Check out this guy playing the crystal bowls. I had the pleasure of catching his show a few weeks ago. It was amazing. The whole room was vibrating with the bowls singing. You could feel it to your bones. The whole vibration of the universe right there in the room with you. I thought at one point I saw tiny, little, small angels dancing over my head. When the performance was finished, the silence in the room was amazing as well, I could feel everyone sitting, silent, supporting the silence and each other. Breathing in and out together- just the presence of the energy of each of us, supporting the silence. It was really beautiful- if you ever get the chance to go to one of his shows, take it. Oh, he said the Grateful Dead saved him from a life of violence and crime...he saw his first show and became a deadhead instead, in 1990. Yeah, that's what I said- 1990?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r237ViPHBxw
PS the riding lessons are going good so far- the horse is BIG! More on that later.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Swine Flu Shime Flu
Check out Jon Stewart's rant on this "pandemic"- I agree completely!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/28/snoutbreak-09-the-daily-s_n_192151.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/28/snoutbreak-09-the-daily-s_n_192151.html
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Popular Author Found Meandering After Long Unexplained Absence
Well, you may have been wondering where I have been, and I will tell you. Working. Gasp! OH MY GOD! She works!
Yes, and thanks to our current challenging economy, she now works two jobs to make half as much as she used to make in her one job. But hey, I think most of us are challenged one way or another at this time, and I don't want to be moaning and groaning about my misfortune. I just don't have the time. Nor do I have the time to write as much as I would like. I'm also going to admit that although I like to think of myself as a good writer, I have been challenged to come up with story ideas that are funny, enlightening and entertaining, which, if you remember, is the goal behind this blog.
Nuff said. Any-who, I am starting to get used to my new schedule and hope to be reporting in more often in the near future.
Now, in the thick of all this, I keep reminding myself to be thankful for what I have and to appreciate the little things. Like the fact that I took a walk yesterday in sandals. Yes, my feet are finally free from woolly socks and big boots. I'm soooooo thankful!
I also have reminded myself that when the going gets tough, the tough play. Play is the ultimate stress reducer, so I have been hitting the golf ball (it doesn't cost much to go to the driving range) I signed up for horse riding lessons (I'm bartering with the barn owner), and I have added a few games of pool to my crowded schedule each week, just because I truly love the sport.
I hope if you are under stress you will take a few moments to be thankful, to play, and, because laughter is the best medicine, continue reading.
I spent the day yesterday on a bird watching expidetion. It was my first, and I was amazed to find that bird watching is such a social sport! We were out in the middle of no where, miles from a main road, in a field on top of a bluff,near a great lake, and there was a major party going on. Dozens of people with lawn chairs, coolers and big binoculars were sitting around chatting. We settled in among the crowd and waited. Every now and then someone would point up and start yelling and "the bird guide guy" would take a peek through his binoculars and announce the birds name, rank and serial number. He would then give coordinates for spotting the bird, just in case you were bird viewing challenged and could not spot the literally tiny spot in the sky.
This went on for hours, and we did see a few big birds, however I swear the largest flying thing I saw was the big bumble bee that flew in the car window when we were leaving the bird viewing area. Of course, when it flew in the window I did not really see it, I just saw something big coming at me out of the corner of my eye. I screamed. I think that must be a defense mechanism, because honestly, I did not mean too, it just came out. I must have thought, way back in my unconscious reptilian brain, that a cobra or a scorpion or some other deadly thing was coming at me. I just saw movement and screamed. The driver of the car was so startled that she screamed, and swerved, which caused me to scream again.
Then, the driver looked to see what I was screaming about and she let out a world class shriek when she saw the giant mutant bumble bee flying around my arm, and by then I figured out what had flown in the window so I screamed again, again by accident, really, I know a scream is not going to chase off a giant mutant bumble bee. Meanwhile I had tried to hop over the gear shift. Which caused the driver to swerve even more which caused us both to start screaming and shrieking again.
In the back seat, things were lively too as the passengers back there started yelling at us for screaming and shrieking. They were oblivious to the fact that we were under attach by a winged 14 pound aberration of nature. About that time the humongous flying devil flew back out the window and I started yelling "roll up the windows" and "did it fly in back there?", meanwhile the driver was trying to get us back on the road and the two people in the back seat were still trying to figure out what had happened. It was exciting- really- we could not stop laughing so the driver had to pull over while we regained our composure, meanwhile the back seat drivers were still wondering what the heck happened.
I'm thankful for laughter. Hope you have a good week, Meandering
Yes, and thanks to our current challenging economy, she now works two jobs to make half as much as she used to make in her one job. But hey, I think most of us are challenged one way or another at this time, and I don't want to be moaning and groaning about my misfortune. I just don't have the time. Nor do I have the time to write as much as I would like. I'm also going to admit that although I like to think of myself as a good writer, I have been challenged to come up with story ideas that are funny, enlightening and entertaining, which, if you remember, is the goal behind this blog.
Nuff said. Any-who, I am starting to get used to my new schedule and hope to be reporting in more often in the near future.
Now, in the thick of all this, I keep reminding myself to be thankful for what I have and to appreciate the little things. Like the fact that I took a walk yesterday in sandals. Yes, my feet are finally free from woolly socks and big boots. I'm soooooo thankful!
I also have reminded myself that when the going gets tough, the tough play. Play is the ultimate stress reducer, so I have been hitting the golf ball (it doesn't cost much to go to the driving range) I signed up for horse riding lessons (I'm bartering with the barn owner), and I have added a few games of pool to my crowded schedule each week, just because I truly love the sport.
I hope if you are under stress you will take a few moments to be thankful, to play, and, because laughter is the best medicine, continue reading.
I spent the day yesterday on a bird watching expidetion. It was my first, and I was amazed to find that bird watching is such a social sport! We were out in the middle of no where, miles from a main road, in a field on top of a bluff,near a great lake, and there was a major party going on. Dozens of people with lawn chairs, coolers and big binoculars were sitting around chatting. We settled in among the crowd and waited. Every now and then someone would point up and start yelling and "the bird guide guy" would take a peek through his binoculars and announce the birds name, rank and serial number. He would then give coordinates for spotting the bird, just in case you were bird viewing challenged and could not spot the literally tiny spot in the sky.
This went on for hours, and we did see a few big birds, however I swear the largest flying thing I saw was the big bumble bee that flew in the car window when we were leaving the bird viewing area. Of course, when it flew in the window I did not really see it, I just saw something big coming at me out of the corner of my eye. I screamed. I think that must be a defense mechanism, because honestly, I did not mean too, it just came out. I must have thought, way back in my unconscious reptilian brain, that a cobra or a scorpion or some other deadly thing was coming at me. I just saw movement and screamed. The driver of the car was so startled that she screamed, and swerved, which caused me to scream again.
Then, the driver looked to see what I was screaming about and she let out a world class shriek when she saw the giant mutant bumble bee flying around my arm, and by then I figured out what had flown in the window so I screamed again, again by accident, really, I know a scream is not going to chase off a giant mutant bumble bee. Meanwhile I had tried to hop over the gear shift. Which caused the driver to swerve even more which caused us both to start screaming and shrieking again.
In the back seat, things were lively too as the passengers back there started yelling at us for screaming and shrieking. They were oblivious to the fact that we were under attach by a winged 14 pound aberration of nature. About that time the humongous flying devil flew back out the window and I started yelling "roll up the windows" and "did it fly in back there?", meanwhile the driver was trying to get us back on the road and the two people in the back seat were still trying to figure out what had happened. It was exciting- really- we could not stop laughing so the driver had to pull over while we regained our composure, meanwhile the back seat drivers were still wondering what the heck happened.
I'm thankful for laughter. Hope you have a good week, Meandering
Monday, April 6, 2009
Friends, Faith and Facebook
One of my friends e-mailed me recently. "You have to join Facebook" was the message. I shot back- "Really? Do I really have to do this?"
"Yes" came the reply, "just go do it".
Well, OK I thought, because this friend has never steered me wrong, so I joined facebook. Much to my dismay, I found some people I knew there, and got caught up on what was happening in their lives. I also started getting messages from people I didn't know, but what the heck, you can never have to many friends.
So I hooked up with the guy from Wales that shares my last name, he was gathering people that share our name, and, it turns out, he has quite the sense of humor. I hooked up with "shared name people" from here to the edges of the known world. I figure we may be faintly related by name but we are definitely related by species. After all, we are all human, and in our brief notes back and forth, we are all sharing not only a name, but the things that make us human. All one, all the same somehow.
I also hooked up with the guy from Italy that is interested in Tibet, and things Tibetan. Then I hooked him up with my friend Chophel, the East LA kid turned Magna Cum Laude, turned Tibetan Buddhist Monk. Now the guy from Italy, and all my other new friends are enjoying Chophel's updates from his trip to the monastery in India.
See how Facebook works? It's like a giant cocktail party in cyberspace, and small talk rules as you work the room, making contacts and sharing contacts and learning about people.
