New Year's Eve, Eve

I don't know about you, but, for me, 2015 has flown by.  This is the first year in a while where I can say there has been more light than darkness for me.  This is not to say that there haven't been some struggles, but I have found, with the love of friends and family, a few classes, and sheer will, I am able to shine the light.  I must include being able to share with you as a major contributor to this. Thank you for coming with me from all over the world.  I feel as if we are all holding hands and sharing our love and commitment to making this world a better place one step at a time EACH DAY.  The darkness cannot live in the light.  So keep your hearts open, pay attention to what is going on, and if it doesn't feel right CHANGE IT!  Do not go along out of angst, or misplaced anger.  We have the power, together to make this world safe, and equitable for all people with love, not violence. JOIN ME in making this happen.  Think about it EVERY DAY and DO YOUR PART!  This next year will be a shining example of who we really are. 

Today is

my 900th post.  That is a lot of thinking and writing!  It has not been hard because I love to write and there is a lot to talk about. I want to thank all of you who have stuck with me all this time, and I look forward to all the new people who join us.  All I ever wanted was for us to think about the ways to become healthy and to share love and peace.  I know life can be hard, but there are ways to make it better.  Continue to hang with me, and share this with your friends.  Together we can make a ripple and make the world a better place.

Watch

your feelings come and go.  No one says that we have to stay mad.  No one says that we have to say sad.  No one says that we have to constantly worry.  And yet, sometimes these places are where we live.  It is not a good place to be.  I have, for some time, given myself a few minutes a day to get mad or feel upset about something.  If I can wait until the allotted time, I usually forget what I was upset about.  I have a little more problem with worrying about stuff.  I am working on a meditation where I imagine it is a partly sunny day, the sky is blue with fluffy clouds and a little breeze.  If I can put my worry on one of those clouds, and watch it float away, that seems to help.  What I am saying is that we can, with some practice, let the feelings come and go.  It is unhealthy to do otherwise, and we make things worse for ourselves if we don't.  So try my meditation, it may help you, too.

So I am thinking about

this past year.  I always take time to do this reflection between Christmas and the New Year.  Some of the choices I have made have been good ones.  In particular, I have tried to expect and give goodness.  Some of the choices I have made have allowed me to be sort of "stuck."  I guess we all do this.  As I look out into the mountains of snow, I see the beauty of all that has built up, but I also remember what I didn't get to take care of before it arrived.  I guess life is like that.  Stuff gets buried beneath other stuff.  Well, not being a fan of "resolutions," I have just decided to dig below the "stuff" 
 and see what is there that I can use, or lose.  I would like to start the New Year, "New,"  just for a change.

What's your's is mine,

what's mine is mine. Someone in this house is a bit of a pig cat.  Every time a new blanket arrives, it belongs to him.  Every new pillow, his.  For Christmas I got my daughter a stuffed bear.  (We have no age limits to getting stuffed bears in our house) can you guess WHO has a new stuffed bear?  That would be C@boy.  At nearly 20 years old, no one ever argues with his proclivity toward thinking every thing and everyone is his, so why try.  He is really happy with his new blankets, which he sometimes shares, and with his new bear.  I figure if he is 136 years old, he can have WHATEVER he wants.

Welcome Sweden

We are so glad to see you!  Please come back and visit!

Left over gifts

It is my fervent wish that you had a heart-warming Christmas.  But what about the left-over gifts?  We can share baked goodies we won't eat with our neighbors.  It will contribute to all of us exercising.  Sometimes, though, we forget that gifts can be given every day.  There is the gift of a smile for a stranger, the opening of a door, or even a kind word.  These gifts can be given every day of the year.  The food bank always needs contributions, sadly people are hungry all the time.  The good news is that these people can take a few dollars and turn them into several meals for a family.  If we live where it is snowy, we can shovel someone else's snow.  We can spend some time cleaning out our closets and giving away things we no longer use.  Let the gift giving become a daily habit. Give someone some joy, shine the light on them.  All these things cost nothing but a little energy on our part and we have no idea what they send out into the world.

A male perspective: Joy to the World

In the SPIRIT of the season, let's all remember the "TRUE MEANING" of Christmas.  Joy and Peace be with you.

Be your own

best cheerleader!  I heard someone say this yesterday.  It really made sense to me.  Who can bolster us more than ourselves?  I know for a fact, I can make myself feel awfully bad, so the opposite is definitely true. This is a tough season for so many people, so lets give our self the gift of staying in the moment, and thinking about all the goodness we hold. Now, who wants to come shovel for me?!  My back is still sore from my last stint out there and it is still snowing :(  22 inches and counting. 

Lessons from a pumpkin

Yes, it is true!  I get lessons from EVERYTHING, even my daughter's mini-pumpkin.  Every year, since my daughter was very young, I have gotten her a mini-pumpkin for Halloween.  It has become a long tradition.  Even though she is grown, she still looks forward to it.  Some years, we decorate it.  Many years, we have not.  This year, we found a tiny white one.  It was the smallest one in the basket.  I knew I had to rescue it.  When a pumpkin is no more that 2 inches by maybe 1, it is the cutest little thing.  They usually last until they start to rot, then are ceremoniously sent to the garbage.  This year, however, we decided to just let "Punky" live out her life another way.  She is still with us, much smaller, shrunken and wrinkled, but still giving us joy that we didn't dispose of her.  There is a lesson in this and I leave it up to you to find it!

It's O.K. to ask

 questions about things.  It is O.K. to get the information you need for a multitude of things.  I grew up thinking that if I had to ask questions about things, I hadn't been listening, or I was stupid for not knowing.  NOT!  What I I have found out, a little late, is that asking questions is smart.  Questioning things is smart.  Years ago, I had a rehab on my house.  I was working, going to school, and had a family to take care of.  The rehab was happening through all of this.  It was all I could do to just keep everyone and thing going.  I did not ask very many questions, nor did I pay really good attention to what was going on. BIG MISTAKE!  I have since learned that even when that small voice tells me "you should know that,"  I can ask, ask, ask.  Things will turn out much better and it will allow the person you are questioning to know you are "ON IT!"  So the next time you wonder about something, get some answers.  You will be all the better for it.

Did you wake up this morning?

celebrate that!  Can you see? Celebrate that!  Are you able to move around, think, hug your pet?  Celebrate that!  Do you have snow? Can you shovel it? Celebrate that!  Do you have a warm house and food?  Celebrate that!  I guess, by now, you get my drift.  Celebrate that!  The truth is, many of us have less than we want, many of us struggle at times, but there is ALWAYS someone who is worse off!  That is what those RED KETTLES are for.  That is what the FOOD BANKS are for.  So, no matter what you have, there is always change in your pocket, give it!  And don't forget to celebrate all the goodness in the world, even though it sometimes gets buried under minutia.  Perhaps if we thought MORE about the goodness and how to spread it, than getting caught up in the fear-mongering, the light would shine a little more brightly.  Today is the Winter Solstice, Celebrate that!  One more minute of light will be with us every day now.  We could sure use it!

Welcome Netherlands!

We are so happy to see you! Please come back!

Remember...

Every second of every minute of every day, we have the choice to bring, allow goodness into our lives.  No one's life is perfect.  Face it, life can be a real struggle at times.  One way I have found to mitigate this is to allow myself a little time each day to feel bad if I choose.  I limit it to just a few minutes to blow off steam.  The rest of the time I say to myself,  "self, what is your choice?"  It just takes a minute and can turn everything around on a dime.  Take a breath, ask yourself the question when things seem dark.  We ALWAYS have the choice to look at it with our hearts.  The darkness cannot live in the light. Let's remember that!

Welcome Taiwan

We are so glad to see you!  Please come back and visit!

Sorry about that!

I don't know if you missed "A male perspective," on Friday.  Life got whipped around a little, and we did, too.  Please know he is already working on a Christmas post.  He will see you Friday, I will see you tomorrow. Going to take a nap now.

Be who you are

We are all worthy.  We are all good.  We all have something to contribute.  Sometimes we fall in the pit, and if we are lucky, we seek someone to lend us a hand and help us out.  The fact is that we all have something special no one else has.  In this season of mixed emotions, lets give some thought to what our special gifts are.  This is not something we are taught to do.   Let's be our own best teachers.  If we need help, we can ask for it whether through meditation or the asking from someone else.  We cannot change the world if we are unwilling to change ourselves.  We can do it!

