanta lemonades, hecho en Mexico, a yellow ribbon and some trail mix nuts.I was determined to keep on writing.
Thank you, Kitty and the saidsimply blog for all of the above.
Emma

For the simply said blog go to: https://saidsimply.wordpress.com

About the featured tiled photo mosaic:The big photo on the right accompanies post “Secrets, we all have them.”

Small photos on the left from top to bottom:

1-Me at Sea…at the Gulf of Mexico

2-“Glass Flowers” (c) Emma Palova, a manuscript with hand blown pink glass flower from the castel Karlstein in Czech Republic. This was a gift from my daughter Emma.

3-The Wedding Tree at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, FL.

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Simple Thoughts About Life & Stuff

A new acrylic on paper. It has literally been months since I’ve had the paints and brushes out and I must say it was glorious. I could not resist the impulse to let my inner painter come out and play!

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Advent, Christmas, community, Uncategorized

Second Sunday of Advent

December 4, 2016 emmapalova Leave a comment

We are people of hope!

Time to hope and to enjoy the gifts we have

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

Dear Father Mark,

Your homily about the St. Patrick’s parish couple who found out last Monday they were chosen to be parents for a baby girl, after years of trying to adopt a child, brought tears to my eyes.
Like you, I cried. I will always cry whenever this story of adoption enters my mind.
I cried tears of joy for the couple whom I have known for a long time.

I cried tears of belief that there is hope no matter what, as long as we believe. Even the tiniest grain of belief matters.
I cried tears of gratitude for my own children and for all parents who seek adoption.
Thank you for the beautiful story on this second Sunday of Advent, which means hope.
May the story of the parish couple inspire others never to lose hope.

Hope is love in disguise.

Emma

About the featured photo: The wreath in the middle with four candles, of two which are lit, signify the second Sunday of Advent. It expresses our hope.

frmarkpeacock

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-9

Matthew 3:1-12

A couple here at the parish, have been trying to adopt a child for four to five years. So many times they would get right to the end and not get chosen. This was very disheartening as you can image. Recently the couple told me they were not going to renew their contract because it was just too difficult. The wife began visiting a very holy woman of the parish who kept telling her, “I am going to pray for a miracle that you get a baby.” Well, that very holy woman died on Thanksgiving Day and we celebrated her funeral mass here on Monday. After the funeral and after the luncheon I went to the rectory when all of a sudden I heard screaming coming from outside the front door of the rectory. This woman, who has been trying…

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Christmas, healing, inspiration, Uncategorized

Time to take a mental break

December 2, 2016 emmapalova Leave a comment

Time to relax, time to live

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

Lowell, MI – In this busy holiday season I needed author Becky Stuit’s prompt to relax today and over the weekend. I’ve been running myself crazy around in circles or spirals as you will.

“When are you going to get the house ready?” asked my husband Ludek on Tuesday as he was stepping over all sorts of stuff laid out on the floor. That is my typical style of designing, laying out things on the floor, so I can see what I have.

I finally wrapped up client E-newsletters yesterday, with more to go on Monday. I have to do two interviews via Skype, which I am really looking forward to. I want to stream the WordCamp live from Philadelphia, since I couldn’t go. I have two stories to write today.

This week has just taken its toll on me.

I’ve never really been able to take a mental break, as advised by both Becky and my husband Ludek.
On any given night, I wake up around 2 a.m. and immediately think about all my projects from writing to design, to shopping, to living, repainting, redecorating and back to writing. And I forget to sleep.

I almost freaked out when I saw the fires in Tennessee followed by the tornadoes. My parents Ella & Vaclav were on their way to Florida passing by pretty close to all the nature’s fury.

Reading Stuit’s post, I realized I need to live more, believe more and enjoy life more. I am going to enjoy my granddaughter Josephine Marie Palova this weekend as much as I can. First early in the morning I will run to the Rogue River Arts Show at the Lowell High School, so I can get a photo of artist/hunter Linda Kropf Phillips (I am writing a story about her).

Then we will speed to the Horrock’s Christmas farm in Ionia with Josephine, take a horse-drawn wagon ride into the fields, cut a tree, have a hot dog inside, roast some marshmallows , decorate the tree and try to catch up with Santa on the Showboat in Lowell.

Relax, girl. It’s all in good time.

And all along, I am trying to live up to the high demands of my surroundings. These include sometimes counselling, as if I know anything about numerology or reading people’s future.

However, my great colleague and friend Annie Conboy of UK ( I am writing a story about her blogging for the past 382 days) says you can do anything through your intuition.
“Just listen to your Guides.”
Well my “Guides” yesterday told me that someone out there needs my help.
I kind of know who it is. I pulled her out of obscurity from the past last spring using a non-conform technique.
“Please tell me something positive,” she begged this week.
“I always tell you positive things, but you never listen,” I said.
Down the road, when the time is right, I will write about this woman. That is once I can sort everything out and getting a mental break.

Guides, can I do all that?