I also, one day, got a "friends request" from a long lost friend. I had not talked with this friend since we graduated from the university, we had lost track rather quickly and I had not thought about her in many moons. We quickly got caught up on the where are you, what are you doing kind of information that is so interesting. I was happy to hear about her successful business, marriage, three children and her positive attitude about life that was a cornerstone of our friendship many years earlier.
When you run into someone at a cocktail party that you really connect with, the small talk slips away before long and you get to the questions that tickle at the back of our minds, those that we normally only speak of with close friends. Eventually, you find yourself standing in a corner with an empty cocktail glass after the party has wound down, contemplating some big question with your new found friend. Somehow it's reaffirming to know that a total stranger shares the same ideas that you have, and it's comforting if they can help refine the picture in your mind by giving up some insight that was obvious to them, but somehow had eluded you until this very moment in cocktail party history.
It didn't take my long lost friend and I very long to get to the nitty gritty. What is the nature of faith? What do you believe when you think of the almighty? Is a fortunate incident luck or is it divine intervention?
Albert Einstein said "God does not play dice with the universe."
Stephen Hawking said "Not only does God play dice with the universe, he cheats."
Two of the biggest brains ever born and they can't agree. Where does that leave us normal folk when we are pondering the big questions? Is it possible to know the answer to something like this?
My long lost friend related a incident of very good fortune involving a broken down car on the highway, a roving car full of unsavory guys, and a couple stopping to offer assistance- they just happened to be going my friends way, and just in the nick of time swept, her out of harms reach and right to the door of her destination. Her thought? "It wasn't luck."
My reply was the story of how I found my best pet. I wanted a pet, but was getting ready to make a move across the country. I was in conflict about the move, it would be difficult, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I admit I bargained with God. "I'm going to do what I think is right but you damn well better send me a cat to keep me company in my new life." was what I told God.
Two days after I arrived at my destination, I parked the car in a driveway and opened the door. A kitten jumped in my car and right into my lap. I don't know to this day how I did not run that kitten over when I pulled in the driveway. I thought it must belong to the people in the house, so I took it inside. It was not their cat. They lived in the middle of no where so it could not be the neighbors cat. It was so young it still had it's kitten teeth, and it turned out to be a Norwegian Forest cat, the breed at the top of my list for next time I got a cat. ( By the way, no one knew my top cat preference but me). I named him Fe, which is Spanish for faith. That cat is the most loving and loyal animal I have ever had, and that is saying a lot because I have had dogs that would follow me to hell and back, and cats that glued themselves to me when I walked in the door of the house, and had to be peeled away before I could walk out the door. My thought? It wasn't luck.
I bet everyone has a story like that, something that happened that can't really be explained, but can't be dismissed either. Everyone has a story that illuminates the question we ponder- is it luck or divine intervention? I don't know the answer for you, but I do for me. I'm with Einstein, God does not play dice with the universe, if it appears that she does, it's just because we don't understand the patterns of the universe.
What do you think? Take a moment and share your story in the comment section, I will publish all of them.
Peace, Meandering.
"Yes" came the reply, "just go do it".
Well, OK I thought, because this friend has never steered me wrong, so I joined facebook. Much to my dismay, I found some people I knew there, and got caught up on what was happening in their lives. I also started getting messages from people I didn't know, but what the heck, you can never have to many friends.
So I hooked up with the guy from Wales that shares my last name, he was gathering people that share our name, and, it turns out, he has quite the sense of humor. I hooked up with "shared name people" from here to the edges of the known world. I figure we may be faintly related by name but we are definitely related by species. After all, we are all human, and in our brief notes back and forth, we are all sharing not only a name, but the things that make us human. All one, all the same somehow.
I also hooked up with the guy from Italy that is interested in Tibet, and things Tibetan. Then I hooked him up with my friend Chophel, the East LA kid turned Magna Cum Laude, turned Tibetan Buddhist Monk. Now the guy from Italy, and all my other new friends are enjoying Chophel's updates from his trip to the monastery in India.
See how Facebook works? It's like a giant cocktail party in cyberspace, and small talk rules as you work the room, making contacts and sharing contacts and learning about people.
I also, one day, got a "friends request" from a long lost friend. I had not talked with this friend since we graduated from the university, we had lost track rather quickly and I had not thought about her in many moons. We quickly got caught up on the where are you, what are you doing kind of information that is so interesting. I was happy to hear about her successful business, marriage, three children and her positive attitude about life that was a cornerstone of our friendship many years earlier.
When you run into someone at a cocktail party that you really connect with, the small talk slips away before long and you get to the questions that tickle at the back of our minds, those that we normally only speak of with close friends. Eventually, you find yourself standing in a corner with an empty cocktail glass after the party has wound down, contemplating some big question with your new found friend. Somehow it's reaffirming to know that a total stranger shares the same ideas that you have, and it's comforting if they can help refine the picture in your mind by giving up some insight that was obvious to them, but somehow had eluded you until this very moment in cocktail party history.
It didn't take my long lost friend and I very long to get to the nitty gritty. What is the nature of faith? What do you believe when you think of the almighty? Is a fortunate incident luck or is it divine intervention?
Albert Einstein said "God does not play dice with the universe."
Stephen Hawking said "Not only does God play dice with the universe, he cheats."
Two of the biggest brains ever born and they can't agree. Where does that leave us normal folk when we are pondering the big questions? Is it possible to know the answer to something like this?
My long lost friend related a incident of very good fortune involving a broken down car on the highway, a roving car full of unsavory guys, and a couple stopping to offer assistance- they just happened to be going my friends way, and just in the nick of time swept, her out of harms reach and right to the door of her destination. Her thought? "It wasn't luck."
My reply was the story of how I found my best pet. I wanted a pet, but was getting ready to make a move across the country. I was in conflict about the move, it would be difficult, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I admit I bargained with God. "I'm going to do what I think is right but you damn well better send me a cat to keep me company in my new life." was what I told God.
Two days after I arrived at my destination, I parked the car in a driveway and opened the door. A kitten jumped in my car and right into my lap. I don't know to this day how I did not run that kitten over when I pulled in the driveway. I thought it must belong to the people in the house, so I took it inside. It was not their cat. They lived in the middle of no where so it could not be the neighbors cat. It was so young it still had it's kitten teeth, and it turned out to be a Norwegian Forest cat, the breed at the top of my list for next time I got a cat. ( By the way, no one knew my top cat preference but me). I named him Fe, which is Spanish for faith. That cat is the most loving and loyal animal I have ever had, and that is saying a lot because I have had dogs that would follow me to hell and back, and cats that glued themselves to me when I walked in the door of the house, and had to be peeled away before I could walk out the door. My thought? It wasn't luck.
I bet everyone has a story like that, something that happened that can't really be explained, but can't be dismissed either. Everyone has a story that illuminates the question we ponder- is it luck or divine intervention? I don't know the answer for you, but I do for me. I'm with Einstein, God does not play dice with the universe, if it appears that she does, it's just because we don't understand the patterns of the universe.
What do you think? Take a moment and share your story in the comment section, I will publish all of them.
Peace, Meandering.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Size Really Does Matter!
Now, regardless of where your mind went, what you thought of when you saw the title for this newest post, what I was referring to is food portion sizes.
I started an experiment some months ago, to really pay attention to the size portions I was eating. I was curious about this because I see so many clients who have weight concerns. So I decided to check the portion sizes of everything I ate. My goal was not to loose weight, but to find out how we can be tricked in to eating way to much at one sitting.
The result of this experiment was that I lost 10 pounds. I also became very aware of what others were eating, I found myself staring at other diners when I ate out, watching with fascination as they loaded up on huge mounds of food. I wondered if they knew that a plate the size of a hub cap covered with food was enough to feed a family of 13.
I really did not change what I was eating, just how much. It's tricky, because when you check things like those little serving bags of chips you get with a sandwich when you order out, you find that the tiny bag has two servings in it. Look at a mounds bar and you find it's not one, but two servings. A serving of cereal is 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup, depending on the brand. Put it in a bowl and 1/4 of a cup of cereal looks like just enough to feed one mouse. A serving of cheese is just a couple of ounces, which again, looks like enough to feed a mouse.
It reminds me that some theories on how to eat right would say that we are born to eat a hand full of food at a setting, and some would say that eating less calories extends your life. Now I can definitely hold a pie in one hand, but I don't think that is what they meant.
I found that eating one person portions satisfied my hunger, but it returned sooner than I expected and I added a few meals a day to my regular 4 meal schedule. I still lost weight. Maybe this meandering will come in handy for someone out there. I know that people tend to start thinking about loosing weight in the spring, which is a good time to do it because you really don't need that winter fat to keep you warm anymore. Add that to the fact that the dreaded bathing suit weather is just around the corner and you get a big handful of motivation to go with you little hand fulls of food.
So now I'm wondering, who came up with the big gulp? Who invented the double cheese burger with bacon? Who decided that plates at a restaurant should be the size of a 50 gallon barrel top? And how did we all get tricked into thinking that is how we should eat?