I read it this morning...

"Deal with overpowering ill will by generating loving thoughts."  Let's try that.

Lessons from the scraper

I wrote about the beauty of our first snow.  What came before it was freezing rain.  So when I went out to just "brush off" my car, I found a thick layer of the ice from the rain, invisibly hiding under the snow.  HRMPH!  As I was cussing under my breath, I started thinking about how this related to life.  It is always something, isn't it ?!? Then I thought, there was so much beauty over it!   My point is that there is always goodness.  It may be right in front of us, or it might be the thing hidden under it.  How much energy do we want to use to remove the minutia?  I know it is hard, but it is worth digging and scraping it out and off.  What matters is that we accept it is there and try to put good intentions on it, even if it goes against our habit.  Life is a work in progress.  Our part of it is progressing.

Through the lace curtain

I am NOT a fan of winter. Cold, slippery, icy, coats and hats, and crazy drivers are not near the top of my list!  But this morning, looking out through my lace curtain, with the sun and pale blue sky, I was taken aback, just as I am at the first real snow every season.  It is breathtakingly beautiful!  The tree branches with their little coats, are a welcome relief from the ugly mess we had from the wind storm just weeks ago.  We got enough to cover all the things I didn't get done from our storm.  I still know it is there, but, there is always spring!  I take pictures every season from the lace curtain.  They are all beautiful. (Maybe it is the curtain?!)  but it has become a seasonal habit for the past few years.  So, this year, I am going to celebrate the beauty of a season that I relish from my warm house, through the lace curtain.

Leave the door open...

even if it is just a crack.  This is the time of year when people get depressed.  It could come from the lack of light, lack of family, lack of self, or past experiences.  I have a friend who is really down.  She is in a place where she can't find the light at all.  It seems as if she doesn't think there is any light anywhere.  I have been there more than once.  It is a horrible place to be.  I was talking to my friend for a long time last night, listening to a dear friend, so enclosed in the darkness.  I don't know if she wants to or can get out.  I have been there.  My dearest sister and friend alternately listened and kicked my butt, so I will do that for my friend when she is ready.  All I asked her to do was to leave the door open, even if it is just a crack.  If that is what you need to do, take a page.  It will be o.k., I promise!

Welcome Japan!

We are so glad to see you!  Please come back soon!

Do you know...

how smart you really are? We have something we sometimes overlook.  It is our intuition.  I don't know why it gets overlooked.  It is not like it is something "woo woo."  It is our innate truth and the smartest part of us. It is what we feel in our gut.  Have you ever had a feeling about something?  Did you go against the feeling?  How did that work for you?  Just sayin! 

Fear, Oh Dear, revisited

I have written about this before.  It seems to pop up a lot. Certain people of a political party want to rule us with fear.  Lets look at how that works.  First, our heart races, then we want to retreat, or we get mad and think of ways to protect ourselves.  Hello NRA!  This is THEIR plan!  It does not help anyone but them.  Gun sales are off the charts.  Please answer this:  When does a normal citizen EVER need an assault rifle?  The second amendment called for an "armed militia."  These people used MUSKETS.  If you can find anything about everyone getting an assault rifle, please show that part to me.  I can't find it.  The point is that fear plays into the hands of many evil people.  It is much more insidious than anything.  You can't tell me that we make rational decisions out of fear, but that is just what they want.  It makes us weak, and irrational.  This spreads and spreads.  What kind of people are we?  Is this how we want to live?  I certainly don't !!!

Everything we do

and how we do it, matters.  If we feel in a hurry, or do something haphazardly, that is what comes back to us.  It is hard to stay in the moment, and do things with intention.  But with a little practice, it will come.  So, for today, and ongoing, I will practice doing things with the best of intentions.  That means thinking about what I am creating.  That means, thinking about what effect it will have.  If I do something in a big rush, it will not be my best effort.  If I do something when I am harried, it will not be my best effort.  I am going to practice breathing before I do something, because it creates balance.  That is the ripple I want to send through the world.  Please join me.

Bring your own

sunshine.  I know many of us are in the dark winter weather.  I also know that many of us get Seasonal Effective Disorder.  There are several solutions:  One is a full-spectrum light.  It has all the colors of the spectrum and if you sit near it so you can get that light, you end up feeling better.  The other way is to bring your own sunshine with you wherever you go.  It may come in the form of constant gratitude, it may come in learning a new joke every day.  It may come from (C@boys idea)  petting your favorite animal and letting everything else go.  Whatever it takes, do it!  

There just isn't enough

laughter in the world.  Have you noticed?  When is the last time you laughed and laughed?  When is the last time you were with people who found humor in most everything?  I was at one of my classes last night with this woman who had the best laugh in the world.  When she laughed, her whole body and soul was there with it.  It was so wonderful.  It made me feel so good and it made me laugh.  I let go of everything, it was pure joy.  If you have the opportunity to be in the company of this type of person, grab it!  Humor heals all sorts of maladies.  Find a way to get lots of humor in your life.  I will make sure I do the same!

Why worry?

I will admit it!  I am a worrier.  It is not a good thing, but it is something that I have a lot of trouble with.  This week, I was worried about several things.  I am told by friends and family that worrying does not change things, it often makes things worse.  I know it affects my health.  Two of the things I have been worried about this week, have turned out to be O.K.  I don't know if you have this problem, but I am going to try to mitigate it.  We can do things to make situations better, and we have times where we can do nothing.  We don't need to worry ourselves sick.  Join me in letting go of what I cannot change.  All I can do is shine the light on it, then let it go. 

Painting everything with

ONE BRUSH is not the way to go, and yet, so many of us do this very thing.  I consider myself to be pretty open minded and yet, as I had a discussion with a friend of mine, yesterday, I find that I do just this on occasion without even thinking about it. We were discussing my post about the all color Santa's.  My thought was that if we are all exposed to Santa, he should represent us all.  Her thought was that Santa is white and other cultures have their own representation to celebrate.  Who is right?  Probably both of us in our own way, but there I was with my one brush.  Bears thinking about, don't you think?

What color is he?

Don't get me wrong, I think the holidays should be celebrated for what they represent.  I also have a child who was excited about "Santa."  She knew the meaning of the holiday, but was also a child in a world where all this effort is made to sell things.  This morning on the "View," Woopie had a sweater on with a Black Santa.  I was so thrilled!  I can't imaging what it would be like for any child of color to be seeing only a "white" Santa.  What kind of message is that?!?  If we are going to push "Santa,"  we should at least allow our children to see someone who represents them.  So, thanks, Woopie!  If I wore those seasonal sweaters,  I would buy the Rainbow Santa, the Black Santa, the Brown, Tan, Female,  whatever Santa who would represent us ALL! HO, HO, HO!!!!!!!

Look for the light!

In many places it is winter.  We are just getting started on it, and because of global warming, we have had quite the mix.  We have had some snow, very cold temperatures, accompanied with sun, and a pretty bad windstorm.  So far, we have managed to get through it, but it makes me wonder why we don't pay more attention to OUR part of helping the environment. I know recycling helps, and using our cars less, but I guess I don't know enough.  So today, I will check out what more I can do to help.  Maybe we could all take a minute and find one thing we could consistently do that we don't do already.  C@boy wants to remind us that we can make our own sunshine during these long dark months by petting and giving extra care to our beloved pets.  They give light freely!

Three wonderful stores

Every year, the time to shop is getting earlier.  This year, many stores opened in the afternoon of Thanksgiving day.  It is all about the dollar, you know.  This year, three stores in our town did not open on Thanksgiving!  These stores realize that family comes first not dollars.  They say, there is another four letter word more important than "shop."  The word is "love!"  How about that!  The stores are "Marshalls," " T.J. Max," and "Home Goods."  I applaud these stores for not looking at their bottom lines BEFORE what is really important.  I will shop at these stores much more than I used to because of the new respect I have found for them.  They have good prices ALL YEAR LONG.  Join me in giving them YOUR dollars, too.  They are making a ripple that will help change the world.

A male perspective; Blah, Blah, Blah....

When they discover the center of the universe, there will be some politicians who discover they are NOT the middle of it.  "ALL HAT, NO CATTLE" as they say in the wilds of Idaho.

