It's Snowin in New Hampsha

Tis only December.  Local folks say this is a mild winter.  That it will continue mild.  So far, it has been very pretty.  Especially in the confines of this apartment complex.  I don't have to shovel.  I already pay for it.  That is a very good thing.

Before snowplows, folks spent hours removing the white stuff.  Tales are told that people would wake up at 3 a.m. just to keep up with the powder.  So they could get to work, so they could get out.  That would continue with whoever was in the house all day.  It wasn't an easy life.  People did find romance with the unique snow flakes.  No two are the same.  Nature is like that.

I had planned to go fabric shopping in Massachusetts today. Some forty-five minutes south to a shop I like.  That may have to wait until the following week.  I am learning to go with the flow in north country.

I am told the warmth begins in May. MAY???!!  My southern sensitivities will have to adjust.  Soon.  My thoughts turn to finding a warmer winter climate.  Three months should do it. 

But until then, being outside in a snowfall makes me laugh.  Such joy!

Favorites

A few of my favorite hand written mantras:



       Where we began is really where we always need to be.

       I'm not hard to be around, I just don't want to live your life.

       Before social networks, e-mails and cell phones life was in the moment.  Not on.

       Living in the mountains taught me sustainability.  Living on the seacoast brought me home.

                                                                       - Beth -

Make Yourself Necessary

We all know those kinds of people who just makes themselves...necessary.  The first person I met like this was Diane.  Probably the most unattractive woman physically, but she could sure put herself together.  She always looked stunning.  Even she thought she was stunning.  I was always intrigued by that.  She clearly had some wonderful mothering.  She wasn't especially interesting.  She was quite rich.  We often lunched out in her Mercedes.  She couldn't read a map or get a half mile down the road to find my house, despite a dozen or so trips to it.  I am told she became a registered nurse.  Diane made herself necessary.

The next person I met was a woman with whom I worked in a managed care company.  My memory of her is all about her fingernails. They were acrylic. It was 1992 and they were Amy's power nails.  She was louder than loud.  Very necessary.  Commanding. 

Ken was more than knowledgeable.  He was a solid carpenter and quite expensive.  He wanted to be in charge but came about it in an unassuming way. Partnered, he often invited me to dinner.  Even picked up the tab.  In time, I realized he wanted my contacts.  We worked together on a project.  I made it clear to him that I didn't care about being the pivotal person.  I just wanted to put the group together.  To be a part of it.  For a while, he was quite necessary.  Even he thought so.  Then one day, I removed myself from the group I started.  I knew under his tutelage, the group would flounder.  Sadly, it did.  He unnecessaried himself.  Fast.

We make others necessary because we leave ourselves.  It is well nigh time to make ourselves the necessary ones.  We are the ones we have been waiting for.

Anew

It is close to the end of this calendar year.  Time to delete all the frustrations I have written.  Time to release them to the wind.  Maybe that is why it has been so windy of late. 

Some say this full moon this 28^th day of December is the reason for the gloominess, maybe it is the end of the frustration.  It's been my nearly constant companion way too long.  Point blank, this life can be tough.  My mind can be tough.  It has been like this for the past three years. Mostly. 

But I still feel wise.  I know what I know.  I know my truth.  But where is the adventure?  Have I found it but haven't accessed it?  Maybe I don't need to find it.  Maybe I am already living it? Why doesn't it feel comfy?

Then I wonder about the melancholy.  I grow weary of being told I am deep.  If you see me as deep, you are way too shallow.  That in and of itself, says a lot about the kinds of people I can be around.  Scorpios require depth.  We see things in wholeness.  I understand others might not.  I, too, have my own limitations.  I love deep, centered folks.  Open folks.  Funny folks. Positive folks.

I think this disillusionment it really began, or at least I felt it as such when I organized a group of environmentalists to bring about some well needed changes in the county where I lived for a decade or so in the south.  One particular fellow, whose company I had enjoyed in the past…just friends... showed his true colors.  To say I was more than disappointed is an understatement. As I organized the group with no particular ownership to it, I made a simple requirement.  There would be no centralized leader.  We would all have a vested interested.  When this fellow dominated the group, I made a gracious exit.  No explanation.  I was done.  Finito. It was at that point that I felt more than empty.  Empty. My reason for being in the mountains was finished.  I could no longer function in the person I had become. 

It seemed that my course was set to change.  Life does that.  Gives you obstacles through which you need to navigate in order to come back to yourself.  The trouble is I am not feeling back to myself.  I am not sure any more just what that is.  I have changed.  I've always felt hopeful.  Until now. I feel sad.  Numb.  Lost.  

In being lost, maybe I am finding a new course.  A new self.  One that is more sustainable.  Maybe my jaunt to the mountains was about that.  To learn sustainability.  To find that elusive grounding.  Whatever it is, I surrender.  

Could it be that in the surrender one is made anew?  I hope so.

