Look At Oron & Rahab Up In The Shamayim(sky)

"At night, when the sky is full of stars and the sea is still you get the wonderful sensation that you are floating in space." - Natalie Wood

 ancient wanderers saw them not
luminaries too distant be held by name
our gaze extended we welcome them now

I am enjoying the end of Gregorian year learning the ruling planet of my astrological sign. Aquarius, now has a hebrew name: Oron. I found it interesting and exciting that while experts from the Hebrew Language Academy were involved the final vote was left to the Israeli citizens.

From Haaretz.com and the article "Uranus and Neptune get Hebrew names" at last by Yair Ettinger

Call it Star Wars. In the end, Oron defeated Shahak and Rahab prevailed over Tarshish as the Hebrew Language Academy on Wednesday unveiled the new names of two planets referred to until now by non-Hebrew names. Henceforth, Uranus will be known as "Oron" and Neptune as "Rahab."

Astronomy and language experts selected the four proposed names, but the general public was allowed to make the final decision.

The initiative to find Hebrew names for planets was first launched by Harel Ben-Ami and Lev Tal-Or, two instructors at the Unit for Science-Oriented Youth, which is part of Tel Aviv University's School of Education. The project was part of UNESCO's International Year of Astronomy.

Both Hebrew names were inspired by their Greek and Latin equivalents. Rahab, like Neptune, comes from the nautical world: It is the name of a sea monster in the Bible and Talmud. A source at the Academy said Oron was chosen partly because of its phonetic similarity to the word Uranus and partly because "Oron means small light - hinting at the pale light the planet emits when seen from Earth because of its great distance from the sun."

"A certain recluse, I know not who, once said that no bonds attached him to this life, and the only thing he would regret leaving was the sky." Kenko Yoshida

Now, I think I shall to visit with the stars.

May you enjoy the night sky

Our Blue Moon

Since I am extraordinarily fond of the color blue in all it's splendorous shades, I enjoyed reading New Year's: Once In A Blue Moon by Donna Henes on Huffingtonpost.com. You can read the whole article there. Here is a piece I enjoyed with colorful suggestions on celebrating our Blue Moon:

The last day of 2009 is a doozy -- triply auspicious. Not only is it the eve of a new year, a new decade no less, there will be a full moon, a lunar eclipse and a blue moon to boot.
. .  . . .

This New Year's Eve, I propose a lunar rite of passage into the power of positive change for the next decade: A True Blue Ceremony in the Spirit of Universal Beneficence.

It seems suitable to me to strike a blue mood. The lights are shaded blue, of course. Blue pine incense is lit. We are bathed in an airy wash of cool blue. Dressed in our best blues, we sip some sort of berry infusion. Drink in its navy depths. We put bluebells in our hair. We have become like the Tuaregs, the "blue people" of the Moroccan Sahara whose skin becomes imbued with the indigo dyes of their robes. A becalmed blue aura surrounds us. We are emerged in an ocean of blue: the blue of the sea, the blue of the sky, a morning glorious blue.

We symbolically cleanse and bless the streams, the rivers, the ponds and lakes, the big blue sky, the very air we breathe -- the entire biosphere. We use bluing as our purifying agent. It's what our mothers and grandmothers bought in bottles or little wrapped cubes, to add to their wash. The same as those little blue flecks in modern powdered laundry detergents.

We dip the blue balls into water and paint emblems on each other's foreheads with the cobalt paste. We anoint each other with blue blessings. We pledge our affinity as co-creators of the working blueprint plan for a new paradigm. We pray for possibility, for a new perspective. We light bright blue candles for illumination and spiritual guidance.

We chant for peace. We chant. We drum. We dance. We spin for peace, for passion, for promise. For the power of our path and purpose. We slow to a stop. Stilled. Sated. Steady. Strong. The blue air is charged. We are changed, united in azure energy.

Ready to begin a new year a new way.

May you enjoy all the richness of blues surrounding you

Some New Years' History

Here's a piece of an interesting article found on canada.com titled "New Year's traditions hail from the depths of antiquity" by Randy Shore:

If your head really hurts on New Year's Day, you could point your finger at the Babylonians who started this new year revelry nonsense. Though the ancient Romans added the idea of alcoholic excess, or at least perfected it.

Julius Caesar fixed the start of the year on Jan. 1 by letting the previous year run to 445 days rather than the traditional 365. The Roman citizenry made their winter festival Saturnalia a celebration without rules. So, let's blame the Romans.