Try something new

Sometimes life can get boring.  The mind is caught up on the EYE, which is full of bad-to-worse news.  We may be working a mundane job which does not stimulate us.  Go out and get a good book to read. Yes, I said a BOOK!  I just read one that I loved, "A Walk in the Woods."  Take a class, I am taking two at the moment, one to help me finish and publish my book about C@boy.  I know we are all busy, and it is time to hibernate, but it never hurts to add a little "juice" to our lives.  Yes, I know there are other ways to "juice" it up!  Pick your poison!

The only way to have

peace in your life is to invite it. Peace starts with us, each and every one making that choice.  How do we do this?  I can only tell you what I am starting to do.  First, I watch much less news as that riles me up and makes me feel angry and helpless.  Second, I speak much less about all the chaos, because it hurts my heart that so many bad things happen with no consequences. Then, I take as many deep breaths as it takes to calm myself.  I think about all the good things and feel gratitude.  I wrap everything in light.  The darkness cannot live in the light.  Lastly, I imaging everything working out in the best way.  This gives me ideas of what my part is in making the changes needed to send a ripple of love through the world.  The answer is to let myself get quiet and calm.  Peace comes from quiet reflection. Peace comes from looking to our hearts for the only REAL thing, love.  Join me, each day in reflecting on this.  We can change the world, together.

Rosa Parks

Love and honor you!

O ringy ding, O ringy ding

I know I speak of gratitude a lot.  One way we can show our gratitude for all we have is to put money into those red kettles with the wonderful people who ring the bells.  That money, however small, goes directly to those in need for food, clothing, and shelter.  I personally, cannot go past even one of them without putting something in.  Some times it is change, and sometimes dollars, but I always remember that there is someone else who has far less than I do and being able to give them something makes me feel like a part of the solution.  So the next time you hear that bell, don't head for the other door into the store, go to that little red kettle and do your part to spread the joy.  I personally wish they had them all year long.

Welcome Hong Kong

You are our 50th country!  Please come back and see us!

A wise man once said:

" Every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness." This man is Ralph Waldo Emerson. I would like to add a few other moods to this thought.  How about sad, depressed, irritated, and lost. I will leave it up to you to add any of your favorite feelings of gloom.  It bears thinking about since this is the season when people take their lives the most.  I, for one, am going to make a list of all the positive feelings I can think of to push all those moods away.  If I can do this for 21 days, then I will make a new habit.  Want to try it with me? 

A word from C@boy

In many places, winter is upon us.  As we pull out our warm coats, scarves, and hats, he wants us to remember that even though animals have fur, it is not meant to keep them warm all the time and under all circumstances.  He is fortunate that he has a warm home, many nests and blankets.  He is also a house cat.  What he wants you to consider is that if your animals are outdoor, like his best friend Bear was, they need shelter, water ( which freezes like anything else), even their food.  Sometimes we forget that.  So in the spirit of the season, make sure your beloved pets stay as warm as you do.  He is dictating this from his spot in front of the heating vent.

Shout out to

Arm and Hammer for celebrating generations of women who nurture their families.  May we all join them in this endeavor.

A male's perspective: What's your choice?

Our country was founded by refugees, fleeing from persecution, seeking a better life.  Their very survival depended on the generosity and compassion of the people who were already here.  In the spirit of the season, resist the venom being spread by pandering politicians  who want you to live life in fear and mistrust.  "Register non-Christians,"  REALLY?!? What's next?  a patch on their coats, or maybe off to the camp (for their own safety) This is what you should be afraid of America: It's much harder to do harm to someone who offers you bread as opposed to someone who greets you with a gun and a wall.

Attitude of Gratitude

In most places, today is Thanksgiving.  This year, I have decided to go small in light of all that has occurred in the world lately.  Here is my list:  I am grateful for just waking up in the morning, being relatively healthy, having a warm house and power, a car that runs, a mind that still works (most of the time) a sense of humor, my wonderful C@boy and all those who I love and who love me.  This year, I want to celebrate all things, my check engine light went off by itself. My neighbor was not crushed in her car during the wind storm (her car did not fare so well) my dear friend is on her way to pushing cancer out of her once again. I will celebrate C@boy sitting in a ray of sun, and the fact that it is shining.  I want to get down to the ESSENCE of life and be grateful every day for ALL THE WONDERS that take place that I sometimes miss.  I wish for you peace, love, and heat, and that you will join me, EVERY DAY, in an attitude of gratitude.

If you don't have one...

start your gratitude list today.  I know it is the day before Thanksgiving, but it is never too early to make this list.  It seems as if people talk about what they are thankful for on the holiday, but it is good for us to feel the gratitude every day of the year.

With all our goodness...

we have in the world, lately, it is a pretty sad and scary place.  What we must remember is that "Peace begins when you choose to let go of fear."

Good Neighbors make...

wonderful people.  I was talking to my neighbor about the weather events of the past week.  We were speaking about the good that comes out of the bad.  We were smiling and laughing.  It felt good.  Then I had to put these 40 lb. bags of sand in my car. Yikes!  But to my happiness and wonder, this nice man offered to put them in the back of my car!  I have wrapped him in light as I do for all those out there who help people out out of the kindness of their heart.  

Let's hear it for...

Campbell soups!  They have a new commercial celebrating our diverse family units.  All children deserve loving parents.  They come in all types.  It is the love that is important.  We need to remember that!  Thank-you Campbell's!  I will continue to celebrate all the people and companies who support ALL of us!

Pulling Threads revisited

I loved my mom with my whole heart.  She made sure I had everything I needed: love, curiosity about life, appreciation of art and music, and an excellent education.  She modeled kindness and sensitivity and unfortunately, she was a bigot.  She died young and I wonder if that poison killed her.  Fortunately, this feeling of hers propelled me in the opposite direction.  We never spoke of it.  The truth is we are all part of a beautiful tapestry.  Each one a unique glorious, and irreplaceable thread.  Pull even one out and it diminishes and weakens our fabric.  Looking at our world we can see what happens as threads are pulled.  It saddens me to think anyone could feel good about doing this.  I want to believe if my mom were alive today, her mind would be changed.  Make a ripple, honor diversity, see what happens. (this is a post I wrote January 16, 2014

Be mindful of

the  EYE!  I live in one of the states that had the big windstorms this week.. It took power from hundreds of thousands of people all over our state.  Cold, dark, nothingness is still covering many places, and I feel for them.  One year when my daughter was young, our furnace went out.  It was in January, one of our coldest months.  I remember it as if it were yesterday.  Not Fun.  We had no  money to fix it for several weeks.  BURRRRRRR!  The only thing that happened to us in this particular storm, aside from yards that looked hurricanish, was our cable went out.  It continues to be out, leaving us with NO EYE TO SIT IN FRONT OF!!!!! At first, it pissed me off.  How will I ever live without my soaps and cooking shows?  How will I miss NAT GEO?  What about Pit bulls and Parolees?!!!  OMG!  What I am learning, slowly and reluctantly, is that I can converse with my daughter!  We can play games together.  C@boy gets his quiet room back to sleep and not be disturbed.  Hmmm... More time to do real things like read.  No awful news. I even seem to want to eat less!  Don't think too many more days will go by until I get these "wonders" fixed, but I will really think before I turn them on for hours and hours and turn back  into "couch potato extraordinare!"

A male perspective: Knee Jerk

Like climate change and weather, immigrants v.s. refugees are different things.  They are similar, however in that they both elicit a reaction based on fear or ignorance from certain elements of our political spectrum.  We have a process in place where we can protect our security while still showing compassion toward the world's most vulnerable.  We can do this because that is who we are as a society and this sends a powerful message.  So step back from the rhetoric, let the system work, and don't be a jerk!

Blown Away

Well, we just made it through the worst wind storm in history where I live.  I have destruction all around me, but here I sit, unscathed.  Most of my friends have no power.  I feel for them.  But I love to see people at their best, doing all they can to help their neighbors.  My friends and I called each other last night to see how everyone was doing.  It warmed my heart to have that many people worry about how I was doing.  It was even better today, to see how so many people were pitching in. All I want to say is that if this many people can work together to clean up and repair things, it should be easier for us to pay attention to our daily lives and offer a hand whenever.  I am not just talking to you, I am talking to myself, which I do frequently......  Sometimes my best conversations are with myself! 

