tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316397782012-01-30T00:34:00.438-08:00<b>Light and shadow. Foreground and background. Stand in the inbetween. Dance in the middle. That's what I'd do.</b> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> <b>©2006-2012 All Rights Reserved.</b>Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.comBlogger13011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-15252399423827149992012-01-30T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-30T00:34:00.442-08:00

(mijo and the pumpkin)Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.Saint AugustineMay your week be full of miracles.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-34617506750094457682012-01-29T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-29T00:34:00.497-08:00

I post things here that move me. This moved me. It's real:

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-91933497211839745762012-01-28T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-28T00:34:00.523-08:00

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.John MuirYep. True thing.I keep reminding myself that even when I don't agree with someone, I'm connected...we're connected. And we all deserve to be treated with respect.So...let's stop with the name calling and bullying already. Okay? (That goes for politics, too. And yes, I am speaking to myself here.)

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-39239890758866828032012-01-27T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-27T00:34:00.849-08:00

People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.Salma Hayek

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-30370590519724579292012-01-26T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-26T00:34:00.235-08:00

Your task is not to seek for love,but merely to seek and find all the barrierswithin yourself that you have built against it.Rumi

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-4127484268720899592012-01-25T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-25T00:34:00.296-08:00

Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it.Author UnknownYeah, I have had to do that. Not sure it made them happy, but that's what they wanted and it may be the closest to happy that they will ever get. I was certainly tired of being the source of misery (perceived or actual).

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-5976013262582658812012-01-24T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-24T00:34:00.314-08:00

I know you're tired but come, this is the way.RumiI'm glad someone knows.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-78103775095526929812012-01-23T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-23T00:34:00.094-08:00

When I am with you, everything is prayer.RumiChristmas lights are still up.We made chili lime peanuts...twice.I put the greenhouse together...again. (Duct tape is my friend.)We found some food that Misi likes!Mom is coming to visit this week!Joan is coming next weekend!I found a contractor to come and look at the leaks in the ceiling. (Step one.)I start a new class this week.Food graters pose

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-16456176626874716932012-01-22T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-22T11:03:46.398-08:00

...that we avoided serious mishap during the rains and floods......unless you count a leak in the skylight as "serious."I'm trying not to make it so.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-1039121865692504002012-01-21T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-21T00:44:29.508-08:00

We're not gonna get out alive so we might as well get out happy.Joan

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-2119413677427360802012-01-20T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-20T00:34:00.504-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-22926803969795660942012-01-19T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-19T00:34:00.268-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-56092512391275352382012-01-18T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-18T00:34:00.118-08:00

(snow falling on bamboo)To me, the ending felt so correct and so appropriate that it seemed to bend over backward to kiss the beginning.Elizabeth Gilbert With only 1/2 inch of snow on Sunday, the bamboo in front of the house leaned to the ground. An hour later after the snow melted, once again the bamboo stood taller than the eaves of the second story.Oh, to be so flexible...to be able in the end

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-24016399594512790662012-01-17T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-17T00:34:00.550-08:00

If you haven't heard about Khan Academy (or even if you have) check this out:Go to their site khanacademy.org and see if there is something you want to learn. I bet there is....

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-35551372472231331532012-01-16T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-16T00:34:00.587-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-83394085758922027272012-01-15T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-15T00:34:00.230-08:00

And on a happy note...

