Jubilee Farm

The Awakening

2009-10-07T12:02:00.002-05:00

A time comes in your life when you finally get… when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out… ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you… and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are… and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself… and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself… and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties… and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not your job to save the world, and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations, and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just like food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline, and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people… and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

Author Unknown

follow the arrows

2009-10-07T11:01:00.002-05:00

Moo

2009-06-21T10:54:00.002-05:00

Releasing the Cows

One day the Buddha was sitting in the wood with thirty or forty monks. They had an excellent lunch and they were enjoying the company of each other. There was a farmer passing by and the farmer was very unhappy. He asked the Buddha and the monks whether they had seen his cows passing by. The Buddha said they had not seen any cows passing by.

The farmer said, "Monks, I'm so unhappy. I have twelve cows and I don't know why they all ran away. I have also a few acres of a sesame seed plantation and the insects have eaten up everything. I suffer so much I think I am going to kill myself.

The Buddha said, "My friend, we have not seen any cows passing by here. You might like to look for them in the other direction."

So the farmer thanked him and ran away, and the Buddha turned to his monks and said, "My dear friends, you are the happiest people in the world. You don't have any cows to lose. If you have too many cows to take care of, you will be very busy.

"That is why, in order to be happy, you have to learn the art of cow releasing (laughter). You release the cows one by one. In the beginning you thought that those cows were essential to your happiness, and you tried to get more and more cows. But now you realize that cows are not really conditions for your happiness; they constitute an obstacle for your happiness. That is why you are determined to release your cows."

---Told by Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Finish Every Day

2009-06-07T13:21:00.002-05:00

Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities
no doubt have crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely
and with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with
your old nonsense.

This day is all that is
good and fair.
It is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on yesterdays.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

words to live by...

2009-06-04T13:25:00.000-05:00

Ten Principles to the Zen of Attraction

2009-06-02T12:39:00.002-05:00

1. Promise Nothing
Just do what you most enjoy doing.
Hidden benefit: You will always over-deliver.

2. Offer Nothing
Just share what you have with those who express an interest in it.
Hidden benefit: Takes the pressure off of wanting other people to see you as valuable or important.

3. Expect Nothing
Just enjoy what you already have. It’s plenty.
Hidden benefit: You will realize how complete your life is already.

4. Need Nothing
Just build up your reserves and your needs will disappear.
Hidden benefit: You boundaries will be extended and filled with space.

5. Create Nothing
Just respond well to what comes to you.
Hidden benefit: Openness.

6. Hype Nothing
Just let quality sell by itself.
Hidden benefit: Trustability.

7. Plan Nothing
Just take the path of least resistance.
Hidden benefit: Achievement will become effortless.

8. Learn Nothing
Just let your body absorb it all on your behalf.
Hidden benefit: You will become more receptive to what you need to know in the moment.

9. Become No One
Just be more of yourself.
Hidden benefit: Authenticity.

10. Change Nothing
Just tell the truth and things will change by themselves.
Hidden benefit: Acceptance.

How Do You Feel About Getting Old?

2009-05-29T10:45:00.006-05:00

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging..

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.

So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.

I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.

And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

Two Wolves

2009-05-19T11:56:00.003-05:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said: 'My son, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied: 'The one you feed.'

Rules for Being Human

2009-05-05T11:40:00.002-05:00

1. YOU WILL RECEIVE A BODY.

You many like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period of this time around.

2. YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS.

You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. THERE ARE NO MISTAKES ONLY LESSONS.

Growth is a process of trial and error: Experimentation. The "failed: experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".

4. A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL LEARNED.

A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go to the next lesson.

5. LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END.

There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

6. "THERE" IS NO BETTER THAN "HERE".

When your "there" has become a "here" you will only obtain another "there" that will again look like "here".

7. OTHERS ARE MERELY MIRRORS OF YOU.

You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects some thing you love or hate about yourself.

8. WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS UP TO YOU.

You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. YOUR ANSWERS LIE INSIDE OF YOU.

The answers to LIFE's question lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. YOU WILL FORGET ALL OF THIS.

11. YOU CAN REMEMBER IT WHENEVER YOU WANT.

From Rules for Being Human by Cherie Carter Scott

mystical color

2009-04-20T09:43:00.002-05:00

The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color.---Hans Hofmann

it's all you need...

2009-04-12T20:05:00.000-05:00

let's hear it for the crazies...

2009-04-01T14:49:00.001-05:00

tears

2009-02-24T11:35:00.001-06:00

Tears are nature's lotion for the eyes. The eyes see better by being washed by them.
---Christian Nestell Bovee

Thirst

2009-02-12T11:29:00.002-06:00

Click on the green arrow to watch this powerful presentation!

Thirst

View more presentations from Jonathan Boutelle.

way to happiness

2009-01-24T11:38:00.001-06:00

I've Learned...

2009-01-23T14:28:00.001-06:00

I've learned-
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned-
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned-
that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned-
that you should never ruin an apology with an excuse.

I've learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned-
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned-
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned-
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned-
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned-
that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned-
that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I've learned-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned-
that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

I've learned-
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned-
that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned-
that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned-
that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings, and standing up for what you believe.

I've learned-
that people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

believe it if you need it...

2008-12-09T16:03:00.006-06:00

...if you don't, just pass it on!

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair. At first thought, the man felt ashamed. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window --- that thought, and only that thought, now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, and along with that, the sound of breathing.

Now there was only silence --- deathly silence. The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate since he had described such wonderful things outside his window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue---

You can interpret the story in any way you like. But one moral stands out: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

Author Unknown

wizard...take 2

2008-11-21T16:17:00.002-06:00

please read the previous post before viewing this movie...& please stop the music player before listening...

nestled in the roots of an old oak tree

2008-11-21T15:55:00.008-06:00

my old feline friend Wizard took his leave from this existence today...

wizard came into my life as a young cat from the wrong side of the tracks in Santa Cruz...his age an enigma but yet revealing from his big, expressive eyes...
he lived a full life, a big life, a BIGGER-than-life life...he lived out his last years in the lap of luxury: mesmerizing those humans around him with his ability to open doors, sit in the bathtub til the faucet was turned on... his ultra-intelligent skills recognized...
i will miss him... may his spirit bless us forever~

kitty is in love

2008-10-24T16:57:00.002-05:00

doors of perception

2008-09-30T16:15:00.001-05:00

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
Flora Whittemore

freedom

2008-09-14T11:53:00.003-05:00

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.
— Moshe Dayan

SPECKtacular sunday afternoon...

2008-07-20T08:04:00.004-05:00

if anyone wants to know
where to find me
i'll be right here
in the warmth of your arms

'cause you
you're the one i can trust in
you've never done me any harm

i'm putting all my troubles
behind me
i don't feel the same
when i'm away from your smile

'cause you
you're the one that can calm me down
whenever i get wild

fooling myself
about how to exist
all by myself
there was much i had missed
you came and showed me
what happiness is

if anyone wants to know
where my heart is
tell everyone
that it's wrapped around yours

'cause you
you're the one i can turn to
you opened up the door.
---g.nash

...Forever LOVE to linda...
sweet kisses goodbye to speck...

stress

2008-07-07T18:29:00.003-05:00

A lecturer, when explaining stress mangement to an audience,
raised a glass of water and asked
'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight. but the longer I hold it,
the heavier it becomes.'

He continued.
'And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
we won't be able to carry on.'

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for
a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight,
put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can.'

So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to
you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested
awhile.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

-Accept that some days you're the pigeon
and some days you're the statue.

-Always keep your words soft and sweet,
just in case you have to eat them.

-Always wear stuff that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.

-Drive carefully. It's not only the cars that can be
recalled by their maker.

-If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

-If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
it was probably worth it.