Full Moon Today

Full Moon December 28th, 2012. Now that you’re going to be here for awhile…

Moon as seen from the Earth. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Without laboring too much on the causes, I want to look at the effect of this “shift” we have been experiencing. In the simplest terms I have come up with, what is happening is that the boundaries separating our hearts are dissolving. Each of us has different experiences of this – for some people it is terrifying and their reaction is to fight back against it. For some of us, as we learn to express ourselves, it isolates us from our family of origin because they don’t understand. It is changing our lives and the world around us, for sure.
We’re at this point between epochs, between ages. We’re undergoing a huge evolutionary leap. And change never seems to happen from a place of comfort. Hence, for most of us, these have been very tensional times. We can’t take any baggage to where we’re going.
It is the case that our karmic patterns, those looping lessons, each have their own life-force energy. And like all living beings, they have a survival instinct. Coyote-style, they know when we become aware of them. And they know when we’re vulnerable, paying attention to too many other things, so they can loop back around and bite us.
Welcome to the holidays! And welcome to the Full Moon of December, 2012.
Pretend for a moment that I’m the great Phillip Marlowe, delivering one of his breathtakingly dry understatements. After I’ve watched you take your fifth shot with all the old pals, or run your credit card dry at the mall, or hide in the bathroom while the rest of the family talks about how worried about you they are, I’d offer you a smoke and say, “… the holidays bring up a lot of old stuff, don’t they.”
And it’s funny because here we are at the end of 2012, post-ascension. We’re all 5d and stuff. But a lot of those patterns survived. The pressure to buy a flurry of gifts that you haven’t really thought about and can’t really afford; the black loneliness of actually not being able to afford ANY gifts, or of not having any family; the “Christmas spirit” of overeating and over drinking, etc. et. al… they all seem to have survived the end of the Mayan calendar too.
And it’s good to admit it. Another, even wilier pattern would be to pretend that the holidays don’t open any doorways for your past to come through. Whatever your vision of the “perfect holiday” is, I’d be willing to bet pretty high on any one of three things – you either ran yourself ragged trying to make sure it happened, or, you have feelings of inadequacy around having not quite achieved it, or, your pretense of attaining the vision is so stretched out and brittle that other people are tiptoeing around you, wondering when you’ll crash.
Please understand, I’m not saying that it’s impossible to have a really beautiful holiday experience – especially now. And I really hope you have. But there are a lot of astrological factors that tell me it’s likely that “… a lot of old stuff” has come up. The ongoing Pluto/Uranus square has a lot to do with it, trying to push us through the bottom of whatever molds we’re encased in. Jupiter, Ceres and Vesta are all retrograde in Gemini, causing a chaotic blend of desires to escape the pressure and continue to fit into those old molds. Saturn and Pluto, Karma and Fate, are squeezing us all towards the random escape routes that retrograde Jupiter can find. Let them. They’re asking you to stop pretending to be perfect.
In my way of looking at things, the greatest gift anyone can give is to reveal their heart, to crack open wide and be brave enough to say “here I am. I am me, and glad to be me. I am ready to see you.” This is the gift of compassion and forgiveness that transcends all blood line and societal karmas. And I think that that’s what all the astrological pressures I listed above are asking of each of us. To give the gift of our hearts – to each other and to the Earth.
It is no longer possible to look for 12.21.12 to release you from being human. In fact, it was human of you to think that it was going to set you free from your looping, from Saturn or Pluto – so I thank you for all the heart you gave to that.
And I ask you now to use the rest of your life to open your heart to being here. The Earth is an extremely interesting place to inhabit.
Have you ever looked into the tides? They’re essentially bulges in the Earth’s oceans that follow the meeting point between the Sun and the Moon. Just trying to grasp what causes them and to then work into your vision of them the spinning of the Earth is, for me at least, way better than a Rubik’s cube. And it gets even cooler when you realize that these same forces actually change the shape of the Earth, at certain times bulging the crust nearly two feet. Physicists at the big particle accelerators have to take into account the way the Sun and Moon change the shape of the Earth every day in order to accurately measure the results of their experiments.
Maybe 3d isn’t as static and confining as we used to think, huh?
Beyond the physical effects, I find a great deal of meaning in the Sun/Moon relationship. And I am hopeful now that 12.21.12 has passed that more people will take an interest in the metaphysical growth opportunities their dance offers.
On 12.28.12, at 5:21 AM Eastern Time, the Moon is Full in the 8^th degree of the sign of Cancer, Opposite the Sun in the 8^th degree of Capricorn. When you think about the physical effects of the Sun and Moon being on opposite sides of the Earth, you get a sense of how the Full Moon feels – for me, there is always a sense of being pulled apart.
But what is being taught is openness. I think of New Moons as very personal, intention-setting opportunities, while the Full Moon is the opportunity to check in with the tribe to see how each has done with their New Moon intentions. As this Moon coincides with a major holiday weekend and a lot of outer-planet pressure, I feel like it’s going to be a strong opportunity to “check in with the tribe.” And given all the retrograde energy in Gemini, I’ll just go ahead and predict that a lot of people will go to great lengths to keep their emotions safe from all that pressure. In other words – for many people it’s going to be a hell of a party.
Not that I have anything particularly against that, it’s just that I think there is something much richer and more rewarding about joining the sacred circle instead of heading for the mosh pit. Whatever you do, I hope you feel good about it afterwards.
I invite you to think of this Full Moon as an opportunity to practice the open-hearted oneness that we are evolving towards. During the night of the 27^th especially, I encourage you to share your feelings with those closest to you. Make time for a heart-to-heart about what you experienced during the Solstice and the Holidays – whether it was beautiful or difficult, whether you were loved or feared. This will be a great opportunity to “clear the air,” that is, dissolve some of the barriers around your heart.
May you see the Love at the center of each being you meet!
With Love,
Jon
We can’t bomb nature into submission, but we CAN love her into health! 
Now is the time, and you are the one. 
Thank you,
Jon Waldrup
Incarnational Astrologer
(208) 290-8578
Skype: fulfillmentdegree30

Source:   http://jhaines6.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/full-moon-december-28th-2012-now-that-youre-going-to-be-here-for-awhile/

I Was Home

More rain than one could imagine.  Barrelsful.  Then a pause. Snow.  Not accumulating to much along seacoast New England.  That's how I like it.  It's dreaming weather.  Those times you get deep into your luscious history.

Louise has been in my dream lately.  She lived on Drury Lane.  In second grade, she drew pictures of horses.  One she named after her street in Baltimore.  It was Louise who made me want to draw.  Horses.  And I got quite good at it.  I wonder how Louise is today.  She was just so nice.

Nice.  It's quite a word.  I am remembering all the nice people in my life.  The dreamers, too.  I was one of the daydreamers in school.  Lifelong.  But I got to live one of mine beginning in the late 1990s.  After the marriage had completed,  and I was a bird out of a cage, my heart opened to more possibilities.  This time it would be solo. I might partner but I wouldn't marry.  Now.

I've often written about the Smokies.  That beautiful spot in your mind that you just can't imagine it could be a real place.  Only when you fly over it you know the truth.  It is more than real.  Maybe that is why it is the most visited of the national parks.  It also became my home.

My home was on the side of a mountain.  I don't know that there is a name for it.  Most of the mountains in the area are named.  Mule Pen Mountain stands in front of my porch.  I do know it is one of the very best things I have ever done for myself.  It's a mere 1.49 acres of heavily forested land. For sale.  The place that in time, became a retreat.  A preserve.  Every imaginable forest animal traversed the land.  They knew they were safe.  I was more than safe.  I was home.
 
But circumstances change and it was time for another adventure.  Leaving it was bittersweet. The loneliness became intolerable after I unpartnered.  Again by choice. Partners can be fun if they grow with you.  Some can't and need to continue their own adventure. You have more to experience.

After I found a suitable place to dwell in seacoast New Hampshire, it was time to pack up my things.  I couldn't leave the mountains fast enough.  Not so much because I wanted to, but because the pain of doing so was unbearable.  How could I leave this place that gave so much to me?  So much to a woman whose heart was broken.  So much joy, so many memories.  A history that was my choosing.  A place that will always be in my heart.  And more gratitude that anyone can imagine.

Sometimes I want desperately to return.  But then, I would have to leave it.  Maybe it is better not to visit.  It's a very long drive.  Eighteen hours by car.  This experience of leaving a beloved home is foreign to me.  I have always returned to every home, every state I have lived in.  More than once.  But this place is in my heart. Deeply.  I have a few close friends there. They understand.  I yearn to see them.  To know they are okay.  But I also know they will soon begin their own journeys.  Away. Their hearts yearn to explore, too.