Any way you slice it, New Year's is among the very oldest and most persistent of human celebrations.

The western world celebrates the new year on Jan. 1 in the early weeks of winter, which is about as sensible as a wooden fireplace. For some thousands of years before Julie and the Roman Senate got involved, the new year was celebrated with the first edible crops of the season or the first new moon.

In much of India, Nava Varsha is celebrated in March or April, just as in the most ancient civilizations.

Sikhs celebrate Hola Mohalla in March; ditto for Persian Nowruz.

As celebrated in China and Southeast Asia, Lunar New Year still has a floating date, the first day of the first lunar month.

That brand of rhythm with the earth and moon stuff is just a little too hocus-pocus for the stiffs that run the western world. We like fixed dates, Gaia be damned.

For the rest of the article, here's the link: http://www.canada.com/life/Year+traditions+hail+from+depths+antiquity/1126441/story.html

Common Sense Loses It Way

help! time clock swallows people's sensibilities

it "thinks" she never came back from lunch

fearfulness of incorrect remuneration ignites fury And a little story quoted in Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra 4:6 found on the Chabad.org Stories site:

A group of people were travelling in a boat. One of them took a drill and began to drill a hole beneath himself.

His companions said to him: "Why are you doing this?" Replied the man: "What concern is it of yours? Am I not drilling under my own place?"

“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” - William James

May you enjoy the company of others

Ah, Work And Lines

 "There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row." - Arnold Bennett

a voice informs me of a day to pull your hair our
another chimes in her happiness is below zero
a welcome to our new sort of working time clock

Another week of being understaffed. Ok, I reached the point of wondering about the intrinsic value of being the one who shows up to end with extra work. I have to admit to being suspicious about a few of the call-ins as we have until the end of the year to use "sick" time. I reached the point of, personally, pleading with co-workers to stay for some of the offered overtime. Alas, unsuccessful. However, with just a little less conscience or a little less fear, I could be one of those not showing up tomorrow.

My friend Jan shared an observation early in our friendship that everyone has lines they will or won't cross, but everyone's line is different. Ah, so true.

So proud of myself was I for not having such a negative attitude about the time clock or the fact that my new job title on the time card is Acquisition Employee (actually I was very amused by it) as the "others". Then I noticed another young co-worker who was pleasant to all her customers, all of us, and from whom I never heard a discouraging word the whole day. Wow, did I sound negative to myself when I used her as a point of reference. Bless us all.

There has been quite a bit if banter about naps from those of us who are working. That added to my enjoyment of a cute bit of writing I saw on the blog Disposable Writing:

Email to the coworkers
January29

Team,

I will be enjoying a sandwich tomorrow around lunchtime. I predict this sandwich will be as delicious as it is filling. I am willing to field questions regarding the tastiness of the sandwich following my lunchtime eating session. Please be advised I will be unable to take calls whilst eating the aforementioned sandwich; which, depending on the size of the meal, make take several hours. There is a significant possibility that I shall follow this delicious sandwich with a refreshing nap.

Thanks,
Gavin

And just as I was about to sign off I heard another, different, "line" story

A Chinese provincial shopping center is opening a special parking lot soon exclusively for women drivers that will  include extra lighting and wider spaces to keep down the number of collisions,  the Global Times reports.

Official Wang Zheng told AFP news agency the car park was meant to cater to women's "strong sense of colour and different sense of distance".


May you enjoy a wonderful nap

Gratefulness.org - Word For The Day

From the wonderful site Gratefulness.org:

 WORD FOR THE DAY

Monday, Dec. 28
If there is anything I have learned about men and women, it is that there is a deeper spirit of altruism than is ever evident. Just as the rivers we see are minor compared to the underground streams, so, too, the idealism that is visible is minor compared to what people carry in their hearts unreleased or scarcely released.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer

From their site under Vigils angels of the hours:

Prayer at Vigils

The Night Watch

In the stillness
before my day begins,
I open my heart
to the gift of this hour;
gratefully I listen
to the silence.

Pondering The Bigger Picture

 winter night foraging through foreign aisles
i have captured  & caged butter & cheese
tired i return home from a successful hunt

Thanks to my friend Sandy for making me a little more curious what Nasa has on the internet.