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-36848326081254193012012-01-14T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-14T00:34:00.058-08:00

triskaidekaphobia = fear of the number 13paraskevidekatriaphobia = fear of Friday the 13thMaybe you already knew that.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-8949666365624822952012-01-13T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-13T00:34:00.142-08:00

Anybody can observe the Sabbath but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week.Alice Walkerfrom In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens...smokes. We are supposed to get snow this weekend. Yeah. Snow. Probably enough to make us say, "Oooo...pretty!" with an accumulation of 1/2 inch.That's just about enough for me.In honor of the winter's dusting, I plan to leave the Christmas lights up. That'll

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-91399812013638076062012-01-12T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-12T00:34:00.135-08:00

You gotta love someone who has this kind of sense of humor!I love laughing.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-42964883776310992032012-01-11T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-11T00:34:00.196-08:00

There's something very attractive about this. I don't know whether I could get used to living this way, attractive though it is. I don't know how long it would take me to stop being bored. I don't know that I would like living without technology.This place is beautiful. Part of me longs for the simplicity of design, the lack of clutter and mess that I seem to accumulate in spite of myself.The

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-56914581984104882002012-01-10T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-10T00:34:00.123-08:00

What do you think?Discuss.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-74763191985599629342012-01-09T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-09T00:34:01.263-08:00

It’s a gift to joyfully recognize and accept our own smallness and ordinariness. Then you are free with nothing to live up to, nothing to prove, and nothing to protect. Such freedom is my best description of Christian maturity, because once you know that your “I” has an inherent dignity and is objectively one with God, you can ironically be quite content with a small and ordinary “I.” No

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-14570430636067424152012-01-08T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-07T23:19:02.895-08:00

(honeyboy watches tv)Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.Dalai LamaRight now, be kind. If speaking, speak kind words. If listening, be kind in you presence and your interpretation. If thinking, send forth kind thoughts. If being, be kind--be kindness.Even in truth, be kind.It matters.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-2794478544116124042012-01-07T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-07T00:34:00.159-08:00

plen·i·tude noun \ˈple-nə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\Definition of PLENITUDE1 : the quality or state of being full : completeness 2 : a great sufficiency : abundance

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-67324138126481662642012-01-06T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-06T01:00:40.495-08:00

This week we're doing Love Friday because I spaced it and missed Thursday. Just eased right past it. Oh, well.After yesterday's post, one of my Facebook friends brought this clip to my attention:I agree with Kario...live and let live.Governor Gregoire accurately points out that churches and religious institutions will continue to be able to marry or not marry whomever they choose. That is their

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-22251817931817591602012-01-05T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-05T00:34:00.651-08:00

...those who are so against same-gender marriage (thereby "forcing" civil unions) are, in fact, the ones who are ruining it?In a sad way...of course. I have nothing against marriage. I do think that not enough people take it seriously and keep their commitments. I also think that a lot of people get lazy and let their baggage take over because that's what people do.Marriage provides an unbeatable

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-11353635238011115392012-01-04T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-04T00:34:00.053-08:00

(i rebuilt the greenhouse after a wind storm.this is what it looks like at night.yes, that is duct tape holding it together.)A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.Jack DempseyWe had a bodacious wind storm a few nights ago. Then it rained for several days. The good news is that all the parts of the greenhouse stayed in my yard. The bad news is that the sum of the parts no longer made a

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-71960881120899893162012-01-03T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-03T00:34:00.380-08:00

My soul is from elsewhere,I'm sure of that,and I intend to end up there.RumiI know we are not supposed to wish our lives away.After watching the video in yesterday's post, I can't help but think that the place (dimension?) where our souls go is one of ease.I know...I know....Create heaven on earth. HA! I tried three times to type "earth" and it kept coming out "heart".Will you join me? I am sure

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-46767297238106511552012-01-02T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-02T00:34:00.391-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-13738020642575018862012-01-01T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-01T00:34:00.571-08:00

Beloved accompanied me through 2011. The only thing new about that was my awareness. Of course, Beloved is always there. Always.As 2012 approached, my word had not yet revealed itself to me. I'd hear appealing words pop up and think, "Oh, maybe that's it...." Nope. In fact, I can't even remember what they were now--that how "not it" they were.Yesterday, as I caught up on my blog reading, my word

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-9048224591179115842011-12-31T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-31T00:34:00.668-08:00

(mijo drinking from the faucet)Differences in religious beliefs, politics, social status, and position are all secondary. When we look at someone with compassion, we are able to see beyond these secondary differences and connect to the primary essence that binds all humans together as one.HH Dalai LamaI'm looking for something different in 2012. Something uplifting, encouraging, connecting,

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-57897771324742240772011-12-30T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-30T13:29:44.417-08:00

More later....

