be v. do

Two people can have the same job description, and one is holding a subtle or not so subtle life energy (eros) in doing their job while another is holding a subtle or not so subtle negative energy (thanatos) while doing the exact same job.

That is what you are really doing! Everybody will feel, suffer, or enjoy the difference, but few can exactly say what is happening. Life has taught me that we respond to one another’s underlying energies much more than to what people actually say or do. And what we all desire and need from one another is a life energy called eros!

Richard Rohr

We all have work to do. It's how we be when we are doing that work that makes the difference. Those two people can both do an excellent job at the material level. The one who does it with eros...that's the one that people notice--the one they want to be with and the one they want to do the job.

Being is important. How we be while we're doing matters, too.

hhdl is dialed in

I feel that an individual whose actions are motivated by the wish to bring others happiness necessarily meets with less misfortune that one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our internal peace - anxiety, doubt, disappointment - these are definitely less.

HH Dalai Lama

anticipation

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.

A.A. Milne*

...sitting through the last appointment of the last day of work before vacation to a tropical beach

...waiting for the timer to ding on the oven, indicating that the chocolate lava cakes are done

...getting ready to leave for the airport to pick up a visitor from far away

...watching the house lights dim as the overture begins

...countdown to a landmark birthday celebration

...smelling the turkey and fixin's before the holiday dinner and the table is already set

...reading a well-turned mystery, getting to the end of the chapter, and not being able to stop (even though it is way past my bedtime)

...looking for bamboo shoots in the spring

...waiting for lawmakers to get there collective act together to grant equal rights to all citizens (regardless of age, color, gender, orientation, religion--and the list goes on)

...wondering what really happens at the end of the Mayan calendar

What brings up the deliciousness of anticipation for you?

*The lovely Christina posted this quote and I loved it--so I copied her. Thanks, Christina.

siberian in the snow

(honeyboy checking out the snow...
after which he came in and went back to bed)

When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.

Helen Keller

My lesson lately is "be the best you can" and we still don't know what miracles might be wrought through our being. By being the best we can, what we do naturally is our best, as well.

love thursday 02.24.11 ~ all you need is love...and laughter

My true religion, my simple faith is in love and compassion. There is no need for complicated philosophy, doctrine, or dogma. Our own heart, our own mind, is the temple. The doctrine is compassion. Love for others and respect for their rights and dignity, no matter who or what they are - these are ultimately all we need.

HH Dalai Lama

I dreamed that I saw my friend, Oceana. I knew she had died, but it was not unusual to see her. Before her passing, she and I hadn't been in touch for some time and I was glad she was there so I could talk to her.

I approached her tentatively and we fell into open arms for a hug. "I love you," she said.

"I love you, too."

Then she said, "Oh, good. Now I can change the name of my business."

"What is the name of your business?" I asked.

She told me. How I wish I could remember the exact words she use, but they were gone as soon as I woke from the dream. All I can give you is the translation--it was an esoteric term that translated into What Would Wanda Do?

We fell on the floor laughing.

why else riches?

I care for riches, to make gifts to friends, or lead a sick man back to health with ease and plenty. Else small aid is wealth for daily gladness; once a man be done with hunger, rich and poor are all as one.

Euripides
Electra

And that, my friends, is why I keep sending in my PCH entries.

the social network

I just finished watching it.

The moral of the story...


...don't drink and blog.

well, that changes everything

The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.

Rita Mae Brown

I've had an ongoing conversation with the Beloved. Well--not really a conversation as much as my railing and whining about the parts of my life that I am not happy about.

You see, here I am in middle age and I have all this potential that I haven't managed to do anything with. I get mad at myself and mad at the Beloved, too. I keep asking--wanting to know why I have skills and abilities and talents that I haven't found or made or had opportunity to express in this life time.

In the middle of my most recent "Why?" conversation, as clear as a bell I heard, "You don't have to."

Say what?

"You don't have to."

Stopped. Me. Cold. I am trying to wrap my mind around that.

Hmph. I don't have to.

That changes everything.

it's that kind of weekend

Start slow and taper off.

my sister

Do you see a resemblance between Dolly and my sister? Perhaps that is why I love them both so much.

PS - Dolly is richer....

"a special place in heaven"

frivolous friday

I have little feet because nothing grows in the shade.

Dolly Parton

Dolly, honey...

That doesn't always work. I wear a size 11 shoe. I'm not telling the size of the shade.

love thursday 02.17.11 ~ happy birthday, dear thithter

The first duty of love is to listen.

Paul Tillich

Happy birthday, thithter! I am so glad you are in my life. May you have a wonderful day and I soooo look forward to seeing you next month.

Muah.

get service

set your standards high

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

Krishnamurti

That goes well with a bumper sticker I saw today:

Ask your doctor if medical advice from a television commercial is right for you.