Did you know the Nasa's Imagine The Universe site has an Ask an Astrophysist feature? From their site:

This is the "Ask an Astrophysicist" service of the Imagine the Universe! web site. We specialize in cosmic-ray, gamma-ray, and X-ray astrophysics, and other satellite based astronomical observations. Our research subjects are often exotic, like black holes, quasars and dark matter.

So when I heard a quick news story about the number of visible galaxies I was able to see the answer there on the Nasa's Imagine The Universe site:

Your inquiry is definitely in the minds of many scientists who are trying to obtain a good estimate for the number of galaxies in the universe. The methods used to achieve such number varies, and therefore, the results would vary, too. Also, as new and improved technology becomes available, astronomers can detect fainter objects that were not seen before. These objects that have come into view will in turn change the estimated number of galaxies.

For example, in 1999 the Hubble Space Telescope estimated that there were 125 billion galaxies in the universe, and recently with the new camera HST has observed 3,000 visible galaxies, which is twice as much as they observed before with the old camera. We're emphasizing "visible" because observations with radio telescopes, infrared cameras, x-ray cameras, etc. would detect other galaxies that are not detected by Hubble. As observations keep on going and astronomers explore more of our universe, the number of galaxies detected will increase. For more about the Hubble Space Telescope, check out this web site:

http://www.stsci.edu/hst/

Hope this helps,
Georgia & Veronica
For "Ask an Astrophysicist"

The CBS news story I only caught a fragment of said there was 361 galaxies that could support intelligent. Should I ask an astrophysicist how they would know that? Cause I sure don't know. But I do find it fascinating.

May we keep our sense of wonder

Poetry of The Night

in the dark my soul has room to breathe
my mind wanders more easily in quiet realms
peaceful generous solitude surrounds me


"I have been one acquainted with the night
I have walked out in rain - and back in rain
I have out-walked the furthest city light

I have looked down the saddest city lane
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say goodbye;
And further still at an unearthly height;
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night."
-   Robert Frost, Acquainted with the Night

May you enjoy solitude

Blessings For the Beginning of Kwanzaa - Umoja- Unity

From small portion of information officialkwanzaawebsite.org of the creator of Kwanzaa Dr. Maulana Karenga

Kwanzaa: Roots and Branches
The Continental African Roots

Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.

The first-fruits celebrations are recorded in African history as far back as ancient Egypt and Nubia and appear in ancient and modern times in other classical African civilizations such as Ashantiland and Yorubaland. These celebrations are also found in ancient and modern times among societies as large as empires (the Zulu or kingdoms (Swaziland) or smaller societies and groups like the Matabele, Thonga and Lovedu, all of southeastern Africa. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration.

For a wealth of information and details of this great celebration, please visit Dr. Maulana Karenga's site officialkwanzaawebsite.org

they come forth with new rooted in old
bringing acknowledgment of past strengths
they gather with depth in beauty and love

May you enjoy the beauty of your celebrations

Merry Christmas - May There Be Peace & Joy

it could be a soft simple peaceful time
or there may ample feasts and wild gifting
whichever path holds you - include some joy

"Shall we liken Christmas to the web in a loom?  There are many weavers, who work into the pattern the experience of their lives. When one generation goes, another comes to take up the weft where it has been dropped. The pattern changes as the mind changes, yet never begins quite anew. At first, we are not sure that we discern the pattern, but at last we see that, unknown to the weavers themselves, something has taken shape before our eyes, and that they have made something
very beautiful, something which compels our understanding."
-   Earl W. Count, 4,000 Years of Christmas (Found on egreenway.com)

"The birth of the Persian hero and sun-god Mithra was celebrated on December 25th. The myth tells that he sprang up full-grown from a rock, armed with a knife and carrying a torch.  Shepherds watched his miraculous appearance and hurried to greet him with their first fruits and their flocks and their harvests. His cult spread throughout Roman lands during the 2nd century.  In 274, the Emperor Aurelian declared December 25th the Birthday of Sol Invictus (the Unconquerable Sun) in Rome."
-  Christmas Even and Day

May there be peace in your hearts

Christmas Eve

tender time of kids dreams &; wishes
hot bakery smells &; tasty crumbs
sights of tantalizing plumped stockings

A Blessing I enjoyed From Rhonda Britten's blog:

May peace prevail this holiday season.

May you give up worrying what others think.

May you let go of living anything less than your truth.

May you accept the fearless spirit you are and know

all of this, every minute of your life, is adding up

to something that will inspire and delight you.