-It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

-Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time
because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

-Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

-Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

-The second mouse gets the cheese.

-When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

-Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

-You may be only one person in the world.
But you may also be the world to one person.

-Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

-We could learn a lot from crayons... some are sharp, some are pretty
and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors,
but they all have to live in the same box.

-A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

eyes of the world

2008-07-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

it's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

---henry david thoreau

most beautiful reunion...

2008-06-26T09:38:00.004-05:00

Christian is the name of a lion bought from Harrods Department Store in 1969 by Australian John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke. Harrods acquired the cub from Ilfracombe Zoo and sold Christian for 250 guineas...along with diet sheets to accompany him! So began Christian's year as an urban lion. Christian was given his own living quarters (& a very large kitty-litter tray, which he used unfailingly) in the basement of the appropriately named Sophistocat furniture shop.

"For a year, the Big Cat was a part of it all, cruising the streets in the back of a Bentley, eating in the finest London restaurants and spending his days lounging in a furniture shop. Within a year, Christian grew from 35 lbs to 185 lbs and a chance meeting sealed his new life. Actors Bill Travers & Virginia McKenna of Born Free walked into the shop to buy a pine desk & suggested that he be taken to Kora National Reserve in Kenya where he was rehabilitated into the wild by the "Lion Man," George Adamson. Throughout Christian's rehabilitation into the wild, John Rendall & Ace Bourke continued to make sporadic visits. In 1974, George Adamson wrote to say that the pride was self-sufficient. Christian was defending it. There was a litter of cubs. They were feeding themselves and rarely returned to camp. Rendall and Ace decided to travel to Kora one last time, in the hope of being able to say goodbye, though Adamson warned them that it would almost certainly be a wasted mission as Christian had not been seen for 9 months.

According to the Daily Mail interview, "Christian arrived last night," he said simply. "He's here with his lionesses & his cubs. He's outside the camp on his favorite rock. He's waiting for you." Adamson & his wife often talked about the mysterious, apparently telepathic communication skills of lions --- particularly between lions and men. Both believed that lions were possessed of a sixth sense & George was convinced that a scientific explanation would one day be found. And here, it seemed, was the proof.
"Christian stared at us in a very intense way," says Rendall. "I knew his expressions & I could see he was interested. We called him & he stood up & started to walk towards us very slowly.
"Then, as if he had become convinced it was us, he ran towards us, threw himself on to us, knocked us over, knocked George over & hugged us, like he used to, with his paws on our shoulders.
"Everyone was crying. We were crying, George was crying, even the lion was nearly crying."
"The lionesses were far from pleased. There was a lot of growling and spitting," continues Rendall.
"George said: 'This isn't safe...we'd better go.' So we each put a hand on Christian's back & he walked with us back to camp."
The reunion party went on all night & into the morning. Leaving his exhausted companions to go to their beds, Christian returned to his pride. "We watched him go back to the 2 lionesses, who were not at all happy with this man, smelling of nicotine, whiskey & humans," says Rendall. He just walloped the two of them with his paw, then collapsed."

And that was the last anyone ever saw of him.

This video is of their final meeting.

For the next 14 years, George Adamson remained at Kora National Reserve, rehabilitating several other lions & ignoring warnings from the authorities, who did not consider it safe for him to stay. Then, in 1989, he was ambushed & murdered by bandits. He died with a gun in his hand &, in accordance with his wishes, was buried at Kora. Following his death, his supporters formed the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust, which now does work in Kora as well as Tanzania, where it is reintroducing the endangered black rhino & hunting dog. The trust's chief aim is to keep alive Adamson's dream of a place where animals can roam free --- a fitting epitaph not just for the great conservationist but also for the lion who once lived in Chelsea.
A movie titled Christian the Lion at World's End was made documenting the relocation of Christian from England to Kenya.
(Wikipedia)
thanks, alicia...

