Tonight is the Last Night of 2025

Tonight! On the Last Night of 2025: The Moon & The Seven Sisters- A Celestial Farewell

As we bid farewell to 2025, tonight promises to be a night of breathtaking beauty and cosmic wonder. The Moon and the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) will align in a stunning celestial display, creating a moment to remember as the final moments of the year unfold.

The glowing full moon will shine brightly in the night sky, casting its soft light on the landscape below, while the Pleiades cluster will sparkle like a necklace of stars above. This rare alignment is a perfect reminder of the vast, unchanging beauty of the universe, marking the end of one year and the beginning of another with awe and wonder.

As we witness this celestial event, let it be a time for reflection and gratitude, embracing the beauty of the moment and looking forward to the endless possibilities of the new year.

December 31, 2025, offers us a chance to witness this mesmerizing connection between the moon and the Seven Sisters, making this night an unforgettable farewell to 2025.

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, look up, take a moment, and connect with the cosmos as the year closes.

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on the above Topic:

Tonight, on the last night of 2025 (December 31), skywatchers can enjoy 

a magnificent natural light show featuring the waxing gibbous moon, the planets Jupiter and Saturn, and several twinkling constellations and star clusters.

Celestial Highlights

• The Moon: The moon will be a bright, 95%-lit waxing gibbous, visible halfway up the eastern horizon after sunset. The last full moon (the "Cold Moon" supermoon) occurred earlier in December.
• Star Clusters and Constellations:
  • The delicate light of the Pleiades open star cluster can be found to the upper right of the moon.
  • The constellation Orion will be visible twinkling low on the eastern horizon, directly below the moon.
• Planets:
  • Jupiter, the brightest point of light to the left of Orion, shines in the constellation Gemini, near its bright stars Castor and Pollux.
  • Saturn's steady light can also be spotted shining halfway up the southern horizon around this time.

Other Happenings

• Lottery Jackpots: The Mega Millions jackpot was not won on December 30. The next jackpot, for Friday, January 2, 2026, is estimated at $157 million. The Powerball jackpot also grew after no winner was announced for the December 29 drawing.
• Reflection and Renewal: The period around the winter solstice (which occurred on December 21, 2025) often symbolizes a time for pause, reflection, and renewal as daylight slowly begins to return in the Northern Hemisphere.

• Finally, the top five news of the Day 

  1. Global New Year’s Eve celebrations and reflections
  World communities welcomed 2026 with fireworks, ceremonies, and moments of remembrance, including commemorations in Sydney, Seoul, Rio, and New York, despite recent tragedies in some regions. Reuters

  2. Zelenskyy urges Trump to visit Ukraine to help end the war
  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested U.S. President Trump should travel to Ukraine as part of diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. ABC News

  3. Search mission resumes for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
  A renewed marine robotics search expedition has been launched to locate the long-missing MH370 wreckage, reigniting global interest in one of aviation’s enduring mysteries. AP News

  4. Russia orders continued military push in Ukraine
  Russia’s top general instructed forces to expand “buffer zones” in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions, signaling sustained conflict dynamics. Reuters

  5. Xi Jinping emphasizes reunification with Taiwan in New Year address
  Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year’s Eve speech affirming China’s aim to “reunify” with Taiwan, underscoring rising cross-Taiwan Strait tensions. The Guardian

  My Photo of the Day-Northern Light on November 11, 2025

  
  
  Yes, there were spectacular Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) displays on and around November 11, 2025, caused by a powerful solar storm (a G4 "severe" geomagnetic storm) pushing the aurora far south, visible even in states like Florida, Alabama, and Indiana, with reports from people across the US and Northern Ireland. This rare event happened as a solar flare interacted with Earth's atmosphere, creating vibrant colors, and more activity was expected the following nights due to continuing coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun. 

• New Year Eve in the Philippines, Manila  
• https://www.facebook.com/reel/1557550558623677

Reflections on the Last Day of 2025

Earlier this spring, I wrote, almost in passing that three of my blogs had crossed a milestone I never imagined when I began writing years ago: over one million page views. Numbers can feel abstract, but that figure represented something deeply personal to me. It meant that stories shaped by memory, faith, family, public service, and quiet reflection had found their way into the lives of others. At my age, that kind of connection feels like a blessing, not an achievement.