May you fall in love with your life again and again.

This I wish for you this holiday season.

Fearless Blessings,

Rhonda

May your enjoy the promise

Beautiful Winter Poem

i live in the night when others lie still
the somber calm silent soothing dark
when i am myself more than ever

"You darkness, that I come from,
I love you more than all the fires
that fence in the world,
for the fire makes
a circle of light for everyone,
and then no one outside learns of you.

But the darkness pulls in everything;
shapes and fires, animals and myself,
how easily it gathers them!—
powers and people—
and it is possible a great energy
is moving near me.
I have faith in nights."
-  Rainer Maria Rilke, On Darkness

May you know the peace that comes with night

Lithuanian Prayer

 long feathered roots reaching down
absorbing many facts,fates, and facets
ah, such myriad of ones who came before

 
From the website druidry on Lithuanian Paganism:

A Lithuanian Prayer

In 1938, Pranas Antalkis recorded the following prayer, recited by Elzbieta and Marija Palubenskaite. The informants had smuggled Lithuanian books into Lithuania during the Czarist prohibition of Lithuanian language press in the latter half of the 19th century. The prayers stems from those times. Jonas Trinkunas, Seniunas of the Vilnius Romuva in Lithuania, edited the text.

That I may love and respect my mother, father and old people; that I may protect their graves from rending and destruction; that I may plant oaks, junipers, wormwoods and silverweed for their rest in cemeteries. Those who do not love and respect their bearers will await hardship in their old age or will not grow old at all.

That my hands may never become bloody from human blood. That the blood of animals, fish or birds may not soil my hands, if I might kill them satiated and not hungry. Those who today kill animals with delight will tomorrow drink human blood. The more hunters live in Lithuania, the further fortune and a happy life escapes us.

That I may not fell a single tree without holy need; that I may not step on a blooming field; that I may always plant trees.

That I may love and respect Bread. If a crumb should accidentally fall, I will lift it, kiss it and apologize. If we all respect bread, there will be no starvation or hardship.

That I may never hurt anyone; that I may always give the correct change; that I may not mistakenly steal even the smallest coin. The Gods punish for offences.

That I may not denigrate foreign beliefs and may not poke fun at my own faith. The Gods look with grace upon those who plant trees along roads, in homesteads, at holy places, at crossroads, and by houses. If you wed, plant a wedding tree. If a child is born, plant a tree. If someone beloved dies, plant a tree for the Vele.

At all holidays, during all important events, visit trees. Prayers will attain holiness through trees of thanks.

 May we remember to love our trees

Winter Solistice Blessings

 the lanes are adorned with multi-colored lights
mall parking lot filled with bag laden shoppers
the trees finding homes before Santa appears

From a wonderful newly discovered site egreenway.com:

"On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
waiting all its life, snow says, "Let me cover you."
-   Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter

 "Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half.   Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day.  Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb.  Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider."
-   Yule Lore  

"So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!!"
-   Susan Cooper, The Shortest Day

The December solstice will occur at 17:47 (or 5.47pm) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)  9:47 AM PST on December 21, 2009. It is also known as the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere due to the seasonal differences. Its date varies from December 20 to December 23 depending on the year in the Gregorian calendar.

From the website Circle Sanctuary:

Celebrating Winter Solstice by Selena Fox


Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.

Today, many people in Western-based cultures refer to this holiday as "Christmas." Yet a look into its origins of Christmas reveals its Pagan roots. Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the "Invincible Sun" in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice.

Most of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with "Christmas" actually are linked to Winter Solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures. While Christian mythology is interwoven with contemporary observances of this holiday time, its Pagan nature is still strong and apparent. 

May we remember the old ways as we celebrate this season

It's The Way You Do It

 Another wonderful quote from the quotegarden.com:

As the bus slowed down at the crowded bus stop, the Pakistani bus conductor leaned from the platform and called out, "Six only!"  The bus stopped.  He counted on six passengers, rang the bell, and then, as the bus moved off, called to those left behind:  "So sorry, plenty of room in my heart - but the bus is full."  He left behind a row of smiling faces.  It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it.  - The Friendship Book of Francis Gay, 1977
 

work large cascading pool of wonder
striving to meet the challenges alone
victory of the thorough over the swift

May we be merciful

Sharing, Believing & Microfinance

social time rich yet brief work comes again
going forth bearing peanut butter fudge & penguins
satisfying to be sharing food & thoughtfulness

"When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people."  - Abraham Joshua Heschel

I listened to a wonderful program on National Public Radio last night. It was an interview with Dr. Muhammad Yunus(MY) the founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. He is credited with being the founder of the concept of microcredit. He is the author of the book Creating A World Without Poverty. Dr. Yunus and Grameen were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. The loan repayment for Grameen Bank is an amazing 97% to 98%.