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Becky Due

Today’s Challenge: Find some time to relax, maybe take a mental vacation.

Have a great weekend!

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celebration, Christmas, community, events, inspiration, Thanksgiving, traditions, Uncategorized

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

November 24, 2016 emmapalova Leave a comment

Thanksgiving & Christmas traditions inspire creative work

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

Lowell, MI – From our family to yours, I would like to wish everyone a great Thanksgiving. Like many, I consider Thanksgiving a kick-off to the holiday season filled with joy and traditions.

Being the little kid that I am, I love to discover new things and start new traditions.

Last night, I watched the 90^th Anniversary special of the Thanksgiving Macy’s Parade in NYC.

In awe, I watched the balloons flying seven stories high, and I wished I could be in one of the apartments watching the parade at the same level as the balloons fly by you.

“What is your favorite character?” was the question at large during the TV anniversary special.

Living here in the 70s, I loved the Peanuts, and pretty much I didn’t know anything else.

“Of course it’s Lucy,” I laughed.

“Mine is Popeye,” said Ludek.

Since, I am not from this country, I have only heard about the famous parade in NYC. I don’t know what I’ve been doing up until now, but I definitely haven’t been watching TV on any given Thanksgiving morning.

Like most women, I must have been cooking and getting the house ready for the guests.

But, last night’s anniversary special about the Macy’s Parade totally changed my perspective on Thanksgiving.

I got up early this morning to get a head start in the kitchen, so I could be ready by 9 a.m. to watch the parade and start a new Thanksgiving tradition.

“How come the communist parades in Czechoslovakia didn’t have these cool balloon characters or the floats?” I asked my husband Ludek.

“They did,” he laughed, “Don’t you remember the allegoric vehicles?”

“Is that what they called the floats?” I smiled. “What did they look like?”

“I don’t remember,” Ludek said.

That’s the problem with time as it passes by like a parade, you don’t remember all of them. But, some stick in your mind.

I am a natural lover of all parades. They inspire my creative work. A hometown parade in Lowell, MI in October of 2006 with a clown theme prompted me to write the short story, “Riddleyville Clowns” © copyright Emma Palova.

Three years later based on the short story, I penned the screenplay “Riddleyville Clowns” © copyright Emma Palova.

Along with the short story “Tonight on Main” © Emma Palova, these two original works have base in small town America.

“Mom, that’s a great story,” said my daughter Doc Emma.

“Really?” I paused in disbelief.

I have learned to love dearly this piece of Americana; that is the traditional parades.

And I rejoiced, as I watched the 90^th anniversary Macy’s Parade special when I found out that the Rockford Marching Band will be in the 2017 Macy’s parade.

I live 10 miles southeast of yuppie Rockford.

The two towns, rural Lowell & suburban Rockford, have engaged in an unfair competition in everything ranging from sports, bands to MEAP scores and more. Lowell steadily wins the sports competition not just with Rockford, but in the entire West Michigan region, under the tutelage of coach Noel Dean.

I suppose one day, coach Dean will be in one of the allegoric vehicles or honored as an oversized balloon floating high above the crowd.

Lowell will hold its night Christmas parade next Saturday on Dec. 3^rd. Even though it’s a lot of vehicles sounding off sirens on Main, I still love the flavor of the parade with the marching bands and the Grinch, and finally Santa and his wife, Mrs. Santa.

“I would love to have an exuberant parade,” said Lowell Chamber director Liz Baker. “We have the village theme this year.”

My favorite is the Lowell Area Historical society float with horses and period costumes.

The noontime Christmas parade in 1999 set off my writing of the novel “Fire on Water” ©copyright Emma Palova.

I remember writing notes on a receipt from the Meijer store, while I waited for my son Jake who played the saxophone in the parade.

After all these years with all the parades, I still love clowns and the characters from Peanuts.

Have a great holiday season.

What is your favorite character?

About the featured photo: Prague Christmas markets on Wenceslas Square. Watch for stories about the Christmas markets in Europe that coincide with the Advent Sundays.

blogging, business, celebration, Christmas, content writing, traditions, Uncategorized, WordPress, writing

Happy holidays

December 23, 2015 emmapalova Leave a comment

Holiday gatherings

By Emma Palova

Lowell, MI- Ah, the holidays at our household. Even though I was born in former Czechoslovakia, I have a feeling we must have had Italian ancestors. I should check our family tree that’s more like a shrub.

Whether celebrated in the old country or in the USA, holidays are rough. The preparations are endless and exuberant. By the time you are prepared, you are exhausted.

It’s kind of like with security. You can never have enough preparations because something always goes wrong. And the good old saying “the more the merrier” works its magic.

For any gathering my parents arrive with my brother. They get out of the car already fighting.

Mom brings food and we make food. The food is a combo of Czech and American dishes. We eat with a fork and a knife. Mom likes to be the center of attention at any gathering. The focus must be on her.

