Musings

One Ocean

2010-04-04T09:01:00.002-04:00

Been thinking about the message that I'm hearing from numerous sources. Traditional Eastern teachings, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and the Course in Miracles are all saying the same thing: there is only one energy. We are all part of one.

Our entire existence is predicated on separateness so it is hard to grasp the "all are one" concept. It occurred to me that perhaps this is a good analogy: there is only one ocean on our planet. We create divisions where none exist and call difference parts by different names but it is still only one ocean. For me to pray to the Holy Spirit or Jesus to ask for them to intercede on my behalf to God is akin to the Indian Ocean asking the Atlantic Ocean to intercede with the Pacific Ocean. It's ridiculous: there is only one ocean.

Gratitude

2010-03-16T16:12:00.001-04:00

The universe is just awesome. I was wondering where I was going to come up with some extra cash and wouldn't you know I just found out I'm getting a tax refund—both federal and state!

Happy Birthday Dusty

2010-03-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday, Dusty. He would have been 13 today.

The Coffee Party

2010-02-23T07:36:00.004-05:00

For those that don't feel the Tea Party represents them, there is now the Coffee Party.

We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them.

It's wonderful to see young people engaged—and they should be. It's their future at stake.

Georgia Snow

2010-02-22T13:33:00.002-05:00

Nature's Harmony Farm blog has a beautifully done slideshow of all the snow we got in this area. Watch if full screen with your sound turned up. The photos and music are just wonderful!

Night Song

2010-02-21T10:31:00.002-05:00

I stood outside yesterday evening with Tidbit. As he explored the yard I just stood and listened to the sound of the neighborhood. We are in a rural area so I heard a dog bark, several cows, birds, an occasional car or truck up on the road. I heard the rustle of small animals and birds in the carpet of dead leaves.

Then I heard several dogs barking and yipping. The barks slid quickly into howls and more dogs joined in. As I stood there listening they all coalesced into an eerie harmony. It was a beautiful, wild canine song and other dogs joined in. I could hear them coming in from different directions. For several minutes I listened to this perfect joining, wishing I had some good recording equipment. Then the song slowly broke apart and became several dogs barking once more. But for a few moments, I literally heard the call of the wild.

Lose Yourself

2010-02-17T13:35:00.006-05:00

I'm listening to something on Hay House radio and the speaker just told about a teacher he had who said that to meditate he lost himself in love. "How do you lose yourself in love," the speaker asked.

My first thought was that I do that when I'm alone with my dogs. There is no judgment, no assumption, no demand, nothing but being. That's apparently why my dogs are in my life: to teach me how to lose myself in love.

By the way if anyone is actually reading this I've created a blog just for the dogs. Webster finally wore me down. It is here: http://dogasthenics.blogspot.com/

More Snow Pictures

2010-02-15T17:46:00.003-05:00

Let It Snow!

2010-02-12T17:47:00.007-05:00

It's finally snowing here and I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas. I don't remember snow here since this time in 2000. I'm pretty sure it's Tidbit's first snow and he keeps going outside to eat it. He's just fascinated with it.

I've lived in colder areas most of my life: Massachusetts, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas and North Dakota. I have missed snow. All I want to do right now is sit and watch it come down: big white flakes sliding to the ground. The snow is piled on the evergreens and is just breathtaking.

For me, snow has an insulating effect, much like rain. It is quiet in the cold and aside from the falling snow there is no movement. The world seems to hold it's breath. I just came in from standing out in the backyard, feeling the wet flakes land on my face. The tall trees that surround us are black and silver/gray against a silver/gray background. The look like lace. I could smell woodsmoke in the air as well as the wetness of the snow. I could hear the soft ticking of the snow as it hit my jacket.

Tidbit is just enchanted with it and I had to laugh aloud several times. He came outside with me and plowed through what is quickly becoming chest deep to him. He ran, pounced, jumped. He came upon a twig sticking up through the snow and licked the clump of white from it. Then he twirled around and raced back to the porch and inside. A few minutes later he came racing back out to stomp out a new path. I watched my 10+ year old, mostly toothless schnauzer cavorting like a puppy. He is as good for me as I believe I am for him.

I'm in a snow white heaven right now. I'm so full of gratitude, for so much.

Pooped

2010-01-23T20:09:00.001-05:00

New Year, New Diets

2010-01-14T08:48:00.002-05:00

The most common New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. At our house our resolution is to feed our dogs—and ourselves—better.

Our dogs are now on a raw meaty bones diet and they love it. They got venison this morning and after wolfing it down all stood there wanting more. This evening's meal will be ground chicken and chicken necks. I've never seen them go after kibble like this. While at Mom's over the holiday I saw Joey's little head trying to peek up over the countertop where the meat was sitting in the dog dishes. He was actually standing on his hind legs. I've never seen that before. He's a little roly poly fellow, vertically challenged, or so I had assumed.

After feeding this for a month he is beginning to lose weight. Tidbit has lost a pound or so and looks perfect. I think Bear may be slimming down too. His skin is definitely looking better. Everyone has pretty teeth from chewing on the raw bones (never give a dog a cooked bone). The whole feeding process takes longer on my part because of the care I have to take in handling raw meat and cleaning everything afterward, but it is so very worth it. After losing Gretchen and Dusty last year I swear I will never feed kibble again. I'm also not subjecting my dogs to Heartguard, Frontline or vaccines ever again.

As for me, I've gone to Aiken-Augusta Holistic Health and am very pumped up. I feel like I'm on the path to treating causation and not symptoms. I'm looking forward to learning how to take charge of my own health, make better choices and get rid of the body aches and fatigue. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that Aiken-Augusta Holistic Health provides.

Happy 2010!

Now

2009-12-31T09:58:00.002-05:00

I'm constantly tense from trying to leap forward, not physically but mentally. I'm constantly having to remind myself to relax and allow the moment to be. I'm constantly having to remind myself to live now. After all, now is the only place God is.

Rethinking Pet Food

2009-12-17T12:20:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a great deal of reading about canine diets. I'm learning that I've been feeding my dogs wrong for years. They are switching to a raw meaty bone diet.