My heart was on the side of a mountain.  For eleven years.  I was home.

The Workout

We've survived whatever December 21, 2012 was about.  This blogger thinks it is a shift in consciousness.  Do you feel it?  We've also survived relationships that didn't serve us too well.  We knew this going in. Maybe next time we will listen to our intelligence ~ our highest intuition.  Right?

 We have also survived all the ways we were poorly socialized.  The belief systems we were led into as babies, then bought into as we grew.  All done unconsciously.  Have you examined these?  All of them?

I bet you smiled at this.  Feels a bit too familiar, eh?  Instead, let's just laugh it off.  It is just such a silly thing. Have you laughed off all your seriousness about yourself, too?  We take ourselves way too serious.  I can sure attest to that.  Great on the theory, daily workouts with the application. 

So many people put their efforts toward a physical workout while ignoring the inner one.  The one that keeps us stuck, berating ourselves, made at others for not being what we want them to be.  But are we being what we want us to be?  Now that...is the kicker.

As the year comes to a completion and another begins anew, what attributes are you taking into 2013?  Are you allowing others to be who they are?  Are you loving yourself enough?  Does your kindness and compassion extend within.  First?

Have a loving 2013!

Mr.Bump-On-The-Log: Part 2

"Call me when you get home."

Beth was in the middle of a Rumble Bumble gym with her family when the call came in. 

"I won't be home til late."

"Just call me when you are in."

Beth didn't like the insistence.  Demanding nature of his edict.  So she called him when she was about to fall asleep that night. She was beyond exhausted. She was Emergency Room material.

"Hi.  How are you?"

"Fine."

"Come down and give me a hug."

"I just told you I am in bed, absolutely exhausted."

Silence.

More silence.

"All kidding aside, come down and give me a hug."

"I can't.  I can't move.  I am exhausted and I am going to sleep soon."

"The hell with you."

The phone was silent. 

Beth laughed uncontrollably.

Thank you.  Thank you so very much. Confirmation is the best.  Thank you for affirming what I thought all along.  You are one jerk. Of course, this fell to deaf ears but it didn't matter.  Beth was the one she was waiting for.

And she couldn't wait to return the few items he lent her.  She was more than done. In fact, she beamed. 

Mr.Bump-On-The-Log: Part 1

"4 to 8 inches?!"

Beth wasn't too happy about this.  After all, she slaved all week to prepare for the Stillwell clan.  All eight of them. She even invited a neighbor who had no where to go.  He had no where to go because he hadn't cultivated relationships.  More than a bump on a log, this man did nothing all day but smoke, drink and watch tv.  It wasn't always this way.  Especially in his twenties.  But he was quickly approaching seventy.

The rest of the Stillwell clan had worked hard to have nice relationships.  Over time they found commonalities among each other.  There was never any discussion of differences.  They were all too emotionally intelligent to know where this would land them. Then they would have to deal with the fallout from their spouses who dearly cared about family.

Family is like that.  There are some no-fly zones. Religion is okay to be discussed but never politically.  Two siblings on opposite fences.  Then there was the mother who saw both sides.  Sides.  That is what they were. Beth had no interest...any way shape or form to have anything but harmony.  As the only parent, she was more than pleased.

Half of her family had to leave early to avoid the blizzard.  The other half had to work the next day.  Beth's dogs spent most of the day collapsed on the floor.  Children do that to you.  And being sequestered away from the family does, too.

Mr. Bump-on-the-log liked Beth.  He told her that at the most inappropriate times.  Like when she was about to serve a meal to her entire family.  Like when they all sat down.  Beth thought she had invited a six year old.  And she had.  But that wasn't the worst of it. 

He kept calling her even though he knew her family was in town.  That she was winging this whole shabang by herself.  Beth didn't invite him because she hadn't invited him into her heart.  But what he did that night ended whatever kind of relationship they might have in the future.

Post Holiday Thoughts

Morning came early.  4 a.m.  I don't sleep well when I know I have to be up soon.  This time, it was to take two family members to the airport.  We left at 6:30 a.m.  Yawn.

Now it is clean-up time.  Time to do lots and lots of laundry.  It was also time to do some repair work.  My daughter enjoys sewing.  I wanted to help her out so I repaired a pillow.  She and I are in the process of sewing. 

I admit to liking things neat and tidy.  Being in chaos is troubling.  Sometimes I think I need more of it to allow myself to go within and find that peace that often eludes us.  I attribute this to personality.  And history.

Christmas is harder now in some ways.  My space constraints are tighter.  Always one to love having company, this place is just too tight for more than one.  Especially with my dogs.  In my NC life, I had a utility room.  They were relegated there when I had company.  I also had a backyard. 

But it doesn't work to talk about what was.  There are way to many "what was's."  Epicletus plays on my mind.

"It's not what happens to you, it is your thoughts about what happened to you."    Epicletus.

I somewhat understand people who like or who have zero tolerance for anything deviating from their quiet.  I know a couple like that.  Even barking dogs bother them.  More rigid than I for you.  And glad I have some flexibility.  It doesn't get easier with age, either. 

My Blu Ray is working.  Twas a bit confusing, albeit very frustrating with my family members all telling me how to start it at the same time.  I am one of those step by step people.  Finally, in total disgust I let it out.

"Consider me special ed when it comes to this.  Then maybe...maybe you can slow down enough to actually help me."  Trust me.   It wasn't said in kindness or compassion.  Grrr.

I was reminded to let the energy go.  Others had moved on.

I also ended the beginning of a relationship with a very immature man. I will listen to my intuition better next time.  Hopefully. 

It was a nice holiday.  Seeing my family is wonderful.  My best moments were dinner out at a local restaurant.  No stress, easy conversation.  Yup, the best.

I hope y'all have a wonderful week! 

Lucky

It's my first winter holiday in New Hampshire.  There may be snow flurries Christmas Day. 

Now that the cookies and meal making are behind me I sit for a time to reflect.  Mostly on the now.  With enormous gratitude.  Wow.

I am lucky to have my family under my roof tonight. To have them all for dinner soon. Lucky to be living near my daughter. And this lil man who reminds me of what really matters in life. 

Lucky for all my friends who are so dear.  Lucky for a new man in my life.  So glad I was/am able to trust again. 

I am indeed blessed. 

Pre-Holiday Thoughts

Holidays have always been fun.  Exciting.  Preparing holiday meals, shopping, buying little gifts for my family were always delightful.  I also loved having them in my western North Carolina home.  It was more than spacious, easily accommodating everyone.  Even the kitchen was wonderful.  There was always so much room in which to prepare meals.  And, I got accustomed to having things done in a relaxing manner way ahead of time.  A place for everything.