Below is a portion of the interview he gave about a successful program he has created lending money to beggars from the website PBS.org:

MY: Four years back, we started a program exclusively for beggars. Because many people are arguing that the poorest people don't have the capacity to go into business, earn money. I always argued the other way. I said, "All human beings are born entrepreneurs. Some get a chance to unleash that capacity. Some never got the chance, never knew that he or she has that capacity."

So in order to address the debate, I thought we should demonstrate it. So we came up with this idea. Why don't we focus on the beggars? So we go to the beggars and explain, "As you go from house to house, would you take some merchandise with you, some cookies, some candy, some toys, some sweets?" And then you give people option [of] whether they will give you something as charity or they will buy something from you. It's up to them to decide.

Today we have 100,000 beggars in that program. Typical loan for beggars is in the neighborhood of 12 to 15 dollars. Over four years, the loan that we have given out to them, more than half that money has already been paid back. It's a non-interest bearing loan. You don't have to pay the interest so that you don't worry about money growing in your hand. It won't grow, so take your time. Only thing is, if you pay us back fully you get more money.

The point here is, I could have given them 12 or 15 dollars as a gift, as a charity. Would they have paid back? Would they have created this? More than 10,000 of them out of 100,000 have stopped begging completely. They are now door-to-door salespersons. The remaining 90 percent, I can probably say that they are part-time beggars, in the process of kind of closing down their begging division and concentrating on their sales division of their work.

Bless the visionary leaders of the world, and their strength of conviction

Island Journey

"No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell." - Jewish Proverb

friends scrumptious bacon omelettes harmony chai
island bridge view of turquoise, ferry boats, fast jets
vacation rich with gifts of beauty and human warmth

"A traveler am I and a navigator, and every day I discover a new region within my soul." - Kahlil Gibran

More Amazing & Easy Philanthropy

soft, furry, snuggly, warm & loving
my dogs sniffed, wagged & befriended
bless the kind and caring 4 legged's

 "We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made." M. Acklam

At 7 years old Mimi started volunteering at a local animal shelter, and at age 11 she createD the website Freekibble.com "Every dog deserves a decent dinner!". The passage below is right off their site:

Mimi Ausland, a 12 year old girl from Bend, Oregon, wanted to help feed the hungry animals at her local animal shelter. “There are 10’s of thousands of dogs and cats in animal shelters across the country, all needing to be fed a good meal.” Say hello to freekibble.com and freekibblekat.com!

Freekibble.com's primary mission is to provide good, healthy food to dogs and cats to those shelters who are working so hard to see that none of them go hungry - they need our help. In addition to providing free kibble to  the Humane Society of Central Oregon, we've added 13 new shelters to the program (from Oregon to Florida!) and plan to expand the program to many more! Thanks to everyone for supporting freekibble by playing the trivia game - every piece of kibble counts!

You can, also, find a link to the Freekibble.com site through their badge at the right side of my page. Proving again how much one caring person can make a difference. I have added a trip to her sites Freekibble and Freekatkibble to my day. Thank you, Mimi, for helping our dog and cat friends. Thank you for giving me an easy way to make a contribution.

"My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am" - Anonymous

May we share with our animal friends

Mimi's sites have raised over 137 tons of dog and cat kibble since April of 2008

When I first noticed on December 10 Yahoo's Spread Kindness site there were 3,210 acts posted on the site. This morning it's showing 139,298.

Social media at it's best.

God, Work & Midnight

watching twinkling in clear midnight ink sky
soft breeze suddenly brings lofting giant clouds
a feeling arises inside me like god is saying hello

Found on the site Garden Digest:

"The sky and the strong wind have moved the spirit inside me
till I am carried away trembling with joy." -  Uvavnuk

I am feeling tired, declining overtime at work today. Someone's programming error crashed an important engine. Peoples fears are showing more as lax procedures tightened. Ignored rules now become must do or die propositions. I am thankful for my rule following nature as I need not change to comply. Whew. Very short staffed at a frantic time. Next week will be a six day week again.