A good video here:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/jennifergoodwin/videos/4/
If you have a dog I would urge you to watch it.

A good vet's blog is here:
http://rmb4healthypets.blogspot.com/

I think about the lifelong health issues that Gretchen had before I finally had to have her put down (killed) back in March. I think about the kidney failure Dusty had. I wonder how much longer and healthier they would have lived if I had found this information years ago. The corporate influences that I so abhor are as pervasive in the pet food and pet health industries as in the rest of our lives.

No more. We are changing at our house.

Dusty

2009-12-14T10:27:00.003-05:00

It is ironic that my previous post deals with death as an illusion. This morning it feels like anything but. I had to have Dusty put down.

Like Gretchen back in March, his kidneys had begun to fail. The vet could have kept him on an IV for another week or so but that is no quality of life, especially for such a happy and active little dog as Dusty.

He was 12 1/2 and had a great life. Like the other dogs he was totally spoiled. I will miss him terribly.

Bobby is up in his shop, building a box for Dusty as he did for Gretchen. We will bury him next to her.

This has been a hard year.

The Illusion of Death

2009-12-09T11:07:00.002-05:00

Found an interesting article today.

Death does not exist in a timeless, spaceless world. In the end, even Einstein admitted, "Now Besso" (an old friend) "has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us...know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." Immortality doesn't mean a perpetual existence in time without end, but rather resides outside of time altogether.

Once again I am seeing science confirm the principles of ACIM. Just what my "reasonable" side needs.

Counting

2009-12-07T15:23:00.001-05:00

As I sit here listening to Christmas music I hear a song that really hits home this year. The version I have is by Diana Krall but here is Rosemary Clooney singing the same song.

Dogs of Summer

2009-12-04T08:45:00.001-05:00

This video is just beyond cute. It's actually a promotion for a dog training school in Europe.
Very clever!

Dusty's Turn

2009-12-03T11:02:00.003-05:00

Now Dusty is in for a stay at the Vet's.
Tuesday evening he fell on the wooden floor and couldn't get up. When I picked him up his head fell over like he didn't even have the strength to hold it up. Uh oh.
The vet had given me some Rimadyl for arthritis pain so I gave him one of those. He slept through the night and I gave him another at 5 the next morning. He was a little better but I had him at the vet's office by 8:15. I have the best vet.
Dusty's got some kind of infection somewhere (his white blood cell count is up) and several of the numbers on his kidneys are up as well. He is on an IV and may get to come home tomorrow.
Fingers are crossed. He's really lost a lot of weight in the past few years. Back in 2007 he weighed 28 pounds. He is down to 22.7 now. He still acts like a puppy much of the time even though he is 12 1/2.

My Heroes

2009-11-30T15:19:00.001-05:00

These two people are my heroes.

ASPCA Video "Rolling Dog Ranch" from V K on Vimeo.

SuperStress

2009-11-20T08:08:00.002-05:00

Now psychologists have something new: SuperStress.

It is the result of our over-stimulated, over-extended modern lifestyle. The diagnosis of SuperStress describes a physical and emotional state that resembles post-traumatic stress disorder. SuperStress leaves you feeling unable to catch up or get a handle on things; it saps you of your sense of humor and perspective about what's important in life.

There is a 20 question test to determine if you are superstressed. So I took it. A score of 12 or more means you are superstressed. Oh. My score was a 50. The doctor further breaks down the stressed into 5 types. Apparently I'm all 5 of those too. Not to fear, though. All I need to do is spend $20 on her new book.
Why do I even read these things?

Conehead

2009-11-19T07:32:00.004-05:00

Poor Joey is a conehead until the day after Thanksgiving. He had several tumors removed (hopefully they are benign) on Monday. The largest was on his upper right inner thigh and sat atop the major artery and nerve that run down that leg. A warty thing on his head came off, another on his eyelid, and yet another on one front leg. When I brought him home Tuesday he was obviously not feeling well. He mostly stood around looking at me with those Oliver Twist eyes, asking "Please, can you take this off?" We can always tell right where he is because we hear the bump and scrape of his cone hitting everything in the house. By the time he learns how to drive that thing it will be time to remove it. He also had a dental cleaning and lost one tooth. I told him he was going in for a complete makeover.

None of this has affected his appetite at all. I don't think nuclear holocaust would affect Joey's appetite. He is part Beagle, after all.

SLR

2009-11-09T13:53:00.002-05:00

This is the organization that made it possible for me to adopt Tidbit (Chauncey). I'm so grateful to them all.

Cultural Mores

2009-11-06T16:01:00.001-05:00

“Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”—Ernest Gaines

Autism

2009-11-01T16:35:00.002-05:00

I love someone who has Aspberger's, a mild form of autism. These videos by the BBC show what life is like for someone who has autism.
Part 1:

There are multiple parts to the whole thing and it is worth watching in its entirety.

Today's Tweet

2009-10-26T16:33:00.001-04:00

"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."—Mark Twain

For Pet Lovers

2009-10-26T14:05:00.004-04:00

Just discovered Pet Life Radio and am enjoying listening to their podcasts. They are available on iTunes. There is a long list of different podcasts by topic, everything from pet travel, holistic pet tips, and even paranormal pet tales. There is something for every pet lover!
I'm subscribing to several. They are great to listen to while I'm working and need something "feel good" to listen to.
Try them out!

Stupid Pet Tricks

2009-10-23T19:46:00.001-04:00

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

The Secret of Grief

2009-10-23T11:22:00.003-04:00

It has been over 6 years since Jay died and I have been mourning that entire time. I've also been thinking about that grief, what it is and where it comes from. The first few years I wrapped the grief around myself and did not question it too much. I was, after all, entitled to feel this way. I had watched my soul mate and best friend die. Who would not feel as I did?

Since finding the Course in Miracles questions have begun. I have looked inward to dissect my feelings and wondered exactly why was I feeling grief. I have always believed that we never die. The Course introduced me to the idea that we are one, we have always been one, never separate. That seems right to me, makes sense. Even quantum physics is telling us this is so. So if I believe this premise it follows that Jay is right where he has always been: in my mind, in my heart. In reality nothing has changed.