Beau David-one of my great grandson born July 7, 2025

Then summer arrived, carrying with it one of life’s rarest gifts. I became a great-grandfather, twice. Holding that truth still feels astonishing. Four generations alive at once is a humbling reminder that life does not end with us; it flows through us. In those moments, the future felt very close, wrapped in tiny hands and carried forward by names, stories, and love that will outlast my own days.

My 91st Birthday Lunch at FOB Kitchen in Oakland Temescal District with Family

And just last week, I celebrated my 91st birthday, not for a few quiet hours, but over two joyful days. Family, laughter, memories retold and newly made. I documented those moments in my blogs, not to mark time, but to honor it. At ninety-one, birthdays are no longer about candles or wishes. They are about presence. About being here. About still having stories worth telling and people who want to hear them.

If there is a lesson 2025 has gently reinforced for me, it is this: aging is not a narrowing of life, but a deepening of it. Faith, too, has deepened, not louder or more certain, but quieter and more trusting. I have come to believe that God is found as much in endurance as in celebration, as much in listening as in speaking. Success looks different now. It is measured in shared meals, growing families, faithful readers, and mornings when gratitude arrives before worry.

As this year closes, I do not look ahead with urgency. I look forward with trust. At this stage of life, time feels less like something to be spent and more like something to be received. Legacy, I am learning, is not built through grand gestures but through small faithfulness, showing up, telling the truth as we see it, loving those placed in our care, and leaving behind words that might steady or comfort someone we may never meet. Whatever days remain, may they be lived attentively, written honestly, and shared generously.

For now, that is enough- Semper gratus!

May the days ahead, few or may be held gently in God’s care. May gratitude rise with each morning light, and peace settle in the quiet of evening. May our words continue to serve, our love continue to widen, and our lives, even in their later chapters, bear witness to Grace and Gratitude. Amen.

Related Article:Twelve Reflections for 2025

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/12-reflections-2025-siobhan-lettice-viwke/

My Photos of the Day-Great Grandson-Beau David Joseph

Enjoying Our Pedicure-Sunday Afternoon(12-28-25) at Diva Nails-Me, Carenna and Ditas

Lastly,  Based on recent surveys for 2026, the top five most popular New Year's resolutions among Americans are generally related to health and finances.

 

1. Exercise More Nearly half of US adults commit to fitness goals.
2. Eat Healthier This is a consistently popular goal, often paired with exercise and weight loss.
3. Save More Money Many people aim to improve their financial health after holiday spending.
4. Improve Physical Health This general health goal often includes elements of diet and exercise.
5. Be Happy / Improve Mental Health A significant number of people focus on overall well-being and mental health in the new year.

 

New Year Greetings from My Home ( THD) to Yours, Wherever You Are! 

Duo Gadjo at THD New Year's Eve Bash

From the THD Website: We’re ringing in the new year together at Newton’s with great company, music, and a celebration that feels just right for our community. Join us as we welcome 2026 with smiles and a night to remember.

Wednesday, December 31

New Year’s Eve Party – 7:00 PM (Newton’s)

Celebrate the new year with joy, laughter, good friends, and Champagne!

Learn more about what were doing at: theheritagedowntown.com/newsletter

#SeniorLivingCommunity #NewYearsEveParty #ActiveSeniors #CommunityLife #WalnutCreekEvents

"Duo Gadjo's music is inspired by the sounds of the 20's and 30's, when jazz was the thing and Paris was the place to be. Their style is generally called 'French Cafe' or 'Gypsy Jazz' as pioneered by the french gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Their repertoire spans from Bal-Musette to Edith Piaf, and Serge Gainsbourg, but also includes selections from the Great American songbook. They accompany themselves on guitars, and the Melodica, but the real feature is Isabelle Fontaine's sultry vocals. Their version of La Vie En Rose from their album Meet Me In Paris is one of the most popular streams on Pandora and Spotify in the French Cafe Music category. They perform as a duo, trio (add upright bass,) or a quartet (add violin, or accordion)." For Details on the Music Accomplishment  of the Duo read:

ISABELLE FONTAINE

Isabelle Fontaine was born and raised in the French countryside with the voices of Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, and Yves Montand ringing in her ears. Growing up, she spent endless hours listening to the family's old records and although she had no intention of becoming a professional musician, she loved singing. During her college years, her life took an unexpected turn when she joined a group of friends and started performing as a vocalist. She abandoned her plans of teaching English and instead spent the next twenty years singing and playing the snare drum throughout France, with trips to Spain and over the Alps to Switzerland. During this period, she developed an unconditional love for the Ladies and Dukes of the Big Band Era, and the great composers of the American Songbook. She was eventually drawn to the gypsy swing of Django Reinhardt and The Hot Club of France, the perfect union of her French cultural heritage and the world of Jazz. Somewhere along the way, she picked up the guitar and applied her impeccable sense of rhythm to the stringedinstrument. In 2004 she moved with her family to the San Francisco Bay Area and has since become sought after not only for her singing but for her rhythm guitar playing as well.

 

JEFF MAGIDSON

Jeff Magidson was born in San Francisco. His parents, both musicians, taught him to read music and play the piano at an early age. Throughout his childhood he was exposed to many different styles and became proficient on a number of instruments, (piano, guitar, drums, bass, harmonica). In 1983, as a Cal student on a year abroad program in Poitiers, France, he was drawn to the local music scene and ended up staying 20 years, thereby making his impact on the French blues scene. With a variety of groups, or as the leader of his own formation, he had the opportunity to perform on countless festival and club stages throughout Europe, releasing three albums of his own compositions, and a dozen more as a contributing artist. It was in France that Jeff was first introduced to the music of Django Reinhardt which he describes as ‘a life changing experience.’ Jeff was drawn deep into the world of Gypsy Swing culminating in the formation of Duo Gadjo with Isabelle. From 2005-2015, Jeff was a member of the much revered Hot Club of San Francisco. Jeff still performs with the Hot Club occasionally and was the producer of their most recent album ‘John, Paul, George, and Django’. He also performs with his own band ‘The Jeff Magidson Blues Band.’ He is the author of a Gypsy jazz instructional book published by Hal Leonard. 

https://www.duogadjo.com/about

Meanwhile, here's the top five news of the Day:  

🌍 International & Conflict

1. China launches massive military drills around Taiwan — China has encircled Taiwan with live-fire exercises and showcased new assault ships, a clear signal amid rising tensions over U.S. arms sales to the island. Reuters+1

2. Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port city (Mukalla) — Riyadh says it struck a shipment of weapons allegedly bound for separatists, increasing tensions in the Yemeni conflict and complicating Gulf regional dynamics. AP News

🚆 Travel & Local Disruption

3. Eurostar cancels all services through the Channel Tunnel — Major disruption hit rail connections between the UK and mainland Europe, stranding travelers and prompting delays on the eve of New Year’s Eve. Fox News

🇺🇸 U.S. Domestic News

4. Officials push back on Minnesota daycare fraud claims — State officials and a daycare manager are countering viral video allegations of fraud, calling the claims inaccurate. Fox News

🌫️ Environment & Health

5. India issues air quality alerts as pollution remains high — Major cities in India are reporting “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” air quality, prompting health warnings and travel impacts. IQAir

   My Photos of the Day, Featuring My marble lamp from the Philippines and Indoor Plants

   
   
   
   
   
   Finally, Looking Forward to our New Years Eve Dinner( see attached menu)
   
   
   

Relationship to Jose M Delgado and Dyan Castillejo from Geni.com

From Wikipedia: Dr. José María Delgado (June 20, 1887, Malolos - December 24, 1978) was the first Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican. He was the cousin of Francisco Afan Delgado, descendant of General Martín Teófilo Delgado.