It brings to mind a dear friend, who had traveled the world as the wife of a Ambassador of a large county. She was in the US after many years away, and commented on how easy it was to find food here. Any time of day or night she mused, all you have to do is hit the nearest quick stop and load up. She thought 24 hour diners were amazing and the selection at the grocery store was mind boggling, all of which we Americans take for granted. To her, it was easy to see why the obesity rates are so high here. She assured me that the whole world was not like that.
Thinking about loosing weight? Next time you look at your full plate, imagine you are a mouse, and eat what you need to feel full, because I can assure you, size matters.
I started an experiment some months ago, to really pay attention to the size portions I was eating. I was curious about this because I see so many clients who have weight concerns. So I decided to check the portion sizes of everything I ate. My goal was not to loose weight, but to find out how we can be tricked in to eating way to much at one sitting.
The result of this experiment was that I lost 10 pounds. I also became very aware of what others were eating, I found myself staring at other diners when I ate out, watching with fascination as they loaded up on huge mounds of food. I wondered if they knew that a plate the size of a hub cap covered with food was enough to feed a family of 13.
I really did not change what I was eating, just how much. It's tricky, because when you check things like those little serving bags of chips you get with a sandwich when you order out, you find that the tiny bag has two servings in it. Look at a mounds bar and you find it's not one, but two servings. A serving of cereal is 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup, depending on the brand. Put it in a bowl and 1/4 of a cup of cereal looks like just enough to feed one mouse. A serving of cheese is just a couple of ounces, which again, looks like enough to feed a mouse.
It reminds me that some theories on how to eat right would say that we are born to eat a hand full of food at a setting, and some would say that eating less calories extends your life. Now I can definitely hold a pie in one hand, but I don't think that is what they meant.
I found that eating one person portions satisfied my hunger, but it returned sooner than I expected and I added a few meals a day to my regular 4 meal schedule. I still lost weight. Maybe this meandering will come in handy for someone out there. I know that people tend to start thinking about loosing weight in the spring, which is a good time to do it because you really don't need that winter fat to keep you warm anymore. Add that to the fact that the dreaded bathing suit weather is just around the corner and you get a big handful of motivation to go with you little hand fulls of food.
So now I'm wondering, who came up with the big gulp? Who invented the double cheese burger with bacon? Who decided that plates at a restaurant should be the size of a 50 gallon barrel top? And how did we all get tricked into thinking that is how we should eat?
It brings to mind a dear friend, who had traveled the world as the wife of a Ambassador of a large county. She was in the US after many years away, and commented on how easy it was to find food here. Any time of day or night she mused, all you have to do is hit the nearest quick stop and load up. She thought 24 hour diners were amazing and the selection at the grocery store was mind boggling, all of which we Americans take for granted. To her, it was easy to see why the obesity rates are so high here. She assured me that the whole world was not like that.
Thinking about loosing weight? Next time you look at your full plate, imagine you are a mouse, and eat what you need to feel full, because I can assure you, size matters.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Early Spring Morning
Tiny snow flakes falling,
maybe it's an illusion.
Robins hop about shivering,
spring flower buds wear white crowns.
Nothing lasts forever, thank heavens!
maybe it's an illusion.
Robins hop about shivering,
spring flower buds wear white crowns.
Nothing lasts forever, thank heavens!
He Said That?!
That was stupid and thoughtless and I'm sure none of us would ever say anything like that.
I have a sister with developmental disabilities and I'm sure she can kick Obama's ass in a bowling match. I'm not upset though, I mean, when is that last time the Special Olympics had any amount of media coverage? I'll take it, thank you.
I have a sister with developmental disabilities and I'm sure she can kick Obama's ass in a bowling match. I'm not upset though, I mean, when is that last time the Special Olympics had any amount of media coverage? I'll take it, thank you.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Painting a Life
I was working on a painting over the weekend. It's a landscape of a tropical island with turquoise waters, a little boat beached as if someone just landed, and palm trees. The palm trees are vexing me. I just can't seem to get them right, although I have worked them over and worked them over, changing techniques, colors, stroke patterns, all to no avail. Yes, they are looking better, but still not right. Meanwhile I'm happy as a clam with the beach and the water and the vibrant blue sky.
I got to meandering about how creating a painting is like creating a life.
First, I picture what I want to appear. Then, I start the process by asking what do I need to make this happen? Do I have the right colors on my pallet? Do I have the right brushes? Is my canvas big enough? Is my vision clear enough that I can see the finished painting? Where will I find the time to work on this?
Then, I pick a starting point and work on one area at a time, just to get some background color on the blank canvas. As the painting progresses, I find myself working primarily on one area at a time, while making slight adjustments to the rest of the paining as I go along. Right now I think the sky is fantastic, the gently rocking sea is beautiful, the multi-hued sand of the beach is stunning, but those darn palm trees leave a lot to be desired.
Each time I start working on the painting, I spend a few moments examining my previous work. I look at each area of the canvas and ask myself, what does it need? Does it need any changes in relationship to the progress I've made in other areas of the painting?
Like life, this painting has to be balanced. Like life, sometimes there is an area that needs a little more work than the others. Maybe you have your own personal palm trees. Maybe your palm trees are your personal relationships that are rocky. Maybe your palm trees are your financial situation, or the job you don't care for. Maybe your palm trees are your health that is suffering from your bad habits. We all have our palm trees. We all try to balance our lives in a constant stream of tiny adjustments of this and that. We all have areas of our life that we are just in love with, and areas that need more color, more balance, more style.
In painting I work on the whole painting at once, but focus on one area at a time. It's like juggling. I got the water just right, but the sky needed more light. I got the sky just right but the water needed more motion. I got the water just right but the beach needed more color... and those palm trees, they need a lot of work.
My painting evolves each time I work on it. Each time I look at it I see something new, something different about it. Each time I view my painting I ask myself if this is exactly what I wanted or are there areas that need more work? There are almost always areas that need more work.
Today, as you view the canvas of your life, I wish you a insightful eye to see the delicate colors of your painting. Give thanks for the areas that are really quite perfect, and be honest with your self about the areas that are not. If areas of your painting need more work, I wish you a steady hand with your brush as you make the adjustments that will turn the problem areas of your painting into the brilliant, balanced landscape you picture in your mind.
I got to meandering about how creating a painting is like creating a life.
First, I picture what I want to appear. Then, I start the process by asking what do I need to make this happen? Do I have the right colors on my pallet? Do I have the right brushes? Is my canvas big enough? Is my vision clear enough that I can see the finished painting? Where will I find the time to work on this?
Then, I pick a starting point and work on one area at a time, just to get some background color on the blank canvas. As the painting progresses, I find myself working primarily on one area at a time, while making slight adjustments to the rest of the paining as I go along. Right now I think the sky is fantastic, the gently rocking sea is beautiful, the multi-hued sand of the beach is stunning, but those darn palm trees leave a lot to be desired.
Each time I start working on the painting, I spend a few moments examining my previous work. I look at each area of the canvas and ask myself, what does it need? Does it need any changes in relationship to the progress I've made in other areas of the painting?
Like life, this painting has to be balanced. Like life, sometimes there is an area that needs a little more work than the others. Maybe you have your own personal palm trees. Maybe your palm trees are your personal relationships that are rocky. Maybe your palm trees are your financial situation, or the job you don't care for. Maybe your palm trees are your health that is suffering from your bad habits. We all have our palm trees. We all try to balance our lives in a constant stream of tiny adjustments of this and that. We all have areas of our life that we are just in love with, and areas that need more color, more balance, more style.
In painting I work on the whole painting at once, but focus on one area at a time. It's like juggling. I got the water just right, but the sky needed more light. I got the sky just right but the water needed more motion. I got the water just right but the beach needed more color... and those palm trees, they need a lot of work.
My painting evolves each time I work on it. Each time I look at it I see something new, something different about it. Each time I view my painting I ask myself if this is exactly what I wanted or are there areas that need more work? There are almost always areas that need more work.
Today, as you view the canvas of your life, I wish you a insightful eye to see the delicate colors of your painting. Give thanks for the areas that are really quite perfect, and be honest with your self about the areas that are not. If areas of your painting need more work, I wish you a steady hand with your brush as you make the adjustments that will turn the problem areas of your painting into the brilliant, balanced landscape you picture in your mind.
Labels, Labels, everywhere....
I finally finished the labels for all these posts I've posted in the past year. Now you can choose a topic and go right to the posts that pertain. It's great when you are sending you friends, neighbors, co-workers, relatives and loved ones to this site to take a look, at some interesting thing you saw here. Someday when you have nothing to do, take a look at my "favorites" label.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
I Dig The Huffington Post
Do You read Huffington Post? You know I had my cable cut the year I wrote my first book. Not being a great TV fan anyway, ( OK, except for Extreme Homes on HGTV, old movies on TNT, and The Weather Channel), I didn't miss it. So I never bothered to have it hooked back up when I was finished with the book.