Yes, I am gratefully employed. And I enjoy my daily work task and the difference I can make in people's lives in many small ways. I can still feel the uneasiness all around and inside me as we are slowly assimilated into a new corporate culture. Our name will change, but no one knows what it will be. Oddly unsettling and exciting.

Some moments I am missing the random roadtrips I am foregoing, some I am remembering winter, almost here, as the traditional time to hibernate.

More lofty philosophical thoughts another time. Time for a little trip to the store, and another peek at my sky.

May you enjoy the sky

Yesterday's Poem

winter water wending it's way through
i pray my parking lot will not become ice ink
she prays for falling of soft fluffy snow

"Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories."  - From the movie An Affair to Remember (found on the site Quote Garden)

May we have warm memories to enfold us

More Mother Thoughts

late into the night she worked
rose early to feed those in her care
her sacrifice of self for love - mother

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." - Tenneva Jordan


May we remember she who gave us life

Loss - Healing Wishes For Lisa & Julie

“The death of a mother is the first sorrow wept without her” - Anonymous

death comes always as a surprise to most
unprepared we are for permanent loss
sadness first comes to fill the empty space

The beloved mother of two of my co-workers, Lisa & Julie, died after a long bout of illness. I heart and prayers go out to them and their family. I admire them greatly for giving priority to spending time with her before she died. I know by listening to them she will be very deeply missed.

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Mrs. McConnachie, your kind, thoughtful, humorous, considerate and wise  daughters are evidence of a job well done.

May you rest in peace and tenderly in their hearts

Waiting

I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable. - Joseph Addison

computer catastrophes ensue

 for now we are impatiently waiting

soon the miraculous will resume

"If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees." - Hal Borland

Silent Downtown

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

dark night empty multi-floored giants

bright lights shining for no one

downtown waiting for Monday

May we enjoy the light

Missing Mother

"i want my mommie", she said
looking at me she said, "not really."
why not sometimes I do, too

"I look back on my childhood and thank the stars above.
For everything you gave me, but mostly for your love."
Wayne F. Winters, from Ode to Mom

Yesterday, December 10, I came home tired and little grumpy and randomly picked up the book noted below, and opened to the poem. When Mom Leaves. I was intending to post this yesterday, but I spent most of the day napping and in bed.

I didn't remember until today that yesterday is anniversary date of my mother's death well over a decade ago. What a beautiful synchronicity in randomly selecting this poem I'd hever seen on this anniversary date, and equally sweet what I guess to be my body's response of self-nuturing.

The following poem and the passage it undeer are from a wonderful book I recommend to everyone Healing Conversations by Nance Guilmartin:

When Mom Leaves

When she is gone
in a flash,
unbidden,
there is a loss
like no other.
You see
when Mom leaves
there is a center missing
as if the universe
has lost its gravity.

Everything,
everything falls apart
for awhile
until the universe
of our lives
finds a way
back to center.
And somehow
while there is no force
holding it together
the way it was --
somehow
we are
whole again
in
the
middle
of
it
all.

Grief Unburied

"Grief is like a wave," the counselor said to the television audience. "It comes and goes in its own time."

All gone many years ago. When incident reminds us of our loss, we say to ourselves, You'd think the grief would be over by now. The memorial service was one more reminder that grief isn't something you bury like a casket or something you scatter like ashes. It is, like the television commentator described, something that comes in waves. Sometimes those waves tumble you about, leaving you disoriented. Sometimes those waves of grief pull you down like a surging undertow when you least expect it. Sometimes they throw you up on the shore exhausted. And sometimes they hold you in the cradle of their force, gently carrying you toward the sand.

May we allow ourselves to grieve

over 28,000 have affirmed the Charter for Compassion
over 1,800,000 now have joined me to be citizens of Hopenhagen

Wow, now 10,902 people have posted acts of kindness on Yahoo's Spread Kindness page while I was typing my post it jumped to 12,188 acts. Inspiring.

Diversity of Celebration

So how am I celebrating Hanukkah? I thought most likely warmly wrapped in a soft blanket. But I just received answer to an email sent earlier in the week.

Sogyal Rinpoche, author of  The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, is giving a weekend workshop. I made a request to attend tonight's talk, Finding Peace and Stability in a Troubled World, rather than the whole weekend as I am working. The answer is yes. Not only that if I don't have the amount of the fee set just let them know so it won't prevent me from coming. So I am welcome, and I can afford it.