But as I get older, I see how much of a control freak I am.  I want things a certain way. A place for everything.  Of course, my family doesn't care anything about that.  I am learning some lessons functioning in my apartment in New Hampshire now. I hope I can stop complaining about this.  Now.

This is my NC home.  For sale.  Interested?

Realizing how lucky I am to have found such a nice place in the beginning, I admit to longing for my former space above.  My life feels a bit upside down today.  And lately.  A lot.  I am closer to family and I love that.  Absolutely!

Now I am trained as a gerontologist.  I have worked in retirement homes.  I heard folks talk about parting with long held treasures to simplify their lives.  Sometimes I think I did this move way too early.  I wouldn't think so if my accommodations were more spacious.  But then I would probably find something else to complain about.  At this stage, I am supposed...earned...want... things easier. I want some remnants of my former life. But only the ones I choose. The truth is I am damned lucky life is so good. So I will quit b*tching and enjoy  all that is.  In a minute.  Promise.

I won't tell you about my experience making Russian Tea cookies.  That I couldn't find the right ingredients, that the oven cooks hotter than it registers, that my Kitchenaid mixer died.  That my kind neighbor lent me his hand held one.  I also won't tell you most of the cookies are in the trash.  They fell apart.  This time next year, no doubt I will have a new mixer, find the exact ingredients I need and maybe even...if I am lucky make these little treasures.  Oops, I just told you. 

Tomorrow or the next day I might even bake Brown Bottom Cupcakes with my lil man.  I hope the mixer works better.  He loves these little delights in the mini-muffin papers. I wish I could say I am not huffing and puffing over this.

Soon my family will be here.  I will hold the moment and love being together with them.  I will love that I am in a warm and dry place.  That the dogs could be here with me. That I have an underground garage. That I could even afford to move here. 

Yes sirree.  I am learning flexibility.  It is a good thing.  I do believe I even have a smile on my face now.

Happy Holidays!

Stop The Violence

Where do we begin to discuss the events of Friday in Newtown, Connecticut?  That has been one of my overnight towns when I travel north/south.  We are all numb.

Leonard Cohen, a now 78 year old singer, songwriter, musician, poet,novelist  presents this tribute: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-SeKsVm7YE

His work "explores religion, isolation, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships."  I heard of him on a blog a few years ago. 

Actor Morgan Freedman said this:

"Morgan Freeman’s brilliant take on the shooting in Connecticut:
Turn Off the News

“You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here’s why.
…

It’s because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? 

Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he’ll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN’s article says that if the body count “holds up”, this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer’s face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer’s identity? None that I’ve seen yet. Because they don’t sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you’ve just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man’s name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.” 

Source:  http://harrisspeaks.tumblr.com/post/38012607039/morgan-freemans-brilliant-take-on-the-shooting-in

What is it about our society, our world that allows this to happen?  When we spend more money on the military, more of our energy on violence than we do on our own people. When we stop the violence in the media...tv, movies, etc. and focus on loving relationships maybe then...and only then we have a change to truly evolve.

 

 

E-Harmony

Buyer beware.  A review of the online dating site, e-Harmony:


"I recently filled out a profile on eHarmony, complete with the personality questions they asked. According to eHarmony, this is a point by point personality profile based on psychological data, etc. in finding the perfect match. A little background about myself should be told before I go on about the matching. I am a recovering alcoholic/addict with 5 years clean and sober. I do not drink and I do not drug. My sobriety will not survive if I get into a relationship with someone who is not sober. When I was asked, "Do you drink?" I answered never. The next question was, "What would you be willing to accept from a potential partner?" I answered, "Drinks a few times a year." I was then asked how important this is to me and I answered very important on the sliding scale.

When I finished and checked my matches, everyone (there was 7 total) indicated that they drink several times a day! Are you kidding me? My only hope for a relationship based on this so-called psychological profile is to settle for a drunk? Can someone please tell me the name of any shrink that would say that I should date an alcoholic or drug user? I understand that this was only an online questionnaire, they do not know my past. But when I say that I do not drink and it is very important that the person I am with at the most only drinks a few times a year and I am matched with drunks, I tend to believe that the whole psychological profile stuff they are pitching is a load of crap. Not wasting my time on eHarmony."

And there is more:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/dating_services/eharmony.html

Happy 12/12/12!

I've always had a thing about numbers.  Lots of them roll around in my head.  Always have.  Even as a child. 

My Dad (above) had a photographic memory.  Mine isn't quite as good as his. But I do have his square face.  See?!

Mom didn't.  Nor did my bro. But I got her bunions.

Meet my bro.He doesn't have bunions. He is pictured above with my dog. Never interested in our family.  But could he swim and fast! A powerful stroke.  A swimmer's body back then.

Happy 12/12/12!

Interest

 Last evening after a chat about December 21, 2012 I spoke about how economies are false.  They are manipulated by humans.  Below is a historical review of the prime interest rate.  Mortgages are generally set 1% above prime.  

As you peruse this, I am curious as to your thoughts given the history of our world. What do you believe justifies this.  And please do not spew academic nonsense.  This, too, is manipulated to answer the question.

Just 84 years ago this began at 2%.   

1948           2

1956          4

1966           6

1970           8

1972           4.5

1974          11

1975            7

1978          11.75

1980           20

2012            3.25

This is quite of interest to this blogger.  The burst in the bubble happened for a reason. Do you know why?  Think human construct as you respond.

A Model Company - LLBean

Of course, I can't pretend to know what goes on in the board room, but I love dealing with LLBean.  They are consistently kind, compassionate and caring.  Speaking with them is like speaking to a long lost friend.  It makes me want to buy from them.

They have a no-hassle return policy, too. Could it be the heartiness that attracts people to Maine?  Maybe it is that the only people who survive in Maine are hearty.  I don't profess to know which but I like them!  Not too easy to know as a rule, but great folks often are not.

So while I had to tell the story about Comcast (they call themselves a communications company, too.  They can't even stop the drop calls.  Maybe they don't like Verizon Wireless folks?) because it is a story all too familiar for many of us.  I wish them lots and lots and lots of competition.  In the short run, competition (used) to ferret out the lousy customer service.  That didn't hold to well with Frontier Communications (cough).  Glad to be rid of them!

Here's to you, LLBean.  The best in the coming year!  You deserve it.

A loyal customer ~

Seven More...

Seven more phone calls (3-4-5 minutes holding time) before I am again disconnected.  Getting clever this time I decided to go to customer service directly.  Of course, I have tried that in the past with about a 30% success rate.  Today I reached COMCAST MEXICO!

Twenty-three minutes into the conversation (a total of 10 minutes holding waiting for a Supervisor and then the Super's Super) these folks finally offered me something for their FIVE errors. 

They will learn the error of their ways via karma.  I don't like liars. Dishonesty.  I found a bunch of them recently.  This would never be my communication service of choice.  But they communicate well.  They want your money.  Period.