Beware if not or don’t dare to invite other guests because she wouldn’t be able to show off. I made that mistake last summer that I invited other people than family to a birthday party.

We eat and drink. We eat more and drink more. Mom stands up from the table and gives a speech. Usually, it’s something self-centered.

“I was the most beautiful one at the party,” she said, “and she talked too much. She wouldn’t allow me to say a word.”

That was directed at a guest whom she invited to her home.

“She told me her entire life story and I couldn’t speak,” mom said.

My brother is getting increasingly drunk sneaking in an extra drink downstairs when nobody is watching. Dad doesn’t say much. He likes it that way.

Mom either hits on my brother or on me. Most often on both of us. And then comes the pinnacle in front of all:

“I should not have had either one of you.”

And we fight and we fight more. We raise our voices and mom cries.

Depending on the occasion of the gathering my husband joins in. He laughs out loud. Our son is the peacemaker. He should have been a diplomat.

If it’s Christmas, our son plays Czech carols on the saxophone, I play the piano. My daughter-in-law is also low key. She’s not a Czech.

On top of all of this we’re supposed to have a super moon as if family and alcohol were not crazy enough.

We depart in peace, only to do it all over again.

Happy holidays and a great new year 2016 from Emma Blogs, LLC, Fallasburg Today and CJ Aunt Jarmilka’s Desserts.

blogging, business, celebration, Christmas, coaching, consulting, traditions, Uncategorized, WordPress, writing

26 years in America

December 22, 2015 emmapalova Leave a comment

Celebrating 26th anniversary of arrival in USA

By Emma Palova

Lowell, MI- It’s been 26 years since we’ve landed at JFK on this day, Dec. 22, 1989. The long flight from former Czechoslovakia finally ended. We took the Czechoslovak Airlines flight (CSA). People were still smoking on jets back then.

I was exhausted with two children and from the previous night ride to the Prague airport.

It was a journey into the unknown, although I have lived in the USA in the 70s. My parents were waiting for us at the frozen airport. I only had a Benetton denim jacket on and I was freezing. I was still sporting long hair and jeans from Austria.

We spent the night at a friend’s house in NYC. And then a long trip to Big Rapids, Michigan ensued. Any water tower that we passed, my son Jake wanted to climb on it. Also he insisted on sitting in my lap over and over despite the fact that he had to be buckled up.

“I’ll make you a chock for you to sit on,” said my dad.

The windows of the gray station wagon have frozen up. We were like in an ice cave from the film Elsa. That increased the claustrophobia in me, as well as anxiety.

We finally arrived on Christmas Eve in Big Rapids. We picked up my brother Vas from his trailer with an enormous flood light in Roger’s Heights.

Mom had the festive supper ready ahead of time. The Czech traditional fare for Christmas Eve is mushroom or fish soup, fried fish and potato salad. And of course traditional Czech pastries. The only choice of fish back in Czech homeland was carp.

We opened presents and all I could think of was if I could go to bed. Dad turns on TV and there’s the Rumanian revolution. I just have escaped one, the Velvet Revolution. I participated in it on frigid town squares including Wenceslas Square in Prague. I shouted along with two million other people:

“Havel na hrad.”

That translates as, “Havel for president or Havel to the castle.”

I finally laid in bed thinking about all of this.

“What’s ahead of me?”

My husband received immigration visa to Montreal, Canada. I had to make decisions again what to do, “Stay or leave?”

We moved to Montreal and we lived in that great cosmopolitan city for three years. In 1993 we returned to Michigan. I took journalism classes at the Grand Rapids Community College.

In 1995, we built a house outside of Lowell in Vergennes Township and that sealed it for us.

The details of all of this are in my memoir “Greenwich Meridian” that I have to complete. It is my goal to pick it back up in January 2016 and to finish our story.

I wish happy holidays to all.

Christmas, community, traditions, Uncategorized, WordPress, writing

Prague Christmas markets

Image December 13, 2015 emmapalova Leave a comment

Happy holiday season to all from Emma Blogs, LLC. A Czech tradition, the three Sundays of Christmas. They are bronze, silver and gold Sundays prior to Christmas Eve. People head out and shop in outdoors Christmas markets.

blog design, blogging, business, Christmas, content writing, history, traditions, travel, Uncategorized, WordPress, writing

30 Day Blogging Challenge #14

Image November 30, 2015 emmapalova Leave a comment

For the love of the Fallasburg Park.

By Emma Palova

Fallasburg, MI- I love everything about the Fallasburg Park and the village: the Covered Bridge, the Flat River, the house museums. It truly takes you back in time, away from the fear of technology, from the fear of the unknown and much more.

I live approximately three miles away from the park and I do social media marketing for the Fallasburg Historical Society. The park and the village serve as a major venue for many regional events such as the Fallasburg Festival for the Arts in the fall, the Fallasburg Bazaar and the upcoming Christmas in Fallasburg traditional party on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. Please join us to celebrate the season.

Memories of Fallasburg Park from Connie Elsasser.