Delgado was born on 1887 in the Philippine city of Malolos. He was the fourth child of Juan Fausto Delgado and Eustaquia Salcedo y Concepción. He married Felisa Concepción by whom he has four boys: Jose, Jesus, Francisco, Antonio and four girls: Milagros, Pilar, Filomena, Teresita.

In 1923, he returned to Manila and resumed his practice with old friends and classmates, establishing his own clinic in the city. It was during this period of his life that he began teaching obstetrics, pediatrics and gynecology at the University of Santo Tomas, while lecturing on medical ethics, sociology, anthropology, apologetics and religion. This would be a career path that would continue for 27 years and would earn him the distinction of being the only layman teaching theology.

Delgado was appointed as the first resident ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Holy See in 1957. A post that his son Antonio C. Delgado would also hold. Written about Ambassador Delgado in a special issue of the Manila Chronicle, January 31, 1969 by Francisco De Leon: 

“Pope pius XII had assured him that the Philippines would finally get her due recognition with the appointment of the first Filipino cardinal...Pope Pius XII died a few months later. Many Filipinos back home believed that it killed the hope. Ambassador Delgado on his part, knew that the idea did not perish with the death of the pope. The appointment of a Filipino cardinal was a matter of justice. Justice may be delayed but it does not perish...in less than three years of serving as the country's Ambassador to the Vatican, the Philippines finally got her first cardinal with the appointment by Pope John XXIII of Manila archbishop Rufino Jiao Santos.”

In 1966, he authored a book "Fe Y Patria," Discursos, conferencias y articulos.

Among some of the awards received through the life of Dr. José María Delgado: 

• Most Outstanding Physician by the Philippine Federation of Private Medical Practitioners
• Medal of Catholic Action of the Philippines, Pope Pius XI (1939)
• Medal of the Pilgrims to Jerusalem
• Papal Knight with decoration “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” (1927)
• Knight of the Grand Cross
• Order of Pius IX
• Golden Cross Award by The University of Santo Tomas

When asked about his passions, Dr. Delgado is remembered as saying: “I have three loves in this life, God, Country and Culture. Upon his passing at the age of 91 on December 24, 1978, one might say that his life was an embodiment of these passions.

Meanwhile, here's a Short Video on A Day in the Life of David B Katague at THD, Walnut Creek, Ca, USA 

https://vimeo.com/1023785376/422c81b4d3?fl=pl&fe=sh

See also

• Rufino Jiao Santos, First Cardinal of The Republic of The Philippines
• Antonio C. Delgado, Philippine Ambassador to The Vatican
• Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino Saint

References

• Encarnacion Alzona, El Legado De Espana A Filipinas, 1956
• A Renaissance Man, Vera-Reyes, Inc, 1987.

• Antonio C. Delgado, The Making of The First Filipino Saint, The Ala-Ala Foundation, 1982.
• Jose Maria Delgado, Fe y Patria, 1966

Dyan Castillejo (b. 1965) is a prominent Filipino sports journalist and former professional tennis player. Born in the Philippines, she grew up in a family that valued sports and physical fitness, which greatly influenced her career path. Castillejo made her mark in the 1980s as a tennis player, representing the Philippines in various international competitions, including the Federation Cup. Her athletic prowess and dedication to sports laid the foundation for her transition into sports journalism. In the 1990s, Castillejo became a well-known sports broadcaster, joining ABS-CBN, one of the Philippines' leading television networks. Her engaging reporting style and in-depth coverage of major sporting events, such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Olympics, earned her a reputation as a trusted voice in sports media. Castillejo's work has significantly contributed to the promotion of sports in the Philippines, inspiring a new generation of athletes and sports enthusiasts. Her legacy continues to influence the landscape of sports journalism in the country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyan_Castillejo

Finally, 

Did you know Filipinos are considered the world’s most emotional people? Gallup surveys reveal that no other nationality reports experiencing as many daily emotions both highs and lows as Filipinos do.

This intense emotional range shapes the warmth, expressiveness, and resilience that define Filipino culture, from festive celebrations to everyday interactions.

My Photo of the Day: Great Grand son Beau David Joseph with his Alligator-my Gift