Monday, October 9, 2023

October 2023 – Message for THANKSGIVING Day

Today (October 9’23) is the Canadian Thanksgiving Day, occasion which allows me to send along a new bunch of good wishes to all my dear friends (old & new, closer or more distant), collaborators (occasional or recurrent) and at large sympathizers of ALICE & Friends Circle™ for their ongoing support throughout the almost 6 (six) years of existence of our literary and socio-cultural group! Please do know that your loyalty is valued and your presence is truly appreciated! 
May you continue to attend our Circle’s events and charm us with your positive attitude!
● My previous greetings on the same theme: THANKSGIVING Day – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

Saturday, September 23, 2023

September 23, 2023: Happy AUTUMN, dear friends!

"Autumn" – a new season of shimmering colours, the crackling of falling leaves, the picking of mushrooms or blackberries...summer is over, and autumn is here!
In the realm of symbolism, the season is radiant... Autumn is undoubtedly the most mysterious of seasons, but it is also the most
spectacular. Somewhere between Indian summer and mutation, autumn remains a fleeting moment, a kind of swansong. Summer slowly fades away, giving way to an even more beautiful season with all its autumnal colours. Green will turn to red, yellow and brown. Even if your heart is filled with nostalgia and melancholy, this season is a joy for walkers, nature lovers and mushroom pickers! The magnificent colours of the forest will enchant your weekends before the arrival of winter. I hope you have a fabulous new season!
Autumn paints the world in splendid colors.
● My previous greetings on the same theme: AUTUMNAL Equinox – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Alice’s Book Club – SUMMER session of 2023

On Thursday (September 21, 2023) we had our end of the current summer book club session, this time discussing few beautiful concepts:
Femininity. Style. Wardrobe selection”. For everybody's convenience, we've meet again on line, making sure the personal comfort was not overlooked. Our gathering was really pleasant, cozy, fun and nicely engaging (like good friends talks about subjects of common interest)


To everybody’s delight, this time I've invited 2 very interesting guest speakers, who have a lot to say on the chosen notions and who are very dear to me:
 Mihai S. (here is his website: Mike Consulting) who explained us from a medical perspective, the connection between femininity and our health (because there is a very well-defined one) and how each woman could proceed to keep a functional balance between them in daily life
Magda Bitoiu, (here is her face-book account, Magda Andrei Bitoiu & her Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/magda_trueliving) who shared with us her extensive experience explaining the following:  how we can identify our clothing style and the outfit that best benefits us depending on the body shape we each have; how we can choose the most suitable clothes for us while staying within a reasonable budget, and how we can make a clothing capsule, depending on the season.  

As I usually do, prior to our meeting, I gave my confirmed guests few reading materials about these concepts, in order to spice up even more the group conversation, while adding more depth to personal perspectives.
Needless to say that my special guests of the evening were absolutely amazing, both delivering extremely interesting presentations, while offering many important details that we each could benefit from in our daily lives.

By now, most of you know that in my public briefings the confidentially of the personal matters discussed is paramount, but because I truly believe in sharing the knowledge far and wide, here are few key concepts of general interest that might be of some sort of assistance to you…
- It is important to be aware that some actions in life might destroy your femininity....consciously avoid them
- Healthy femininity is characterized by few of the following traits: ground-ness, receptivity, reflectiveness, clear boundaries and gracious strength
- For women it is important to do whatever they each have to do with satisfaction, because passion and joy could be truly uplifting and rejuvenating at once
- Femininity completely disappears when women engage in conflicts, and mind you, the subsequent stress inflicted upon yourself it is very damaging
- Fashion in clothing is not necessarily the care for the correctness of clothes, taste and attitude; fashion is an "outfit", it is a "style"
- The fashion of an active woman is the fashion of coordinated elements: harmony of form, style and colors, simplicity, naturalness, poise, grace and intelligence
- Personal charm and elegance are always above the trends of fashion.

The group discussion of the evening were truly warm, inspiring, deeply pleasing, as well as heart and mind nourishing, facts which again made us all completely forget the time, of course, in a flattering manner. As a wise person said once upon a time, "In learning one will teach, and in teaching one will learn". 
Now, I'm concluding my briefing here, yet again extending my sincere appreciation to my dear friends who honored my invitation, wishing them only the best!
Warm regards,
Alice
“Women forget how much we can inspire one another. No one understands us like us.”

September 21, 2023: INTERNATIONAL PEACE Day

Every year, on September 21st, the entire world unites to celebrate International Peace Day. This day serves as a global reminder of the importance of peace & the value of non-violence. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1981, it has since become an annual observance dedicated to promoting peace across borders.
The theme of 2023 is “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for Global Goals.”…
Let’s continue to give PEACE a chance!
"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."
(President John F. Kennedy)
● My previous greetings on the same theme: PEACE Day – 2022, 2021

Thursday, August 31, 2023

August 31, 2023: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day

Each year, on August 31
st, the Romania Language Day is observed by many Romanians around the world, offering them all the opportunity to reflect on the importance, the beauty and the richness of the Romanian language.
Romanian Language is mother tongue of around 30 million individuals,
 taught as a foreign language in universities, in 45 countries.
This is also a wonderful occasion to further promote the Romanian arts and culture (old and new), the Romanian true history, as well as the Romanian ancestral traditions.  
“In a multicultural global space, the preservation of the identity and mother tongue transmitted by parents and ancestors is a distinctive central element, an expression of the uniqueness and preservation of the values of each people.”
 