I'm unplugged and proud of it. You might try it sometime. Just turn the TV off for a month. Then, if you really want to turn it back on, go ahead. After a month without it you might realize how much you don't miss it.
Even someone who doesn't fall for prime time needs a little news now and then and I get mine from Huffington Post. They have interesting opinions from people who would not get published by main stream papers- like Deepak Chopra on the health care crisis.
They have the news you get anywhere, plus the news that gets censored everywhere. You might find a different twist on current events in the pages of Huffington Post.
Speaking of censored, have you heard about the contaminated flu shots? I thought not. How about one peep on the situation in China and her captive Tibet on the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Invasion and the Dalai Lama's flight for his life to India? Nothing? Not a word about the thousands of troops stationed around the remaining monasteries? Hum, that's strange. News like that should make the papers...
They also have really cool stuff like this link to Neil Youngs new video:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neil-young/huffpost-video-premiere-n_b_173714.html
Did you know Neil has a car that gets 100 miles a gallon? Did you know it's a 50's caddy that probably weighs as much as a steam engine? (Why doesn't everyone have cars that get 100 mpg? Well, let's see, why would not benefit from cars that got 100 mpg?)
While you are there, check out the link to the late night roundup, the best jokes from the late shows presented for all of us unplugged people, and the link to Comedy Central, home of the best political commentators in recent years. And we thought the name meant it was a comedy channel. Thank goodness for that link, which gave me the Colbert Report, one of those TV gems that I had been missing with out even knowing it.
I'm unplugged and proud of it. You might try it sometime. Just turn the TV off for a month. Then, if you really want to turn it back on, go ahead. After a month without it you might realize how much you don't miss it.
Even someone who doesn't fall for prime time needs a little news now and then and I get mine from Huffington Post. They have interesting opinions from people who would not get published by main stream papers- like Deepak Chopra on the health care crisis.
They have the news you get anywhere, plus the news that gets censored everywhere. You might find a different twist on current events in the pages of Huffington Post.
Speaking of censored, have you heard about the contaminated flu shots? I thought not. How about one peep on the situation in China and her captive Tibet on the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Invasion and the Dalai Lama's flight for his life to India? Nothing? Not a word about the thousands of troops stationed around the remaining monasteries? Hum, that's strange. News like that should make the papers...
They also have really cool stuff like this link to Neil Youngs new video:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neil-young/huffpost-video-premiere-n_b_173714.html
Did you know Neil has a car that gets 100 miles a gallon? Did you know it's a 50's caddy that probably weighs as much as a steam engine? (Why doesn't everyone have cars that get 100 mpg? Well, let's see, why would not benefit from cars that got 100 mpg?)
While you are there, check out the link to the late night roundup, the best jokes from the late shows presented for all of us unplugged people, and the link to Comedy Central, home of the best political commentators in recent years. And we thought the name meant it was a comedy channel. Thank goodness for that link, which gave me the Colbert Report, one of those TV gems that I had been missing with out even knowing it.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I have an Idea...
I saw an article recently that was describing a recent poll that found only about 40% of Americans live in the area that they really want to live in. ONLY 40% of people live where they want to! This I find appalling. And considering I'm one of the 60% who do not live where they want to, it's even worse.
I won't go through the whole long story , suffice to say I moved to a place that does not suite me so well, thinking it would be a short stay. I'm still thinking it will be a short stay, but in the meantime, it's a challenge. It turns out, I'm not alone. 60% of people, either by choice or unfortunate incident- or sheer luck of the birth, are sweltering in the Florida heat when they would be happier in the cool rocky mountains, are shoveling snow when they would rather be sweeping sand, are crowded by trees when they would rather be in the wide open desert, or maybe they are choked by the activity in a large city, when they would be happier in a small town, or they are dying of boredom in a small town when they would flourish in the big city.
No wonder then, that we have so much crime, so much violence, so much escapist activity going on here. No wonder there are so many people finding relief through drugs, alcohol, tobacco and TV.
I have an idea, I think it might help. Right now the government wants to throw some money at all our problems. Right now a lot of people are out of work. I think they should give relocation relief money to anyone who applies.
Let each person decide where they want to live based on their own criteria for what makes them happy, rather then where they can get a job, or where their family settled 3 generations ago, or where they went to college and never had the means to move away from. Let each person decide where they want to live, and help them move there before we start throwing money at work programs. Once everyone shuffles around to their ideal location, the face of the country is going to look much different. Some places may gain a lot of population, some may loose. Once we see the results of this stirring of the melting pot, we can decide where to use the relief money to create more jobs, based on the new demographics.
I suggest this because if we just start creating jobs with out asking people where they want to live, we are going to end up with a lot of people moving to get employment, and possibly a lot of people moving to places they would not be happy. Ultimately, that is going to add to our demise as a nation. I just think we should do it the other way around, let people decide where they want to live, then make work for them. The happiness this creates could reverberate through generations.
I wonder, if we all lived in the area we think we would be most comfortable in, what would our culture look like. Would some of our problems go away? Would we be less inclined to indulge in unhappy behavior like addictions? I think so. Now, don't get me wrong, some people will just take their problems along with them, and some people will never be happy, no matter where they are. I do think though, that waking up, looking out the window and seeing landscape you love, or a town that fits you goes a long way in making a person feel good about themselves, and their life. And I do think, as a nation, and for the mental health and happiness of individuals, that is just what we need right now. A lot of people waking up feeling good about themselves, going about their new jobs in a environment that makes them feel buoyant every time they look out the window or step out the door.
I won't go through the whole long story , suffice to say I moved to a place that does not suite me so well, thinking it would be a short stay. I'm still thinking it will be a short stay, but in the meantime, it's a challenge. It turns out, I'm not alone. 60% of people, either by choice or unfortunate incident- or sheer luck of the birth, are sweltering in the Florida heat when they would be happier in the cool rocky mountains, are shoveling snow when they would rather be sweeping sand, are crowded by trees when they would rather be in the wide open desert, or maybe they are choked by the activity in a large city, when they would be happier in a small town, or they are dying of boredom in a small town when they would flourish in the big city.
No wonder then, that we have so much crime, so much violence, so much escapist activity going on here. No wonder there are so many people finding relief through drugs, alcohol, tobacco and TV.
I have an idea, I think it might help. Right now the government wants to throw some money at all our problems. Right now a lot of people are out of work. I think they should give relocation relief money to anyone who applies.
Let each person decide where they want to live based on their own criteria for what makes them happy, rather then where they can get a job, or where their family settled 3 generations ago, or where they went to college and never had the means to move away from. Let each person decide where they want to live, and help them move there before we start throwing money at work programs. Once everyone shuffles around to their ideal location, the face of the country is going to look much different. Some places may gain a lot of population, some may loose. Once we see the results of this stirring of the melting pot, we can decide where to use the relief money to create more jobs, based on the new demographics.
I suggest this because if we just start creating jobs with out asking people where they want to live, we are going to end up with a lot of people moving to get employment, and possibly a lot of people moving to places they would not be happy. Ultimately, that is going to add to our demise as a nation. I just think we should do it the other way around, let people decide where they want to live, then make work for them. The happiness this creates could reverberate through generations.
I wonder, if we all lived in the area we think we would be most comfortable in, what would our culture look like. Would some of our problems go away? Would we be less inclined to indulge in unhappy behavior like addictions? I think so. Now, don't get me wrong, some people will just take their problems along with them, and some people will never be happy, no matter where they are. I do think though, that waking up, looking out the window and seeing landscape you love, or a town that fits you goes a long way in making a person feel good about themselves, and their life. And I do think, as a nation, and for the mental health and happiness of individuals, that is just what we need right now. A lot of people waking up feeling good about themselves, going about their new jobs in a environment that makes them feel buoyant every time they look out the window or step out the door.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Labels, Labels, everywhere...
I know you are not going to believe this but I am still working on putting labels on all these posts I've written. I have another 50 to go. It's taking a long time because I sometimes have to go back and read the posts in order to decide what the most appropriate labels would be. In fact, I have had to read most of them, and you know what? I think most of them are pretty well written. Some of them are funny. Some of them are what the experts would call "thought provoking."
Not bad for an amateur.
I think I need to add another label option- favorites.
Thanks for being so patient, new stuff coming soon!
Not bad for an amateur.
I think I need to add another label option- favorites.
Thanks for being so patient, new stuff coming soon!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Check This Out:
I was searching sites of interesting things to do in the southwest, for my cousins who will be visiting from Britain this summer. I thought I would clue them in on some of America's greatest assets- our roadside wonders. There is nothing like a trip on route 66 to make you appreciate how big and beautiful this country is. Here's the song, with some great footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9OsmSoO8b0&feature=related
and here is the link to one of my favorite sights along Route 66:
www.meteorcrater.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9OsmSoO8b0&feature=related
and here is the link to one of my favorite sights along Route 66:
www.meteorcrater.com/
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Labels
This week I am dedicating my blog time to getting all these posts labeled so that you can search for amusing, enlightening reading material by subject. At a few over a hundred posts, this might take me some time. Meanwhile, have you noticed? How light it is outside in the evening? How long the days are becoming? Is the dark winter of '08-'09 finally over? Let's hope so.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Hello, Hello, Hello
Remember? Floyd?The Wall? Hello, Hello, Hello...