So what have I been grieving over? And it finally dawned on me—I've been mourning the loss of my illusion. This is no small realization and is, I believe, the first step in learning to let go of my dream and to be happy, which is the state God created me to be in.

An American Hero

2009-10-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

Website Discovery

2009-10-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

I just discovered Old Jews Telling Jokes. Non actors tell old jokes, and they are funny! Go check it out.

Today's Tweet

2009-10-21T08:09:00.002-04:00

"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace."—Buddha

"The love we give away is the only love we keep."—Elbert Hubbard

Make It Fun!

2009-10-16T15:37:00.003-04:00

What better way to celebrate another Friday than by showcasing the Fun Theory:

An interesting digital campaign has launched from DDB Stockholm and is generating some buzz around viral films posted on YouTube and at a microsite for VW.

The premise of the campaign is that if you make things more fun, it’s easier to change people’s behaviour.

"We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory"
Among the experiments: does turning a set of subway stairs into a real-life piano encourage people to use them (answer: yes, 66% more). Another experiment asks whether making a trash can sound like a 50ft-deep well will make people pick up their trash. An upcoming experiment, meanwhile, will turn a bottle recycling center into an arcade game.

Award Winners

2009-10-16T07:29:00.002-04:00

My favorite place, Rolling Dog Ranch, has just won the 2009 Henry Bergh Award, given by the ASPCA. I'm so proud of them! The press release is here.
Steve Smith and Alayne Marker started the ranch in December of 2000. They've taken in and cared for scores of "disabled" animals and not only provided them with a great quality of life but also proven that these animals can have a quality life. They are truly inspirational—the animals as well as Steve and Alayne.
Here is a video of them done by a local news station:

Paying It Forward

2009-10-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Today's Tweet

2009-10-11T09:27:00.001-04:00

“Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you.” ~ Frank Barron

Finding Peace

2009-10-09T10:26:00.003-04:00

I came across this article today and find it very encouraging.

Eastern religions encompassing meditation techniques have captivated hippies, 20-somethings and celebrities like actor Richard Gere. But since the 1960s, the art of meditation also has found a growing number of unlikely followers behind prison bars.
The inmates say meditation -- an ancient practice that develops mental awareness and fosters relaxation -- is teaching them how to cope in prison.
"Mostly, the people in Buddhist community are going into the prisons, providing programs, and word of mouth gets from one inmate to another," explained Gary Friedman, communications chairman for the American Correctional Chaplains Association. "It's a break from all the hustle and noise of the prison environment."
---------------
Brown, now 62, resides in Georgia to be near his family. He says he was wrongfully convicted of arson. In 2005, a Massachusetts appeals judge reduced his sentence from 20 years to nine.
His body was motionless, his eyes closed and the palms of his hands facing upward.
These days, Brown's practice of mediation helps him tackle the challenges of being unemployed with a felony record. The college graduate has been rejected from jobs catching stray dogs and cleaning hotel rooms.
But he's got a lot to be thankful for: His daughters, his grandchildren -- and meditation, he said.
"I finally feel at peace."

If they can find peace in a prison environment how challenging would the outside world be for them? Prison officials are seeing lower levels of violence among inmates who meditate. Sounds like a great program for everyone involved.

Traces of the Molten State

2009-10-03T20:13:00.001-04:00

Traces of the Molten State from Etsuko Ichikawa on Vimeo.

Every moment, every breath, is art. Only a few recognize this.
We call them "artist".

Light My FIre

2009-10-01T10:32:00.001-04:00

Ahhhh, the mellow sounds of my youth.

Late last night Tidbit pawed at the side of the bed. I didn't get up to see what he wanted. I should have. He peed on my boots.
(I suspect Bear was sprawled across the back step, blocking the pet door. He does that sometimes.)

The Power of Kindness

2009-09-29T07:46:00.003-04:00

Here is a story that very clearly illustrates the effects of kindness.

A former German prisoner of war plans to leave a six-figure fortune to the Scottish community where he was held captive by the British during the Second World War.
------------
Mr Steinmeyer was a member of the SS 12th Panzer Division [Hitler Youth] when he was captured of August 1944 near Caen in Normandy
during the Allied invasion . He wants the money to be administered through a trust fund for elderly residents.
Speaking from his home near the northern German port of Bremen
, he said: "I always wanted to pay something back. The people were very kind to us German PoWs. They did not treat us as the enemy. I had so many happy experiences in Scotland."

Contrast this, if you will, with the treatment that POWs (current catch phrase is "detainees") have received under the Americans. What is their attitude upon release?

Answers and Progress

2009-09-28T16:51:00.004-04:00

I'm a follower of the Rolling Dog Ranch blog. As a dog lover the posts move me to laughter or tears. This morning I read that little Teddy died yesterday afternoon. Steve and Alayne had spent a great deal of time, love and money on this little guy who was probably doomed by the time they got him. His gall bladder was just days from literally exploding. He had severe diabetes. He was starved. Yet he showed an amazing response to their love and care.

The post affected me more than I realized. By noon I was depressed and very much on edge. Realizing I needed some help I got still and looked for an answer or some help from within. Then, without any conscious thought to it, I left this comment on the site:

Sometimes you give these disabled, neglected and abused animals a safe, loving place to live. And sometimes you give them a safe, loving place to die.
One is just as important as the other.

Not sure where that came from but it was just what I needed to hear.

More about Teddy and some pictures here:
His Arrival
An Update on Him
Surgery: Just in Time
Home From the Hospital

Treasure Trove

2009-09-26T18:15:00.002-04:00

Hay House has just launched a new site called Heal Your Life. It's a treasure trove of inspiration from their authors. Check it out: http://www.healyourlife.com/

Here is a tidbit from Dr. Bruce Lipton

As ancient spiritual traditions, from the Vedas to the cabala, reveal, the everyday world we think we see is an illusion. And as quantum physicists are coming to realize, there is, indeed, a field that projects what we call reality onto matter. The separation between us and them or between us and Nature that we so vividly experience in our reality is an illusion held in place by our beliefs.