Today

Shine the light!

The past

is just that, the past. We can carry it around like a heavy weight around our neck, affecting virtually everything in our lives, or decide it is the PAST and we can take the lesson from it and discard the rest.  We all know what happens when we decide to keep the past with us, nothing good!  Guilt, remorse, and the fact that it colors things black, are what we are inviting into our lives if we choose to hold on to mistakes we have made.  That is no way to live.  There are ways to let this loose. The most important thing is to forgive ourselves.  Then, re-write the story in the way that would benefit us, the way we wanted things to happen.  When we dwell on that instead of the darkness, we will set ourselves free.  Isn't that the way we were meant to be?

Why?

I was wondering to a friend exactly why I continue to write this blog.  The reason became clear to me when I took a look at the world we are living in now.  It seems as if the news goes from bad to worse.  We do, after all live in chaotic times, to be sure.  But where is the glimmer of hope we all need?  I guess that is what my job is.  I feel like I need to file off the sharp edges, and shine the light on good people and what is working.  I want to find that tiny shard of light shining through all the debris, and allow us all to find something light-hearted.  I want us to think past the pain, and know there are better things out there.  Our minds and hearts are much stronger than we think.  If we haven't been using them much, lets start with everything we have.  Love conquers all.  Please, lets not forget that.  Know I will remind us every chance I get!

Taken from the nightly news

(translated) "IN THE NAME OF WHAT?"

If you can

dream it, or visualize it, it can happen.  I didn't used to believe this.  It doesn't always come as fast as you might want it, but I am here to say, it does happen.  If I think of a place I want to park, even in busy times, it is there.  My friends call me the "parking savant!"  But the fact remains, if we can picture something in our mind and really focus on it, many times, it will happen.  It sure is worth a try, don't you think?!

A Male Perspective: "STAND UP!"

Black athletes on the University of Missouri football team recently stood up in protest for a continuing pattern of racial discrimination.  This course of action took courage because they had a lot to lose.  I applaud both the players and their coaches for supporting a long-standing student protest against the slow-moving administration dedicated to maintaining the status quo. The result: People in power realized change MUST take place.  I wonder what changes we could make if we put our own self interests aside and summoned the type of courage it took for these students, athletes, and coaches to STAND UP!

Every experience

has a lesson wrapped up in it.  Some weeks, or days, I feel like going back to bed.  It isn't that often, but I know you have been there.  Get up, stub your toe, slept through the alarm, phone rings and you can't get to your coffee, the shirt you put out has a spot on it.  O.K.  Then things continue to go down hill.  Wait, stop!  What did I forget to do?  Oh, that's right.  I forgot to say, "what is this telling me?"  Or, we forget to realize that we can hit the pause button and decide to change course. But the bigger picture is that there is always a lesson here.  Probably, there will be some random stuff, but, maybe it is to go to bed earlier. Maybe it is that we are having the bounce back test.  Maybe we have been ignoring our toe and it wants to be heard.  I don't know.  It is worth thinking about.  Some of my best lessons have been wrapped in what seems like chaos at the time. 

Celebrate and Honor

Your veterans and their contribution to all our well-being, today and every day!

It'a true!

Forgiveness always triumphs!

Thought for the day

"What would you attempt if you knew you would not fail?"  I have a little figure with this written on it on a mirror.  It is something to think about when we are feeling "brave."  It is also something to think about when we are not feeling brave.  I have decided to make a list.  Want to join me?

Rain, rain

gently tapping on my windows and roof, sending me into a deep sleep, greening up the fall shrubs who have started to turn color, nourishing all.  Rain, rain, liquefying the leaves that have clustered on the street into some sort of orange pudding, slip, slop. Rain, rain, causing me to wear a coat and hat, giving me the most beautiful air to breathe!  Rain, rain.

We all fail

and no one likes to.  The truth is, some of our best lessons come from failure.  Look at Thomas Edison, how many times did he fail?  In fact, if we looked at some of the best minds ever, they failed more times than they could count.  It isn't the failing that counts, it is the getting up and trying again.  I personally don't like the word "fail,"  probably because of it's connotation, but I do know that when things don't turn out the way I want or expect them to, the only way I fail is if I decide to quit trying.

Welcome Jamaica!

We are so happy to see you!  You are our 49th country!  Please come back!

A male perspective: Go figure

Recently the nation's highest honor, "The Congressional Medal of Honor," was awarded to one of our brave servicemen for defending our freedom.  However, I do find it ironic that "Congress," and "Honor," are included in the same text. Go figure.

It's just ONE vote!

I was speaking to a younger friend of mine about the state of affairs in our country recently.  The party I am NOT affiliated with and who are only for the "1%," seem to be taking the lead in the country.  The two people at the top of their list know NOTHING about politics.  They both say what people want to hear, one a blowhard, the other on a book signing tour currently. They are both pandering to people's angst! Frankly, it scares me that anyone would want to support these people.  They have absolutely no substance, NONE.  So, I am talking to my friend about it.  They say, "I don't vote, after all, it is just ONE vote.  I shook my head.  "How many hundreds of thousands of people say that?"  "Oh," they said.  Yes, OH!  If we want the world to be a good and safe place, if we want EVERYONE to have the rights they need and deserve, if we want to grow and prosper, ALL OF US, not just "the few," we need to make our needs and wants known.  We need to put people in office who have ALL OUR BEST INTERESTS at heart!  It is just ONE vote, but if you add them up, we could be going in the CORRECT direction, instead of where we are headed!

You don't have to explain

yourself.  For many years, I found myself trying to explain whatever my actions were.  You see, I march to a different drummer!  What I am learning is that what I say and do come mostly from my heart and though I see things with a "different eye" much of the time, it is O.K.  There must be more of you out there who are like this.  Let me tell you, it is a hard habit to break after so many years, but, when I can do it, I feel so much better, and relaxed about who I am.  Just sayin.

11/3

We are either part of the problem, or part of the solution!  If we don't vote, we can't complain.  GET OUT THERE!

When things go sideways......

start over!  When you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, start over! When you get up and C@boy has left you a surprise, start over!  When it has rained 3 days in a row and it is getting dark earlier, and  you feel like the funk-monster start over!  When you have put your foot in your mouth, start over!  The point here is we can always pause and START OVER!

Welcome Mexico!

So glad to see you! Please come back and see us!

Not slow, not fast, but

half assed.  That used to be a saying I heard a lot.  Here is a job, give it your all, Not slow...not half assed! It is a funny saying, but it does make a point.  In many places, the weather is getting cold.  It seems to make me worse at starting new things and not completing them, so this year, I am going to start and finish, to the best of my ability, one thing at a time.  I have a spiritual goal, and I have a home goal.  Those are the two things I will concentrate on as I hibernate for the winter.  I am not saying I am going to stay in my cave, but I will slow down and give my all to these very important goals.  Then, in the Spring, I will have energy and some things to feel good about as I start anew just like the spring dictates.

C@boy on Halloween

Our little black and white boy has some opinions on this holiday.  First of all, don't leave your pet out of the loop.  A treat for them would be a good brushing.  You should NEVER let your all black cat outside in the evening, something might happen to them. Most pets hate to dress up.  He did sort of enjoy doing the "Cat Trump " thing though.  All that banging on the front door disturbs his napping.  But he wants you to know that the spirit of his best friend Bear, the red wolf he grew up with lives in our basement.  I have to believe him because I hear the noises, too!

Welcome Finland!

We are so glad to see you!  You are our 47th country!  Please come again!

A Duel Perspective " Witch Hunting!"

The "hunting of witches" has long been a past time of conservative ideologues.  The 11 hour grilling of Hillary Clinton by the Benghazi panel led by the "inquisitor in chief," Trey Goudy, remind me of several 'witch hunts' in the past:  The McCarthy hearings, The Inquisition and torture of Galileo , and The Salem Witch Trials.  All are examples of groups with pre-conceived opinions and facts.  All were designed to ruin the reputations of the witnesses and pressure the person(s) to recant what they KNEW to be true.  What justifies this abuse?  The minimum total cost of the 3 year, 32 hearing Benghazi fiasco is about 20 MILLION DOLLARS!  How many other ways could our TAXPAYERS MONEY have been spent?! I can think of two important ones: education and medical for all! I certainly would like to have had a say in MY MONEY! Only if  conservative ideologues accept reality will these "Witch Hunts" end!  Voters, what are we willing to do?  WAKE UP!!!!