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-73397555038120054022011-12-29T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-29T00:34:01.048-08:00

(another manger shot)If the house of the world is dark,Love will find a way to create windows.RumiWe need more windows. Today was dark. Really dark. Windy, rainy, gray. At 3:00 in the afternoon, I thought it was 5:00. I closed the kitty door and declared outside off limits for the remainder of the evening.At 10:00, it was 55 degrees and balmy. And HoneyBoy was desperate to get outside. Too bad,

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-80237861454752469072011-12-28T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-28T09:37:39.660-08:00

To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.Nelson Mandela I'm casting off chains today. By the time my massage is over, I hope to be free of some pain.May the Beloved guide you to freedom today, too--and walk there with you.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-49931462545704615872011-12-27T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-27T00:34:00.153-08:00

We are all, by nature, clearly oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion. We all prefer the love of others to their hatred. We all prefer others’ generosity to meanness. And who is there among us who does not prefer tolerance, respect and forgiveness of our failings to bigotry, disrespect, and resentment?HH Dalai LamaI just finished watching the movie The Help. I hear it has

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-66214682481189491932011-12-26T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-26T00:34:00.491-08:00

Wherever they are...Let's turn them all into princes [and princesses] of peace.Please...NO.MORE.WAR.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-29631597682958826582011-12-25T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-25T00:34:00.562-08:00

(doesn't he take a great closeup?)For us, as people sitting here meditating, as people wanting to live a good, full, unrestricted, adventurous, real kind of life, there is concrete instruction that we can follow, which is the one we have been following all along in meditation: see what is. Acknowledge it without judging it as right or wrong. See it clearly without judgment and let it go. Come

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-80620719600196224562011-12-24T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-24T00:34:01.066-08:00

Whatever holiday you celebrate...Whatever religion you follow...or not...One thing we all need is Love... May the blessings of this season rain down on you and yours.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-89879864353166751412011-12-23T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-23T00:34:02.503-08:00

I gotta tell ya......this brought tears to my eyes:

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-81935889952065370212011-12-22T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-22T00:34:00.903-08:00

God rest ye merry, gentlemen and ladies...and everyone else, too.May you have Comfort and Joy today and every day...

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-84771819852414304402011-12-21T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-21T00:34:00.152-08:00

On the journey of the warrior-bodhisattva, the path goes down, not up, as if the mountain pointed toward the earth instead of the sky. Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward turbulence and doubt however we can. We explore the reality and unpredictability of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away. If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we let it be

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-23458364395117512362011-12-20T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-20T00:34:00.124-08:00

Be melting snow.Wash yourself of yourself.RumiSpeaking of snow...look at those big furry toes. Those are Mijo's toes. He is Manx and part Siberian (I think). Both breeds have fur between their toes to help deal with the cold ground. The extra fur acts like snow boots and keeps the pads from freezing.Perhaps having genes from two cold continents gives him a double dose of hair. He weighs about 18

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-52572453468151253002011-12-19T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-19T00:34:00.440-08:00

For fast-acting relief try slowing down.Lily TomlinThat's what my Sunday looked like. I never got dressed--wore my pajamas all day. A friend stopped by to pick something up. I put on a vest and a hat. That constitutes properly covered in my book.I puttered. I got things done. My progress resembled erosion more than tectonic plate shifts.When I putter I circle. I work a while in one room, take a

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-91531789389598818832011-12-18T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-18T00:34:00.393-08:00

10. I am grumpy.9. I worked--actually went to the office...on Saturday.8. I tasted the eggnog...twice.7. My new computer will be here next week. Yes, I did it.6. Continued on my clean up campaign by deleting all the "unavailable" titles from my Blockbuster queue. (Hey...it counts!)5. Forgot to unload the kitty litter from the trunk...again.4. We have 3 new plug-ins: two switched and one direct...