A Christian

2009-09-25T09:18:00.003-04:00

Finally, a story about a Christian who understands Jesus's teachings:

Andrew Dys of the Rock Hill, SC-based Herald reports that Ed Peirce, 54, works eight hours a day in a Walgreens photo department to cover the costs of two families whose chief breadwinners lost their jobs. Rather than send his tenants—including small children—out on the streets, this former stockbroker-turned-savior landlord put himself back to work to cover their expenses out of his own pocket while they get back on their feet.
Story here.

Charity Navigator

2009-09-24T11:05:00.001-04:00

Want to donate to a charity and be sure your money is well spent? Check out the Charity Navigator, a wealth of information.

Sand Animation

2009-09-22T09:19:00.002-04:00

The next time someone asks you what art is, direct them to this video. Using sand and light this Russian performance artist tells stories and evokes emotions that transcend language.

Rolling on the Floor Laughing

2009-09-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

This is some wicked good humor:

Margaret, I haven’t laughed so hard since Katie Couric interviewed Sarah Palin. A few thousand white folks called in sick to work last week so they could parade around the nation’s capital on Saturday and Fox News declares a revolution is underway. My goodness. I don’t know which is more sad – the fact that they couldn’t spell half the words written on their illegible signs or that they all left their white hoods at home. Bring the hippies back. Their protests were much more entertaining.

I really love this blog. I mean it.

Good News

2009-09-18T14:18:00.001-04:00

I'm so relieved. The vet just called to let me know Joey does not have Cushing's Disease. He's just pudgy and lazy by nature!

I Love this Lesson

2009-09-16T11:11:00.001-04:00

"Behind every image I have made, the truth remains unchanged. Behind every veil I have drawn across the face of love, its light remains undimmed. Beyond all my insane wishes is my will, united with the Will of my Father. God is still everywhere and in everything forever. And we who are part of Him will yet look past all appearances, and recognize the truth beyond them all."
—Lesson 56 in the ACIM Workbook

Soul Survivor

2009-09-14T12:29:00.002-04:00

As a follow up to this post I did order the book Soul Survivor and have gotten about 1/3 the way through it. Very interesting. His parents gave him a toy WWII airplane. His mom pointed out the little bomb underneath. The boy corrected her by telling her it wasn't a bomb, it was a drop tank ("dwop tank").
How in the hell would a two year old know what a drop tank is?

Thoughts for Joey

2009-09-14T12:19:00.004-04:00

It's time for positive thoughts for Joey. I took him in along with Chauncey because he seemed to have a respiratory problem. When I mentioned Joey's resistance to weight loss, the vet suggested a full blood panel. I just got the results this morning.

Joey may have Cushings disease. I need to take him back on Thursday for an all day, more extensive test. From what I've been reading it is treatable. I just have to sigh. With Gretchen's passing in March I've not had to deal with daily medications for anyone. That may change now.

I'm holding this thought: that Joey's condition will be easily treatable (and affordable!). If you would join me in holding a healthy Joey in your thoughts it would be greatly appreciated.

Vacation

2009-09-12T19:52:00.002-04:00

I took this past week off. It was nice to not have to drive that 75 minute drive to work each day. I didn't do much. I've often wondered how long it would take me to get bored with doing nothing.
Whatever it is it is longer than a week.

Very Interesting

2009-09-05T10:35:00.003-04:00

This is a pretty compelling case for reincarnation. How did this eleven year old boy know so much about a Navy carrier in World War II? How was he able to meet someone from that ship and know the man's full name instantly? And kudos to his parents for actually listening to him. A truly amazing story. I'd like to read the book.

Today's Tweet

2009-09-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

"Why wait for Heaven? Those who seek the light are merely covering their eyes. The light is in them now." - ACIM

Tuesday Quote

2009-09-01T15:25:00.001-04:00

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give"— Winston Churchill

It'll Make You Smile

2009-09-01T09:36:00.000-04:00

Today’s cute video:

http://www.dogwork.com/superadorable//

This odd little creature is a Slow Loris: http://www.zoo.org/factsheets/slow_loris/slow_loris.html
I’ve never heard of that before.

Puttin' on

2009-08-31T14:35:00.002-04:00

This is one of the funniest videos I've seen in a long time.

The funniest thing is most of the protesters don't realize the "billionaires" are puttin' them on. Sometimes, you just have to laugh. Reminds me of this story about clowns confronting the KKK.

Anniversary

2009-08-28T16:00:00.003-04:00

10:15 this morning. Sitting at my desk, internet radio streaming to an all 60s station and there it is. The song Jay plays for me to let me know he's around.

He died 6 years ago today.

UPDATE: When I first heard the song I thought, "I love you too. Now go visit your mom." I hear the song; she smells his pipe tobacco despite the fact that no one in her house smokes. I called her on the way home and told her about the song. She said, "He visited me too. I smelled the tobacco."

Today's Tweet

2009-08-27T07:40:00.001-04:00

"It is when judgment ceases that healing occurs."—The Course in Miracles

On the Homefront

2009-08-24T16:43:00.010-04:00

Tonight's dinner is vegetable soup. A BIG pot of vegetable soup. Broccoli, leeks, onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini, and okra. Spiced with curry powder and sea salt. Yum.

I've started transitioning to a raw food diet. I'll probably never go completely raw but the bulk of my diet is now fruits, vegetables, and nuts—organic when I can get it. Found a good book that is really working for me, the Raw Food Detox Diet. In 3 weeks I've lost 8 pounds despite the fact that I feel like I'm eating all the time. I'm never hungry. And I feel better. Better living without chemistry for me.

Of course I have to post more pictures of Chauncey, who has a new nickname now: Tidbit.
Here he is enjoying a rawhide stick.

Then I caught him napping in the office:

The flash woke him up. He has "bed beard".

Forgiveness

2009-08-24T12:22:00.002-04:00

There is outrage at the return of the Lockerbie Scotland bomber. There is outrage at his hero's reception in Libya. I watch this and wonder if this is how people in the Middle East feel when they see our soldiers return home to a hero's welcome. So many civilians killed for no reason.
We all share this outrage and pain and for the same reasons. We just can't see it because we continue to construct divisions between each other.