Welcome Philippines!

We are so glad to see you!  Please come back and spend time with us!

Who would you give a standing ovation?

I guess I should have said who or what would cause you to do this!  Think about it.  We know who "Pisses us off!!" but, lets look at the other side.  I gave many standing ovations to the POPE.  What a wonderful, kind man who is the essence of love.  I give one to MALALA.  She is the essence of humanity, standing up for the rights of young girls to learn, everywhere.  I stand for OPRAH.  Look at all the goodness she has spread and her spirit.  I stand for ELLEN, when someone can make me laugh even on my darkest day, they deserve it, and I am being reminded by C@boy of her love for cats, and I stand up for C@boy who is pushing 20 years old.  I stand up for my dear friend who is battling cancer for the second time with courage and a smile on her face.  I stand for anyone who is getting up each day trying to make a better world for all of us. I stand up for you.

Welcome

to our 4th year!  I wanted to put this thought in your head today.  Everything matters. Make that part of your great, happy, love-filled day! 

Celebrate with me!!!

Today is the end of our third year together!  3 years!  Hard to believe I have been able to write 824 posts!  I never thought I could do it.  We are all over the world, in all the continents except the extreme North and South.  I couldn't  have done it without you.  The best is yet to come!  Namaste'

Be grateful

to someone who believes in you.  Learn to believe in yourself.  Face it, we can't water our plants with a teaspoon of water.  We can't love well, if we don't love ourselves.  We can't be happy, if we don't find a way to be that way.  I have said it before.  We have to believe in our own goodness, we have to see the goodness in others.  It is a long process, and it can be hard.  But, is it worth the work.  We seem to be good at all this other garbage!  Why not try the alternative?!?

Why not

think about what kind of recreation we are doing?  Why not think about doing things that are fun, that make us think, or become a better person?  Why not learn about other cultures and think about what might help others?  Why not go to movies that entertain?  Why not play games that make us feel good and test our skills?  The world we live in condones and magnifies violence.  Look at one of the new T.V. shows, it is about a couple who go around and kill people for fun.  Look at so many of the video games kids "play" that are violent.  I know, it sells, and money is GOD, right.  Forget about our souls and spirits that are constantly bombarded with this stuff.  I know it is our choice to watch and participate in these things, but how many alternatives are we shown?  When society is totally desensitized, how do we expect them to act in a humane manner that is becoming foreign to them?!?  How scary is that?!

Give yourself

permission to be a kid today.  I know, I know, stuff to do... Well, add this in.  One of the things I used to do and still do but not as much is doodle.  I remember times staring out of the window at school and doodling at the same time.  Such a multitask er I was!  Later,  I invested in all sorts of colored pencils so that all my doodles could be colorful.  I could have made up my own coloring book!  That reminds me that they have all sorts of coloring books now for young and old.  Coloring is such a soothing thing.  My point, do some things that make you feel young and unencumbered today. We have too much other stuff that makes us have to be adults!

A male perspective: Politically Incorrect

The "Great Alaskan Slave Auction," REALLY?  The event was organized by the good people of Alaska to raise money.  The local NAACP objected to the term "Slave Auction."  The organization's head responded by saying that previously slaves had been made of the local Native Americans and he didn't hear any of them complaining.  You wonder why peope of color are angry, upset and feel marginalized.  Attitudes like the one represented by this A*hole  who is out of touch, ignorant, or just doesn't give a damn about who he is offending just may be part of the problem.  Maybe "just a little bit of political (human respectfulness) correctness" would be helpful.

What would happen if...

we woke up with a positive thought every day?  If we held love above all feelings?  If we spent our money on helping people, not throwing them under the bus?  We took the time to find the beauty in life instead of ugliness?  We took a breath before saying something we might regret?  We tried to smile even if we didn't feel like it?  Or, if we gave thought, daily to creating the world we want and need for all of us.?  What would happen?

6 down,

I don't know how many to go.  Yesterday was a beautiful day!  It was probably the last of the really warm 65 degree days.  It was a perfect day to go out and kick leaves around.  However, I was sent out by C@boy to do some raking.  Sure, thanks, all he has to do is supervise from the front window.  Well, 2 1/2 hours later and 6 of the 39 gallon bags later, I have a patch on my lawn about 6 X 6 that will be leafless until the first breeze or 30 something degree temperature happens.  I guess all that matters is that I have a satisfied cat for having watched me work so hard while he sat in his nest watching and yawning.

"Boys to Men"

There used to be a really good R & B band with that name.  I believe that was an appropriate name for them.  I do see there is a new T.V. show on called "Super Girl."  When I was younger, I used to watch "Wonder Woman." It used to make me feel like maybe I could do anything. I may be sensitive, but I have NEVER seen a show called "Super Boy."  I wonder why?!?  To me, it is sort of a slap on the face to see a grown woman called "Super Girl."  To me a girl is someone who is 10 years old.  Yes, I know I am being a little sensitive, or at least maybe some might say so, but, think about it.  In an age when we are being led back to the 1950's in our women's rights by a bunch of "young white rich boys," there might be room for some thought on the subject.

Frozen

is not just a popular children's movie.  It is the state of my computer, today.  To make things worse, it is the state of my mind when I have to come up with a post when it is nap time.  Sorry.  If the computer is on it's best behavior, and it better be tomorrow, we will see you in the morning, just like always.  Have a good rest of your day!

Are you hungry?

We put gas in our cars.  We fill the fluids in our cars.  We feed ourselves with food (if we can,) but how often do we feel our souls?  The plants get thirsty, they need nourishment.  But how often do we think of the thing that actually keeps us going?  There are many ways to feed the soul.  A long walk, just breathing, and taking in the beauty, moments of meditation to quiet all the talk in our heads, thinking of someone we love, and realizing what is REAL in our lives are some ways of nourishing our souls.  What happens when we neglect this?  Look around.

Have

a great day.  Take a deep breath, listen to the birds, kick some leaves , then rake them and bag them.  Have hot cocoa, hug a loved one.  Brush a pet (that is from C@boy) Be grateful to be alive and let yourself and other's know it.  Today is all we have.

A Male Perspective: Mama's don't let your baby's grow up to play football

Football has become an obsession in America today, almost like a rite of passage for many young men and boys.  As a player and coach of many years, I can attest to the fact that there is NOTHING safe about football.  Football, by it's very nature is a contact sport.  However, the human body is not able to withstand the constant pounding inflicted by the game.  Back in the 'leather helmet and no face mask' days, it was actually safer.  Blocking and tackling technique emphasized use of the arms and shoulders.  With the advent of the hard shelled helmet and iron face mask, the emphasis turned toward leading with the head and using the helmet as a weapon to inflict as much damage as possible.  The results have both short and long-term debilitating injuries.  Brain damage from repeated concussions, confinement in a wheelchair, and premature death are seen.  The positives for playing (and yes, there are a few) such as teamwork and camaraderie are short term.  On the other hand, the long-term consequences will last a life time.

Clean

your own house first.  We are really good at looking outside ourselves for a lot of things.  It may be what we are taught.  It is easy to blame someone else for things.  It is much harder to assess blame when we look at ourselves first.  We are not taught to accept that we might do something wrong or start something that ends badly.  So what I am suggesting, for all of us, is to make sure we know who we are, what we want and what is right and fair for us to start. I know when I feel good about myself, it is easier for me to see the best in other's.  Shouldn't we start at the beginning, instead of the middle like we do more times than not.  I just think it behooves us to REALLY THINK for once. Forgive ourselves for whatever we perceive has been wrong action, and change it going forward.  How would that affect the world? 

Digging out

Well, here we are in a hole again.  It is far from the worst one we have dug, but it is still a doozie.  Where to start...poverty, women's rights, immigration, civil rights, wages, infrastructure, college debt, Mother Earth... just to name a few.  What is WRONG WITH US?  Maybe if we went back to bartering? Maybe if we took some lessons on being real human beings who genuinely cared about each-other. The only good thing I can think of is that we have always found our way back.  Will we this time? I am pretty sure APATHY IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!