I keep hoping that in this Day One, health is one of the seeds being planted. Surely, we ought to healthier than this.

May the true physicians rise to the top of the heap and multiply.

happy valentine's day to our own true love

Julian Lennon posted this to his "True Love." She is mine, too....

Happy Valentine's Day

bringing it all to light

We must remember the past, define the future, and challenge the present -- wherever and however we can. It will take the rest of our lives even to begin. But then, what else have we to do?

Jane O'Reilly

American feminist and humorist

I've been talking about the Mayan calendar lately. We are in the seventh day of the 8th underworld (aka the Galactic underworld) at the same time we are in the first day of the 9th underworld.

You've seen the Mayan pyramids? They are a visual representation of this idea. Each underworld or time span continues while the next one begins. Each new time span is a breakthrough to a new level of energy and experience that is contained in the 7th day of the span before it.

In the 7th day of the Galactic underworld, corruption is coming to light. Lies don't work any more. Eventually, we'll be very much like Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar. We will only be able to tell the truth.

Now add on top of that unity consciousness. We are beginning to be more and more telepathic with one another because we are all connected. Now we are connected in truth and Truth.

It's going to be a good year.

we are one

(first crocus)

There is no doubt that history goes three steps forward and two steps backward; but thank God, there seems to be always a final net gain. And God seems to be very, very patient.

Richard Rohr

Patience is a virtue, even in the divine. Day One started with planting the seeds of removing negative power from leadership. Oh, how I hope we see more and more of that.

We in this country are not immune from similar situations. We can sit on this side of the ocean and feel joy, compassion, and empathy with Egypt--and we should. Yet, we must remain willing to call out evil when we see it right here at home, too.

Unity. There is not one decider. We must all be a part of the process. And the process is so very important--even the process of sowing seeds.

Yes. It is.

universal underworld: day one

The Universal Underworld in the Mayan calendar (according to Carl Calleman) begins today.

I am not sure I would have chosen the word "underworld" to describe these stages. As I understand it, each one is a stage of evolution--of the planet, life forms, consciousness. Now we approach the final stage recorded in the Mayan calendar.

The energy of the Universal Underworld moves us toward the establishment of a new consciousness--unity consciousness, which Calleman says will "transform all of human society" (from his lips to God's ears).

From what we may understand of the Mayan calendar the unity consciousness will set an end to all forms of dominance of one human over another and especially those generated by the left brain. What this likely will mean is that instruments of dominance, such as the current financial system, weapons, national borders and many other structures upholding authority in this process will come to crumble as an effect of this unity consciousness coming into existence and so conclude with the birth of a new world where a divine harmony characterize the human relations. This end to dominance will also affect the relationship between the genders on a global scale that as a result will profoundly shift. Needless to say, there will never be any return to business as usual. Instead we will need to approach the birth of the new world consciously and with an intention of co-creating it in a positive sense and not just react to the various difficulties that lie ahead. I believe that such a collective intention of co-creating the new world will be the best way of easing the consequences of these difficulties.

In every underworld of the calendar, time is broken into "days" and "nights"--seven days and six nights. The days and nights of the Galactic Underworld, the previous stage, endured for 360 each. Every year, give or take, we experienced a shift from day (the introduction of a new stage of the energy) to night (time for integration of that new stage) to day again.

The ninth and final stage of the Mayan calendar is comprised of days and nights less than three weeks in duration. Every 20 Gregorian calendar days we will switch from day to night in the Mayan framework.

If it feels to you like everything is speeding up, that's because it is.

Welcome to Day One. Let the ride begin.

love thursday 02.10.11 ~ learning love

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela

It's not enough to have "anti-bullying" campaigns--although they are important. It is also important to teach love and empathy. Encourage it. Nurture it. Model it. Celebrate it.

Turn it into entertainment:

And start with the young.

be

I sit on my favorite rock, looking over the brook, to take time away from busy-ness, time to be... it's something we all need for our spiritual health, and often we don't take enough of it.

Madeleine L'Engle

thought for the day

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of pleasures, costs nothing, and conveys much.

Erastus Wiman

Manners are a way of showing other people we care about them.

Adam
(Brendan Fraser's character in Blast from the Past)

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Golden Rule

Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you.

Silver Rule

Any way you look at it, treating people is a good idea. All people--all shapes, sizes, colors, abilities, religions, orientation, gender--like to be treated well.

irony

(a true carnivore)

If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food?

unknown
(posted by one of my facebook friends)

Before anyone gets offended...

I respect everyone's right to make their own choices about what they do and don't eat. You may not eat the same things I do. I probably don't eat the same things you do. Is that squared away?

I just thought this was funny.

siberian manx?

My cousin is getting some Siberian kittens. I--an amateur cat fancier--thought I knew a lot about different breeds, but was not familiar with the Siberian. So I did some research.