untitled

2008-06-26T09:29:00.000-05:00

bloomin' like a red rose

2008-06-16T14:00:00.005-05:00

"I've got this one spirit that's laying roses on me. Roses, roses --- can't get enough of those bloody roses. [The spirit] gives me a lot of other good lines, too, but if I don't put the roses in, it goes away for a while. It's the most prominent image, as far as I'm concerned, in the human brain. Beauty, delicacy, short-livedness...There is no better allegory for --- dare I say it? --- life, than roses. It never fails. When you put a rose somewhere, it'll do what it's supposed to do. Same way with certain jewels --- I like a diamond here, a ruby there, a rose, certain kinds of buildings, vehicles, gems. These things are all real, and the word evokes the thing. That's what we're working with, evocation."
Robert Hunter (BAM Magazine, 1978)

do you realize

2008-05-29T23:16:00.005-05:00

do you realize... that you have the most beautiful face
do you realize... we're floating in space...
do you realize... that happiness makes you cry
do you realize... that everyone you know someday will die...

and instead of saying all of your goodbyes... let them know
you realize that life goes fast
it's hard to make the good things last
you realize the sun don't go down
it's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

do you realize
do you realize... that everyone you know
someday will die...

and instead of saying all of your goodbyes... let them know
you realize that life goes fast
it's hard to make the good things last
you realize the sun don't go down
it's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

do you realize... that you have the most beautiful face
do you realize

---the Flaming Lips

love and forgiveness

2008-05-24T13:22:00.002-05:00

at a time of such love, such rapture, such self sacrifice, what do any of our quarrels and affronts matter? i love and forgive everybody now.
--Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Friendship Ball

2008-05-09T09:13:00.002-05:00

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see
is the treasure of Friendship you've granted to me.
Today I pass the Friendship Ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a Friend to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad... I will dry your tears.
When you are scared... I will comfort your fears.
When you are confused... I will help you cope.
And when you are lost and can't see the light,
I shall be your beacon... shining ever so bright!
This my oath... I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?
Because you're my Friend.

Murphy's Other Laws

2008-05-05T09:33:00.002-05:00

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them.

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

The shin bone is a device for finding furniture.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

HAPPY MONDAY. ugh.

I Wrote Your Name

2008-05-02T11:14:00.003-05:00

I wrote your name on a piece of paper,
but by accident I threw it away.
I wrote your name on my hand, but it washed away.
I wrote your name in the sand, but the waves whispered it away.
I wrote your name in my heart, and forever it will stay.

I believe in angels,
The kind that heaven sends.
I'm surrounded by angels,
But I call them my friends.

there's a muddy tear in my red dirt today...

2008-04-23T12:22:00.003-05:00

river goin' to take me, sing me sweet and sleepy,
sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home.
it's a far gone lullaby, sung many years ago...
mama, mama many worlds i've come since i first left home.

goin' home, goin' home, by the waterside i will lay my bones,
listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul~

Bob Childers
~Fare Thee Well~

Paradox

2008-04-22T20:13:00.008-05:00

The paradox of our time in history is that we have

Taller buildings but shorter tempers,

Wider freeways but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more but have less.

We buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses but smaller families.

More convenience, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense.

More knowledge but less judgment.

More experts, yet more problems.

More medicine, yet less wellness.

We drink too much.

Smoke too much.

Spend too recklessly.

Laugh too little.

Drive too fast.

Get too angry.

Stay up too late.

Get up too tired.

Read too little.

Watch TV too much.

And pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom & hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon & back, but we have trouble

crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce

more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are times of fast foods & slow digestion, big men and small

character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality,one-night stands, overweight bodies, & pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window & nothing in the stockroom.

Remember to spend times with your loved ones because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart, & it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember to say "I love you" to your partner & your loved ones, but most of all, mean it.

A kiss & an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands & cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love.

Give time to speak.