Old Fashoned Words

Back in the day, there was a word "virtue."  Do you know what that means?  When was the last time we heard that word?  I heard it in a sentence yesterday, on one of my favorite news shows.  It was mentioned by a former Senator, John Danforth.  He was being asked what had happened to our government, why there was so much effort used to DO NOTHING,  or to keep anything from happening.  His answer was short, and to the point!  He said, back then, "Virtue was a commitment to the common good."  Do we even know about virtue any more?  Do we think about the "COMMON GOOD?"  I am still thinking about what this man said, and the look on his face that we have come so far in the wrong direction.  Maybe we ought to listen to the Democratic Debates, tonight.  Let's listen for ideas that will help us heal this chasm that has formed and find someone who has the virtues we need to continue and lead us for the common good.

Ask

for help.  Let's face it, as wonderful as life can be, it can also be tragic.  As a society, we are ill-equipt to deal with some of life's more serious problems.  We are seldom taught to communicate, mostly to keep things to ourselves, and suck it up.  I don't know how that works for you, but it backfires EVERY TIME for me.  We are supposed to "GROW UP," don't whine, etc.  Guess what, that doesn't work.  Our brains don't work that way.  They suggest other things sometimes that are not in anyone's best interest.  It would be wonderful if we could learn how to handle life's difficulties at a young age.  Our society does not value this type of information, so we are kind of on our own.  If we are fortunate, we have a strong support system to lift us up and give us direction, but if we are not and feel like we have to shoulder it all on our own, then where are we?  I don't care how far down we get, we need to know that there is SOMEONE SOMEWHERE who will care enough to listen to our frustration, and hurt, and be compassionate.  It is my deepest hope/wish that we all are able to access this type of help when WE need it and BE that help when someone else does.

Swirling, twirling, chasing

winds, blowing leaves in and out of piles.  Wind chimes clacking, tangling, pinging, shining in the autumn sunlight catch my eye and ears.  Colors of the harvest, warm and bright, leaves change color in the night.  Walking crisply, kicking deeply, smelling Mother Earth getting ready to go Ni Nite. Autumn glows, invites us out, before the winter sends us in.  

The bigger picture v.s...

the smaller picture.  We seem to always be full of ideas of how to "fix" things.  We come up with these grand schemes that seldom, if ever work.  There are too many dollars involved to change gun laws.  We are proving that.  Some years ago, a car company decided NOT to install seat belts in the back of the car.  Their reasoning, well, the seat belts cost $7 dollars and even if a certain amount of people died, or were injured, it would be cheaper not to put the seat belts in.  This is a true story!  The truth is money is always the reason things are not done.  Money is GOD!  Well, I have a thought that might alleviate our waiting on something that may never come.  It is called "PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!"  What would happen, it we all just used some of our "Personal Responsibility?"  What would happen if we looked at our own lives and assessed what we, ourselves could do to change something that is terribly wrong in a non-violent and conscience way?  What would happen if we talked to our friends about changing our own ways, about starting a ripple affect.  We can call our congress persons.  All their numbers are listed in the latest "People."   The point is, hand wringing will not work.  Waiting on the people who continue to care less will not work.  The only thing that will work is if WE dig in and do something.  If people in government will not help us, those OBSTRUCTIONISTS, lets vote them out?!!!

A Male perspective Out of Commission : (

My friend who writes AMP, had minor surgery yesterday, so I gave him until next week off.  He already has a great topic.  Keep him in your thoughts, everything went well.  We all deserve to have time off for health care.

Take another breath

It rained yesterday.  It had been a while since we had had one that actually gave the ground a good drink.  It has been a long dry summer, and we really needed it. We are in the midst of changing seasons, both emotionally and in our physical world.  So, when it rained, I thought about all the air that could be cleansed. In my life, there has been some upheaval lately, both personally and with the health of my loved ones. I have decided to let the rain wash away the unhealthy debris attached to it.  I am looking with gratitude that things are being resolved, and that my loved ones have great medical care. Sometimes it is hard to hold ourselves right in choppy water, but, it doesn't stay that way.  The rain can come along and the waves can settle down.  We just need to hold on and know that. 

News

The results of my one dear friend's surgery was the best outcome.  My other dear friend has surgery in the morning.  Thank you for your support.  I know that your well-wishes and good thoughts of light have given and will give them both the best outcome.  One of them is in for a long haul.  Please keep both in the light.  Again, thank you! Go out and kick a pile of leaves if you have them, I will do the same and take a long deep breath of gratitude.

An experiment

Here is an experiment for today.  Talk to people and see if they can tell you what you really said.  I was having a conversation with someone, recently, and they scrambled up what I said to them.  What he heard was nothing compared to what I said.  It was almost funny.  So, for today, really listen to what someone is telling you.  The way to do this is to listen and not plan what you are going to say while someone else is talking.  The reason I know this is because I have certainly been guilty of it.  Try this today.  You might learn something.

The power of many

Today, I am asking for your help.  Two of my dearest friends are facing a health crisis.  I know that the more people who shine the light on them the better.  In return, I will shine the light on all of you as I do every day.  If you have a loved one, or just anyone, who is facing these things, wrap them in the light.  You will never know how comforting it is for all and the enormous impact it has to them.  Thank-you!

Give yourself

time today to make a list of all you are grateful for.  I think we sometimes dwell on all the crap in our lives instead of realizing all the good things we have.  It is easy to feel that way when we are busy and tired, and many times feeling unsupported.  I get it.  But when I let myself get into that rut, things do not get better, and I feel like crap.  I have started a new habit of listing my gratitude each night when I crawl into bed.  Now, I am listing the same feelings in the morning.  No matter what happens, it gives me something to anchor onto.  I also feel that it is easier to create happiness in our lives when we are "cup 1/2 full."  So, enjoy your day and feel the gratitude down to your toes.  You will enjoy the smile, I promise.

An 8 lying sideways

makes the infinity sign.  As a person who is really into numbers, this is significant!  Today is my 800th post.  Say it again, 800!  Since October, 2013, I have written 800 different posts.  So, if you ever want to take some time to look back to where we have come from, be my guest.  I am proud that I have written all these posts and am in 45 countries  WITHOUT the use of ANY social media.  Celebrate with me today!  I have stuck with something for 3 years!  Luckily, I love to write and get inspiration from literally every one and every thing, including YOU!

A male perspective : ' The new normal '

I recently learned of another mass shooting on a college campus.  My reaction was sadness, anger, and grief, but not surprise.  I am not surprised that these instances continue to happen.  We will hear a lot of talk, excuses, and explanations from politicians, pundunts, and the NRA, but no meaningful action.  As a society, we should be ashamed of ourselves that we do not have THE COLLECTIVE WILL to make the changes necessary to stop this madness.  By being reactive as opposed to proactive, we are saying that nothing can be done and that this is just a 'normal thing' that we will have to accept.

Con flicted

I don't know about you, but I don't like conflict.  When I was younger, it didn't seem to bother me much, but, thankfully, my heart has softened over the years.  Right now, my plate is pretty full of some heavy stuff, including some conflict.  It has been going on for several months and I am really worn out over it.  How do we decide when our rights are being violated, and we have repeatedly asked someone to do the right thing, with no response, to handle a situation?  I know I was about at the end of my rope.  Then, I decided to just stop.  I held the person in the light with a group of friends, and a wonderful thing happened.  He did the right thing.  I never want to think the worst of anyone.  Maybe if I had held him in the light, things would have dissipated sooner.  I know it is important to treat everyone with respect.  Maybe, both of us have learned a lesson from all this. 

I love...

Phone tag.  Well, let me put that another way.  The "tag" part can get frustrating, but it is nice to know that when the game is "won,"  I get to actually talk to the person on the other end.  Texting, and e-mail, on the other hand are a very flat way of communicating.  We can do it quickly and quietly, but there is no emotion, or personality to it.  We can also misconstrue a text by putting an emotion into it that is hard to read. Sometimes, someone might word a message in a way that we do not get it.  My rambling point is, it is better to communicate by talking.  It seems that we do a lot less of that and I think it is NOT to our benefit.  So, go play tag with someone whose voice you haven't heard for a while.  Tell them you miss them.  Let them know the real deal.