Is there anybody out there-
Comment if you can hear me...
Is there anybody out there-
Comment if you can hear me...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Mix and Match Romantic Poem Maker
Today, I'm going to help you impress your loved one for Valentine's day with out spending a bundle. What could be more romantic than poetry? What could be more impressive than a poem you wrote yourself? Not a writer you say? Well, that is why I invented this handy mix and match poetry writer just for you.
It's pretty self explanatory, however, this is the main idea- pick a line from each section and put them all together. Sign your name, and hand to loved one; or memorize and recite at just the right moment. Not sure when the right moment is? Well, heck, I can't do everything for you- you are just going to have to play it by ear!
Part One: Pick a Title-
Personally I love that famous first line from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, that goes like this:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I think it would make a fine title.
Now, everyone knows that line, and there is a reason you only know that line. Elizabeth's poem really goes downhill from there. I could not make sense of it even when I tried to think like a Victorian, so I recommend you just steal the first line.
You could also use " All the reasons","My ode to you" or "Two hearts now one".
Part Two: Pick your next line or two from these variations-
But how my love, could I count them all? They are far to many.
To count them all would take the time it took to carve the Grand Canyon.
But how can I? For before I finished my bones would be dust.
With everything I am, and everything I hope for.
With heart, soul and intention.
1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8.. ( you get the idea, carry on as long as you like)
Part Three: Elaborate using a few of the following-
More numerous than the stars in the sky, or the grains of sand on all the beaches in this world.
As many as all of the creatures that inhabit the ocean.
Like the number of waves that have ever touched land.
As the number of leaves on every tree in the great forests of the world.
To count them all would take all the time that the earth has circled the sun.
With my mind and my body.
With joy and affection.
With a passion unknown until now.
With joy at the prospect of our future.
Wouldn't it be great if we had a date?
I could go on counting until hell freezes over, but I would rather kiss.
Tell me when to stop.
Now wrap it up with one of these:
With out end, as light speeds forever across the open reaches of space.
As all the minutes of time that have passed, I count, waiting to see you again.
Like the number of hairs on your hairy little body. (This is the poem-for-a-cat option.)
With fire and passion that will never wain.
With undying love and affection.
I'll pick you up at 7, don't be late!
What do you say?
Last but not least is Elizabeth's last line of her famous first line poem:
I shall love thee better after death.(I think she must have believed in the after life or reincarnation or one of those other wacky Victorian themes).
Sign your name, and you are good to go! No need to thank me, I'm always asking myself how I can help others. I'm happy to do it. I hope you get a lot of mileage out of your poem-
Happy Valentine's Day!
It's pretty self explanatory, however, this is the main idea- pick a line from each section and put them all together. Sign your name, and hand to loved one; or memorize and recite at just the right moment. Not sure when the right moment is? Well, heck, I can't do everything for you- you are just going to have to play it by ear!
Part One: Pick a Title-
Personally I love that famous first line from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, that goes like this:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I think it would make a fine title.
Now, everyone knows that line, and there is a reason you only know that line. Elizabeth's poem really goes downhill from there. I could not make sense of it even when I tried to think like a Victorian, so I recommend you just steal the first line.
You could also use " All the reasons","My ode to you" or "Two hearts now one".
Part Two: Pick your next line or two from these variations-
But how my love, could I count them all? They are far to many.
To count them all would take the time it took to carve the Grand Canyon.
But how can I? For before I finished my bones would be dust.
With everything I am, and everything I hope for.
With heart, soul and intention.
1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8.. ( you get the idea, carry on as long as you like)
Part Three: Elaborate using a few of the following-
More numerous than the stars in the sky, or the grains of sand on all the beaches in this world.
As many as all of the creatures that inhabit the ocean.
Like the number of waves that have ever touched land.
As the number of leaves on every tree in the great forests of the world.
To count them all would take all the time that the earth has circled the sun.
With my mind and my body.
With joy and affection.
With a passion unknown until now.
With joy at the prospect of our future.
Wouldn't it be great if we had a date?
I could go on counting until hell freezes over, but I would rather kiss.
Tell me when to stop.
Now wrap it up with one of these:
With out end, as light speeds forever across the open reaches of space.
As all the minutes of time that have passed, I count, waiting to see you again.
Like the number of hairs on your hairy little body. (This is the poem-for-a-cat option.)
With fire and passion that will never wain.
With undying love and affection.
I'll pick you up at 7, don't be late!
What do you say?
Last but not least is Elizabeth's last line of her famous first line poem:
I shall love thee better after death.(I think she must have believed in the after life or reincarnation or one of those other wacky Victorian themes).
Sign your name, and you are good to go! No need to thank me, I'm always asking myself how I can help others. I'm happy to do it. I hope you get a lot of mileage out of your poem-
Happy Valentine's Day!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Valentine's Day First Aid
It's possible that you are one of those people who is still dateless for Valentine's Day, and oddly filled with hope that someone besides your cat is going to appear between now and Saturday to snuggle with you on that special day.Perhaps you are in a fine, loving, committed relationship and are wishing to receive something extra special from your loved one on Valentine's day.
Maybe your significant relationship has diverted to the twisted rapids of poor communication and hurt feelings, and you just don't know what to do, and you need help.
It's possible that you have a friend or loved one who is lonely and you have been searching for a blind date for them that would turn out to be Mr. or Mrs. right.
What ever the case, I thought I would give you this Image of Saint Valentine so you could, if you feel inclined, offer up a quick and heartfelt prayer to the patron saint of Valentine's Day. He's rumored to be very helpful when it comes to relationship concerns.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I'll Have A...
I got this cute, charming and relevant work of art in an e-mail recently. Normally I resist passing on cute junk mail, but this one I just had to send to a few choice friends, and I like it so much I have to share it with you as well. I would say this ladies order would be especially appropriate, and a good idea, if you were having your coffee while you read the news paper.It's times like these we can take comfort from the fact that the only constant is change. I hope you have a week full of joy!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A Horse In The Living Room
So gather round kids and let me tell you a tale of a mind that went away.
Honestly, I have been making a real effort to do my mindless meditation on a regular basis. By mindless I don't mean out of your mind, or with out mindful-ness, or with out attention even, I mean to still your mind until it feels like a feather has captured your every thought and floated skyward with them, ascending to the stars and the silence of space. Then you seem mindless. For a minute. Or two.
I am still trying to get the hang of sitting still and quiet for 15 or 20 minutes. Ask my kindergarten teacher, she will tell you I just don't sit still very well. She used to tell me that It seemed that I "must have a horde of jumping beans in my pants".
I decided to help myself keep my mind still, and by association, my body, by using a cd of shamanic drumming as a prop for my meditation attempts. This cd is about 25 minutes long. Shamanic drumming is done in a tempo and frequency that assists your mind to enter the meditative state. Maybe that is cheating when it comes to meditation practice, but what can I say, I'm just trying to over come the jumping beans in my pants. Maybe some day I won't need a crutch.
The drumming varies a little through out the course of the 25 minutes I spent trying to keep my mind fully focused on the drums and only the drums. Every time a thought about life, work, the weather, home, food, grasshoppers, or anything else came into focus I said "Woa Nelly! Get your mind right back to the drumming!" There were actually long moments when I just stayed with the drums. I found the 25 minutes just breezing by like a Harley on a sunny spring morning.
And guess what folks- nobody noticed that I wasn't working for 25 minutes. No one called to find out why I was missing. No one sent a search and rescue party. The earth did not stand still because I carved 25 minutes out of my busy day to try find a little nothingness. I'm sure we all scurry around like ants from a anthill that has been breached because we think we must. If we don't we won't do enough, get enough, be enough, we just won't fit in and someone is going to notice and trouble will ensue and there will be hell to pay. Now I'm pretty sure that is not the case. We just mistakenly think it is.
So I carved out 25 minutes a few days in a row, and I sat and focused on the drumming. Each time I did, it seemed that the 25 minutes went by faster than it had the time before. I found myself better able to follow the drum beats, with out constantly reminding myself that that was what I was supposed to be doing. I was managing to keep my breathing long, deep, rhythmical and even. Oh, don't get me wrong, my mind was still flopping around like a fish on the end of a line, but it was flopping less each time.
Then miraculously, at the very end of one of these meditation/shamanic drumming breaks from the world, my mind stopped. I don't know how long it was like that, because I wasn't thinking about it. But I could feel the still. And then I saw myself sitting in the chair, and a crack started on the top of my head and ran down the middle of my body. A crack like you see on thin ice over a pond. The crack didn't make any noise, it just crept down the middle of my body, then the two halves of my dissected self fell away and beams of white and golden light came spilling out of my inside. Then I heard a horse neighing right next to my right ear.