18,000

2009-08-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

Come on, people. We can do better.

Can't we?

Photography

2009-08-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

Awesome photography by Uriel Sinai.

A Mother's Letter

2009-08-12T14:18:00.001-04:00

Best letter I've read in ages.

Still a Political Animal

2009-08-12T11:00:00.004-04:00

Despite all of the positive thoughts, readings, videos, etc., I still carry an interest in what is going on in the world. I started another blog, just to point out how far we still have to go.

I have thought for years that I was born (1958) at the apex of America's existence. Nothing I'm reading lately has altered that opinion.

"Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist."—Edmund Burke

health care

2009-08-11T09:58:00.002-04:00

The president is in D.C. but should be in Los Angeles today. Remote Access Medical is offering free medical and dental care for American citizens today through the 18th.

Obama and the rest of them need to see the faces and be reminded of what the debate is really all about. We are all one.

Today's Tweet

2009-08-09T12:11:00.002-04:00

“The only thing of value in the world is whatever part of it you look upon with love.” -ACIM.
We are not to deny the world, but the error.

I call this post Today's Tweet because if I find a good tweet I'm going to pass it on here.

The Power of the Mind

2009-08-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

I have Dr. Bruce Lipton's book The Biology of Belief and am really excited by his teaching.

Part 2 of the video is here.

Pentatonic Scale

2009-08-06T13:29:00.002-04:00

For the common song in all of us. I dare you to watch it without smiling.

I had to look up what pentatonic scale is:

A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave in contrast to a heptatonic (seven note) scale such as the major scale. Pentatonic scales are very common and are found all over the world, including but not limited to Celtic folk music, Hungarian folk music, West African music, African-American spirituals, Jazz, American blues music and rock music, Sami joik singing, children's songs, the Greek traditional music and songs from Epirus, Northwest Greece and the music of Southern Albania, the tuning of the Ethiopian krar and the Indonesian gamelan, Philippine Kulintang, melodies of Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam (including the folk music of these countries), the Afro-Caribbean tradition, Polish highlanders from the Tatra Mountains, and Western Classical composers such as French composer Claude Debussy.The pentatonic scale is also used on the Great Highland Bagpipe.

One Weekend

2009-08-04T08:03:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder what life is like on an organic farm? Nature's Harmony in Elberton, GA has a great video about their weekend. I got tired just from watching it!
What did you do on your weekend?

Investing in Peace

2009-08-03T07:25:00.002-04:00

Found this article on TPM and couldn't agree more.

While Obama makes symbolic cuts in the Military budget, the House threw in 550 new earmarks into a $636 Billion Military Budget. Lyndon Johnson thought we could have both Guns and Butter, but he was wrong. Both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were afraid to take on the Military Industrial Complex that the Republicans have always favored. Eisenhower was right that continuing on this disastrous course is a form of generational theft. According to Catherine Lutz the U.S. Military has "909 military facilities in 46 countries and territories." This is truly insane. We need to bring the personnel on these bases home and start selling off the precious foreign real estate to help liquidate our massive debt.

I have only one question--Where is the national politician with the courage to say we no longer have to act as the unpaid policeman of the world?

Indeed. When will We, the People demand an end to investment in war and insist on investing in peace?

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Free Fruit

2009-07-31T15:09:00.003-04:00

"Urban fruit foraging," it's called. It's being organized spontaneously by local folks who look around their neighborhoods and see yards with trees bearing an abundance of apples, plums, oranges, pomegranates, and other delights – an abundance that largely goes un-picked.
So, why not find ways to gather, distribute, and eat this "public fruit"? Cleverly, people are doing just that. In Oregon, for example, The Portland Fruit Tree Project is a database of 300 trees for picking. The owners sign up, then alert foragers a couple of weeks before the fruit ripens so a harvest can be scheduled. Noting that one can only eat so many apples, one of the projects organizers says: "A fruit tree is really made for sharing with your neighborhood."
from the Hightower Lowdown

What a cool thing is going on here. There are urban foraging projects all over the world. Check out Neighborhood Fruit and Veggie Trader. People are beginning to take control over their own food.

The Power of Art

2009-07-31T12:47:00.005-04:00

This is fantastic:

This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, I hope to raise some questions about the roles and responsibilities we each play as individuals in a collective that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming.
--chris jordan, Seattle, 2008

Check out the project called Dog and Cat Collars, 2009 in the Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait. Be sure to read why he made it.
Click on the picture above to see a larger version.

Back to Basics

2009-07-28T08:02:00.004-04:00

I've been following the Rolling Dog Ranch for a while now and also following their Twitter posts. One of the Twitterers (is that a word?) they follow is the Nature's Harmony Farm in Georgia. They are a farm the way farms used to be and still should be. They have a neat post about one of their mother pigs having babies:

Candy had made the most amazing nest. She had taken nothing more than grass, mostly Bermuda, and built a nest that hid her and her babies more thoroughly and naturally than hiding a white egg in the snow. The incredible thing is that there was no one to show Candy how to do this. She just "knew".
Of course, what's surprising is how surprised we all are when we se something as natural, as wonderful, as this. Candy experienced something that virtually all pigs are now denied; natural nesting, birthing and mothering. The maternal traits that Candy showed, while very favorable in our environment, are quite unfavorable in confinement farming.

There is a video also that shows the nest (not the pigs). Pretty neat stuff. "Confinement" farming means modern factory farming, where pigs spend their entire lives standing on concrete in a cage. It is the definition of Hell itself. My hat's off to these people in Georgia.

Transitions

2009-07-26T19:50:00.000-04:00

Men in Film by Phillip Scott Johnson

LED...sheep.

2009-07-25T16:29:00.002-04:00

This had me laughing out loud. Yeah, I'm spending too much time on Youtube today.

Tribute

2009-07-25T16:24:00.002-04:00

This is so cool. Love those Europeans.

From the Youtube page:

This is the official clip from BOUNCE & Friends. More than 300 dancers met at 15.30, got informed and then
learned the choreography in 30 min. Less then 1 hour later they performed it.
A big thank you to all the dancers who made this possible....*
OneLove

Harvest for the World

2009-07-22T13:18:00.001-04:00

Just heard this on internet radio. The words are powerful and timeless.