He is a teacher I haven't met yet. I do love meeting the wisdom keepers of didn't traditions from around the world. I am so lucky that so many come to share with us here in Seattle. So I certainly make a little trip into town in the cold to see some whose, also, come to my doorstep.

From their flyer:

A world-renowned Buddhist teacher from Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche is also the author of the highly acclaimed The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Born in Kham in Eastern Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of Lerab Lingpa Tertön Sogyal, a teacher to the thirteenth Dalai Lama, by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, one of the most outstanding spiritual masters of the twentieth century. Jamyang Khyentse supervised Rinpoche’s training and raised him like his own son.

Rinpoche is also the founder and spiritual director of Rigpa, an international network of over 130 Buddhist centres and groups in 41 countries around the world. He has been teaching for over 30 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia, addressing thousands of people on his retreats and teaching tours.

And since I am going out anyway, I might as well enjoy a delicious dinner out, too

May we all taste wisdom when we can

Happy Hanukkah

"Celebrate the little things in life, appreciate tomorrow, love your neighbor or don’t, but never condemn yourself to a life without cause to celebrate and be thankful for what you have. Never forget the people you love and love them when you have an occasion to do so. Celebrate their life and celebrate yours." - Anonymous (found on the website Favorite Famous Quotes)

From the website Jewish Outreach Institute

How We Celebrate

Hanukkah is the most widely celebrated American Jewish holiday, possibly because it is a fun, child-centered occasion. It is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts, and the lighting of beautiful menorahs (special Hanukkah candelabras) filled with brightly colored candles. Unlike some of the other Jewish holidays, which require intense spiritual reflection or elaborate preparation, it is easy to celebrate.

Many Jewish holidays commemorate events invested with historical and religious meaning, and Hanukkah is no exception. Hanukkah means "rededication," and it commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by foreign forces. The celebration also reaffirms the continuing struggle to live by God's commandments and to lead Jewish lives.

When all is said and done, perhaps the most important message of Hanukkah may be found in the name of the holiday itself: Dedication. When Jews have dedicated themselves, through faith and action, to the pursuit of high religious and human ideals, Judaism has been strong. That imperative, to strengthen our religion and our people, remains an important challenge at this season, in every generation. Hanukkah begins every year on the 25th of the Hebrew month of "Kislev." This year, the 25th of Kislev corresponds to the evening of December 11th, 2009 .

vistas of ancient mountains as the tableaux
sunshine bouncing of tops of tethered boats
celebrating life on the edge of the Salish Sea

May we celebrate each other

Spreading Purple Acts Kindness - Yeah Yahoo

social media brands kindness

today the color of goodness is purple

tomorrow perhaps a rainbow

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." Sitting Bull

I noticed something new (to me) at the bottom of the Yahoo home page a link to Spread Kindness:

    *
      FEATURED SERVICES
          o Spread Kindness. You In?
          o Mail Plus
          o International
          o Mobile Web

Curious I clicked the link to find the message:

3,210 PEOPLE HAVE POSTED THEIR PURPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS. YOU IN?

Click on the hearts to get inspiration from status updates around the world.

 You In?

This holiday, create a ripple of happiness triggered by your single act of kindness. Update your status to share what you're doing to spread joy. Then inspire others to join you by asking "You in?" The more people you tell, the larger your ripple.

We'll use our network to share your good deeds with others. We'll also be doing our own acts of kindness inspired by your updates. So whether you pay for someone's groceries or drop off a coat for the homeless, your actions will encourage others around the world to join in. How big will your ripple of happiness be?

I find this very exciting. Love it - Purple Acts of Kindness.

The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." - Helen Keller

May we all be in

Working Vs Socializing

a little stressed a little harried
missing reading circle food and fun
yet my bank account is smiling

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same." Carlos Castaneda

May we enjoy what we do

Hoping

hectic active and rewarding day
thoughts turn to far away places
knowing they are gathering for good



Below is passages from Paul Loeb's Soul of a Citizen that I enjoyed:

"You have to draw a distinction between hope and optimism, " writes Cornel West. "Vaclav Havel put it well when he said 'optimism' is the belief that things are going to turn out as would like, as opposed to 'hope,' which is when you are thoroughly convinced something is moral and right and therefore you fight regardless of the consequences."