Karma.  It is already activated.

Thank you, Oprah

This blogger just couldn't say it any better. 

"At the end of each school year in South Africa -- which is right now -- I teach a class to the 12th graders at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. It's my last chance before they move out into the world of college and beyond to try and cram everything I wish someone had told me into a week's curriculum... aptly called Life 101. If I had more time, it could definitely be a yearlong course. But because my obligations are as extensive as yours, I make the most of the week, highlighting my top five favorite lessons and starting with the Invictus poem I learned to recite at age 8:


1. "You are the master of your fate and captain of your soul."
2. You become what you believe, not what you wish for, and every choice makes it so.
3. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. Character or lack thereof always shows itself early.
4. My creed based on the third law of motion in physics: What you put out comes back always, in all ways.
5. Trust your gut. It's your spiritual GPS."

Source:   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oprah-winfrey/oprah-winfrey-teaching_b_2232402.html

Comcast Does It Again

What ever happened to honesty?  Don't they believe in karma?

Several folks at the Comcast Corporation told me there is no additional charge for changing out the antiquated tv to a flat screen.  I called three different employees at Comcast who all confirmed that.  Even the technical person said the same box would be used.

I trusted Comcast.  I can't even get in touch with them.  I am always put on hold.  Half the time they disconnect me after waiting 4-5 minutes.  It is more than annoying. 

I want more competition for this brute. I want honesty in business.  Now.

Coming Clean

Visiting a psychic/astrologer is a wonderful experience.  It is by no way, a substitute for your own intuition.  That must always come first.  But a psychic/astrologer can clarify a few things for you.  Mine sure did for me. 

Not only did I learn that water can be very dangerous for me (I drowned in a past life), not honoring who I am can also.  My past lives include living in England and living on a plantation in the south.  I am told I was a southern belle by an astrologer who says she knew me then.  We had an instant connection.  I have never been able to watch ships sink.  Clearly, I drowned on one.  I closed my eyes during all the sinking scenes in the movie, The Titanic.  Gasp.

I also had rough beginnings.  We don't need to go into any of those but they all make sense.  They always have.  Often New Age folks believe they can skip their past but it doesn't work that way.  You have to make peace with it and all the people in your life who just could not be there for you.  It is hard for young children who didn't have a mother or father to go to.  I know this well.  Maybe that is why I am so sensitive to the emotions of others.  It doesn't matter.  I just am.  I'm also a developing artist.  Again.

As an intuitive, I learned young that I had this gift.  I think I was about five years old when I had my first vision. I knew my father was having an affair, and that others in my life did, too.  Over the years I would get a sense of marriages about to fold, including that of my parents. I knew when people would die and I could see their physical problems.  It is especially hard when I know people are going to have a tragedy unless they get their act together.  It does no good to tell them.  They will do what they do until they want more.  The same is true of me.

Sometimes I know when people are pregnant.  I feel this energy.  I feel earthquakes, too.  And UFOs nearby.  I feel fires and can see them.  I know someone who was murdered but the FBI did nothing about it.  I only do my part.  The rest is up to others.

Tonight will change my life.  Something will happen and it will set me on a new course.  I am more than excited.  I have no stake in which way this goes.  None what-so-ever.  Nor will I discuss it.

The purpose in writing this is to assist YOU, my faithful reader, in developing your own intuition.  Being your own inner guidance system.

The days draw closer.  It is time to come clean with what you want and who you are.  Now. 

Life

Nils, the butler, is always ready to serve.  Watching over gardens, trees and the preserve, a standfast servant.  I liked him instantly.

Mountain high.  Cool, crisp, pristine.  It always takes my breath away.  I wonder if it misses me as I miss it.  I love this little town.

The path to the reflection bench.  For years, I have raked it, keeping it unobstructed.  It is closing in now.  As a forest should be.  It doesn't need human interloping.

A once beautiful preserve.  Until the stupids destroyed it.  It said a lot about those people and what they hold dear. 

I chose not to sue these people who destroyed this pristine land.  The forest, in time, would reclaim all of this and create the life stolen that September day.  For eleven years, I enjoyed being the caretaker.  It is time to release all of this to the next generation.

The Telling

Lifelong, I have found that when you have to tell someone something that bothers you, for the most part, it does not change.  I have found this with a spouse, co-workers, neighbors.  People are who they are.  If they could change, they would.  They, too, have a time table.

In the apartment complex where I live,  I decided to tell the owners a few things that I believe need to be remedied.  The owner's daughter told the property manager my concerns, in front of me.  This was done, no doubt, to embarass me.  It did make me uncomfortable.

I am grateful this young woman told me who she was.  She confirmed my suspicions.  My feelings about the property manager were similarly confirmed, though, she tried to do things to make me more comfortable.  I think she did this more out of concern for her job, than to appease me.  Clearly, I do not require appeasement.  That I can do well nigh for myself.

This continual convolution concerns this writer.  There is no reason for it.  No reason for the drama.  No reason for me to be part of the drama.

Done. 

Don't Miss The Magic

You know by now how frustrated I am with all the controls going on in our world.  I am even more frustrated that people are not rebelling. You also know I love film.

Last summer, I stopped attending the nearby Regal Cinema when they started searching purses.  They were looking for food brought in from the outside.  They only sell junk food.  I can say right now that I do like popcorn and I often buy it. But  I would refuse to go to another movie if all the theatres nearby do search folks. I do believe it is illegal and wonder why the Justice Department hasn't done anything.

It is pretty cold here now.  In looking for a way to enjoy the warmth of indoors, I checked out a local theatre.  First, there were no benches.  Not a one.  Then I went to the counter and had to follow a zip zagged roped off  line much like they have at airports. The tickets were via a self-service ticket machine.  The junk food counter sold them, also. The young man selling junk food and tickets asked which seat I wanted to buy.  I mean how do I know where I want to sit?  I don't sit next to teenagers, obese people and young children if I can help it. I enjoy pure quiet in the theatre. And comfort.  I do the same, when possible, on airlines.  I matter.

Wanting ise, I went to the soda machine was self-serve.  When I tried to put ice into a cup, the ginger ale dispenser soaked my new coat and shirt.  There was not a wash cloth around, or fresh water or anyone to help me.  After 15 minutes in line seeking assistance, I was able to secure paper towels. Dry, not wet as I had requested.

Stopping to use the restroom before the movie began to remove some of the stickiness from my elbows and arms, including my deserve to soak my clothes, I noticed there was automatic toilet flushing, automatic water faucet, no towels. I didn't want to use the dryer thinking it might set the stains into the fabric.

So the first thirty minutes before I even reached the theatre, I told the employees I did not expect to return.  Nope, not with all these controls.  Not one drone seemed to notice, except for the ticket taker.