"Dress me up for battle when all I want is PEACE.Those of us who pay the price come home with the least."

Twitter

2009-07-15T19:44:00.002-04:00

I held out as long as I could...but now I'm twittering. To keep up with the "tweets" from the Rolling Dog Ranch—who started off by saying " I held out as long as I could, but .."
So now I'm on twitter, tweeting away, saying nothing useful to anyone. Just like everyone else.

Understanding

2009-07-15T12:19:00.003-04:00

There is an article on cnn today about the obstacles that African immigrants can face while here. I was surprised by a number of points. It was shocking to me how American kids view Africans in general:

Cydney Smith, 17, of Nashville, Tennessee, said she once believed Africa was populated with "uncivilized tribes."
Raphael Craig, 17, of Hyattsville, Maryland, said the television misinformed him as well.
Before Craig visited the continent in 2005 and 2006, he thought of Africans as "half-naked, running around with tigers in the jungle," Craig said, confessing he was unaware tigers roam only Asia.

I didn't realize how painfully unaware our youth are regarding the rest of the world. I also found this interesting:

In Athens, Ezeamuzie found his ideals at odds with those who shared his skin color at Clarke Central High School, his first stint in a public school.
-------------------
Ezeamuzie recalled finding himself more confused by his experience with some African-Americans: Why were they so cliquish? Why did they mock students for being intelligent? Why were they homophobic and bent on using the n-word? Why did every conversation seem to involve drugs, girls or materialism?
"They kind of accepted me. They saw me a little differently, but I was thinking this is a very narrow mindset," Ezeamuzie said.
Ezeamuzie and other Africans say they feel African-Americans too often dwell on slavery and the racism that has persisted for more than a century since the Emancipation Proclamation.
"We have all been tortured," said iReporter Vera Ezimora, 24, a Nigerian student living in Baltimore, Maryland. "Now that we are free, holding on to the sins of white men who have long died and gone to meet their maker is more torture than anything we have suffered."

It is interesting to see how a segment has moved on from the past and how another has not. In both ACIM and the Bible the subject of forgiveness is brought up over and over again. There is a reason for that. The Course points out that as you see your brother, you see yourself and when you forgive your brother, you are actually forgiving yourself. As the young Nigerian student points out, holding on to the past is more torture.

Hot, Hot

2009-07-15T10:07:00.002-04:00

Yet another hot July day in the South. Perhaps a song from yesteryear will help:

or this one:

Weekend?

2009-07-05T08:35:00.004-04:00

We don't need no stinkin' weekend!

The idea of setting aside two days to allow for relaxation and sleeping in—not getting up at 5:30 or 6—is lost on dogs. As soon as it is light out, or even hints at light, there are little paws on the side of the bed. Dusty is the usual culprit but lately my shadow (Chauncey) has taken up the task. This morning was no different. His tiny paws scratched at the sheets and thumped out a happy cadence on the mattress. I reached over to pet him and suddenly a dark chocolate lab thing flew through the air and landed at my side. He buried his head in my armpit and began his happy wiggle. Normally we don't encourage the dogs to hop on the bed, especially Webster since he sheds hair. To say he sheds is not quite accurate. Remember the character Pig Pen in the Charlie Brown comics? Think of that only with a dog and a cloud of hair. I don't know how he has any left on his body but there is a full, healthy, glossy coat. He was so funny this morning, so full of exuberance, it was impossible to be mad at him. I just laughed and roughhoused with him and said, "You're lucky I'm doing sheets today anyway or you'd be in trouble, mister!"
Then I got up and dutifully gave them their morning biscuit. See how well trained I am?

The Boys

2009-06-30T08:01:00.001-04:00

Some day when I'm all growed up I want a good digital camera! There is a video of Chauncey also:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LLP611

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

I'm already tired of hearing about Michael Jackson.

Busy

2009-06-26T07:28:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted much lately due to being busy, being lazy, and being hot.

The pace has picked up at work, which is a good thing. I've got a lot of room for self-initiated projects which is fun and challenging. I don't care for routine. As Hugh Prather (I think) once noted, routine is a socially acceptable way of taking a nap.

The heat is just oppressive here. Bobby has been getting up when I leave at 6. If you knew Bobby, you'd be picking your jaw up off the floor right now. He normally sleeps until 9 or 10. He is South Carolina born, yet says at least once a day, "This heat's killing me". The temperature at 7 this morning is 73 and we are looking at upper 90s again. That combined with the humidity makes it hard to function outdoors. I'm thankful I have an inside job.

Chauncey is settling in nicely. He's going to the vet on Monday. That should be an adventure. In looking over his records I find that the Schnauzer Love Rescue paid out $674 for one vet bill and $133 for another. And the adoption fee for him was only $50. The normal fee is $200-$450 and you can see that even that doesn't cover expenses for dogs like Chauncey. When I asked why the fee was so low, his foster mom's answer broke my heart: "people just don't want older dogs."
I do.

I'm looking forward to a short next week.

More Chauncey

2009-06-13T19:29:00.003-04:00

We're Back to Five

2009-06-13T19:17:00.007-04:00

Today we drove to Cumming, Georgia to pick up Chauncey. He is so much cuter than I thought he would be, and what a little sweetheart.

Nancy, his foster mom, told me what they know about him. He is about 9 years old and was used as a stud at a puppy mill. Basically, he lived his life in a cage. When she got him, he weighed 8 pounds and had worms crawling out of his rectum. He is missing a few teeth and has cataracts.

After working with him for almost 2 years he is up to 22 pounds and no longer cowers when anyone approaches. He has the sweetest little disposition. Well, he and Dusty have a few "issues" but they will get it worked out.

He loves Cheerios and got a handful on the trip home. He also got a dog biscuit which was much tougher for him to eat. After about 15 minutes he did manage to gum/chew it completely.

He has been exploring constantly since we got home. I know he is confused right now but we are giving him lots of affection. Welcome home, Chauncey.