Then I was back in the chair listening to the drums and wondering what the heck just happened, and of course you can't be mindless when you are trying to figure out how a horse got into your living room, so that was the end of my meditation for the day.
Honestly, I have been making a real effort to do my mindless meditation on a regular basis. By mindless I don't mean out of your mind, or with out mindful-ness, or with out attention even, I mean to still your mind until it feels like a feather has captured your every thought and floated skyward with them, ascending to the stars and the silence of space. Then you seem mindless. For a minute. Or two.
I am still trying to get the hang of sitting still and quiet for 15 or 20 minutes. Ask my kindergarten teacher, she will tell you I just don't sit still very well. She used to tell me that It seemed that I "must have a horde of jumping beans in my pants".
I decided to help myself keep my mind still, and by association, my body, by using a cd of shamanic drumming as a prop for my meditation attempts. This cd is about 25 minutes long. Shamanic drumming is done in a tempo and frequency that assists your mind to enter the meditative state. Maybe that is cheating when it comes to meditation practice, but what can I say, I'm just trying to over come the jumping beans in my pants. Maybe some day I won't need a crutch.
The drumming varies a little through out the course of the 25 minutes I spent trying to keep my mind fully focused on the drums and only the drums. Every time a thought about life, work, the weather, home, food, grasshoppers, or anything else came into focus I said "Woa Nelly! Get your mind right back to the drumming!" There were actually long moments when I just stayed with the drums. I found the 25 minutes just breezing by like a Harley on a sunny spring morning.
And guess what folks- nobody noticed that I wasn't working for 25 minutes. No one called to find out why I was missing. No one sent a search and rescue party. The earth did not stand still because I carved 25 minutes out of my busy day to try find a little nothingness. I'm sure we all scurry around like ants from a anthill that has been breached because we think we must. If we don't we won't do enough, get enough, be enough, we just won't fit in and someone is going to notice and trouble will ensue and there will be hell to pay. Now I'm pretty sure that is not the case. We just mistakenly think it is.
So I carved out 25 minutes a few days in a row, and I sat and focused on the drumming. Each time I did, it seemed that the 25 minutes went by faster than it had the time before. I found myself better able to follow the drum beats, with out constantly reminding myself that that was what I was supposed to be doing. I was managing to keep my breathing long, deep, rhythmical and even. Oh, don't get me wrong, my mind was still flopping around like a fish on the end of a line, but it was flopping less each time.
Then miraculously, at the very end of one of these meditation/shamanic drumming breaks from the world, my mind stopped. I don't know how long it was like that, because I wasn't thinking about it. But I could feel the still. And then I saw myself sitting in the chair, and a crack started on the top of my head and ran down the middle of my body. A crack like you see on thin ice over a pond. The crack didn't make any noise, it just crept down the middle of my body, then the two halves of my dissected self fell away and beams of white and golden light came spilling out of my inside. Then I heard a horse neighing right next to my right ear.
Then I was back in the chair listening to the drums and wondering what the heck just happened, and of course you can't be mindless when you are trying to figure out how a horse got into your living room, so that was the end of my meditation for the day.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Coffee in Paradise
It’s push comes to shove time, many of us are having to decide what we really need to shop for and what we can to without. In an attempt to stave off financial ruin, I have whittled my grocery list way down. I used to think I spent a lot on groceries, but it turns out my spending is average for the size of my family. I’m convinced my family is not really average and that I can bring my grocery bill down. It’s just one of the ways I’m choosing to economize in these interesting times.
I can’t find it in myself to give up my whole bean coffee, roasted to perfection by some corporate megalomaniac, I’m sure, but all the same I adore it. It’s worth waking up for. I can’t go with out my morning companion, and cheaper imitations just won’t do. They are to acidic, to light, to green, to pale, to mass produced, canned and vacuum sealed. They have no real personality; they just masquerade as having great depth. Their charm is gone the moment you get a whiff of their scent, like a guy wearing cheap cologne on a first date.
So in an attempt to economize, I have taken to actually measuring my beans to make each perfect cup o’ joe. I’m measuring the water too, so no left over, unused, unwanted, cold growing, stale cups of coffee get washed down the kitchen sink.
Into the grinder I carefully placed one and one half tablespoons of beans per cup o’joe. I ground the beans fine and dumped them into the French press coffee pot ( the only way to go if you really love the taste of coffee- no paper filter to soak up the delicate oils infused with essence of coffee tree, bloom and growth ).
One measured cup of steaming hot water for each cup of coffee followed.
I don’t know about you but I was fascinated to find that my coffee “cup” holds about two cups of coffee. I measured my china from the 30’s and 40’s and guess what? A cup held a cup. I wondered when we became such gluttons. Or were there copious cups all along, they just were not included with a set of delicate china? Did big mugs become fashionable in the 50’s? I had to know, it’s just me so I went on-line (don’t you love the internet?) and found this:
Archaeologists found mugs carved from bones dating to the Stone Age. The first coffee shop appeared in 1475 in Constantinople. The first coffee mugs were made out of wood during that time. In 1748, Britain banned coffee and all merchandise associated with it, including mugs. This led to a shortage of mugs, and the black market prices for mugs rose. DAMN! I sure am glad that I do not live in Britain in 1748!
Fascinating- but let us get back to the story-
I wrapped the coffee pot in kitchen towels to keep the heat in and let it set the required 4 minutes. Wa-la I mused as I poured the perfect cup of coffee. Steam rose to delight my nose as I lifted the mug and took a first sip.
Instantaneously it seemed that I had entered a worm hole and was projected back in time to a warm September afternoon. The sky was cloudless. Shade dappled the table I sat at, with tiny flutters of shadow in the warm breeze. The sun, just past mid point in the sky reflected a billion diamond like wave caps off the distant ocean, laid out before me with no end in sight. From my seat at the top of the island, I could see coast line curve for many miles before it wandered around the island, the ocean surrounding it like a square dancers skirt in full twirl. The dust had settled on the dirt road, the last car passed half an hour ago and the only sounds were the call of birds I could not identify in the distance, as they meandered through the coffee plantation, and the low hum of the coffee roaster in the plantation’s thatched roof “factory and retail shop” down the walk to my right. The flagstone patio was empty; presumably the tourists were off pursuing more aquatic interests in the heat of the day.
The cup of coffee in front of me was hot, and made the air seem cool, a respite from the humid warmth of the big island air. The coffee was dark and rich, tasting like once ancient volcanic lava now weatherized to a soft black nutrient rich soil, and sweet dreams of paradise and sea turtles and palm trees and orchid leis.
A moment later I was back in the kitchen, - Wow! That is one good cup of coffee. I'm making it just like that from now on. The unexpected mini vacation-in-my-mind just the icing on the cake of a great economical cup 'o joe.
I can’t find it in myself to give up my whole bean coffee, roasted to perfection by some corporate megalomaniac, I’m sure, but all the same I adore it. It’s worth waking up for. I can’t go with out my morning companion, and cheaper imitations just won’t do. They are to acidic, to light, to green, to pale, to mass produced, canned and vacuum sealed. They have no real personality; they just masquerade as having great depth. Their charm is gone the moment you get a whiff of their scent, like a guy wearing cheap cologne on a first date.
So in an attempt to economize, I have taken to actually measuring my beans to make each perfect cup o’ joe. I’m measuring the water too, so no left over, unused, unwanted, cold growing, stale cups of coffee get washed down the kitchen sink.
Into the grinder I carefully placed one and one half tablespoons of beans per cup o’joe. I ground the beans fine and dumped them into the French press coffee pot ( the only way to go if you really love the taste of coffee- no paper filter to soak up the delicate oils infused with essence of coffee tree, bloom and growth ).
One measured cup of steaming hot water for each cup of coffee followed.
I don’t know about you but I was fascinated to find that my coffee “cup” holds about two cups of coffee. I measured my china from the 30’s and 40’s and guess what? A cup held a cup. I wondered when we became such gluttons. Or were there copious cups all along, they just were not included with a set of delicate china? Did big mugs become fashionable in the 50’s? I had to know, it’s just me so I went on-line (don’t you love the internet?) and found this:
Archaeologists found mugs carved from bones dating to the Stone Age. The first coffee shop appeared in 1475 in Constantinople. The first coffee mugs were made out of wood during that time. In 1748, Britain banned coffee and all merchandise associated with it, including mugs. This led to a shortage of mugs, and the black market prices for mugs rose. DAMN! I sure am glad that I do not live in Britain in 1748!
Fascinating- but let us get back to the story-
I wrapped the coffee pot in kitchen towels to keep the heat in and let it set the required 4 minutes. Wa-la I mused as I poured the perfect cup of coffee. Steam rose to delight my nose as I lifted the mug and took a first sip.