Happy to see the stadium seating, I found my assigned seat in the dark.  Not a soul was in the theatre until 3 minutes before the film began.  In walked two obese people sitting next to me.  Their complaints about the skinny seats went on for a while. They decided to fan out.  Their skinny teen aged son finally sat next to me.  He suggested his parents be quiet as the film was about to start.

Twenty minutes into the film two women sit to the right of me talking non-stop.  A loud shhhh from this writer silenced them. 

The Life of Pi was absolutely awesome.  So many metaphors, allegories.   As I walked out of the theatre the ticket taker, a curious man, to whom I told my story, wished me a good day.  There was something about the energy in this man. He gave me a wink and said he hoped I had a really great day.  Pure magic. 

The Disaster Within

Morning came early this post Thanksgiving Day.  Lots to think about. But maybe the thought most present on our mind is all living things. 

A dear friend in her 80s is on Long Beach Island this weekend celebrating with family.  There will be no heat, no electricity.  The meal will be catered and brought in.  For this family, there is abundant monetary wealth.  Two multi-million dollar properties were heavily damaged during Hurricane Sandy.  This family has already begun the intensive re-building process. They have money to do this without waiting the lengthy time for the insurance company to front the money. But for others, there will be months before the insurance companies reimburse them. 

So what happens with these violent storms that seem to be increasing?  Some believe the government should buy the families out.  I wonder why laws can't be changed to allow the insurance companies, well,let's be honest here - to force the insurance companies to cash them out. That way, many could relocate to safer areas.  Is this no different than people living in earthquake zones, on mountains, or forest fires that destroy homes, or other man-made or natural disasters?  What is our heart obligation to these folks?

People make choices where they live.  I live on the side of a mountain in a holler.  I bought the property fully knowing about mountain slides.  Though I did check with the geological survey to ensure no mountain failure, failures do happen.  Now insurance companies could choose not to insure these properties.  People could choose not to build on the land.  Still, tragedies happen.  Are we one another's safety net?  We know businesses have a history of not caring.

In a society who spends billions on destruction through these constant wars one would think they might also spend money to care for one another. This writer believes no government money should be spent to remove the Katrina families, or Hurricane Sandy folks. 

Earth is a precious home that has been foolishly abused.  This writer says this with her heart.  Consequential behavior is the only way, the only, only way to get out of this.  It is well nigh apparent we haven't learned of another.  And it is time to just grow up. 

All of us.

Ahhh

It's Thanksgiving Day.  So much to be grateful for.  My wonderful family and friends.  That life is this good.  There are always things we would like to change.  Taking the moment, this moment, to reflect on all that is, all that suffer, including ourselves and acknowledging it.  If possible, letting it all good. Letting it be what it is.  Whether others see this or not, it doesn't matter.  It does matter how we feel.

So take this breath.  Focus on enjoying this breath. Deep inhalation, deep exhalations.  Know you are here for a reason. 

We know this often isn't easy.  All the more reason to just do it!  And do it again and again.  And remind one another to do it.  Again and again.

So much has changed in my own life.  Some for the better.  Today I shall focus on all of that.  The love and joy, the peace within and without.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Words Matter

I'm concerned, bothered and annoyed about how people use their words of late.  I hope I am compassionate and loving with mine.  Not always, I am sure.

It is about HOW people CHOOSE to respond in a variety of events.  Take a look:

1.  Customer says she would like a good waitress, as her experience hasn't been so positive in the past in    
      this eating establishment. 
     Hostess:  I am insulted!  All our waitresses are good.
     COMMENT:  Umm, I am the customer, is that not true.  I am not concerned with how you feel.  I
                            am concerned with the quality of your service.  I may not come back.  And yes,
                            I had the best waitress ever this time!  I just may return.  I hope you don't.

2.  Resident tells politician she is upset at how she was treated in the election.
     POLITICIAN:  WHO told you this?
     Resident:  What is this, Sherlock Holmes?
                     Everyone told me this.  Let's keep our eye on the ball you dumb cluck.

3.  Resident asks Property Manager to limit the non-resident cars parking near apartments.
     Property Manager: I park there and I will continue to park there.  This is my job!
     Resident:  Well, I guess you told us we just don't matter.  Enough said.

Speak with your money, your voice, your kindness and compassion. Sadly, I envision huge walk-outs by employees refusing to take it any more (Walmart, etc.), and more customers refusing to spend money with rude businesses. It is time to cut back in more ways than one.  And rethink this whole mess we have created.

Oh and why should I continually hear SHOP LOCAL?  BUSINESS OWNERS TAKE NOTICE.  I will shop local if your goods and prices are fair.  I am the customer and you need to remember that.  Oh, and kiss my *** regarding your attitude.

Said with the utmost compassion and kindness :)

Tabula Rosa

It wasn't too long ago that my new home looked like this.  A tabula rosa.  But isn't that how our lives go.  We continually begin again.  And again.  That is, if we are lucky.

I am lucky indeed.  Cold weather aside, maybe even snow.  Well, definitely snow from what I am told, I get to have another adventure.  This one is a big upside down.  Or maybe not.  Follow my thinking if you will.  It seems the home when one spends most of their time should be the larger home.  One with nooks and crannies, maybe even built-ins.  Apartments have none of these, especially if they are relatively new.  They offer other worthwhile conveniences like underground parking, a community room for folks to gather in the New England winter.  A small exercise room, even.

Some four plus months later, I am still beginning. Last evening as I was speaking with a new friend, it dawned on me.  I am trying to fit pieces from another life into this new one.  Some just don't fit.

Neighbors where my mountain home is told me they get rid of all their living room furniture every time they move. They buy inexpensive furniture, too.  Unlike me. At any rate, they buy a new sofa, chairs, maybe an end table or two, lamps, and new dining room furniture.  They say it doesn't cost them too much as they sell the 'old' stuff.  Maybe I should have left my stuff in North Carolina in the first place.  But as I always say, we are where we are til we aren't.  I can already hear the laughter from readers.  They know this is familiar.

Today I am thinking the same thing except gifting my furniture to my children instead of selling it.  I am more than ready for the next adventure.  So I shall sit on this for a while, maybe even rethink this as I often do these days.  The once definitive gal is now the new more open, flexible gal.  This or that, yes and yes, yin and yang.  It is all coming together.  It all works. My quetzalcoatl.

Comfy is in. Maybe I will even shock my family and finally buy a flat screen tv, stereo system and create the room of my dreams. 

Viva la vida. 

P.S.  Do not be too surprised if I write another blog explaining why I kept things status quo.  Does any of it really matter? 

The Tempest

Master the tempest is raging!

Tell me about that the planet isn't warming.  More furocious storms.

These were taken at 7 a.m. this morning at seacoast NH.  I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Can We Talk?