DLs and Dogs

2009-06-08T06:18:00.006-04:00

I renewed my driver's license last Thursday. The photo is a work of art. I call it "Full Moon with Glases". Of course I'm NOT going to post it here, what, are you kidding me? The license is good for 10 years and cost $25. At $2.50 per year, that's a damn good deal.
That's probably the first and only good thing I'll say about South Carolina.

We had our home visit yesterday from the Schnauzer Love Rescue representative. She lives in Aiken and was so sweet. I could tell she is passionate about her dogs. As someone who is that way too, we seem to be able to recognize each other. I'll contact the SLR today and find out what the procedure is now.
The photo of the little guy with the 'tude is Chauncey. He is the most likely candidate for membership in the pack.
I can't wait to meet him. That will make 5 male dogs. I'm still totally outnumbered.

A Breed Apart

2009-05-20T12:09:00.002-04:00

As the mom to 3 "breeds apart" I can appreciate this. Wonderful photography and winsome faces.

In her book, "A Breed Apart: A Celebration of the New American Mutt," photographer Amanda Jones captures the beauty and spirit of mixed-breed dogs using a clean and simple style of portraiture. Each photo in the book is complemented by a whimsical "breed" name she creates for her subjects -- a purely tongue-in-cheek take on the trend of "designer" dogs.

Freedom to Choose

2009-05-20T07:49:00.001-04:00

Freedom to Choose short form from University of Santa Monica on Vimeo.

This is an incredibly moving film from the University of Santa Monica.

Five Years

2009-05-19T10:33:00.005-04:00

I started this blog 5 years ago today.

A lot has changed in that time. My focus has shifted from world events to an inner examination. I've discovered the Course in Miracles, podcasts, Hay House authors, and new friends online. The depressing obsession with politics is no longer there. In short, I look at life differently now.

In everything I ask, "What is this for?" I stop and listen for the answer. It is there. I interpret my surroundings differently and what I see now brings greater peace. One example of this is my new car.

It is not actually new. It is a 2006 Taurus but it was a great deal and appears to be a very good car. I started to stress out over car payments, the hit to my savings account, the doubling of my insurance payments... then stopped. As I sat in front of the television on Sunday morning, my attention kept drifting to the window. A black butterfly kept flying back and forth. It finally settled on the screen and stayed for the longest time. I remembered what several of the Hay House authors had to say about signs. The gist of it is our departed loved ones use a variety of common attention-getters: flickering of electrical items; the appearance of feathers or pennies; butterflies; special songs on the radio. I watched the butterfly and thought to myself, What is the message? You have my attention. I closed my eyes and emptied my mind of thoughts. What crept in was an image of the book my dad used to read to me when I was little: Friendly Village, a lovely place where the worst people in town were merely grouchy. I was safe and loved. My dad and mom took good care of me. I was never afraid.
Is that the message, feel safe? If so, could you confirm for me? Show me the butterfly again. I opened my eyes and watched. Sure enough, the butterfly zoomed across the window like an exclamation point. It disappeared after that.
That is the message: You don't need to be afraid.
A sense of relief and peace came over me and I resolved to stop stressing over money. I resolved to stop being afraid. It doesn't matter to me if the message was from my dad or from the Holy Spirit but it makes me smile to think that Dad would choose a black butterfly over, say, a pastel yellow one. I also realized that the first thing I saw when I opened my car door for the first time in the credit union parking lot was a penny. It was centered on the driver's floormat. And as I drove around for most of yesterday between DMV offices and the county clerk's, the song that Jay plays for me came on.
As I walked into the house last night I glanced back at my new car. There on the side of the car above the rear wheel was a black and orange butterfly, its wings stretched out in a beautiful, warm design of color against the cool blue of the car.
I'm okay, I'm safe and cared for, and I'm grateful.

Looking forward to the next 5 years.

The Man Song

2009-05-08T18:21:00.000-04:00

I laugh every time I see this.

A Common Thread

2009-05-07T07:29:00.000-04:00

Holding on Tight

2009-05-03T19:10:00.003-04:00

The Course in Miracles teaches that there is only one of us here. All others are a projection of some part of ourselves. It teaches nonjudgment and forgiveness, with forgiveness meaning recognizing that that bad thing that "someone" else did never happened since none of us are here. This universe is an illusion. God has one child (you) and that child is safe with God. Always has been. It's a lot like Dorothy in Oz. She created the whole world, peopled it, reacted to what she had created, felt joy and fear, and finally realized it was within her power all along to wake up and find herself safe at home.

I've thought a lot about love and loss since Gretchen died on March 16th. She led me to think about Jay. If I believed the course, I would not be sad since I would know that there was no Jay, no Gretchen, no me. I found zero comfort in that.

I realized how deeply entrenched my feelings for separation are. The separate identities of Jay and Gretchen are too special to me to let go. I still need to feel that they are who I believe they are, that they still exist as Jay and Gretchen, and, while in a spirit realm, are still a part of my life. To think of them as merely a part of me, a projection, felt like too great a loss. I felt totally alone in the universe. This is because of something else I realized: God is an abstract idea to me.
Like a frightened child clinging to the side of the pool, I have to believe that my father is there with me before I let go. Discovering the core of my own beliefs has been an earth-shaking experience.

And maybe that is the reason behind Gretchen's passing. One of the lessons of the course is to ask the Holy Spirit, "What is this for?" My belief in separation is a problem to be worked on. The first step is identifying the problem. Right now I'm like the scribe of the course, Helen Schucman, who said, "I know the course is true. I just don't believe it."
But I'm working on it.

ACIM and science

2009-05-03T19:04:00.001-04:00

Once more I read about science echoing the teaching of the Course in Miracles:

There are other benefits that are profoundly spiritual. Premonitions open us up to each other and to the greater world. As mentioned, they show that we are part of something larger than the individual self, that we are an element in the great "pattern that connects," as ecologist-philosopher Gregory Bateson put it. Premonitions suggest that we are linked with every consciousness that has ever existed, or that will ever exist.

Many outstanding scientists have realized this. The renowned physicist David Bohm said, "Each person enfolds something of the spirit of the other in his consciousness." Nobel physicist Erwin Schrödinger also believed that minds are in some sense united and one. He said, "To divide or multiply consciousness is something meaningless. There is obviously only one alternative, namely the unification of minds or consciousness.... [I]n truth there is only one mind."