"Hope, in this, view rarely springs from certainty. Instead, it begins and ends in the in what stirs in our hearts, where we place our trust, how we conduct our lives. As writer Norman Cousins explained: "The case for hope has never rested on provable facts or rational assessment. Hope by its very nature is independent of the apparatus of logic. What gives hope its power is not the accumulation of demonstrable facts, but the release of human energies generated by longing for something better."

May they be wise

Global Citizenship

how does a country end and begin
what makes a tree American or Canadian
when did you become a foreigner

The quotes and definitions below is from the site Ikeda quotes Words of Wisdom by Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda on Global Citizenship:

"Earth is originally a green oasis with no need for national borders; it is the venue for the shared existence of humankind, the embodiment of our common destiny. The times demand that we rethink the questions: to what end national identity? to what purpose national borders?"

The wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life and living.

 The courage not to fear or deny difference; but to respect and strive to understand people of different cultures, and to grow from encounters with them.

  The compassion to maintain an imaginative empathy that reaches beyond one's immediate surroundings and extends to those suffering in distant places.

These qualities are the essential elements of global citizenship.

May I recognize you as my family

Reaching Out

"It is not up to you to complete the task. Nonetheless, you are not free to desist from it. " Rabbi Tarfon (quote found in Soul of a Citizen by Paul Rogat Loeb)

Right now people from faiths multiple countries  are gathering in Melbourne, Australia for the World Parliament of Religions. And Copenhagen, people from multiple countries are gathering to discuss climate change and reducing global warming.

My friend Sue sent me information about the website Hopenhagen. I was glad to have an opportunity to sign a petition to encourage leaders to take measurable steps to help our environment. It was fun to become a citizen, along with people around the world, of Hopenhagen. The internet makes participating in global something easy to do. I am not in Copenhagen, but I am proud to have my name of the petition. Thank you, Sue for bringing this opportunity to me.

reaching round the world
tiny steps towards shared truths
global camaraderie forming

May we listen to each other

over 27,000 have affirmed the Charter For Compassion
over 51,000 have signed the petition for Hopenhagen

Watching

conferring over time spent away from work

she with clean floors & counters, I clean laundry

both sharing pride of accomplishment

"Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise." Alice Walker

Charity

fog covered morning peaceful easy day
filled with good conversation, bacon and chai
enjoying the wonder of fresh laundered clothes

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million." - Walt Streightiff

One of the things I do daily on the internet is go to the hunger site. Both of quotes today were found on their site.

At this site, at no cost to the user, you have an opportunity to do good with a few simple clicks. With one click under the tab:

Hunger - sponsors donate 1.1 cup of food

Breast Cancer - helps pays for free mammograms

Child Health - helps promote awareness as well as prevent and treat devastating childhood illness through groups such as Mercy Corps

Literacy - sponsors pay for books

Rainforest - protects 11.4 square feet of rainforest.

Animal Rescue - sponsors donate .6 of a bowl of food

Maybe the act doesn't sound like much, but as example the site shows 169,862 cups of (people) food donated yesterday, and 238,234 bowls of pet food.

It's a very easy way to be charitable.

The last line of the Charter for Compassion:

"It (compassion) is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community."

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." - Sitting Bull

May we make a more peaceful world for us all

Testify To Love - Avalon

I was listening to a sweet song, Joseph's Lullaby, on my friend Sandy's blog, Life is Beautiful. Life Is Crazy. I was reminded that I do have a favorite song by the group Avalon - Testify To Love.

"What you yourself hate, don't do to your neighbor. This is the whole law; the rest is commentary." - Rabbi Hillel

Over 26,000 people have affirmed the Charter For Compassion. It makes me happy hat the seedling continues to grow nurtured by great souls.

"Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity." 9th line of the Charter For Compassion

connected by rivers interwoven with seas
sharing the star filled sky, moon and sun
the same air, same hearts, same love

May we recognize the power of love

Finding Warmth

shivering cold icy toes
missing southern winters
sipping warm ginger tea

"The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination."  - Ward Elliot Hour

Winters Sky

ice crystals glistening
moon strong and full
winter hugs the air

Opening Up To Compassion

one mind at a time waking
shaking loose bits of indifference
trying on moments of kindness

"Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries." 8th line of Charter for Compassion

"Compassion is the radicalism of our time." - Dalai Lama