„Nu spun că alte limbi, alte vorbiri nu ar fi minunate și frumoase. Dar atît de proprie, atît de familiară, atît de intimă îmi este limba în care m-am născut, încît nu o pot considera altfel decît iarbă. Noi, de fapt, avem două părți coincidente, odată este patrie de pămînt și de piatră și încă odată este numele patriei de pămînt și de piatră. Numele patriei este tot patrie. O patrie fără de nume nu este o patrie. Limba română este patria mea. De aceea, pentru mine, muntele munte se zice, de aceea, pentru mine iarba iarbă se spune, de aceea, pentru mine izvorul izvorăște, de aceea, pentru mine viața se trăiește.”  (Nichita Stănescu)

Excerpt from the debate, called "The current status of the Romanian language":
“The Romanian Language Day is a celebration of the Romanian soul, because the language is the most pronounced effigy of the Romanians.”
(Historian Ioan Aurel Pop, the president of the Romanian Academy)
● Historic background info:
Romanian Language Day is “celebrated nationally on August 31, starting from the year 2013 when the law establishing this holiday was enacted. The programs and cultural-educational events, with evocative or scientific characteristics, dedicated to this day emphasize the importance of the Romanian language not only as a means of communication, but also as a repository of history, culture, and national identity”. (Source: Business Reviews News)
● My previous greetings on the same theme: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day – 20222021
NOTEDear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed)

Friday, August 4, 2023

Socializing: Summer Picnic 2023 & Mini Fashion Show

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!
Meanwhile, please continue to enjoy the ongoing summer!
Warm regards,
Alice 

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Socializing: CANADA Day 2023 – Morning Coffee Talks

A lovely Saturday morning on July 1, 2023, when I’ve meet on-line with a fairly small group of dear friends, willing to share impressions about Canada – the country we all live in & appreciate. 
Each year, our social gathering on Canada Day brings forward new perspectives about our lives here, new thoughts, new experiences (best, good or just lesser), as well as useful life wisdom, worth referring to.
As I always do, for everybody’s benefit, I invite at the dialogue table (under my brand of “Morning Coffee Talks with Alice”), friends belonging to different spheres of life, in order to cover as many angles as possible; learning from each other helps each of us make our lives a little better every day – when you learn something new every day, you can teach something new every day, which reminds us that in fact life is an ongoing learning process. The authenticity of our talks was heartwarming, and the kindness that was in our midst was truly beautiful. Once again, to each and every guest of this gathering, many thanks for joining me this time and for honestly speaking about your views with the rest of the group…your contribution is truly appreciated!
Last, but not least, to all my Canadian friends, from our house to yours: Happy Canada Day!
This event was featuring the Canadian life & culture.
● Few articles about Canada
     > The recent article our dear friend Dorina Aldea wrote for “Observatorul” Magazine, about Canada: “Impresii dupa 22 ani de Canada
Previous events I organized on the same theme: CANADA Day – 2022, 2021, 2020
My greetings referring to CANADA Day – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 

July 1, 2023: CANADA Day

CANADA DAY – a celebration of Nationhood! Every year, on July 1st, we each take some time to reflect on what it means to be part of this amazing country. 
This is also a special day, which reminds us to appreciate the precious freedom that we’ve got as a gift for the sacrifices made by our countrymen.  
Congratulations to you - Canada, and a very Happy Canada Day, to all my dear fellow Canadians!
● National Anthem: O Canada– audio  
● Historic background info:
On July 1, 1867, the nation was officially born when the “Constitution Act” joined three provinces into one country: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec. However, Canada was not completely independent of England until 1982. The holiday called “Dominion Day” was officially established in 1879, but it wasn't observed by many Canadians, who considered themselves to be British citizens.
“Dominion Day” started to catch on when the 50th anniversary of the confederation rolled around, in 1917. In 1946, a bill was put forth to rename “Dominion Day”, but arguments in the House of Commons over what to call the holiday stalled the bill.
The 100th anniversary of the nation's official creation in 1967 saw the growth of the spirit of Canadian patriotism, and “Dominion Day” celebrations really began to take off. Although quite a few Canadians already called the holiday “Canada Day” (“Fête du Canada”), the new name wasn't formally adopted until October of 1982.
My previous greetings on the same theme: CANADA Day – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
NOTEDear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed)

Friday, June 30, 2023

Summer vibes of 2023

A brand new SUMMER is nicely unfolding upon us, leaving behind the stress of a prolonged social austerity, which made us all reconsider the beauty and the significance of nature way more than ever before! It is truly interesting to see how much people value water after drought, and the blue skies after rain, while learning the truth of loving compassion, peace and hope, gaining wisdom and soundly shifting perspectives on what it is important and what it is not.
Simply grateful!
AIR” – by Johann Sebastian Bach (classical music)