Instantaneously it seemed that I had entered a worm hole and was projected back in time to a warm September afternoon. The sky was cloudless. Shade dappled the table I sat at, with tiny flutters of shadow in the warm breeze. The sun, just past mid point in the sky reflected a billion diamond like wave caps off the distant ocean, laid out before me with no end in sight. From my seat at the top of the island, I could see coast line curve for many miles before it wandered around the island, the ocean surrounding it like a square dancers skirt in full twirl. The dust had settled on the dirt road, the last car passed half an hour ago and the only sounds were the call of birds I could not identify in the distance, as they meandered through the coffee plantation, and the low hum of the coffee roaster in the plantation’s thatched roof “factory and retail shop” down the walk to my right. The flagstone patio was empty; presumably the tourists were off pursuing more aquatic interests in the heat of the day.
The cup of coffee in front of me was hot, and made the air seem cool, a respite from the humid warmth of the big island air. The coffee was dark and rich, tasting like once ancient volcanic lava now weatherized to a soft black nutrient rich soil, and sweet dreams of paradise and sea turtles and palm trees and orchid leis.
A moment later I was back in the kitchen, - Wow! That is one good cup of coffee. I'm making it just like that from now on. The unexpected mini vacation-in-my-mind just the icing on the cake of a great economical cup 'o joe.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
It's Only Rock and Roll
I managed to catch a bit of the inauguration speech on TV yesterday, and then I came home and got on line to read the rest. There was one thing in particular that President Obama ( doesn't that sound good?) said that really struck me, and got me to meandering. He said that 60 years ago his relative (did he say dad or granddad?) would not have been served in some restaurants in this country.
How much the face of America has changed in just one generation. It's amazing really. I had not thought about it, I mean, as far as I can tell we are all one big family. President Obama's remark made me think of all the un-sung heroes of the civil rights movement and I pictured all the missing ( ie: disappeared while working for the civil rights movement, presumably buried somewhere in the deep south) and forgotten civil rights workers, lined up in heaven watching Obama take his oath.
It also occurred to me that the baby boomers always said they were going to change the world- "peace and brotherhood, man" and this moment in history clearly confirms that they were right. I mean, 60 years!It seems like a long time, but honestly, in the history of the world, it's a really, really, short time. From "you can't eat here" to "please be our president". And they made it happen, those baby boomers, while literally stoned out of their minds a large percentage of the time. Amazing.
I was thinking about the beginning of peaceful race relations in this country and I'm no historian, but it came to mind that rock and roll had a hand in all this change. Back in the early days of rock and roll (not really early, that would be the late 20's and early 30's when rock and roll was a infant) like about the time rock and roll became a young adult, the 50's.
This country was still really segregated, but artists like Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and Elvis were playing some really hot tunes and no one seemed to care if the band was white boys or black men, as long as they rocked. Anglo kids were going to the other side of town to hear these legends and in the process, finding out the other side of town was not that different. Meanwhile the African American teens were having to put up with this invasion, made some reconnaissance missions of their own and came up with the same conclusion.
I'm sure there was a lot more to it than that, but you get it. It was the music that gave them a bridge to cross. And they did. And look what happened.
Then in the 60's it continued with more music, less inhibitions and a philosophy that loved everyone. I recently saw an interview with Deepak Chopra and Robert Therman and Deepak was saying - everyone wonders where the 60's went, well it's right here in front of you, we are the 60's, we haven't gone anywhere, we just look different now. Now we are expanding our minds in a different way, with similar results. Rock on Deepak.
By the 70's the freaks were fully indoctrinated to the idea that it didn't matter what you looked like or where you came from. If you wanted to party, then party it was, turn up the music and the peace and brotherhood vibe resonated even stronger. Well, like I said, I'm no historian, but it looks like the boomers did change the world, in their own unique way.
Right now it's easy to look around and see lots of things about this country that need changing. There are plenty of things wrong. But you know, Obama's remark made me realize that there are a lot of things right as well, and maybe we are all just so used to living in the land of the free that sometimes we take it for granted. I'm thankful I caught a bit of that speech, it really gave me something to think about.
Peace Man.
How much the face of America has changed in just one generation. It's amazing really. I had not thought about it, I mean, as far as I can tell we are all one big family. President Obama's remark made me think of all the un-sung heroes of the civil rights movement and I pictured all the missing ( ie: disappeared while working for the civil rights movement, presumably buried somewhere in the deep south) and forgotten civil rights workers, lined up in heaven watching Obama take his oath.
It also occurred to me that the baby boomers always said they were going to change the world- "peace and brotherhood, man" and this moment in history clearly confirms that they were right. I mean, 60 years!It seems like a long time, but honestly, in the history of the world, it's a really, really, short time. From "you can't eat here" to "please be our president". And they made it happen, those baby boomers, while literally stoned out of their minds a large percentage of the time. Amazing.
I was thinking about the beginning of peaceful race relations in this country and I'm no historian, but it came to mind that rock and roll had a hand in all this change. Back in the early days of rock and roll (not really early, that would be the late 20's and early 30's when rock and roll was a infant) like about the time rock and roll became a young adult, the 50's.
This country was still really segregated, but artists like Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and Elvis were playing some really hot tunes and no one seemed to care if the band was white boys or black men, as long as they rocked. Anglo kids were going to the other side of town to hear these legends and in the process, finding out the other side of town was not that different. Meanwhile the African American teens were having to put up with this invasion, made some reconnaissance missions of their own and came up with the same conclusion.
I'm sure there was a lot more to it than that, but you get it. It was the music that gave them a bridge to cross. And they did. And look what happened.
Then in the 60's it continued with more music, less inhibitions and a philosophy that loved everyone. I recently saw an interview with Deepak Chopra and Robert Therman and Deepak was saying - everyone wonders where the 60's went, well it's right here in front of you, we are the 60's, we haven't gone anywhere, we just look different now. Now we are expanding our minds in a different way, with similar results. Rock on Deepak.
By the 70's the freaks were fully indoctrinated to the idea that it didn't matter what you looked like or where you came from. If you wanted to party, then party it was, turn up the music and the peace and brotherhood vibe resonated even stronger. Well, like I said, I'm no historian, but it looks like the boomers did change the world, in their own unique way.
Right now it's easy to look around and see lots of things about this country that need changing. There are plenty of things wrong. But you know, Obama's remark made me realize that there are a lot of things right as well, and maybe we are all just so used to living in the land of the free that sometimes we take it for granted. I'm thankful I caught a bit of that speech, it really gave me something to think about.
Peace Man.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
I'm Hopeful, Are You?
Well, Obama is not much to look at, but I think he's the best chance to see something positive happen in government that we have had in a really long time. After all, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and U2 are all singing at the inauguration concert, political references don't get much better than that, I'm taking it as a really good sign.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Like a Flea on a Coyote's Butt.
For the new year one of my goals is to meditate on a regular basis. I decided to do this because lord knows I could use a little relaxation in my life. I also recently read a few articles about the effect meditation has on your immune system and your health in general. Turns out meditation is really good for your physical, as well as your mental health. Increased immune activity is seen with as little as ten minutes of meditation a day! I'm also interested in trying this because of all the stuff you hear about how meditation expands your consciousness and "plugs you into the field". What field you ask? The morphic field, the zone, the string theory field, the web of universal energy, that from which all things come.
Sounds cool, doesn't it? To be one with the very particles (or waves, depending on who is watching) that make up all.
I'm told that to enter the field you must first enter the silence and still your mind. So that is the bottom line, stilling the mind and seeing what is on the other side of all this chatter. I'm thinking it's gonna look like an endless field of white sparkle, with flashes of color here and there.
So I've started meditating each day. I decided to start small because I sit still like a flea on a coyotes butt. But I figure if I can sit still for ten minutes, maybe eventually I can get my thoughts to sit still too. Then we would be in harmony, me and my sitting still body and no thoughts mind. We could just experience the sparkly field. Or nothingness. Or what ever- I don't really know because I've not been there yet.
I did some reading about different meditation techniques and decided to go the simple (kinda zen) way, to just sit and breathe. This is harder than it sounds. Most of us just sprint through life, never even realizing we are breathing. The body is so well designed, so automatic, you don't have to think to breathe, so why would you? Right? The idea is to slow your breath to about 6 breaths a minute. Apparently this is the optimal rate to cause your brain to switch gears and shift down to theta waves, which are like a minor ripple on the pond of your mind. Meanwhile you sit very still and don't think about anything. That is harder than it sounds too. I can fidget with the best of them, and I do.
The first time I tried meditating, my mind was like a kite flying on the beach. My thoughts would hold steady, steady on the breath, in-out, in-out, then suddenly my kite was diving and fluttering and threatening to break away. Past, present, future, all came at once. Thoughts of this that and the other, and of course all I was trying to think of was the now. Ever have that happen? You know, when you try not to think about something? It just keeps popping up, like those scary jack-in -the-boxes adults love to torment kids with.
As soon as I would feel the tug of the kite, which was not always immediately, I would reel the string back in until the kite was flying steady again, breathe one, two, three. Then I would start fidgeting, trying to get more comfortable in the chair. Or I would hear something and my attention would go there. Really, most of the session my mind was everywhere but on my breath and I think my body was trying to help my mind resist the halter because I became aware of every little bit of tension in my body. I would relax one part, so I didn't feel it any more and another would tighten up. Then I would start fidgeting again.