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-38813733150629584732011-12-17T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-17T00:34:01.516-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-39348105523416886422011-12-16T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-16T00:34:00.203-08:00

(aren't they cute?)Today, Friday, I have a list...Take the papers to the shredder.Take the computer to the repair shop (yes, again--the same problem is baaaaaaaaaaack).Shop for a new computer. (I give. I can't afford the down time or the frustration.)Buy kitty litter...and cat food.Have lunch with a friend.Lord, have mercy...please.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-80974307110459908212011-12-15T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-15T00:34:00.046-08:00

(he wrapped himself in swaddling clothesand tucked himself in the manger--okay...he cuddled in a blanket on the couch)Beg our Lord to grant you perfect love for your neighbor… If someone else is well spoken of, be more pleased than if it were yourself… Force your will, as far as possible, to comply in all things with others’ wishes although sometimes you may lose your own rights by doing so.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-8985512825221782102011-12-14T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-14T00:34:01.814-08:00

Pain, as dramatically presented in the message of the cross, tells us about the high price of change. Real change never comes easily. It always feels like dying. All we can really do is get out of the way by not being so defensive, so overprotective of our opinions, our nation, our religion, our gender. These are just labels, and they are all passing away. All we can really do is to stop

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-57252479273015958172011-12-13T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-13T00:34:01.413-08:00

(just look how much you can get)

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-71673136696476532232011-12-12T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-12T00:34:00.676-08:00

...when I watch movies I need subtitles--even for the ones in English...American English....I put up the Christmas tree. I spent quite a bit of time getting all the lights in the string to work. I put them on the tree. Half went out....it takes an extraordinary amount of time to save a few bucks by fixing the stuff that doesn't work....in spite of the fact that I got a lot done this weekend, I

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-30638828988302314182011-12-11T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-11T00:34:00.259-08:00

Not really news, but good information and...I love these animations....

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-60643333288119157572011-12-10T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-10T00:34:00.441-08:00

To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.Nelson Mandela I remember when people would defend other's right to be different from themselves. What happened? When did we start deciding that one system of beliefs must be perpetrated on everyone?Isn't pursuit of happiness one of my inalienable rights? I can tell you now

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-46998830116541446852011-12-09T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-09T00:34:00.533-08:00

Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all--the apathy of human beings.Helen KellerYou may have noticed that I haven't been posting pictures much lately. It's not that I don't care. Apathy and inertia are not the same.It's cold. I've been busy. I'm breaking out of my rut.Every day I make myself get out of my chair and do something. I'm

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-12442717177434732822011-12-08T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-08T00:34:00.243-08:00

In today's deeply interdependent world, war is outdated and illogical. All regions, and all peoples, are interconnected environmentally, economically, and politically. War, oppression or civil strife in one area inevitably affects people in other parts of the world.HH Dalai LamaI loved M*A*S*H and Colonel Potter was the best of the best--(Happy birthday, Dad. I hope you are resting in peace, too.)

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-66366415207896044622011-12-07T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-07T20:43:47.412-08:00

One cannot be aware both of the history of Christian war and of the contents of the gospels without feeling that something is amiss.Wendell Berryfrom his introduction to Blessed are the Peacemakers

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-6116252533442924592011-12-06T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-06T00:34:00.053-08:00

No man or woman of the humblest sort can really be strong, gentle and good, without the world being better for it, without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.Phillips Brooks(1835-1893)American Bishop

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-44549061081781159002011-12-05T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-05T00:34:00.205-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-41271397017112596212011-12-04T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-04T15:03:01.076-08:00

I love me some flash mob:...falalalala lalalala!