Give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

The Wall

2008-04-16T11:52:00.008-05:00

i used chalkboard paint on the side of my garage to create a blank canvas... that is ready for new creativity every time it rains... i've tried to document each artistic endeavor, so i thought i'd share some here... make one yourself... it's FUN!

in reverse chronological order, here's what's been up there so far...

in honor of the first day of spring...

and sadly, last october, i lost my sweet cairn terrier... this was just one of the ways that i memorialized her...

every september in eureka springs, arkansas, the annual Feat Fest takes place... all Little Feat, all weekend long! there's a parade, much merry-making, and the best music ever! as i got excited about making the trip, i had to recognize the event...

last summer Steve Miller was on tour... it was fun to come up with something for The Wall in his honor. at the time, i had a tenant living out here, so she helped me with this design... the "face" of the gangsta is pretty dorky-looking, but i really like his BLING~

...the Wall is currently blank... but i bought a bunch of new chalk yesterday, so stay tuned!

peace

2008-04-14T11:07:00.003-05:00

It does not mean to be in a place

Where there is no noise, trouble

Or hard work.

It means to be in the midst of those things

And still be calm in your heart.

To Realize...

2008-04-12T10:43:00.004-05:00

To realize

The value of a sister

Ask someone

Who doesn't have one.

To realize

The value of ten years:

Ask a newly

Divorced couple.

To realize

The value of four years:

Ask a graduate.

To realize

The value of one year:

Ask a student who

Has failed a final exam.

To realize

The value of nine months:

Ask a mother who gave birth to a still born.

To realize

The value of one month:

Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize

The value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize

The value of one hour:

Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize

The value of one minute:

Ask a person

Who has missed the train, bus, or plane.

To realize

The value of one-second:

Ask a person

Who has survived an accident.

To realize

The value of one millisecond:

Ask the person who has won a

Silver medal in the Olympics.

To realize the value of a friend:

Lose one.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when

You can share it with someone special.

---Anonymous

we are what we eat...

2008-04-11T12:10:00.003-05:00

okay, i guess i'm on a roll...

here's a sobering visual of the world's disparities, priorities, and extreme polarities as far as economically-driven nutritional habits ... is it just me, or do the people towards the end of the list seem to have bigger smiles on their faces?

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily

Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide

Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (hopefully most American families eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and less junk food than this family).

Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca

Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna

Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo

Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo

Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village

Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp

Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Today's World

2008-04-11T11:22:00.002-05:00

everything seems out of balance, out of whack, so much disparity...

nothing illustrates this better than the following images and article by Victoria Moore in the UK's Daily Mail 3.1.07~

How the World Shapes Up
We all know what the world looks like. But a new series of extraordinary maps shows our planet in a very different light.

Rather than defining each country by size, these computer-generated modified maps - or cartograms - redraw the globe with each country's size proportionate to its strengths, or weaknesses, in a whole series of categories.

For instance, when it comes to military spending, the U.S. appears bloated, but Africa is huge when HIV prevalence is mapped.

The cartograms were produced in a unique collaboration between the universities of Michigan in the U.S. and Sheffield. Here are images and more details on some of the most fascinating...

Alcohol Consumption (2001)
The average Western European drinks over a third more alcohol than the average person in any other area on earth. In some places there is practically no alcohol consumption, which is why many Middle Eastern countries are not visible on this map.

Ugandans drink the most alcohol per adult, closely followed by Luxembourg, the Czech Republic and Ireland.

The map shows the proportion of worldwide alcohol drunk in 2001. It does not take population density into account, so some countries, such as Australia, are unexpectedly shrivelled, while Britain is particularly bloated even though we not in the top ten.

HIV Prevalence
The map shows the distribution of all people aged 15-49 with HIV. In 2003, the highest HIV prevalence was in Swaziland, where almost four in every ten people, were HIV positive. All ten territories with the highest prevalence of HIV are in central and southeastern Africa.

House Prices
The most expensive housing stock per person in the world is in Europe, the cheapest in the African regions and Southern Asia - despite taking into account that money goes further in these territories. Britain, with its non-stop housing boom, looks disproportionately large.