OMG!

Mijo and HoneyBoy, our two no-longer-little Manx boys sound just like this. I think we have a Siberian-Manx mix.

Here are some of the traits that make me think this is so:

~ very dog-like

~ loyal

~ will come to greet you

~ unique triple purr (kind of like those throat singers)

~ friendly

~ good with dogs (HB runs out to the street to greet the dogs...and walkers going by in the neighborhood)

~ energetic

~ smart

~ talkative, commenting with short soft mewing sounds

~ agile jumper

~ strong and powerfully built, with strong hindquarters

~ large, well rounded paws (that's Mijo!)

~ barrel chests

~ gentle, laid back, good with children and other pets (Misi may not think so, but they really just want to play...and when HoneyBoy hears the 3 year old neighbor boy outside, he goes running to greet him--likewise, the little boy asks to see HoneyBoy when I am outside and HB is inside)

~ semi-longhaired

~ thick, plush, luxurious coat that is much fuller in the winter than the summer

~ full neck ruff

~ tight, water-resistant undercoat

~ back legs slightly longer than their front legs

~ cheerful, good-natured appearance

~ good problem solvers

~ quite trainable

~ like to play fetch with their toys (and food! Mijo plays "pinball" in the bathtub when we throw food for him)

~ chirp and trill when excited

~ sweet-tempered

~ amenable to handling, even by young children (see above)

~ friendly, tolerant, easy-going, and pleasant

~ fascinated with water, showing curiosity about bathtubs, playing with water dripping from sink faucets, and purposely dropping toys into water dishes

~ exhibit protective qualities

~ back is long and very slightly curved or arched

~ convex muscular waist and round, compact belly (apparently, they will grow into this)

~ hind legs, when straightened, are slightly longer than the forelegs

~ facial expression is quite sweet

~ tail is medium length, wide at the base, blunt at the tip without thickening or kinks, evenly and thickly furnished (obviously, the tail length doesn't apply, but the part about being "evenly and thickly furnished" and "blunt at the tip" does apply)

~ hair may thicken to curls on the belly and britches (after being out in the Oregon drizzle or sitting on the damp deck while watching squirrels, they come in with frizzy britches and chests)

~ tend not to be shy with strangers

~ very personable and want to be near their owners

~ play with just about anything

~ male typically weighs between 15 and 20 pounds; may not reach full size until it is 5 years of age (Mijo currently weighs 16 pounds and HoneyBoy weighs 13--wonder what we have to look forward to in the next 4 years....)

~ intelligent and learn quickly and even "problem solve" to get what they want

~ love to be spoken to and will come running if called by name

~ large bushy tail that stands at attention and does a shimmering effect when happy, that may look like they are spraying to some which is not what they are doing (true of Mijo--HoneyBoy only has a button tail)

~ sharp wit along with their robust athletic bodies enable them to be good hunters / mousers (if you have read previous posts on this blog, you are familiar with their budding hunting prowess)

~ slow to develop breed, retaining their kitten personalities their whole life (oh, good!)

~ like high places (definitely seeking out the highest accessible place in the room)

~ easily trained to do simple tricks such as how to stay off tables, off counters, play fetch, and be leash trained (we've managed to confine them to a box on the table--not so good with staying off counters, and we haven't tried a leash yet)

~ without regular physical and mental stimulus they can become bored and mischievous (when the weather was bad and they didn't want to go out, they drove us crazy)



[As you see, I didn't provide citations. However, I simply Googled the breed and copied relevant information. Since I am not using any of this for my own profit, it didn't seem necessary to footnote. If you want citations for any of the info, head to Google. You'll find it all there.]

top secret

Thanks, Kate. This is better than Ordinary.

zach wahls

There is so much to love about this: a smart, articulate young man who is passionate, compassionate, and accomplished. I know I would be proud if he were my son....

(zach spoke before the iowa legislature on the issue of whether
to constitutionally ban civil unions of same-gender couples)

love thursday 02.03.11 ~sue rauch...rest well, old friend

(sue rauch and her friend judy basker--photographer unknown)

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

Anaïs Nin

We knew each other at college, Sue and I. We lived in the same dorm--she in the big corner room and I down the hall. I wouldn't say we were close exactly, but we hung out sometimes and living in the same dorm, we saw each other every day.

Years passed.

Last fall I went to my college reunion and Sue was there. She still worked for the university, all these years later. She loved it. It was good to see her yet I could tell something was wrong. I didn't know until later that she had cancer. Ocular melanoma.

Today I learned that she died. They said she was at peace and surrounded by friends. Of course she was. She had so many.

May it be so for all of us--in peace with friends.

Be well, dear Sue. Be well.

sound of noise: music for one apartment and six drummers

Happy Ground Hog's Day!

paradise

It's coming.