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-76148161852540624962011-12-03T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-03T00:34:00.105-08:00

I have been writing a long time and have learned some things, not only from my own long hard work, but from a writing class I had for three years. In this class were all kinds of people: prosperous and poor, stenographers, housewives, salesmen, cultivated people and little servant girls who had never been to high school, timid people and bold ones, slow and quick ones. This is what I learned:

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-15464466347860685312011-12-02T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-02T00:34:00.067-08:00

One day your heart will take you to your lover.One day your soul will carry you to the Beloved.Don't get lost in your pain –Know that one day your pain will become your cure.RumiMy mom sent this and told me to show it to HoneyBoy. I also want to share it with you:Have a wonderful weekend. May you be blessed.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-81806968741459492522011-12-01T00:34:00.000-08:002011-12-01T00:34:00.624-08:00

If you keep listening to the love, if you keep receiving the love, trusting the love—even with all your limitations, unworthiness, limited intellect, or whatever you feel holds you back—you start to experience within yourself a sense of possibility. Whatever life is inviting you into, you have this sense that it’s okay and, even better, that you can do it! That is the joy of the saints. Now you

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-61378880036906585332011-11-30T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-30T00:34:00.697-08:00

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.Maya Angelou And the human heart to hear them. Those who wield them well--Maya Angelou for one, and many of you who come here to visit--open my heart and encourage me to keep trying...even when words don't come easy.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-34290007703730680752011-11-29T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-29T00:34:00.105-08:00

1. Had a hard time finding something to wear to work.2. Finally got dressed and made my breakfast drink. Managed to pour it down my front.3. Good news is, I found something else to wear.4. Other good news is, I had been wearing a red shirt and khaki pants. Changed to a white shirt. This is good because I had to go to Target.5. Got to the office. No power...no lights...no heat.6. Also in the

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-47520254049781376032011-11-28T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-28T00:34:00.822-08:00

The great commandment is not "Thou shalt be right." Instead, the great commandment is, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."Richard RohrWhere has the year gone? Another Monday arrives. Only four more in 2011.What's your favorite day of the week...and why? Mine is Saturday. The weekend is beginning, another full day of sabbath before Monday arrives. Ahh...yes!

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-85982878444332102902011-11-27T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-27T00:34:00.798-08:00

Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.Marcus Aurelius

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-31779757799726584342011-11-26T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-26T11:56:36.056-08:00

Now I can rest. All is well.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-1838741555490691972011-11-25T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-25T06:37:43.266-08:00

Going home today. They're waiting for us.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-24556316828313528682011-11-24T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-24T00:34:00.571-08:00

Unless we do change our whole way of thought about work, I do not think we shall ever escape from the appalling squirrel-cage of economic confusion in which we have been madly turning for the last three centuries or so, the cage in which we landed ourselves by acquiescing in a social system based upon envy and avarice.Dorothy L. Sayers I am thankful that this guy is still with us...and if you are

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-83346737892556177032011-11-23T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:23:56.595-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-83647857246090148452011-11-22T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-22T00:34:00.743-08:00

(view where i am now)

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-10535548912417268542011-11-21T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-21T00:34:00.725-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-18270024096676152011-11-20T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-20T00:34:00.167-08:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-22112404947859543852011-11-19T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-19T00:34:00.311-08:00

(kliban's cat)Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.John Muir And this guy has plenty of all of those.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-65720638766991836142011-11-18T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-18T00:34:00.211-08:00

We have different degrees of happiness and different kinds of suffering. Material objects give rise to physical happiness, while spiritual development gives rise to mental happiness. Since we experience both physical and mental happiness, we need both material and spiritual development. This is why, for our own good and that of society we need to balance material progress with inner

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-43065405833415883382011-11-17T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-16T22:00:52.136-08:00

Oh Beloved,Take away what I want.Take away what I do.Take away what I need.Take away everythingthat takes me from you.Rumi Some days I think we are almost there.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-62231436294434255702011-11-16T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-16T00:34:00.144-08:00