Can we talk?  This isn't just a Joan Rivers come on.  It makes sense. 

Studies show that people who can talk to each other have a really good chance of staying together.  It isn't just talking about the mundane.  Things like building a recreation room, or colors to choose for the bedroom.  It is about talking about deep seated things, emotions, feelings...things of that ilk.

It is about talking on things dear to your heart and soul.  First your mate has to want to discuss things.  If they don't want to, maybe they can learn.  If they do not want to do either, well, let's just say you might be roommates.

I had a roommate once.  It wore thin.  In time the marriage completed.  I've been thinking on what makes or breaks relationships and this is key.

So if you can talk you have a great opportunity.

VOTE ON. TALK OFTEN.

Oh, Geeze

Oh, geeze.  Don't tell me there is moreeeeeeeeeeeeee work to do.

"Scorpio, you see new horizons. It's possible that the changes you've been going through lately aren't completely finished. You may even have a hard time keeping yourself from running away from it all. Your rebirth will only be complete after you clearly define your desires. Use today to think about what you want. Things aren't completely clear."

Source:   http://my.horoscope.com/astrology/free-daily-horoscope-scorpio.html

Truth be told, I wanna run away from it all.

Define my desires:

1.  Loving relationship with an evolved man.
2.  Someone who loves NH and western NC, the Smokies.
3.  Someone with or without children who loves family.
4.  If they have children, they have healthy relationships with them.  I want no unfinished business.
5.  Energetic, open, kind, compassionate, nice looking, slender, healthy.
6.  Repeat 1-6.

How clear is that?

Urban Survival

From UrbanSurvival. com
 

Sandylution Begins!

Although I was half-inclined to begin this morning's column with a recitation of how the unemployment numbers of October 2012 compare with those of October 2008 (which we will in a moment) the most important data point in terms of planning how you live your life now and into the future is not just the outbreaks of violence and chaos in the wake of Sandy in the northeast, but also the fast & loose talk around the country about how local communities would cope with similarly scaled events should they ever arrive.

 

Free gas should have been a good thing.  Well, not exactly how it turned out.

 

Mayor Mike visiting storm-damaged areas should have been a good thing.  By this account in the NYPost, it was not.

 

Nearly 2-million people are still in the dark.

 

Even more disturbing is that "politically-correct" [socialists] are coming out of the woodwork in communities around the nation, including one we live near here in East Texas.  The self-important do-gooders are already hatching "emergency plans" to order local "law" enforcement to screw the Constitution and go house-to-house to seize food (and whatever else strikes their fancy) and put it into a "community center" from which "authorities" would distribute food.

 

In short, those who haven't done a days worth of prepping in their lives are already scheming to steal from those who have planned to provide for their families so that every meth-head on the streets can get a portion of someone else's hard work.

 

Not to be too much the Grinch here, but this is how Marx figured it would work:  "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need..." I'ts the new "public safety mantra.  So while some people are in the dark, without power, hungry and so forth,  the biggest problem in the wake of Sandy is not in New York or New Jersey.  It's the continuing overthrow of the Constitution. 

 

It's in how America is busy making plans - under the guise of "do-gooders" to seize private property (and food) in case officials declare an "emergency."

 

A long time ago journalist Sinclair Lewis warned of such a mob mindset: "When fascism come to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.".  Unfortunately, seems when socialism comes knocking, it is now rapped wrapped in buzz phrases like "community response" and "public emergency" and yes, wrapped in a flag.  Worst of all? We're hearing that kind of talk from many states.

 

I urge you in the strongest terms to be aware of - and attend - any "emergency planning meetings" which local government near plans to hold in order that you'll at least be able to quote Marx and maybe offer some common sense.

 

America has a can-do spirit (though Mayor Mike's cancelling of the NY Marathon torpedoed that to some extent). 

 

Emergency planning that jumps right to planning forced collectivization (including seizing guns) without a specifically enumerated threat is athe kind of One-World Government response that's more dangerous to Liberty and any group of terrorists could ever hope to be.

 

Don't even start me on how it's backed by people in government who are wasting money on seizure plans rather than buying and storing food for the public.  Regrettably, the plans being kicked around down here involve seizing from those who have foresight.  Does the term "dog in the manger" mean anything to you?

 

If your community (or state) leaps onto this well-laid paved road to socialism/communism it's mob rule at work. 

 

Although there are still a few rights-minded people in Texas, there are those who would change our stte flag's white star for a red one.

 

Still, voting is tomorrow and it's planned in storm-hit areas.  Goting into it, the polls this morning are just about evenly split.  While a week ago it looked like Romney had a good chance of making it, the arrival of Sandy allowed Barak Obama to look very "presidential" and Romney was shoved to the background.

 

October Surprised?

 

Plus, Romney's campaign has blown it in their communication with working people in Ohio with an ill-conceived attack on Jeep. 

 

We continue holding the thought that we may not have an election decision until perhaps as late as December.  We'll see how our consulting atrologer does on this one...

 

Elections and Job Numbers

Tomorrow you have an important decision to make:  Who to vote for to be President of the United States.  Just so we're perfectly clear on what four years of "Change" has resulted in, let's haul out a couple of Labor Department Press Releases and read the numbers, shall we?  Some of this is repeated from Friday, but I think it's important.

 

Monthly Unemployment Report:  October 2008

"Nonfarm payroll employment fell by 240,000 in October, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.1 to 6.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. October's drop in payroll employment followed declines of 127,000 in August and 284,000 in September, as revised. Employment has fallen by 1.2 million in the first 10 months of 2008; over half of the decrease has occurred in the past 3 months. In October, job losses continued in manufacturing, construc- tion, and several service-providing industries. Health care and mining continued to add jobs."

 

Monthly Unemployment Report  October 2012:

"Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 171,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 7.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment rose in professional and business services, health care, and retail trade.

 

There are other issues, I suppose, like whether tax increases can be rolled back and so forth, but honestly, I plan to vote for Gary Johnson - the Libertarian Party candidate who has been virtually locked out of effective campaigning by the corporate political duopoly.

 

I've had a flood of hate mail, by the way, from people who argue that a vote away from Romney is a vote for Obama, but that's not how I see it.  First and foremost I'll be voting my conscience.  Second:  People who engage in that kind of thinking are buying right into the duopoly mind-control paradigm.

 

No, I think America is ready for a real third party - we damn sure NEED  one that will be liberal on things like marijuana, civil liberties, but hard on defense, yet not in bed with the death industries. 

 

No, Johnson has only the slimmest of chances, but if a third party gets a significant number of votes, it might be a warning to the duopoly that the people are restless and dissatisfied - and the continuing concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the one-percenters has to stop.

 

The One Percenters are buying the election though and their "issue" (terror, security, live in fear) are doing very, very well.  You don't hear much about empowerment.  Instead you see the incumbent's "we'll take care of you" as government - bigger and bigger government - does.