We teach people how to treat us.

This an undeniable fact.  What we need to start with is a healthy self-esteem.  That is hard to come by given the world we live in.  We get so many mixed messages while we are growing up.  We learn the lessons our parents are taught.  We have all tried to be the best parents we could be, but in a flawed world, it is difficult.  The good news now, is that we can, with some work, find a way to increase our feelings of self-worth so that WE CAN teach people how to treat us with the respect we deserve and not settle for anything less.  Just think of how that would change things!

Nourish....

your spirit today, and every day.  I don't know what an effect having the pope in our country was for you, but it left an indelible mark on me.  I believe that many of our troubles stem from our lack of connection to our spirit, and spirit in general.  It is the best part of us.  It is the good, honest, pure part of us.  It has no agenda but love and goodness.  It has been important to be reminded of that.  It has been good to actually SEE spirit in action! LETS KEEP THAT ENERGY GOING! 

"P" is for Pope...

"P" is for peace.  I can't tell you what an effect the Pope had on me this week.  Well, it is a little hard to put in words.  Let me tell you what my heart says.  My heart feels calmed by him.  My soul, nourished.  He stands for everyone.  He has no agenda, other than asking us to love each other and our Mother Earth. He has no time for derisiveness , only the love of all human beings. He speaks softly and carries an essential message. I only hope that we are all listening... 

Hello Hallmark

Last night I was out with my friend.  She informed me that it was Native American Day.  I was a little taken aback.  Where was the advertising on the T.V.?  Where was there ANY mention of it?  Where was the Hallmark card?  There are Hallmark cards for everything from a fungus on your cat's toe to the leaves falling in the street.  I am sad that these beautiful people are still so marginalized.  What does that say about us as a people?  Whatever it says, I am embarrassed.  I know that we are better than this.  Let's think of all our human value.  Everyone needs to have their day! 

A male perspective..."It ain't over til it's over."

As a child growing up in the 50's, it is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of an American Original, Yogi Berra.  To me, Yogi represented an era when baseball was very important in the fabric of American life.  The NFL was something you might think about when the World Series was over.  Baseball was truly an American past time.  Yogi was an icon of the Yankee dynastys in the 50's and early 60's. America was different, then, I got my baseball, not from soundbites on the 24 hour sports channel, but on the front porch, on a warm afternoon, (yes, I said afternoon) listening to the radio with my grandmother. Those of you who lived it, know what I am talking about.  For those of you who don't, I am sorry you missed it.  Yogi's life may be over, but for those of us who were fortunate enough to experience this wonderful time, the memories remain.

ENTITLEMENT, What is it good for?

absolutely, nothing, say it again.  I am speaking of the Millenniums. It is a sad fact, but the attitude of this particular 20-30 ish group of people is, well, annoying, off putting, and  lacking in any respect for other's.  They seem to have their own rules, "what is mine, is mine."  " what is yours is mine."  It gives me pause to think of just what kind of "Grown ups" they will turn out to be since there are no rules for them.  I am not saying that all in this age group are guilty.  I am saying that I see more lately who are.  Do you want to have people like this run your world when you are older?  Me, neither!  So I say to them.  "you are not any better than me because you are spoiled!"  In fact, you are lacking something very important.  The things we are ALL entitled to have are LOVE and RESPECT! 

The Cool Guy!

The Pope is a cool guy!  Any leader in the world would benefit by taking a page from his book!

Have a heart!

My dearest friend and sister is awaiting some potentially scary health news.  She has to have some tests to see if her cancer has returned, or as we all hope, just has some scar tissue from a previous surgery.  What I fail to understand is the response she gets when she shares her news.  Why, in the name of all that is decent, do people have to share THEIR HORROR STORIES with her?  Why would any person do that?  Is that what THEY would want to hear?  I suggest that if anyone shares scary news with us, that we think about what we would like to hear, something that will lift us up.  Please... take the time to think before you speak on these matters.  The fact is that my dearest, sister friend is the strongest person I know and she will survive and thrive anything that comes at her with grace and the support of all who love her. Hold her in the light!

Everyone needs

a soft place to land.  Face it, life can be hard.  We are expected, sometimes without the tools to manage it, to stoically soldier on. If we are fortunate, we have a friend or loved one who will be there for us.  The truth is if we work on it, we can, at least do some of that for ourselves by not holding ourselves responsible for everything that goes wrong. Who is your soft place to land?  Who is able to count on you? 

Be and do

your best at any age.  Face it, I have been many ages.  There, I said it.  But I have to tell you that each one can have it's wonderfulness.  I know you have heard it said before, I wish I had the brain I have now, when I was 20.  Now I wish I had the body I had at 20 with the brain I have now. But each age gives us a gift.  It might be experience, whether with another person, or jobs.  We can always learn from that!  (if we are smart)  or we can repeat the same things only to get the same things.  There is a richness to life, if we pay attention and are fortunate to have great teachers along the way.  I am always asking for lessons and teachers and I find them everywhere.  I have my mom to thank for that because she had me reading at 3.  My dad, tho absent, had a brilliant mind, and I think I might have some of that, too.  My point is although some parts of us might not work as well as they used to, our brains, if given lots of stimulation, can still hold the wonder we had as a child.  Lets hold on to that!

There is a saying...

"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."  Wow! that says something profound in just a few words, doesn't it!?!  I fear that in our busy world, this is happening a lot!  People follow someone who attaches to their anger and angst.  They don't look for the SUBSTANCE, they just identify with the words they WANT TO HEAR, with NO BACK UP PLAN.  I think this is a very dangerous choice.  We are much smarter than that, and the consequences of being a bunch of sheep like that is.....the cliff, the cliff!  So please, lets decide what we want and need.  Lets figure out how to get it, and not just zone out and hear what we want to hear with no giddy up behind it. This is our life, this is our planet, what do we really want for it?

A Saturday stroll

I was up early this morning.  The sun was out and the air was crisp.  Meandering in my yard and working their way up the street were 9 fat turkeys.  This is not unusual, but what was unusual was the big cat out in the yard with them.  It made me wonder;  if a cat can hang with the turkeys, maybe there is hope for us.

A male perspective ...The beginning of the end.

In an uncertain world, I look forward to the certainty of the changing seasons.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  It is the welcome reprieve from a long, hot and especially destructive fire-plagued summer.  The glorious colors of the fading season, the cool nights and warm days, the delayed gratification of the harvest that comes from months of watchful waiting in our gardens.  And, yes, the return of FOOTBALL!  ( I'm afraid that my 49 Er's are in for a tough year)  So as the fall is the beginning of the end, as we prepare for the darkness of winter, we look forward to the expectation of life and the new beginning.

Post to myself

When the day is done, let it go.  

Take time to

to really breathe today.  Things have been a little hinky around here lately.  What I have noticed is that when that happens, I don't breathe, or I just breathe a little, not real full breaths.  We need to breathe properly and deeply all the time, but especially when things are a little tough.  So I am asking you to breathe with me today, and, well, always.  It really helps.

Ignoring it....

will make it go away!  Don't we wish that was true!  If all the things I have ignored in my life had gone away, I would be QUEEN OF THE WORLD!  Sadly, they have not.  If I could only go back!  Life presents us with situations, some small and some so big we can hardly see where they end.  My first thought used to be "HIDE!"  I still have those moments, but I have dear friends who ask me "HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?"  Then, I ask myself the same question.  Right now some things loom big for me.  I haven't hidden yet, I am just trying to stop, breathe, and ruminate about them.  It seems to make them have less power over me.  Then, I will take the steps to manage them, and make them into a positive thing.  It has taken me a long time to get here, one step forward, two steps back.  But if this is happening in your life, you can take my hand and we will walk through it together.  Knowing that someone else is deep in the muck, but getting out might be all we need. 

No Kidding!