It is an interesting article.

Blast from the Past

2009-05-02T19:34:00.002-04:00

Aside from feeling sorry for myself I've been exploring the Genius feature on iTunes. I've discovered some cool songs from my youth that I haven't heard for years. Yeah, I spent a few dollars on them.
Here is one of the tunes.

For the other "oldies" out there, more favorites I found: Windy by the Association, Don't Say You Don't Remember by Bevery Bremer, Like to Get to Know You by Spanky and Our Gang, and The Rain, the Park & Other Things by the Cowsills.

Haven't posted much

2009-05-02T19:20:00.004-04:00

I know I haven't posted much lately. Been busy with work, busy with freelance work, and been doing battle with the IRS. Apparently my titanic $2600 in freelance work last year has put me behind the 8 ball. Never mind that corporate offshore tax havens cost the U.S. $100 billion each year. They go after the little people like me and Jay's mom, an 89 year old widow on a fixed income.
If I sound bitter it's because I am.

I've also been battling depression since Gretchen died on March 16. Not sure why except she was a living link to Jay. We bought her together when she was a puppy.

This song by Vertical Horizon is one of my favorites, especially the lyrics toward the end of the song:

I wanted you to be everything to me
Now I've got to learn to carry on
I know I cannot hide this emptiness inside
But nothing is the same since you've gone

Send me letters from above
Send me strength, send me love
Such sweet love
Sing me songs that echo in my head and in my heart
That's where you are

And I don't know if you feel me here
I can tell you one thing that's clear
I will feel you...

Forever

Abled

2009-04-18T09:50:00.002-04:00

I think we need to rethink our judgments about disabilities.

and

More on Poisons

2009-04-11T09:04:00.002-04:00

I'm always surprised when someone finds my blog. This was a wonderful response to my last post and I want to pass it along:

Pet Poison Helpline said...: Thanks for spreading the word on pet toxicities on your blog - so important for pet owners to be aware of the lurking household poisons in (and outside of) their house! As an ER specialist, I see so many toxicities that owners bring in too late (making it more expensive to treat, with a worse prognosis!). When in doubt, it's so important to call a Poison Control for peace of mind!

I wanted to make you aware of another important resource out there also - Pet Poison Helpline is an additional Animal Poison Control Center, and it's one of the most cost-effective animal poison ($35/case vs. ASPCA's new $60/case) controls out there nowadays. Unfortunately, because animal poison controls are not federal- or state-funded, there is a fee to allow the service to be run 24-7. We provide a similar service, but have the added benefit of veterinary specialists (in internal medicine and emergency and critical care) as part of our staff. You can always call 1-800-213-6680 if you ever have a problem. Thanks for spreading the word!

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
Associate Director of Veterinary Services
www.petpoisonhelpline.com
www.drjustinelee.com

I have bookmarked this site and written down the phone number. Just in case.

xylitol

2009-04-10T08:06:00.003-04:00

I found out yesterday from reading the Rolling Dog Ranch blog that xylitol, a common ingredient in sugar-free foods, can kill dogs. From an article in Veterinary Medicine (December 2006):

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener in many products, including sugar-free gum and mints, nicotine gum, chewable vitamins, oral-care products, and baked goods. It can be purchased in a granulated form for baking and as a sweetener for cereals and beverages. Xylitol is a popular sweetener in Europe (especially Finland, Norway, and Russia) and Japan, and its use as a sweetener in the United States has grown rapidly over the last few years.

While xylitol consumption is considered safe in people, dogs can develop serious, even life-threatening, signs from xylitol ingestion. Xylitol’s ability to cause hypoglycemia in dogs has been recognized for almost 40 years, but a recent study has found that xylitol also can cause acute hepatic necrosis.

Just something for the dog owners out there. I've learned a lot from reading the Rolling Dog Ranch blog. The entry about Xylitol is here and he includes a link to a pdf of the entire Veterinary Medicine article.
There is more information from a vet here. This vet also warns of Xylitol in products meant for dogs!

So you see, the problem with Xylitol is not merely its presence in products (gums, candies, Jello, cupcakes, etc.). The dilemma it poses lies also in the insidious nature of its exposure when owners don’t realize that human-oriented products they once used safely for their pets (or exposed their pets to accidentally) are no longer safe.

When Fido snarfed up a couple of Tic-Tacs in the past you didn’t flinch, right? You certainly didn’t call the vet to determine the toxic dose of Xylitol and whether immediate medical treatment was necessary. But now that Tic-Tacs now contain Xylitol, will you know to worry? (By the way, you should know that according to the ASPCA’s poison control Tic-Tacs poison more dogs than any other product, partly as a consequence of their extra-high Xylitol levels and partly the result of their ubiquity.)

Kudos in this Xylitol awareness department go to the manufacturers of Trident gum. Though many Trident products contain this ingredient, it says so boldly. Not so with the newest loser product to adopt Xylitol: Rescue Remedy.

You heard that right. This bach flower extract-containing product we often recommend to soothe our dogs’ high-strung souls has succumbed to the Xylitol dogpile. No longer can I safely recommend Rescue Remedy now that its pastilles contain the ingredient. Though its other products have reportedly not yet been tainted by this sweetener’s potentially dog-toxic effects, I can no longer trust the manufacturer to keep its products Xylitol free without fair warning.

So now we all have to read labels carefully and continuously. I know all you repsonsible pet owners out there wanted to know this. :)

Inspiration

2009-04-08T15:30:00.003-04:00

The word "inspiration" can be thought of as being "in spirit" or filled with spirit. These two people, and all who support and work with them, are shining examples. My spirit is lifted by simply reading about them. They have been featured in the media many times for the work they do. There is a great presentation here:
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing/articles/multimedia__rolling.html

I'm just in awe of both of them. The Rolling Dog Ranch link is here:
http://www.rollingdogranch.org/index.html

Free Hugs

2009-04-06T19:52:00.000-04:00

Sara Riddle's blog reminded me of this video. I love it.