(we're ready for our make up, mr. demille...)I mean, isn’t it great that high school students in some inner-city area will greet me as I walk in as though I were a pop star? That is so amazing, because they’ve got out of what I’ve done a message of hope. And the fact that our main message is, “You make a difference every day. You matter. Your life is important.” This is why they want to come to

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-54467749329112994052011-11-15T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-15T00:34:00.238-08:00

(see the one on the right?)(this is the same one)When the culture of an organization mandates that it is more important to protect the reputation of a system and those in power than it is to protect the basic human dignity of individuals, you can be certain that shame is systemic, money drives ethics, and accountability is dead.Brené BrownToday I heard a story that leaves me slack-jawed.A

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-51531503115635372082011-11-14T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-14T00:34:00.749-08:00

The most lovable quality any human being can possess is tolerance.... It is the vision that enables one to see things from another’s viewpoint.... It is the generosity that concedes to others the right to their own opinions and their own peculiarities... It is the bigness that enables us to let people be happy in their own way instead of our way.Unknown I am disturbed and perturbed. I know that

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-82331470765434621492011-11-13T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-13T00:34:00.516-08:00

(the boys are learning to hang out together)We are given a natural way to reconnect with God every day in creation. And it doesn’t depend on getting a degree in philosophy or theology. It depends on being present!Richard RohrRight here. Right now.Since HoneyBoy's accident, we encourage the boys to come in at dusk rather than whenever they choose. As the days become moist and breezy, shorter and

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-33727023012143325412011-11-12T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-12T00:34:00.593-08:00

Caught by our own thoughts,we worry about everything.But once we get drunk on that LoveWhatever will be, will be.Rumi We made it through 10/28 and 11/11. Today and tomorrow seem like one more day. I wonder what 12/21/12 will bring.My nose has dandruff from blowing it so much. I am guessing that things will look brighter on all fronts once I am through the Fall cold.And how did we ever come to

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-12277763282429241442011-11-11T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-11T00:34:00.278-08:00

Peace is not an absence of war. It is a virtue, state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.Baruch de SpinozaTo all who have served, in war and peace, thank you.Upon your return home, may you find peace......peace of mind......benevolence from all of us......confidence......and justice.I honor and salute you.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-34666872730824191142011-11-10T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-10T00:34:00.295-08:00

If we were to ask the Buddha, “What is bodhichitta?” he might tell us that this word is easier to understand than to translate. Chitta means “mind” and also “heart” or “attitude.” Bodhi means “awake,” “enlightened,” or “completely open.” Sometimes the completely open heart and mind of bodhichitta is called the soft spot, a place as vulnerable and tender as an open wound. It is equated, in part,

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-51076957381901852622011-11-09T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-09T09:49:27.708-08:00

(...said yoda)The contemplative life is about becoming more contemplative all the time. It is about being in the world differently. What needs to be changed in us? Anything that deludes us into thinking that we are not simply a work in progress, all of whose degrees, status, achievements, and power are no substitute for the wisdom that a world full of God everywhere, in everyone, has to teach

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-86427719257952807542011-11-08T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-08T00:34:00.379-08:00

Kelly Rae is on a kindness mission.I'm in.You can print yours here.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-18256493390127545982011-11-07T00:34:00.000-08:002011-11-07T00:34:01.155-08:00

How much more important it is to refrain from evil speech, remembering what such sins bring down on us in punishment. In fact so important is it to cultivate silence. After all, it is written in scripture that one who never stops talking cannot avoid falling into sin. Another text in the same book reminds us that the tongue holds the key to death and life.Saint Benedict of Nursia Now, if we could

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-88583279800945731692011-11-06T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-06T00:34:00.119-07:00

They came first for the Communists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.Then they came for the Jews,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.Then they came for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.Then they came for the Catholics,and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.Then they came for me,and by that time no one was left to speak