Military Spending
Aa the world's biggest military spender in 2002, the U.S. appears hugely bloated in this map, taking up 45 per cent of the world's land mass. It spent $353 billion on arms, out of a world total of $789 billion.

While America spent the money, it reaped hardly any of the consequences - the U.S. shrinks to almost nothing in the map of war deaths on the right...

War and Death
In 2002, there were an estimated 172,000 war deaths worldwide, across 80 territories. The Democratic Republic of Congo (dark red) bore the brunt - 26 per cent - of the total figure.

Nine territories accounted for 70 per cent of all deaths. Burundi had the highest death rate owing to war at 1.2 people per thousand of the population.

Toy Imports
The following two maps demonstrate the passage of the world's toys from east to west. The U.S. (blue) is the world's biggest net importer of toys, followed by the UK and Europe (red). The lowest importer of toys is Africa (orange).

Toy Exports
As the world's biggest net exporter of toys, China appears on the map like a vivid green giant, attached to the paler green Hong Kong, the second largest net exporter. Britain's once-great toy export industry has all but disappeared.

Wealth of Nations (1500)
The big difference between 1500 and 2002 (next map) is that all that time ago, the vast bulk of the world's wealth was contained in European and Asian countries. Measured by Gross Domestic Product per person, the wealthiest regions were Eastern and Southern Asia.

Wealth of Nations (2002)
Today, 500 years on, the money has all moved west: 46 per cent of the wealth is in North America and Western Europe. Along with Japan, these are the regions with the most purchasing power per person, while the people with the lowest purchasing power are to be found in Africa.

she was not like other girls...

2008-04-08T20:22:00.006-05:00

i was asked recently where the image in my profile came from...

over the last couple of years i have discovered the work of a graffiti artist in my community... the images are on trash dumpsters, transformer boxes, random sidewalks & walls. i really like the stenciled look as well as the artistic images... the image on my original "Welcome" post is also the work of that same artist.

and if you like that, check out banksy from the UK... he takes this artistic expression to the next level... here's a couple of my favorites...

but go check out his site...
www.banksy.co.uk

Messenger

2008-04-02T09:33:00.004-05:00

Hawk…
Messenger of the sky,
Circle my dreams
& teach me
The message as we fly.

from Medicine Cards

Golden Feather

2008-03-29T11:11:00.003-05:00

I gave my love a golden feather
I gave my love a heart of stone
And when you find a golden feather
It means you’ll never lose your way back home

In the autumn night
When there’s no wind blowin’
I could hear the stars falling in the dark
When you find what’s worth keeping
With a breath of kindness
Blow the rest away
---Robbie Robertson

Growing Old With Dogs

2008-03-28T20:25:00.005-05:00

When I am old
I will wear soft gray sweatshirts
and a bandana over my silver hair
and I will spend my social security checks
on wine and my dogs.

I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair
and listen to my dogs' breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle
of a warm summer night
and take my dogs for a run,
if my old bones will allow... 

When people come to call, I will smile
and nod as I show them my dogs
and talk of them and about them
the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today. 

I will still work hard cleaning after them,
mopping and feeding them and
whispering their names
in a soft loving way.

I will wear the gleaming sweat
on my throat,
like a jewel and I will be
an embarrassment to all
especially my family who have not yet found
the peace in being free
to have dogs as your best friends.

 These friends who always wait,
at any hour, for your footfall
and eagerly jump to their feet
out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a God. 

With warm eyes
full of adoring love and hope
that you will always stay,
I'll hug their big strong necks
I'll kiss their dear sweet heads
and whisper in their very special company. 

I look in the Mirror
and see I am getting old
this is the kind of person I am
and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy,
they are part of me. 

Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives
they love my presence in their lives
When I am old this will be important to me
you will understand when you are old
if you have dogs to love too. 
~Author Unknown

Welcome

2008-03-28T18:24:00.001-05:00

If you can't be famous, at least be notorious.

Oscar Wilde