The good news is the ten minutes went by like two and I found the timer going off and my body so relaxed I could have slid right out of the seat. Guess that is why people typically meditate by sitting on the floor, that way, when they get all relaxed and noodle-e, they won't have to worry about falling out of a chair and hurting themselves.
Each time I've sat with my timer set for ten minutes, it's been the same story. I can see why people sign up to join group meditations. I think I would be embarrassed by all my fidgeting around while everyone else is sitting as still as the grave. I would have to, at least outwardly, settle down faster.
Today As I started my 15 minutes, (yes, the ten seems so short, no time at all really, so I have upped the ante, and challenged myself to sit for 15 minutes), it went something like this-
Breathe one, breathe two, breathe three,
My toe is scrunched. Ouch! My toe, I have to just wiggle it around a little...
oh, yeah
breathe four, breathe five, breathe six,
why is my shoulder so tight? I have to move my arm, relax, relax, darn it my elbow is tight too..
oh yeah
breathe seven, breathe eight, What was that noise? breathe nine, breathe ten, I think there is a draft aimed right at my butt, I need to scooch this chair around..
breathe eleven, breathe twelve, ouch! Very funny cat, that is my leg you are poking.
breathe thirteen, breathe fourteen, breathe fifteen, How am I going to write about meditating in my blog when I can hardly sit still for a moment?...Breathe sixteen, breathe seventeen,...watch the fire, that might help...breathe eighteen...
You get the idea, I was averaging about two uninterrupted breaths and then it was fidget, fidget and more fidgeting. Thoughts up, up, and away. I was trying not to think and I thought of everything from work to my third grade teacher Mrs. Gadhopper who wore a color coordinated silk flower pinned to her sweater everyday of class. I think I see a pattern here. The old internal struggle between the ego, who likes to be the boss and does not want to be bigger than the very body I inhabit, and the non-ego, whatever you choose to call it, the part that wants to meander through the endless field of light that is the source of all.
It went on like that for a while, but I'm no quitter, so I kept right on, noticing the thoughts and then getting back to the business at hand- breathing. Then, about breath 45 I noticed a shift. I was just breathing, and at the end of the out breath I felt a little nothing. It felt kind of big. It was just a moment really. Hardly there at all. But I noticed it and then I got all excited and blew it. What was that? Was that it? Did I just have a moment of nothing? Is that what all the fuss is about? What was that? How long was I out? By the time I got myself calmed down and back on track the timer was going off.
It only lasted a moment, but it felt like a really long moment, it felt expansive and bright. So I'm re-committing to sit, to see if I can find that nothing again, and maybe even find it on a regular basis. I want to meander in the field of light and see what it does for my overall health and well being. I will report back on this mission on a regular basis. Over and out, Meandering.
Sounds cool, doesn't it? To be one with the very particles (or waves, depending on who is watching) that make up all.
I'm told that to enter the field you must first enter the silence and still your mind. So that is the bottom line, stilling the mind and seeing what is on the other side of all this chatter. I'm thinking it's gonna look like an endless field of white sparkle, with flashes of color here and there.
So I've started meditating each day. I decided to start small because I sit still like a flea on a coyotes butt. But I figure if I can sit still for ten minutes, maybe eventually I can get my thoughts to sit still too. Then we would be in harmony, me and my sitting still body and no thoughts mind. We could just experience the sparkly field. Or nothingness. Or what ever- I don't really know because I've not been there yet.
I did some reading about different meditation techniques and decided to go the simple (kinda zen) way, to just sit and breathe. This is harder than it sounds. Most of us just sprint through life, never even realizing we are breathing. The body is so well designed, so automatic, you don't have to think to breathe, so why would you? Right? The idea is to slow your breath to about 6 breaths a minute. Apparently this is the optimal rate to cause your brain to switch gears and shift down to theta waves, which are like a minor ripple on the pond of your mind. Meanwhile you sit very still and don't think about anything. That is harder than it sounds too. I can fidget with the best of them, and I do.
The first time I tried meditating, my mind was like a kite flying on the beach. My thoughts would hold steady, steady on the breath, in-out, in-out, then suddenly my kite was diving and fluttering and threatening to break away. Past, present, future, all came at once. Thoughts of this that and the other, and of course all I was trying to think of was the now. Ever have that happen? You know, when you try not to think about something? It just keeps popping up, like those scary jack-in -the-boxes adults love to torment kids with.
As soon as I would feel the tug of the kite, which was not always immediately, I would reel the string back in until the kite was flying steady again, breathe one, two, three. Then I would start fidgeting, trying to get more comfortable in the chair. Or I would hear something and my attention would go there. Really, most of the session my mind was everywhere but on my breath and I think my body was trying to help my mind resist the halter because I became aware of every little bit of tension in my body. I would relax one part, so I didn't feel it any more and another would tighten up. Then I would start fidgeting again.
The good news is the ten minutes went by like two and I found the timer going off and my body so relaxed I could have slid right out of the seat. Guess that is why people typically meditate by sitting on the floor, that way, when they get all relaxed and noodle-e, they won't have to worry about falling out of a chair and hurting themselves.
Each time I've sat with my timer set for ten minutes, it's been the same story. I can see why people sign up to join group meditations. I think I would be embarrassed by all my fidgeting around while everyone else is sitting as still as the grave. I would have to, at least outwardly, settle down faster.
Today As I started my 15 minutes, (yes, the ten seems so short, no time at all really, so I have upped the ante, and challenged myself to sit for 15 minutes), it went something like this-
Breathe one, breathe two, breathe three,
My toe is scrunched. Ouch! My toe, I have to just wiggle it around a little...
oh, yeah
breathe four, breathe five, breathe six,
why is my shoulder so tight? I have to move my arm, relax, relax, darn it my elbow is tight too..
oh yeah
breathe seven, breathe eight, What was that noise? breathe nine, breathe ten, I think there is a draft aimed right at my butt, I need to scooch this chair around..
breathe eleven, breathe twelve, ouch! Very funny cat, that is my leg you are poking.
breathe thirteen, breathe fourteen, breathe fifteen, How am I going to write about meditating in my blog when I can hardly sit still for a moment?...Breathe sixteen, breathe seventeen,...watch the fire, that might help...breathe eighteen...
You get the idea, I was averaging about two uninterrupted breaths and then it was fidget, fidget and more fidgeting. Thoughts up, up, and away. I was trying not to think and I thought of everything from work to my third grade teacher Mrs. Gadhopper who wore a color coordinated silk flower pinned to her sweater everyday of class. I think I see a pattern here. The old internal struggle between the ego, who likes to be the boss and does not want to be bigger than the very body I inhabit, and the non-ego, whatever you choose to call it, the part that wants to meander through the endless field of light that is the source of all.
It went on like that for a while, but I'm no quitter, so I kept right on, noticing the thoughts and then getting back to the business at hand- breathing. Then, about breath 45 I noticed a shift. I was just breathing, and at the end of the out breath I felt a little nothing. It felt kind of big. It was just a moment really. Hardly there at all. But I noticed it and then I got all excited and blew it. What was that? Was that it? Did I just have a moment of nothing? Is that what all the fuss is about? What was that? How long was I out? By the time I got myself calmed down and back on track the timer was going off.
It only lasted a moment, but it felt like a really long moment, it felt expansive and bright. So I'm re-committing to sit, to see if I can find that nothing again, and maybe even find it on a regular basis. I want to meander in the field of light and see what it does for my overall health and well being. I will report back on this mission on a regular basis. Over and out, Meandering.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
For My Sister Who Just Had A Birthday
I know you don't like to carry on about your birthday and all, so I thought I would just post a few photos for you. If anyone out there reading this actually took these photos, I confess, I did just nab them off different sites, and I would be happy to give you credit for these works if you send me your name. They are great photos, I wish I had taken them.
Giraffa cameleopardalis
The giraffe is the tallest mammal on earth. Giraffes are also among the few mammals that can't swim. Their natural habitat is the African Savanna, a relatively open, grassy plain with few trees and shrubs.
Giraffa cameleopardalis
The giraffe is the tallest mammal on earth. Giraffes are also among the few mammals that can't swim. Their natural habitat is the African Savanna, a relatively open, grassy plain with few trees and shrubs.
Am I Dreaming?
I woke this morning, sun streaming into the room through the huge window beside my bed. I threw back the covers and stood to look out the window. This is what I saw:
What a beautiful way to start the day I thought as I absorbed this incredible sight before me. Then, my mind stopped for just a second, and started again. Wait a minute I thought- I'm not awake yet. This is a dream. I am dreaming. What a beautiful dream to start the day with. Then I woke up.
What a beautiful way to start the day I thought as I absorbed this incredible sight before me. Then, my mind stopped for just a second, and started again. Wait a minute I thought- I'm not awake yet. This is a dream. I am dreaming. What a beautiful dream to start the day with. Then I woke up.
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