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-86547233781393755552011-11-05T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-05T00:34:00.176-07:00

The foundation of everything that we're saying here is that the words of prayers themselves are not the prayers. While the words may be beautiful, ancient and time-honored relics, they're simply the catalysts to unleash a force. And the force is within you! 'You' is the operative word here. Just as the code in a computer sets a series of events into motion, our words trigger feelings in our

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-32285244768036244502011-11-04T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-04T00:34:00.500-07:00

(ooo...baby love)Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.Krishnamacharya

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-35959377055761050132011-11-03T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-03T00:34:00.111-07:00

(banana after a couple nights of frost...greenhouse waiting to be placed)My Beloved growsright out of my own hearthow much more union can there be.RumiPerhaps Rumi's truth here is the key to finding solutions to all that ails us. So many of us spend so much time out of touch with ourselves, how can we possibly find the union that we seek with others.The mirror is only arm's length away. Do you

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-70439453627083574302011-11-02T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-02T00:34:00.542-07:00

(the crescent moon on 11.1.11...through my phone's crappy camera)The earth has salt. You are some of it.Jefferson Smithin response to his recent request for small campaign checksIf any of you are from Portland, check out my friend, Jefferson Smith. He is running for mayor. For the rest of you, check him out anyway. One of these days, he will be running for President.That's right...POTUS.Mark my

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-21934810012679939802011-11-01T00:34:00.000-07:002011-11-01T00:34:00.080-07:00

(painted church in hawaii)If you do not transform your pain, you will transmit it.Richard RohrMy favorite saints are St. Damian (whose statue resides here at Painted Church) and St. Francis of Assissi. May you be surrounded by all the saints today.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-68838013831894490462011-10-31T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-31T00:34:00.757-07:00

In case you were wondering, here are a couple articles about what comes next in the Mayan Calendar and earth transformation. Of course, what we are looking at here are two interpretations. No definitive answer or model exists.I find them both quite interesting:Integration: From 10.28.11 to 11.11.11 and BeyondandMayan Majix.Oh...and...Happy Halloween!

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-14328275761707244302011-10-30T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-30T13:45:00.496-07:00

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-3675025008937842732011-10-29T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-29T00:34:00.341-07:00

This bears repeating...The lie is that we are separate. The only way to the Truth is great love or great suffering.Richard Rohr

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-70879625885470778852011-10-28T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-28T00:34:00.910-07:00

I mistakenly said that yesterday was the last day of the 7th Day of the Mayan Calendar. I have since corrected that error in the post.Today is the end.Perhaps, it will be the beginning of a new way of looking at things. Perhaps, we need to stop dividing everything.What a concept! All is part of the gift. All parts are the gift. All is the gift.We are it. What are we going to do?

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-71600648217892120522011-10-27T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-27T14:52:04.567-07:00

There are two paths: Great Love and Great Suffering.Richard RohrSince it is Thursday, let's choose love.AND...tomorrow is the last day of the 7th Day of the Mayan Calendar. Love is what's next.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-32571512197082667382011-10-26T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-26T00:34:00.737-07:00

Living without speaking is better than speaking without living. For a person who lives rightly helps us by silence, while one who talks too much annoys us. If, however, words and life go hand in hand, it is the perfection of all philosophy.Isidore of Pelusium

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-91211589667109282902011-10-25T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-25T00:34:00.352-07:00

"Whoever says, ‘I am in the light’, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling."1 John 2:9-10Does that sound like love for no reason at all to you?I thought so.

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-50096541268555286662011-10-24T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-24T00:34:00.863-07:00

A fly is just as likely to land on a pile of shit as a piece of pie.Carrie Fisher(via her grandmother)

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31639778.post-33080988310117510402011-10-23T00:34:00.000-07:002011-10-23T00:34:00.432-07:00

(artichoke in cold frame for the winter)Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.Abraham Lincoln

Wandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654451878235512846noreply@blogger.com1