Diets, diets, diets!  It is a billion-trillion dollar business.  We are supposed to be tall (with our 7 inch heels), skinny, but have big *oobs, lips, and a big bootie.  To help us accomplish this we have the "Skinny Waist" which sucks us in like the 1800 corset, a large variety of diet drugs, and my favorite, the "dietized"  (my word) foods.  We have skinny pieces of cheeze that you can see through if you hold it up, and my favorite, paper-thin Oreos. If you are like me, you read the information on serving sizes on all your food.  When I was in college, we ate ramen.  It was filling and cheap!  Yesterday, I read the serving size, only to find out that 1/2 a package is now a serving.  REALLY!  If you read this information on your foods and juices, (FORGET POP! IT IS EVIL!) you will notice that EVERYONE has reduced the size of a "serving" so there won't be so many carbs.  Even cars have gone on a diet.  Many NEW cars come WITHOUT a spare these days!  WHAT?!?  The reason is that the spare cuts down on the supposed gas mileage they try and get you to believe.  Well, I know one thing, I will never buy the diet cat food for C@boy!  He thinks this whole thing is ridiculous!

There is...

good in everything.  I know sometimes it is hard to find the "good."  It is always there, though.  I am thinking about the movie I just saw and how looking beyond something can reveal a treasure.  It is good to be reminded of these things.  What we see as a smelly piece of animal poop, the dung beetle finds his livelihood. So, for today, look past the obvious and see the gold.  Namaste'.

A walk in my heart

I love to go to the movies!  I love to go with my dear friend, because we have such a great time.  We have gone to some really great ones, and some that stunk like an unhappy skunk.  Last night, we went to "A Walk in the Woods."  What a fantastic movie. I am the person who wants to laugh, cry, and learn something.  It did not disappoint.  Besides the great actors and the setting of the movie, it reminded me that sometimes the most unlikely of "friends" can be the most valuable teachers in your life.  Have I piqued your interest?  I think any one could benefit from seeing this movie, and I am going to get the book.  If our hearts need a little tweaking, this might be the movie to do it.

From a male perspective...Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

The U. S. Constitution charges the Judicial Branch of the government with making decisions in matters of the law.  Some of these decisions are popular, some, not so much.  In the 1950's the school district made the decision to prohibit a little black girl from attending an all white public school.  The Supreme Court ruled, "Well, we'll just see about that!"  (Brown  v.s. Board of Education)  In some parts of the country, this decision caused a big ruckus.  Refusal to follow the law stood on the school house steps in defiance, even running for President, in opposition of the law.  How did the decision to not follow the law work out for Y'all?  Even though we may disagree, which is our right to do, in the end we are all compelled to follow the law.  If we are able to pick and choose which law to follow, what do we have?"

WOMEN MATTER !!!!!!

Today, I am listening, ad nauseum to the ranting of a "Certain Political Party" candidate ranting about women's issues and how he "cherishes"  them, loves and adores them.  OK.  Please be informed about what you plan to take away from them.  When I was a teenager, working and going to school, I had no health insurance.  If it hadn't been for Planned Parenthood, I would have had no place to go for check-ups, or any health information.  They let me pay on a sliding scale so I could afford to go.  Planned Parenthood does 97 - 98 percent healthcare for women,  2 to 3% is abortions.  These abortions are NOT FEDERALLY FUNDED!  Whether you believe in abortion or not, these people do a very necessary service to assist with health issues for people who cannot afford it.  I would not have an abortion, but I would NEVER tell another woman what she can or cannot do with HER body.  Please, PLEASE, become informed about how this essential health provider works and what it does before you kill it!  You will be killing more than the provider.

Do your job

I don't know about you, but, I have had a few jobs in my life.  Some of them have been less than wonderful, but, I had to do my job.  Some of them I didn't always agree with, but I had to do my job.  Working, by it's very nature suggests that we may not always be in joyful bliss, but we have to do our job.  Some people find their passion, then it becomes less work and more joyful movement.  My wish for all of us is that we find ourselves in that situation.  I love to write, therefore, I am in my bliss.  But....If we take a job, and we are aware of what we are getting ourselves in to...  we need to "Do our Job!"  Sometimes our personal feelings and beliefs do not coincide with our work, but it is incumbent on us to " Do our Job!" 

Time out!

How many times have we said that to our kids?!  What about saying it to ourselves.  And, what if when we did say time out to ourselves, we made it mean something.  I don't know about you, but once I get going, I just spin and whir until I am done.  What I am learning to do is to STOP, breathe, assess, then continue.  What a difference that makes.  We are probably unaware of the fact that once we get on this "spin," we stop breathing.  That can cause all sorts of problems, including inviting the cranky monster to join us.  So, try and give yourself a time out when you need it.  If it is good for our kids, it is certainly good for us.  C@boy's whole life is a "time out!"  He is 138 years old!

Acceptance

It is a different concept to many.  It isn't hard for me to accept many things, but when I was younger, and people treated me a little differently, I had a hard time accepting myself.  You see, I have always been "on a different page" "looking with a different eye."  As I look back, I can smile.  I realize that if I had accepted myself, like I do now, it wouldn't have mattered and trying to fit in the box wouldn't have been such an issue.  Do we accept ourselves?  I guess that is a question we need to ask.  What I have learned is that once we do, it doesn't matter a whiff if anyone else does.  That is sort of cool, don't you think?!

Kind People .....

rock!  Yesterday started out about the same as any Saturday.  It is my big running day and I visit my 95 year old friend.  The difference was that it was only 54 degrees and raining.  That is about as cold as it has gotten all summer.  We started out with lunch and came out to the parking lot to find that we had a flat tire.  I must tell you that I was not really dressed for the cold, even tho my friend was.  Then it started to rain.  POOH!  So I looked around in the lot for what I thought would be a kind man.  I found one!  His name was Corey, and he spent the better part of an hour changing my tire, with a smile on his face, in the cold and rain.  I offered to give him some money for his time, he said "NO, I would never do that!"  I told him I would wrap him in light then, and he said that was the best thing ever!  What could have been a crappy day turned out to give me another reason to experience the fact that "Kindness Rocks!"  Thanks again, Corey!

If it doesn't help you...

let it go.  Someone gave me that great advice some years ago.  I heard it, but wasn't really listening to her.  Does that happen to you?  I try hard to ask people if they want my advice.  Sometimes, I don't want any myself.  But, this makes a lot of sense to me now.  I am guilty of a lot of self-talk.  Most of it is not helpful.  I am learning, though that the minute I start in on myself, to stop, just for a minute. Just that disruption, seems to let me change direction.  For years, I would make up stories about how something was going to be.  That didn't help either, because, usually, the thing came true.  Now, with a lot of practice, I have turned it around and decided to have the happiness I always wanted.  I am responsible to do that, no-one else.  So lets think about what we need and want to be happy.  All that other crap can go in one ear, and out the other!

A male perspective...What goes around, comes around.

I applaud the Obama Administrations show of respect for Native Americans by restoring the rightful name of the highest peak in North America to "Denali."  I find it interesting that those of a "Particular Political Party," oppose this action, but support the immigration policy that advocates the deportation of all illegal immigrants and their children who were born in America.  Native Americans have tried for centuries to stop illegal invasion of their lands by "immigrants" who were seeking opportunity and a better life.  In the end, their efforts proved to be unsuccessful.  Oh, well, what goes around, comes around!

Two things...

I am glad the strike is thwarted.  I know you didn't get what you deserve.  Know that there are so many of us who honor and support you and all your efforts as school employees.  It is one of the most important jobs there is, the care and education of our precious children.

What you don't know WILL

hurt you!  Local teachers and staff are prepared to go on strike tomorrow in my town.  As a former employee of 21 years, I am here to tell you some things you may not know.  For several years before I retired, we did not get a raise.  I have been retired for 3 years.  You do the Math.  Our Special Education did not receive any funding, and had to do with what we could be given.  Our books were 8-10 years old and had to be copied for the kids to have lessons.  Teachers and support staff are paid on a 10 month contract.  Yes!  I said 10 months.  So for those of you who think teachers and other staff are paid through the summer, the way they do it is to break the 10 month salary into 12 months.  Do the math.  Many of these employees have summer jobs to augment their salary.  No, teachers do not have summers off.  They are working another job and preparing for the next school year.  Many are doing both.  How do you think those lessons we teach appear every year?  I am discouraged at the fact our union has not let some of this information out to the public.  They have made up their own story about things and it is time they become aware of what teachers, and school employees in general do.  I suggest you spend 10 months with kids every day trying to help them learn, in poorly equipped  classrooms, with overcrowding and a miriad of behaviors and abilities.  It takes a very special person!  Support them!