 

I don't see Romney changing that, nor to I see Obama changing...and when guys like Jon Corzine get to bundle for Obama, seems to me clear which side Obama's bread is being buttered on.

 

But have fun - like Mark Twain said:  "If voting really mattered, they wouldn't let us do it."  The more things change, the more they stay the....

 

ResoNation has a jammed-fact (sic) review of geoengineering and Frankstorm Sandy.  But, I suppopse it would be asking too much for the clowns in Washington to actually hold hearings into this.  They do, after all, have three rings to contend with (house, senate, and WH...) and then there's the carnies up on K Street.

 

Is the West Coast the next disaster in line?  It's already raining rumors on the net.

 

The Israeli Mistake?

We have been eyeing the end of this week - after the voting for president is finished, wondering if my friend G.A. Stewart will be right in his concerns that it would make a dandy tip-off date for World War III. 

 

Personally, I can see how this would work, since if Obama were to win, the country would still be politically divided and there might be more support now for Israel than, say, next spring.

 

At any rate, the "mistake" if the long term predictive linguistics are correct might very well be an ill-advised attack on Iran.  Which gets us to this morning's worry:  "INSS's war game simulates regional scenarios" reports the Jerusalem Post today.

 

When you read the report, what comes through is that the decision to strike Iran may have been "gamed" by people who misread the potential for global war on a number of fronts.

 

For one, it would be an ideal time for Russia to have an "accident" in space, which could set off an EMP blast over the US.  With America already partially divided because of the hurricane aftermath and a divisive presidential contest, we might not be this vulnerable for another who knows how long?

 

What's more, the war gamers seem to think all the surrounding Mideast countries will act in their own interests and will not rise up in unison to counter what they'd portray as Israeli/Zionist aggression.

 

So one way to read this most important of war game reports is to look at it as a post facto justification - which shows an attack could be launched without any blowback.  With the older linguistics studies suggesting nine generations of blowback, we are extremely glum at the prospects of having to live through the possible workout in everyday life.  More in the "Coping Section" after a few more headlines...

 

Markets

Not much to report on until the Fed comes out with the Consumer Debt report on Wednesday, so bring a bottle of pain-killer to our Thursday morning hook-up.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the markets drop down and test the 1,395 S&P area...and after that?  Well, gonna depend on whether Tweedle O or Tweedle R wins.

 

Boeing: Dreams On

First 787 passenger flight was this weekend  - Houston to Chicago.

 

Quakes and Shakes

A more robust description of the end of the world in the Coping section this morning, but the Pacific Tsunami warning system went off this morning on a 4.0 reported 90-miles southwest of Anchorage.

---

Reader Patti up in Oklahoma sends this:

 

"Last night in Oklahoma around eight pm. We kept hearing booming noises. My sister who lives in Marlow which is and hour and half south of us in Edmond posted on Facebook that Ft. Sill was bombing a lot. I called her to tell here that we were hearing the noises. While I was talking to her, we both heard one. It wasn't Fr. Sill because we don't hear them bombing in Edmond. My husband suggested that it was a meteor breaking up as we are in a meteor shower right now. Enjoy your website. Read it daily."

 

Well...www.haarpstatus.com shows the MidWest lighting up...or it's just a case of "Seneca Guns" and Seneca got lost, maybe?  A quote from a USGS page one point:

 

"The name originated in a short story that James Fennimore Cooper wrote during the 1800’s. The name refers to booms that have been heard on the shores of Lake Seneca and Lake Cayuga in New York State. The name has been applied to similar noises along the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Similar booms are called Barisol guns in coastal India. These phenomena have also occurred in three widely separated places around the world. That’s about all we know about the Seneca guns."

 

More quakery-boomery from USGS here.  My money is on water injection wells, but no one asked...

 

South Korean Nuke Woes

After finding out some uncertified parts had been used, South Korea is partly darkly today as two major power plants are offline.

 

New Boss in China

Hu Jintao is about to step aside to make way for Xi Jinping's ascent to power.

 

The World is Still Crazy

With all the important stuff going on, Amerca's appetite for self-delusion is nowhere more apparent that reading about a cult-of-personality favorite like Kim Kardshian coming out with a new clothing line.

 

If you woke up this morning hoping the US would be in rehab, or something, nope...sorry to disappoint.  What's the statistics I heard?  The US with 5% of people eats 61% of world pharmamoodicals?

 

Gotta wonder if we'd do better at voting decent leaders if we had pee-testing to vote - or hold office!

 

More after this...

Source:  http://urbansurvival.com/week.htm

Help Yourself

Now that the New York City Marathon has finally been cancelled (I wonder about Mayor Bloomberg's priorities - I guess being a billionaire can do that), we must think about the cities.  All the millions of people living on top of one another.  Literally.

People were not meant to live in millions.  They were meant to live in small groups, living off the land.  We have not progressed to much.  We say we want a progressive party. 

We need to be working the land, living simply, using less resources, only what we absolutely need.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts, this can not continue. 

These poor millions scattered along coastal communities are in trouble.  And there are too many of us for the land.  We are sitting ducks.  We need to help ourselves, and this does not mean loot.  Looting is the worst form of climactic tragedies. It is tantamount to the corporate thieves, only on a smaller scale.  We do not own anything.  We are merely passing through.

Get back to the farm.  March in Washington.  Demand a healthier world.  And start helping yourself.

A Home For Her Heart

" I forgot to call you.  I.didn't forget your birthday, I knew it was today.  Is it too late to call?" the e-mail said. 


She didn't care.  People were involved in their own lives.  She needed to be involved in hers.  But it was okay.  The card she received left her laughing hysterically.  And the gift was great, too.

"Oh, I am so sorry, so very, very sorry" said the voice mail. The pleading, desperate voice said it all.   Her cell phone was left in her car, along with the rest of her things.  There was simply too much to carry to get inside her home.  She didn't even know she left it until she looked for it the other day.  She felt sorrier for the caller for sure. She was glad to have her purse again.  Glad she hadn't left if in the restaurant.  Or at a friend's house.

But morning came as it always does.  Cloudy.  Cool.  Snow was in the air.  An unusual wetness that was too familiar. Leaves continued to fall.  Hurricane Sandy didn't leave much untouched in her wake. So many without electrical power. Gasoline. 

The elected officials got on the media soon enough.  Rationing.  That was the answer.  The police were everywhere in combat gear.  Joy wondered who the enemy was. She wondered what rights people would lose.  This time.

But it was life review day.  Again.  Definitely time for more chocolate.  More home.  More familiarity.  Sameness.  She felt lost.  Her heart was somewhere else.  She knew where.  She knew it was time to reclaim it. To bring it home.